Seal Paco Toy in Hoooked RibbonXL - Downloadable PDF

Seal Paco Amigurumi Crochet Toy Pattern by Hoooked in RibbonXL — Downloadable PDF

This downloadable PDF pattern from Hoooked guides crocheters through making an adorable seal toy — known in Dutch as a Zeehondje — using the brand's signature RibbonXL super chunky ribbon yarn. The finished piece is a soft, stuffed amigurumi-style animal toy, complete with a shaped tail, body, head, and snout details, making it a charming handmade gift or decorative accent for a nursery or child's room.

What Is Being Made

The pattern produces a three-dimensional crocheted seal toy worked in the round. The construction begins at the tail fins and builds upward through the body and into the head, creating a seamless, sculptural shape. The seal features a distinctly shaped tail with two separate fins that are joined together during construction, a rounded body that widens and then tapers, and a shaped snout area created using a combination of stitches to give the face its characteristic seal profile. Eyes and snout details are added as finishing touches using small amounts of contrasting yarn.

Construction Techniques

• Worked in the round in a continuous spiral — the pattern explicitly states that no turning chains are used between rounds (zonder toerafsluiting in spiraalvorm omhoog), which is the classic amigurumi method for producing smooth, seamless fabric without visible round joins.
• Separate piece construction and joining — the two tail fins are crocheted individually and then joined together in a single round, with the gap between them neatly sewn closed using a tapestry needle and a yarn tail left for that purpose.
• Increases and decreases for shaping — the body is shaped by working paired increases (two single crochets into one stitch) to widen the form, and paired decreases (crocheting two stitches together) to taper the neck and head sections.
• Mixed stitch rows for facial shaping — specific rounds incorporate a combination of single crochets and half double crochets within the same round to create the gentle curve of the snout, giving the seal's face its rounded, three-dimensional profile.
• Stuffing with fiberfill — the pattern instructs the maker to fill the toy with a fiberfill stuffing of their choice as the work progresses, which is standard practice in amigurumi to maintain shape and firmness.
• Finishing with a tapestry needle — yarn tails are woven in and small gaps are sewn closed using a stopnaald (tapestry needle), and detail elements such as eyes and the snout are added by sewing on small pieces of contrasting yarn.

Stitches Used

• Chain stitch (losse / ls) — used to begin pieces with a foundation chain
• Magic ring / slip loop start (opzetlus) — used to begin rounds with a closed, adjustable centre
• Single crochet (vaste / v) — the primary stitch used throughout the body, tail, and head
• Half double crochet (halve vaste / hv or hst) — used selectively within specific rounds to create the shaped snout and facial profile
• Double crochet (stokjes / st) — incorporated into certain rounds of the face area to further sculpt the snout shape
• Increase (2 v in volgende v) — two single crochets worked into one stitch to expand the stitch count
• Decrease (2 v samen haken) — two stitches crocheted together to reduce the stitch count and shape the form
• Slip stitch — used for joining and finishing where indicated

Materials Required

• Hoooked RibbonXL yarn — 2 bobbins/balls of RibbonXL in the main colour; this is a super chunky weight ribbon-style yarn made from recycled