Sea otters are such fun animals. Did you know that they’re one of the only animals that uses tools? They often keep a favorite rock tucked under their arm. When it’s time to eat, they place that rock on their chest and smash shells against it to open them up and get the yummy food inside. Otters are also social creatures. When they sleep, they will actually hold hands to keep from floating away from each other.
Made with worsted weight yarn, this finished pattern is approximately 10 inches long.
If you want a pattern that you can save on your computer and easily print, this pattern is available in my Ravelry shop for only $2.00. I love printing patterns and saving them in a binder to keep track of the ones I’ve done and the ones I still plan to do.
Abbreviations:
ch: chain
sc: single crochet
sl st: slip stitch
inc: increase (2 single crochets in one loop)
dec: decrease (pull yarn through loop, pull yarn through second loop, yarn over and pull through all loops)
Materials needed (with affiliate links):
Any worsted weight yarn will work, but I used Vanna’s Choice in beige , barley, oatmeal and grey marble.
This pattern is worked “in-the-round”, and stitches are worked through both loops unless otherwise noted.
Head:
With beige, ch 3. Sl st to first ch to create circle. (Instead, you can perform the “magic circle” if you’d like.)
Row 1: ch 1, 5 sc inside of circle. (5 stitches)
Row 2: Inc in each stitch around. (10 stitches)
Row 3: *Inc in first stitch, sc in next stitch, repeat from * around. (15 stitches)
Row 4: *Inc in first stitch, sc in next 2 stitches, repeat from * around. (20 stitches)
Row 5: Sc in each stitch around. (20 stitches)
Row 6: *Inc in first stitch, sc in next 3 stitches, repeat from * around. (25 stitches)
Rows 7-8: Sc in each stitch around. (25 stitches)
Switch to oatmeal.
Row 9: Sc in first 10 stitches, inc in next 5 stitches, sc in last 10 stitches. (30 stitches)
Row 10: *Inc in first stitch, sc in next 5 stitches, repeat from * around. (35 stitches)
Row 11: *Inc in first stitch, sc in next 6 stitches, repeat from * around. (40 stitches)
Row 12: Sc in each stitch around. (40 stitches)
Row 13: *Inc in first stitch, sc in next 7 stitches, repeat from * around. (45 stitches)
Row 14: *Inc in first stitch, sc in next 8 stitches, repeat from * around. (50 stitches)
Rows 15-19: Sc in each stitch around. (50 stitches)
Row 20: *Dec in first 2 stitches, sc in next 8 stitches, repeat from * around. (45 stitches)
Row 21: *Dec in first 2 stitches, sc in next 7 stitches, repeat from * around. (40 stitches)
Row 22: Sc in each stitch around. (40 stitches)
Row 23: *Dec in first 2 stitches, sc in next 6 stitches, repeat from * around. (35 stitches)
Row 24: *Dec in first 2 stitches, sc in next 5 stitches, repeat from * around. (30 stitches)
Row 25: Sc in each stitch around. (30 stitches)
Row 26: *Dec in first 2 stitches, sc in next 4 stitches, repeat from * around. (25 stitches)
Stop at this point and insert safety eyes between rows 9 and 10. Stuff head tight with poly-fil. Continue stuffing as you work.
Row 27: *Dec in first 2 stitches, sc in next 3 stitches, repeat from * around. (20 stitches)
Row 28: *Dec in first 2 stitches, sc in next 2 stitches, repeat from * around. (15 stitches)
Row 29: *Dec in first 2 stitches, sc in next stitch, repeat from * around. (10 stitches)
Row 30: Dec around. (5 stitches)
Sew end shut. Tie off. Use embroidery thread to sew on nose and mouth, and add whiskers.
Ears:
With barley, ch 3. Sl st to first ch to create circle. (Instead, you can perform the “magic circle” if you’d like.)
Row 1: ch 1, 5 sc inside of circle. (5 stitches)
Row 2: Inc in each stitch around. (10 stitches)
Row 3: Sc in each stitch around. (10 stitches)
Tie off. Make two. Lay flat and fold in half. Position on head and sew on.
Body:
With barley, ch 3. Sl st to first ch to create circle. (Instead, you can perform the “magic circle” if you’d like.)
Row 1: ch 1, 5 sc inside of circle. (5 stitches)
Row 2: Inc in each stitch around. (10 stitches)
Row 3: *Inc in first stitch, sc in next stitch, repeat from * around. (15 stitches)
Row 4: *Inc in first stitch, sc in next 2 stitches, repeat from * around. (20 stitches)
Row 5: *Inc in first stitch, sc in next 3 stitches, repeat from * around. (25 stitches)
Row 6: *Inc in first stitch, sc in next 4 stitches, repeat from * around. (30 stitches)
Row 7: *Inc in first stitch, sc in next 5 stitches, repeat from * around. (35 stitches)
Row 8: *Inc in first stitch, sc in next 6 stitches, repeat from * around. (40 stitches)
Row 9: *Inc in first stitch, sc in next 7 stitches, repeat from * around. (45 stitches)
Row 10: *Inc in first stitch, sc in next 8 stitches, repeat from * around. (50 stitches)
Row 11: *Dec in first 2 stitches, sc in next 8 stitches, repeat from * around. (45 stitches)
Rows 12-15: Sc in each stitch around. (45 stitches)
Row 16: *Dec in first 2 stitches, sc in next 7 stitches, repeat from * around. (40 stitches)
Rows 17-18: Sc in each stitch around. (40 stitches)
Row 19: *Dec in first 2 stitches, sc in next 6 stitches, repeat from * around. (35 stitches)
Rows 20-21: Sc in each stitch around. (35 stitches)
Row 22: *Dec in first 2 stitches, sc in next 5 stitches, repeat from * around. (30 stitches)
Rows 23-24: Sc in each stitch around. (30 stitches)
Row 25: *Dec in first 2 stitches, sc in next 4 stitches, repeat from * around. (25 stitches)
Switch to oatmeal.
Rows 26-29: Sc in each stitch around. (25 stitches)
Tie off. Stuff tight with poly-fil. Sew head onto body.
Legs:
With barley, ch 3. Sl st to first ch to create circle. (Instead, you can perform the “magic circle” if you’d like.)
Row 1: ch 1, 5 sc inside of circle. (5 stitches)
Row 2: Inc in each stitch around. (10 stitches)
Row 3: *Inc in first stitch, sc in next stitch, repeat from * around. (15 stitches)
Row 4: *Inc in first stitch, sc in next 2 stitches, repeat from * around. (20 stitches)
Row 5: *Inc in first stitch, sc in next 3 stitches, repeat from * around. (25 stitches)
Rows 6-8: Sc in each stitch around. (25 stitches)
Row 9: Sc in first 7 stitches, dec in next 10 stitches (5 dec’s), sc in last 8 stitches. (20 stitches)
Row 10: Sc in first 5 stitches, dec in next 10 stitches (5 dec’s), sc in last 5 stitches. (15 stitches)
Rows 11-13: Sc in each stitch around. (15 stitches)
Stuff tight with poly-fil. Position and sew onto body.
Arms:
With barley, ch 3. Sl st to first ch to create circle. (Instead, you can perform the “magic circle” if you’d like.)
Row 1: ch 1, 5 sc inside of circle. (5 stitches)
Row 2: Inc in each stitch around. (10 stitches)
Row 3: *Inc in first stitch, sc in next stitch, repeat from * around. (15 stitches)
Row 4: *Inc in first stitch, sc in next 2 stitches, repeat from * around. (20 stitches)
Rows 5-6: Sc in each stitch around. (20 stitches)
Row 7: *Dec in first 2 stitches, sc in next 2 stitches, repeat from * around. (15 stitches)
Row 8: *Dec in first 2 stitches, sc in next stitch, repeat from * around. (10 stitches)
Rows 9-11: Sc in each stitch around. (10 stitches)
Tie off. Stuff about halfway with poly-fil. Position and sew onto body.
Tail:
With barley, ch 3. Sl st to first ch to create circle. (Instead, you can perform the “magic circle” if you’d like.)
Row 1: ch 1, 5 sc inside of circle. (5 stitches)
Row 2: Sc in each stitch around. (5 stitches)
Row 3: Inc in each stitch around. (10 stitches)
Rows 4-5: Sc in each stitch around. (10 stitches)
Row 6: *Inc in first stitch, sc in next stitch, repeat from * around. (15 stitches)
Rows 7-12: Sc in each stitch around. (15 stitches)
Tie off. Lay flat, position and sew onto body.
Rock:
With grey marble, ch 3. Sl st to first ch to create circle. (Instead, you can perform the “magic circle” if you’d like.)
Row 1: ch 1, 10 sc inside of circle. (10 stitches)
Row 2: *Inc in first stitch, sc in next stitch, repeat from * around. (15 stitches)
Row 3: *Inc in first stitch, sc in next 2 stitches, repeat from * around. (20 stitches)
Row 4: *Inc in first stitch, sc in next 3 stitches, repeat from * around. (25 stitches)
Row 5: Sc in each stitch around. (25 stitches)
Stop at this point and stuff tight with poly-fil. Continue stuffing as you work.
Row 6: *Dec in first 2 stitches, sc in next 3 stitches, repeat from * around. (20 stitches)
Row 7: *Dec in first 2 stitches, sc in next 2 stitches, repeat from * around. (15 stitches)
Row 8: *Dec in first 2 stitches, sc in next stitch, repeat from * around. (10 stitches)
Row 9: Dec around. (5 stitches)
Sew end shut. Tie off. You can sew the rock onto his chest if you want to.
There you have your finished otter.
I hope you enjoy this pattern! You’re welcome to sell items that you make using my patterns, as long as you don’t post the pattern anywhere else, and link back to my page if you’d like to. If there are any mistakes, or something is unclear, please feel free to leave me a comment and let me know. Or message me on Facebook. If you create any otters of your own, be sure to post a photo on my Facebook page so I can see. I love seeing all of the things people are creating, and I’d love to see the different variations that people make of these.
lefthandedcrocheter.com 
Oh my word! He’s just completely adorable! I may have actually squealed out loud when I saw your post. Thank you so much for sharing the pattern 💖
SO SO Cute! Love the little pops of other colors in the yarn here and there!
Absolutely love your patterns. I notice on one of your otters there is an oatmeal belly. I’ve already finished my body – did you add the patch of oatmeal afterwards or did you work it into the body piece?
I actually did the color changes as I worked up that body. I really just wanted to see how it would look with a lighter belly, but I already had the pattern written up by then. It’s not really that difficult to do it yourself if you decide to. You could also just crochet up a patch of the oatmeal and sew it on if you want.