Little (or Big!) Hedgehog

Little (or Big!) Hedgehog by Featherby & Friends

What Is Being Made

The Little (or Big!) Hedgehog is an amigurumi-style stuffed toy designed by Alicia Moore of Featherby & Friends. This crochet project creates a cute hedgehog plush that can be customized in size by adjusting yarn weight. The finished toy features articulated arms and legs, a detailed face with embroidered features, and a characteristic hedgehog silhouette suitable for children or decorative purposes.

Crochet Techniques Used

This project employs fundamental crochet techniques ideal for beginners learning to create three-dimensional amigurumi toys. The pattern uses continuous rounds worked in the round without joining, which creates seamless fabric and maintains consistent stitch height. The magic loop method is used to start projects without a traditional chain foundation, allowing for a tight center hole. The designer provides a dedicated magic loop tutorial for those unfamiliar with this technique. Shaping is achieved through strategic increases and decreases to form limbs and body contours, while stuffing is incorporated between rounds to create firm, three-dimensional shapes.

Stitches Used

The pattern relies primarily on single crochet (sc) stitches, the most fundamental crochet stitch and ideal for beginners. Single crochet creates a tight, dense fabric that holds stuffing securely and provides excellent stitch definition. Increases (multiple stitches worked into a single stitch) expand sections such as the arms and legs during early rounds. Decreases (single crochet two together or similar decrease methods) reduce stitch count in later rounds to taper limbs and create proper proportions. The pattern also includes flattening techniques where the top of completed limbs are sealed shut using single crochet across the flattened edge.

Materials & Tools

The hedgehog is worked with a 4mm crochet hook, suitable for the recommended yarns. The project calls for yarn in three colors: Light Brown, Dark Brown, and Red, with the pattern example using Bernat Super Value in Topaz, Walnut, and Rouge respectively. The yarn weight is super chunky or worsted weight, allowing for quick project completion and easy stitch visibility for beginners. Additional materials include stuffing (polyester fiberfill or similar) to fill the completed toy, a tapestry/finishing needle for weaving in ends and assembling pieces, one 6mm safety eye used as a nose, and black embroidery thread for stitching facial details such as eyes and mouth.

Project Structure & Assembly

The pattern uses a modular construction approach where individual components—arms, legs, and face—are crocheted first and then attached to the main body piece (the "Front") as work progresses. This method allows for easier assembly and ensures proper placement of limbs before the body is completed. The pattern emphasizes stuffing components at appropriate points to achieve the desired firmness and shape before sealing sections closed.

Difficulty Level

Rated as a beginner project, this hedgehog is accessible to those new to crochet. The pattern uses only single crochet stitches and basic shaping techniques. The continuous round construction and magic loop method are foundational skills that beginners can develop through this project, with video tutorials available on the Featherby & Friends YouTube channel to support learning.