Chinese New Year Ox Crochet Pattern

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Let’s celebrate Chinese New Year with this ox crochet pattern! In Chinese culture the Ox is a valued animal because of it’s role in agriculture which also lends itself to the zodiac as the Ox is seen as hardworking, positive and honest. Chinese New Year starts on the 12th of Feb this year so there’s plenty of time to make your own little Ox.

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MATERIALS

• DK Weight Yarn in brown, off white and light grey
  (I used Paintbox Yarns Cotton DK in Soft Fudge, Light Champagne and Stormy Grey)
• 2.5mm crochet hook
• 6mm safety eyes
• Polyester Fiberfill
• Black embroidery floss
• Stitch marker, yarn needle, scissors
• Suede cord or ribbon and a bell

ABBREVIATIONS

• ch – chain
• sc – single crochet
• inc – increase
• invdec – invisible decrease
• BLO – back loop only
• sl st – slip stitch
• st/s – stitch/es
• (…) – indicates stitch count at end of round
• […] – repeat the instructions in brackets

NOTES

The pattern is written using US terminology and measures approximately 5″ tall (10cm), including the horns, when using the materials listed.

Pieces are worked in a continuous spiral starting with a magic ring unless otherwise specified. Mark the first stitch of each round with a removable stitch marker.

Gauge is not important in this pattern. Use a hook size to match your chosen yarn. Make sure that your stitches are tight enough to prevent stuffing showing through and adjust hook size if necessary.

The nostrils are made using an embroidery stitch called the bullion stitch. Alternatively you can embroider them on if you prefer.

Bring the needle out through 1 and put the needle through 2 at the desired length.

Bring the needle out through 1 again but do not pull all the way through. Wind the yarn around the needle. The distance of the wound yarn should measure the same as the distance between 1 and 2 (for me, that was 8 wraps). Hold the wrapped yarn firmly and pull the needle all the way through and position the wraps so that they lie flat on your piece.

Put the needle back through 2 to secure.

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PATTERN

HEAD/BODY (brown)

R1: 6 sc in magic ring (6)
R2: [Inc] x6 (12)
R3: [Sc, inc] x6 (18)
R4: Sc, inc, [2 sc, inc] x5, sc (24)
R5: [3 sc, inc] x6 (30)
R6: 2 sc, inc, [4 sc, inc] x5, 2 sc (36)
R7-12: [Sc] x36 (36)
R13: [5 sc, inc] x6 (42)
R14: [Sc] x42 (42)
R15: 3 sc, inc, [6 sc, inc] x5, 3 sc (48)
R16: [7 sc, inc] x6 (54)

Insert safety eyes between R8 and R9, 3 sts apart.

R17-24: [Sc] x54 (54)
R25: [7 sc, invdec] x6 (48)
R26: 3 sc, invdec, [6 sc, invdec] x5, 3 sc (42)
R27: [5 sc, invdec] x6 (36)
R28: 2 sc, invdec, [4 sc, invdec] x5, 2 sc (30)
R29: BLO [3 sc, invdec] x6 (24)

Start stuffing and continue to stuff as you go.

R30: Sc, invdec, [2 sc, invdec] x5, sc (18)
R31: [Sc, invdec] x6 (12)
R32: [Invdec] x6 (6)

Fasten off and weave in end.

To provide a more stable base, join brown yarn in the first left over front loop from R29 – ch 1, sl st in next front loop and in each one around ending with a sl st in the same front loop as starting ch. Fasten off invisibly and weave in ends.

MUZZLE (off white)

R1: Ch 6, sc in 2nd ch from hook and next 3 chs, 3 sc in last ch. Working down other side of ch – sc in next 3 chs, inc in last ch (12)
R2: Inc in next 2 sts, 2 sc, inc in next 3 sts, 4 sc, inc in last ch (18)
R3: [Sc, inc] x2, 2 sc, [sc, inc] x3, 5 sc, inc in last st (24)
R4: [Sc] x24 (24)

Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.

Using a long piece of off white yarn, add the nostrils between R2 and R3 spanning over 3 sts across, using the bullion stitch (see image below for positioning). Alternatively use some brown yarn to embroider a couple of vertical lines.

HORNS x2 (light grey)

R1: 3 sc in magic ring (3)
R2: [Inc] x3 (6)
R3: [Sc] x6 (6)
R4: [Sc, inc] x3 (9)
R5-7: Inc in next 2 sts, 2 sc, invdec in next 2 sts, sc (9)
R8: [Sc] x9 (9)

Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.

EARS x2 (brown)

R1: 5 sc in magic ring (5)
R2: [Inc] x5 (10)
R3: 2 sc, inc, 4 sc, inc, 2 sc (12)
R4-7: [Sc] x12 (12)
R8: Sc, invdec, [2 sc, invdec] x2, sc (9)

Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing. Fold the base of the ear together and sew in place.

ASSEMBLY

• Sew the muzzle to the head over R10 and R16. Stuff before closing up completely.
• Stuff the horns and sew to the top of the head 2 rounds from the center.
• Sew the ears to either side of the head, in line with the eyes and 2 rounds down from the horns.
• Using black embroidery floss doubled, sew some eyebrows above the eyes if desired.
• Thread a bell onto some suede cord or ribbon, wrap around the body just under the muzzle and secure. The cord I used was too thick to tie so I used a small amount of glue to join it into a collar at the back.

If you enjoyed this pattern, you can find more amigurumi patterns HERE.

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