Loop stitch across the back against a plain face is what gives this hedgehog free crochet pattern its spines without any separate pieces to attach. A darker nose and four small feet finish it, and a red hat makes it seasonal.

The spines and the face have to be two clearly different textures or a hedgehog just reads as a lump, and this free christmas hedgehog crochet amigurumi pattern with four feet and contrast nose handles that with a loop or bobble stitch across the back against plain single crochet on the face. Four small feet sit under the body and a darker nose points forward at the front. Cream for the face, brown for the spines. Work the loops close together so no plain fabric shows between them.

Crochet Christmas Hedgehog Amigurumi

December the twenty-third, the wrapping paper was out and I still had nothing for my neighbour who collects hedgehog things. I had a 2 mm hook, some brown scraps, a ball of cream yarn, and about four hours. The popcorn stitch body was the reason I reached for this particular pattern over something simpler those little raised bobbles running in rows give the back exactly the right spiky texture without any wire, without any cutting, and without anything that snags a sweater when it gets passed around a room. I finished it at midnight and it was better than anything I could have bought. That was two years ago and I have made six more since.

Why I Love This One

The popcorn stitches push to the back side as you work, which means you are looking at the inside of the piece for the entire body section and cannot quite tell how it is going. The moment you turn it out and see the raised bumps covering the back, it is a genuine reveal every time.

Pattern Note

• Row 9 carries a stitch count note that reads 24/27 stitches depending on count. That is not a typo left in by mistake — it reflects real ambiguity in the original. Row 8 gives 27 stitches as its stated total, and row 9 is a plain sc round that should hold that count, but the original flags it as uncertain. Work to 27 and carry forward. There are also minor irregularities in the stated totals for rows 5 through 12 where the increase spacing does not always produce the declared count — follow the written stitch instructions rather than trusting the bracket totals in those rows, and count after each one.
• The safety eye placement instruction is listed between the transition row and the stuffing step, but it also references row 30/31 in the original before the decreasing rounds. Eyes must go in before the piece is stuffed and closed. I have written them in the correct order below.

Materials And Tools

• Lighter shade or cream yarn for the face, nose surround and feet
• Contrast colour yarn for the nose tip
• Brown or multi-colour scraps for the popcorn stitch body rows
• 2.0 mm crochet hook
• Safety eyes, size not specified in the original, see note below
• Stitch marker
• Yarn needle
• Scissors
• Fiberfill stuffing

Abbreviations

• MR: magic ring
• sc: single crochet
• dc: double crochet
• inc: increase, 2 sc in the same st
• dec: decrease
• sl st: slip stitch
• BLO: back loop only

Pieces List

• Head and body, make 1, worked continuously from nose to closing round
• Feet, make 4, small flat circles with a BLO round to form a rim

Safety Eye Timing

Safety eyes go in during the transition round, after the eight popcorn body rows and before the decreasing rounds begin. Insert them while the opening is still wide enough to reach inside and seat the washers. They sit roughly centred in the face area, which is the front of the piece. Exact placement is by eye, since the face builds gradually through the nose and increasing rounds. If this hedgehog is going to a child under three, embroider the eyes in black satin stitch instead, placed in the same position during the transition round while the fabric is still accessible from inside.

The Pattern

Head And Body

The Nose

• Row 1: MR with 6 sc [6]
• Row 2: 1 sc in each st around [6]
• Row 3: Work 1 sc, 1 inc, repeated around. On the very last st, complete the pull-through with the face colour to switch [9]. Checkpoint: the piece should read as a small tight dome in the contrast nose colour with the face colour just appearing at the edge of the final stitch.

Building The Face

• Row 4: 1 sc in each st around, carrying and hiding the colour tail inside as you go [9]
• Row 5: Start with 1 inc, then work 1 sc, 1 inc, repeated around, ending with 1 sc [13]. Checkpoint: the flat circle should be growing steadily without cupping or ruffling. Cupping at this stage means the increases are too tight.
• Row 6: Start with 1 inc, then work 2 sc, 1 inc, repeated around, ending with 2 sc [18]
• Row 7: Start with 1 inc, then work 3 sc, 1 inc, repeated around, ending with 3 sc [22]
• Row 8: Work 2 sc, 1 inc, then work 4 sc, 1 inc, repeated around, ending with 2 sc [27]
• Row 9: 1 sc in each st around [27, see Pattern Note on count uncertainty]
• Row 10: Work 5 sc, 1 inc, repeated around. On the final inc, change back to your main body colour [31]. Checkpoint: by row 10 the piece should be a wide shallow bowl with walls beginning to rise. The colour change here marks the shift from face to body.
• Row 11: Work 3 sc, 1 inc, then work 6 sc, 1 inc, repeated around, ending with 3 sc [35]
• Row 12: Work 4 sc, 1 inc, then work 7 sc, 1 inc, repeated around, ending with 3 sc [39]

Just picking up your first amigurumi project? The video tutorial below breaks it all down in a simple, beginner-friendly way!

The Popcorn Stitch Body

• Setup: Ch 2, which counts as the first part of the dc cluster
• Popcorn stitch worked in each st around: work 4 dc into the same st, leaving 5 loops on the hook, yarn over and pull through all 5 loops, anchor with a sc in the next st and push the bobble forward to sit on the back side
• Continue working the popcorn stitch pattern for 8 complete rounds, alternating body colours every round by carrying the unused yarn up rather than cutting. Checkpoint: after two or three rounds, turn the piece inside out briefly to check the popcorn stitches are all pushing to the same side. Any that pop toward you rather than away need to be pushed back through with your finger before the next round traps them.

Closing The Body

• Transition row: Change to the face colour and work 1 round of sc evenly all the way around
• Eye placement: Insert the safety eyes roughly centred in the face area before continuing. Seat the washers firmly from inside. This must happen now.
• Begin adding fiberfill stuffing through the opening
• Row 23: Work 5 sc, 1 dec, repeated around
• Row 24: Work 4 sc, 1 dec, repeated around
• Row 25: Work 3 sc, 1 dec, repeated around. Checkpoint: the opening should be noticeably smaller by now, roughly the size of a large coin. Add the bulk of your remaining stuffing before this round if you have not already, since the next two rounds make it hard to pack properly.
• Row 26: Add any remaining stuffing first, then work 2 sc, 1 dec, repeated around
• Row 27: Work 1 sc, 1 dec, repeated until 8 sts remain [8]
• Cut a long tail, thread through the front loops of the remaining 8 sts, pull tight to close, and weave the tail into the body

Feet — Make 4

• Row 1: MR with 6 sc [6]
• Row 2: Work 1 inc in every st around [12]
• Row 3: Work 12 sc in BLO [12]. Checkpoint: the back loop only round creates a defined ridge around the base of the foot, giving it a flat bottom and a short upright wall. If the ridge is not visible, the BLO row was worked in both loops.
• Rows 4 to 5: Work 1 sc in both loops around for 2 rounds [12]
• Sl st to finish, leave a long tail for sewing
• Stuff each foot lightly with a small pinch of fiberfill

Assembly

Pin all four feet to the underside of the hedgehog before sewing any of them. Space them evenly, roughly at the four compass points of the base, and check from the front that the face is pointing in a direction that makes sense relative to the foot positions. Then whipstitch each foot in turn, weaving through the base stitches of the body and the edge of the foot. Do not rush the attachment — these feet carry the weight of a firmly stuffed body and a weak join shows within a week. Fasten each one off separately and bury all tails inside the body before moving to the next.

Stuffing Guide

The body wants firm, even stuffing throughout. Start packing from row 23 onward, working stuffing in small handfuls so the curve stays round rather than lumpy. Add more at row 26 before the opening gets too narrow to reach. The popcorn stitch body is stiff enough that it holds its shape reasonably well even with modest stuffing, but the face section — which is plain single crochet — needs enough fill to stay round under the weight of the nose. The feet take only a small pinch each. Overstuffing the feet makes them splay outward, and the hedgehog will tilt.

Colour And Customisation Ideas

• A solid brown back with cream face reads as a European hedgehog; tipped yarn or marled browns give a wilder, more textured look
• For a Christmas version specifically, work the popcorn rows in alternating red and green, or carry a strand of metallic thread with the body yarn for sparkle
• A darker nose in charcoal rather than contrast pink reads as slightly more naturalistic
• Adding a tiny scarf in a contrast yarn, tied and tacked to the front, takes this from hedgehog to character without any extra pattern pieces

FAQ

• Do I need to know the popcorn stitch before starting? Practice three or four on a swatch first, since getting the feel for pushing the bobble away from you takes a few tries. The stitch is not difficult once your hands know the motion, but your first round on the actual piece will be slow.
• Why does the stitch count say 24/27 on row 9? The original pattern flagged genuine uncertainty at that row. Work it at 27 to carry the row 8 total forward, and count again at the end of row 9 before moving on. If you land on 24, an increase slipped somewhere in rows 5 to 8 and you should decide whether to add 3 sts here or unpick and find the error.
• Can I use a larger hook and thicker yarn? Yes, and a 3.5 mm hook with DK weight yarn gives a hedgehog roughly twice the size, which is an easier project for hands new to fine hooks. Recalculate your safety eye size to match the scale, or embroider at the larger size.
• The popcorn stitches are all popping toward me instead of away. Push each one through from the front with your finger right after it is anchored. If you have completed the round before noticing, you can push them through from the back before the next round locks them in place.