Crochet Golden Retriever Amigurumi Pattern Free For Christmas

A garland strung with coloured bulbs winds right around this golden retriever crochet pattern free, rather than sitting on it as a single accessory. Velvet yarn keeps the whole dog soft, and the lights work as separate small pieces you add last.

A green garland wound around the head and body, hung with coloured bulbs, is what makes this crochet golden retriever amigurumi pattern free for christmas seasonal rather than a plain dog in a hat. The dog works in velvet yarn: rounded head, long hanging ears, a stubby body, and four thick paws. Large safety eyes and a black nose sit close together on the face. The garland and each bulb work separately and wind on at the end.

Crochet Golden Retriever Amigurumi

Every year I promise myself I am not making another costume set, and every year I make one anyway. This one started with a sitting pup I had already stuffed back in October, sitting on the shelf looking underdressed. Three outfits later he had a red coat, a snowman shell, and twenty tiny bulbs wrapped around his ears. Each piece works up small enough to finish in an evening. Nothing gets sewn onto the pup permanently, so one body carries all three looks and you swap them whenever the mood changes. That last part is what sold me on the whole idea.

Pattern Note Before You Start

This pattern covers the costumes only. The sitting pup underneath comes from a separate base pattern, so make the body first and treat everything below as clothing for it. Two spots in the snowman section need a second look. The first row instruction lists both 45 and 44 stitches for the same row, and the armhole row consumes 47 stitches from a 45 stitch foundation once you count the skipped chains. Work the armhole row to your own stitch count, keeping the two chain 6 gaps evenly spaced, and the fit check on the pup will sort out the rest. I have left both as written rather than quietly changing them.

Abbreviations

• MR — magic ring
• SC — single crochet
• HDC — half double crochet
• INC — increase, two stitches worked into one stitch
• DEC — decrease, two stitches worked together
• SL ST — slip stitch
• BLO — back loop only
• FLO — front loop only
• CH — chain
• [ ] — repeat the bracketed sequence the stated number of times

Materials and Tools

Amounts below are approximate and based on my own working gauge, so treat them as a starting estimate rather than a measured requirement.

• Chunky weight yarn in red, white, and black for the main costume pieces, roughly 40 to 60 g of red and 40 g of white
• Chunky weight scraps in pink, red, yellow, orange, lime, green, lilac, and blue for the light bulbs, a few metres of each
• Chunky weight green for the light strand, around 20 g
• Fuzzy or eyelash yarn in white for the Santa trim and pom pom, around 20 g
• Worsted weight black yarn for the belt collar, a small amount
• Worsted weight yellow yarn for the buckle embroidery, a short length
• 5.0 mm crochet hook for all chunky and fuzzy pieces
• 4.0 mm crochet hook for the worsted weight collar
• Yarn needle, scissors, stitch markers
• A very small amount of fibrefill, or nothing at all if you use yarn tails inside the bulbs

Expect around six to eight hours for all three costume sets, and closer to two hours if you only make one. The finished costumes fit a sitting pup of roughly 20 cm.

Pieces List

• Light bulbs — make 20
• Light strand — make 1
• Santa hat — make 1
• Santa hat fuzzy brim — worked directly onto the hat
• Santa hat pom pom — make 1
• Santa coat body — make 1, worked flat
• Santa coat sleeves — make 2, worked directly into the armholes
• Santa belt collar — make 1
• Snowman costume body — make 1, worked flat
• Snowman head helmet — make 1
• Snowman top hat — make 1
• Snowman scarf — make 1

The Pattern

Christmas Light Pup: Light Bulbs (Make 20)

• Round 1: Work 4 SC into a MR, then pull the ring closed. [4]
• Round 2: [1 SC, INC] twice. [6] At this point the bulb should sit like a shallow thimble, wide at the open edge and already cupping inward at the base.
• Round 3: [1 SC, DEC] twice. [4] The top edge should now be drawing back in on itself. If it still flares outward, the round 2 increases landed too close together.
• Trim the beginning yarn tail short and push it down inside the bulb so it acts as stuffing.
• Fold the bulb flat with 2 stitches sitting on each side.
• Insert the hook through both layers and work 2 SL ST across to seal the top closed. [2 SL ST]
• Thread the working end back inside the bulb, tie a knot in the centre, trim, then push the knot out of sight.
• Repeat for all 20 bulbs. Working through the colours in rainbow order gives the tidiest strand.

Christmas Light Pup: Light Strand

• Using green yarn, CH 201.
• Starting in the 2nd chain from the hook, attach the first bulb by slip stitching through the top two stitches of the bulb and the chain at the same time. [2 SL ST]
• Work 8 SL ST down the chain. After this first repeat the strand should read clearly as bulb, gap, bulb, and the chain will already be curling on itself. That curl comes from the slip stitches and is normal.
• Pick up the next bulb colour and repeat the sequence: 2 SL ST to attach the bulb, then 8 SL ST along the chain.
• Continue until all 20 bulbs sit on the strand. By the halfway point the finished length will look far shorter than 201 chains suggests, because slip stitches eat length. Keep going.
• Fasten off and weave the ends securely back into the strand and the end bulbs.

Santa Pup: Hat

• Round 1: Work 6 SC into a MR using red yarn. [6]
• Rounds 2 to 5: Work 6 SC around in each round. [6] By the end of round 5 you have a narrow tube about the width of a finger, not a cone yet.
• Round 6: [2 SC, INC] twice. [8]
• Round 7: [3 SC, INC] twice. [10]
• Round 8: [4 SC, INC] twice. [12] The tube should now be widening in a slow, even taper. A sudden step outward means two increases stacked in the same column.
• Round 9: [5 SC, INC] twice. [14]
• Round 10: [6 SC, INC] twice. [16]
• Round 11: [7 SC, INC] twice. [18] The hat should now stand up as a proper cone with a floppy tip.
• SL ST to round out the last stitch, then fasten off leaving a long tail.
• Sew the tip of the hat down against the side of the cone so it slouches over.

Santa Pup: Hat Brim

• Attach white fuzzy yarn to the bottom edge of the hat.
• Work [1 SC, INC] 9 times around the edge. [27]
• SL ST to join, fasten off, weave in the ends. The extra stitches make the brim flare slightly instead of gripping the cone, which is what you want.

Santa Pup: Pom Pom

• Round 1: Work 4 SC into a MR using white fuzzy yarn. [4]
• Round 2: [1 SC, INC] twice. [6]
• Round 3: Work 6 SC around. [6] The piece should read as a tiny ball with straight sides at this point.
• Round 4: [1 SC, DEC] twice. [4]
• Cinch the opening closed and sew the pom pom onto the slouched tip of the hat.

Santa Pup: Coat

Worked flat in rows. Row numbering follows the pattern as written.

• Foundation: CH 47 with red yarn.
• Row 2: Starting in the 2nd chain from the hook, work 46 SC back down. CH 1, turn. [46]
• Row 3: 1 SC, CH 6, skip 6 stitches, 32 SC, CH 6, skip 6 stitches, 1 SC. CH 1, turn. [46] Lay the piece across the pup’s back before going further. The two chain gaps should land where the front legs sit, with the wide centre section covering the spine.
• Row 4: 1 SC, 6 SC into the first armhole chain, 32 SC, 6 SC into the second armhole chain, 1 SC. CH 1, turn. [46]
• Rows 5 to 6: Work 46 SC across each row. CH 1, turn. [46]
• Row 7: [5 SC, DEC] 6 times, 4 SC. CH 1, turn. [40] The coat should start pulling in along the top edge here, forming the shoulder line.
• Row 8: [2 SC, DEC] 10 times. CH 1, turn. [30]
• Row 9: [1 SC, DEC] 10 times. CH 1, turn. [20]
• Row 10: [3 SC, DEC] 4 times. [16] The finished shape reads as a wide trapezium, narrow at the neck and flared at the hem.
• Fasten off and weave in the ends.

Santa Pup: Sleeves (Make 2, Both Worked the Same)

• Attach red yarn at the bottom right corner of one armhole.
• Round 1: CH 1, work 6 SC along the bottom edge, 1 SC in the corner, 1 SC in the top corner, 6 SC along the top chain, 1 SC in the remaining top corner. [16]
• Rounds 2 to 5: Work 16 SC around for 4 rounds. [16] The sleeve should hang as a soft open tube. If it flares, you picked up an extra stitch at one of the corners.
• SL ST to join, fasten off, and weave the ends inside the sleeve.
• Repeat on the second armhole.

Santa Pup: Fuzzy Coat Trim

• Using white fuzzy yarn, work SC around the entire outer edge of the coat.
• Work SC around the cuff of each sleeve.
• Fasten off and secure all ends. Fuzzy yarn hides stitch definition completely, so count as you go rather than trusting your eyes.

Santa Pup: Belt Collar

• Using black worsted weight yarn and the 4.0 mm hook, leave an 8 inch tail and CH 25.
• Row 2: Work 24 SC back down the chain. CH 1, turn. [24]
• Row 3: Work 24 SC back across. [24] The strip should be two rows deep and lie completely flat. Curling means the tension is too tight for the smaller hook.
• Fasten off leaving a long tail.
• Using yellow yarn, embroider a small square buckle in the centre of the strip.

Snowman Pup: Costume Body

Worked flat in rows. Row numbering follows the pattern as written.

• Foundation: CH 45 with white yarn.
• Rows 2 to 3: Starting in the 2nd chain from the hook, work 45 SC back down. CH 1, turn. Work a second row of 45 SC. CH 1, turn. [45]
• Row 4: 15 SC, CH 6, skip 6 stitches, 1 SC, 1 INC, 3 SC, CH 6, skip 6 stitches, 15 SC. CH 1, turn. Try the piece on the pup here. The armholes should sit level with each other and the centre panel should reach across the chest.
• Row 5: 15 SC, 6 SC into the first armhole chain, 1 SC, switch to black and work a bobble stitch for the first button, switch back to white, 1 SC, 6 SC into the second armhole chain, 15 SC. CH 1, turn. [45]
• Row 6: Work 45 SC across. CH 1, turn. [45]
• Row 7: 22 SC, switch to black and work a bobble stitch for the second button, switch back to white, 1 SC, 22 SC. CH 1, turn. The two buttons should line up vertically. Check now, because shifting one later means unpicking a full row.
• Row 8: [5 SC, DEC] 3 times, 3 SC across the centre, [5 SC, DEC] 3 times. CH 1, turn. [39]
• Row 9: 7 SC, DEC twice, 1 SC, switch to black and work a bobble stitch for the third button, switch back to white, 1 SC, [7 SC, DEC] twice. CH 1, turn. [35]
• Fasten off the black yarn.
• Row 10: [2 SC, DEC] 4 times, 1 SC, 1 DEC worked over the black stitch, [2 SC, DEC] 4 times. CH 1, turn. [26] The top edge should now be curving inward like a shallow yoke rather than staying straight.
• Row 11: [11 SC, DEC] twice. [24]
• Fasten off and weave in the ends.

Snowman Pup: Head Helmet

• Round 1: Work 6 SC into a MR using white yarn. [6]
• Round 2: 6 INC. [12]
• Round 3: [1 SC, INC] 6 times. [18]
• Round 4: [2 SC, INC] 6 times. [24] The disc should sit flat on the table at this point, with no cupping or ruffling at the edge.
• Round 5: 4 SC, CH 6, skip 4 stitches, 3 SC, 1 INC, 3 SC, CH 6, skip 4 stitches, 4 SC, 1 INC. [30] The two chain gaps are the ear holes. Hold the piece against the pup’s head and confirm they sit on either side of the crown.
• Round 6: [4 SC, INC] 6 times, working across the chains as you come to them. [36]
• Rounds 7 to 10: Working back and forth in rows across the back of the head only, work 28 SC per row for 4 rows, chaining 1 and turning each time. [28] The gap left at the front is the face opening. It should frame the snout without covering the eyes.
• Row 11: [5 SC, DEC] 4 times. CH 1, turn. [24]
• Row 12: [4 SC, DEC] 4 times. CH 1, turn. [20]
• Row 13: [8 SC, DEC] twice. Do not turn. [18] The helmet should now cup the back of the head closely instead of standing away from it.
• Chin strap: CH 12, then SL ST into the opposite side of the face opening so the strap runs under the snout.
• Fasten off and weave in the ends.

Snowman Pup: Top Hat

• Round 1: Work 6 SC into a MR using black yarn. [6]
• Round 2: 6 INC. [12]
• Round 3: [1 SC, INC] 6 times. [18]
• Round 4: Working in BLO, work 18 SC around. [18] This round creates the fold line that makes the hat sides stand up straight.
• Rounds 5 to 6: Work 18 SC around. [18] The crown should now be a firm little cylinder with a defined top edge.
• Round 7: Working in FLO of the round 3 stitches, work [1 HDC, HDC INC] 9 times around. [27] The brim should flare out flat like a saucer. If it ruffles, ease the tension slightly.
• SL ST to join and fasten off.

Snowman Pup: Scarf

• CH 51 with red yarn.
• Starting in the 2nd chain from the hook, work 50 SC back down. [50]
• Fasten off and weave in the ends. A single row keeps the scarf thin enough to tie without bulking up under the chin.

Assembly

Pin before you sew anything, and dress the pup fully before committing to a stitch. For the Santa look, put the coat on first and settle the front legs through the armholes, then wrap the black collar around the neck, tie it into a bow at the back, and tuck the tails down inside the coat. The hat goes on last, tipped slightly to one side. For the snowman, the body goes on first, then the helmet slides over the ears with the chin strap running under the snout, then the top hat, then the scarf. The light strand needs no sewing at all. Wrap it under the ears, across the snout, then down and around the body and back legs.

Stuffing Guide

There is very little stuffing in this whole project, which is part of why it works up fast. The light bulbs take their own trimmed yarn tail pushed inside, and nothing more. Adding fibrefill makes them stiff and stops them sitting flat against the pup. The Santa pom pom takes a small pinch, just enough to hold a round shape before you cinch it. Everything else stays completely unstuffed. The hats, the helmet, and both costume bodies rely on the pup underneath to give them shape. If you stuff the top hat crown it will sit tall and rigid instead of perching naturally.

Eyes and Face Safety

No eyes are worked into any of these costume pieces. The face belongs to the base pup, so eye placement happens during that pattern, before the head is closed and stuffed. That timing matters and it cannot be corrected later. If the finished toy is going to a child under three, skip safety eyes entirely on the base pup and embroider the eyes with black yarn instead, using several passes to build up a solid dot. The same rule applies to the costumes here. The chin strap on the snowman helmet and the tied collar on the Santa coat should both sit loose, and neither should be left long enough to loop.

Yarn Substitution and Size Scaling

Everything here is written for chunky yarn with a 5.0 mm hook, which is what gives the costumes their solid, opaque look. Worsted weight with a 4.0 mm hook works fine and produces a set roughly a quarter smaller, so measure your base pup before committing. The important thing is matching the costume yarn weight to whatever the pup itself was made in. A chunky coat over a worsted pup swamps it. If you want a larger set, go up to a 6.0 mm hook with the same chunky yarn and add a repeat to the coat and snowman body foundation rows.

Colour and Customisation Ideas

The rainbow bulb sequence is the traditional route, but a strand in three colours only, repeating in order, reads much more like a modern light set. Warm white bulbs on a green strand look convincing enough that people ask if the lights are real. The Santa coat takes well to a deep burgundy instead of bright red, especially against a golden retriever’s coat colour. For the snowman, swapping the black top hat for a dark grey softens the whole thing, and a striped scarf in two colours costs you nothing but one extra yarn change per row.

Toy Safety

Removable clothing changes the safety picture, so think about who this is going to before you hand it over. Small parts that come off are a risk for children under three, and the light bulbs in particular are exactly the wrong size. For a young child, sew the costume pieces permanently onto the pup and skip the strand entirely. Keep the collar and chin strap short and snug so nothing forms a loop. Check that every yarn end is knotted and buried rather than just tucked, since chunky yarn works loose over time. For an older child or a shelf display, the removable version is perfectly fine as written.

FAQ

• Do I need to finish the base pup before starting this? Yes, or at least have the body made. Every piece here is fitted to a sitting pup, and the fit checks built into the coat and snowman body only make sense with something to try them on.
• Can I make just one of the three costumes? Absolutely, and the Santa set is the one I would pick if you only make one. The light strand is the fastest, but it looks best layered over one of the others.
• How long does the light strand actually take? Longer than you think, because it is twenty separate small pieces before you even start the strand. Two evenings is realistic. Make the bulbs while watching something.
• Why are the bobble buttons worked in during the row instead of sewn on? They sit flusher and never come loose. Sewn buttons on chunky fabric tend to pull through the gaps between stitches after a bit of handling.
• What if my gauge is tighter than yours? The costumes will run small and the coat may not close around the pup. Go up half a hook size for the coat and snowman body only, and leave the small pieces alone.