Henry & Honey Bumblebee in Red Heart Amigurumi - LM6290 - Downloadable PDF

Henry & Honey Bumblebee Amigurumi Crochet Pattern – LM6290 by Michele Wilcox for Red Heart

This free downloadable PDF crochet pattern, designated LM6290 and designed by Michele Wilcox for Red Heart, guides crafters through creating an adorable bumblebee amigurumi toy. The finished bee measures approximately 4¼ inches (11 cm) long, making it a perfectly palm-sized plush companion. The pattern is rated beginner difficulty, making it an excellent introduction to amigurumi-style construction for those new to crocheting in the round.

About the Design

The pattern produces a single charming bumblebee character — referred to in the product name as Henry & Honey — worked as a combined head and body in one continuous amigurumi construction. The bee's iconic striped appearance is achieved through strategic color changes at specific rounds, replicating the classic yellow-and-black banding associated with bumblebees. The compact finished size and soft stuffed form make this an appealing project for decorative purposes or as a gift, though the pattern includes an important safety note regarding safety eyes and suitability for young children.

Construction Techniques

The bee is worked using classic amigurumi techniques, which involve crocheting in continuous rounds to build a three-dimensional stuffed figure. Key construction details include:

• Working in the round: The head and body are crocheted as a single continuous piece, a hallmark of amigurumi design that eliminates the need for extensive seaming.
• Color changes by round: The pattern specifies two distinct colorways. In Colorway #1, color A is used for Rounds 1–11, color B for Rounds 12–14, color A again for Rounds 15–20, and color B for Rounds 21–31, creating the striped banding effect.
• Carrying yarn: The color not currently in use is carried along the inside of the piece until needed again, keeping the exterior clean and avoiding excessive yarn ends to weave in.
• Preparing the yarn: Because Red Heart Amigurumi yarn comes in a specially wound ball with distinct color sections, the pattern instructs crafters to separate the color sections before beginning — by gently pushing out the center pull and cutting at the color change point — so each color section is ready to use independently.
• Safety eye placement: The pattern emphasizes attaching safety eyes before the head opening becomes too small to work through. A safety warning notes that safety eyes should not be used if the toy is intended for a child 2 years of age or younger.

Stitches Used

As a beginner-level pattern, the stitch vocabulary is accessible and focused. Stitches and techniques referenced in the pattern include:

• Single crochet (sc): The primary stitch used throughout the body construction, typical of amigurumi projects for its tight, dense fabric that holds stuffing securely.
• sc2tog (single crochet 2 stitches together): A decrease stitch defined in the pattern as a special stitch. It is worked by inserting the hook into the next stitch, yarning over and pulling up a loop, then repeating in the following stitch, and finally yarning over and drawing through all three loops on the hook. This decrease is used to shape the rounded form of the bee's body.

Materials

This pattern is designed specifically for use with Red Heart Amigurumi yarn, a 4-ply (worsted weight, size 4) yarn that comes pre-wound with multiple color sections in a single ball — making it particularly well-suited to color-change amigurumi projects without requiring separate skeins. A crochet hook appropriate for the yarn weight is required, as referenced in the pattern materials list. The bee is stuffed to achieve its three-dimensional shape, and safety eyes are used as embellishments for the face.

Who This Pattern Is For

Because it is rated beginner and is available as a free downloadable PDF, this pattern is ideal for newer crocheters looking to try their first amigur