Happy Chinese Lunar New Year! 2021 is the year of the Ox. People who are born in the year of the Ox are often said to be hardworking but stubborn (kinda like an ox hahaha). They are also known to be loyal and very honest. 

Please note that the Cow pattern is not free and is only available as part of the printable PDF from my shop.

New to Amigurumi? Find video tutorials on my YouTube Channel!

**Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means that, at no additional costs to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. You can read a little more about that here!

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Yarn I Used

I used Paintbox Yarns Cotton Aran for this crochet amigurumi toy, but you can use any soft cotton yarn as long as you correspond your hook to the weight of your yarn. You can also easily size up/down by using thicker/thinner yarn, just make sure to change the size of your hook and safety eyes accordingly.

I used about 30g of Soft Fudge, 6g of Light Caramel, 5g of Coffee Bean, 8g of Pillar Red, 5g of Buttercup Yellow, a little bit of Peach Orange and Champagne White. The amount of yarn you will need will vary based on your tension and the type of stitch you use. Each skein is 50g. 

Gauge

5 Round Circle = 1.65” with a 3.5mm (E) hook

Note: I am working with the x-stitch (yarn under single crochet). If you are working a standard sc, go down a hook size (I recommend 3.25mm). 

Gauge isn’t super important for amigurumi, but I included it just in case you want to check your gauge. Being a little off should not affect the final product too much. You can learn more about how to measure gauge for amigurumi here! 

Free Year of the Ox Chinese Lunar New Year Amigurumi Crochet Pattern

The difficulty level of this pattern is Easy and this pattern is written in US crochet terminology.

The finished toy measures to be about 7 in (17.5 cm) tall.

Note: To protect my work, I have disabled right click and printing on my site because I have experienced theft in the past. Please do not copy my patterns in any way. By copying or distributing my patterns without permission, you are making it difficult for designers like me to continue doing what I love. Doing so also discourages me and will prompt me to stop sharing my patterns freely. If you wish to utilize the free patterns, you may do so on my site. Thank you so much for your understanding and for being respectful!

If you have an issue with how I choose to share my free patterns on my site, read this.

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If you wish to print out the pattern, you can purchase the ad-free, printable PDF of the Year of the Ox Pattern Collection from the shop.  (Ox, Cow, and Yuan Bao patterns for $6 CAD). 

By purchasing the printable version, you are also supporting me directly. Your support allows me to continue to create new patterns and maintain the site! 🙂

Please do not reprint, sell or claim the pattern as your own. If you wish to share this pattern, you may link to the free pattern on the blog. Please do not copy and post the pattern onto your site. 

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TERMINOLOGY

st(s): stitch(es)
ch: chain
sl st: slip stitch
sc: single crochet
hdc: half double crochet
inc: two single crochet in one stitch
dec: invisible decrease- single crochet two stitches together through the front loops only
BLO: crochet only in the back loops (loop away from you) of each stitch
FLO: crochet only in the front loops (loop closest to you) of each stitch
(…) x #: repeat anything in the parenthesis however many times the number indicates
[#]: total number of stitches for that row
#sc/inc: one sc/inc in the following # stitches
sc/hdc#: sc/hdc # times in the next stitch

Seamless Join in the Round: Cut your yarn tail, fasten off, and thread your yarn tail onto a darning needle. Locate the 2^nd st of the round, insert your needle under that stitch and pull through. Insert your needle into the centre of the final st of the round and out the back. Weave the tail in.

THINGS YOU NEED

• Paintbox Yarns Cotton Aran in Soft Fudge, Light Caramel, Coffee Bean, Pillar Red, Buttercup Yellow, Peach Orange, and Champagne White. 
• Fingering Weight Black Yarn (or Black Embroidery Floss)
• DMC 6-Strand Embroidery Floss in 725 (Gold Embroidery Floss)
• 3.5mm Crochet Hook (3.25mm if you are working the regular single crochet stitch)
• Scissors
• Darning Needle
• Locking Stitch Markers
• Pins
• Polyfil Stuffing or Scrap Yarn
• 8mm Safety Eyes and Backings

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Notes

Seamless colour change between rounds – To avoid the step that is created when you change colours between rounds, fasten off when you get to the end of the round, seamless join in the round, and weave the tail in. With a slip knot in the new colour on your hook, insert your hook into the false stitch created by the seamless join in the round to pick up a stitch and continue working the rest of the round as you normally would. If you don’t mind the step, you can just colour change normally.

Working into a chain – Start by working into the back bumps of the chain, then continue working on the front of the chain by inserting your hook underneath the two front legs of the chain.

Embroidery – When embroidering anything that isn’t straight, map out the design with pins first. Insert the needle (with the floss already threaded) into the side of the project and out the first pin (Picture 1). Pull through, making sure to leave a short tail on the side (leaving the tail allows you to adjust the tension of your embroidered line later on).

Wrap the floss around the pins to use the pins as shape guides. Insert the needle into the final pin and out the next pin and pull through. (Picture 2)

Insert the needle back into where the thread is coming out of, making sure to go over the line to “staple” it down, and out the next pin hole. (Picture 3)

Repeat with the rest of the pins. To hide the tail, thread the needle out the side then cut any exposed tails as close to the project as possible (Picture 4). Squish the project to hide the tail.

This pattern is worked in continuous rounds unless otherwise stated.

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Ox Head

with Soft Fudge yarn

1 6sc in magic circle [6]
2 (inc) x 6 [12]
3 (sc, inc) x 6 [18]
4 sc, inc, (2sc, inc) x 5, sc [24]
5 (3sc, inc) x 6 [30]
6-7 sc in all sts [30]
8 2sc, inc, (4sc, inc) x 5, 2sc [36]
9-11 sc in all sts [36]

Insert safety eyes between rounds 8 & 9, leaving 4-5 sts between the eyes. Snap the backing in.

12 (5sc, inc) x 6 [42]
13 sc in all sts [42]
14 (5sc, dec) x 6 [36]
15 2sc, dec, (4sc, dec) x 5, 2sc [30]
16 (3sc, dec) x 6 [24]
17 sc, dec, (2sc, dec) x 5, sc [18]
18 (sc, dec) x 6 [12]

Stuff fully, fasten off, close hole, and weave tails in. Roll the head between your palms to shape.

Horns

Make 2
with Champagne White yarn

1 4sc in magic circle [4]
2-3 sc in all sts [4]
4 (inc) x 2, 2sc [6]

Fasten off, do not stuff, seamless join in the round, and leave a tail for sewing.  Pinch the top of the horns to shape .

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Muzzle

with Light Caramel yarn

1 Ch 8, working into the back bumps of the ch: sc in 2^nd ch from hook, 5sc, sc3, continuing in the front of the ch: 5sc, inc [16] (See Notes above)
2 (inc, 5sc, 2inc) x 2 [22]
3 (sc, inc, 6sc, inc, sc, inc) x 2 [28]
4 sc in all sts [28]
5 (2sc, inc, 7sc, inc, 2sc, inc) x 2 [34]
6 (2sc, dec, 7sc, dec, 2sc, dec) x 2 [28]
Fasten off, seamless join in the round, and leave a long tail for sewing (at least 15”).

Inner Ear

Make 2

with Peach Orange yarn

1 ch 4, working into the back bumps of the chain: sc in 2^nd ch from hook, hdc, sc3, continuing in the front of the ch: hdc, sc [7]

Fasten off and weave the tails in.

Outer Ear 

Make 2

with Soft Fudge yarn

1 ch 4, working into the back bumps of the chain: sc in 2^nd ch from hook, hdc, sc3, continuing in the front of the ch: hdc, sc [7]

2 Ch 1, turn, line the wrong side of the inner ear to the wrong side of your current piece, making sure that the inner ear is on the side that is facing you, you will be crocheting through both pieces for the rest of this round, sc, hdc2, hdc, (hdc, ch 1, hdc), hdc, hdc2, sc [11]

Fasten off and leave a tail for sewing (at least 7”).

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Fold the ears in half vertically and whip stitch along the bottom of the ear. Pinch the top of the ears to shape. Do not cut the tail.

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Arms

Make 2

starting with Coffee Bean yarn

1 6sc in magic circle [6]
2 (sc, inc) x 3 [9]
3 sc in all sts [9]

switch to Soft Fudge yarn

4 sc in all sts [9]

switch to Buttercup Yellow yarn

5 sc in all sts [9]

switch to Pillar Red yarn

6 BLO, sc in all sts [9]
7-12 sc in all sts [9]

Stuff the arms lightly with a chopstick, fasten off, and leave a tail for sewing (at least 8”).

Fold the opening of the arms so that it is flat. Whip stitch to shut the opening.

Legs

Make 2

starting with Coffee Bean yarn

1 6sc in magic circle [6]
2 (inc) x 6 [12]
3 BLO, sc in all sts [12]
4 sc in all sts [12]

switch to Soft Fudge yarn

5 (3sc, inc) x 3 [15]
6-7 sc in all sts [15]

Fasten off the first leg, but do not fasten off the 2^nd leg. We will be connecting the 2^nd leg to the first leg in the next part.

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Ox Body

with Soft Fudge yarn

1 Ch 1, sl st into the 1st st on the first leg (this is the first st of your round), 14sc, inc in the back bump of the chain (right photo), 15sc, inc in the front of the chain (bottom photo) [34]

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2 8sc, inc, 14sc, inc, 10sc [36]
3 15sc, inc, 2sc, inc, 16sc, inc [39]
4 inc, 38sc [40]
5 sc in all sts [40]

switch to Buttercup Yellow yarn

6 sc in all sts [40]

switch to Pillar Red yarn

7 BLO, sc in all sts [40]
8 9sc, dec, 16sc, dec, 9sc, dec [37]
9 dec, 35sc [36]
10 5sc, dec, (10sc, dec) x 2, 5sc [33]
11 sc in all sts [33]
12 (9sc, dec) x 3 [30]
13 sc in all sts [30]
14 4sc, dec, (8sc, dec) x 2, 4sc [27]
15 sc in all sts [27]
16 (7sc, dec) x 3 [24] (Mark the front loop of the 2^nd decrease stitch of this round with a stitch marker.)

Fasten off, stuff fully, seamless join in the round, and weave tail in.

 

Body Continuation

with Soft Fudge yarn

With a slipknot on your hook and starting from the back of the body, pick up a single crochet into the back loops of each stitch [24]

Fasten off, seamless join in the round, and leave a long tail for sewing (at least 15”).

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Assembly

Note: Some photos are from the Cow pattern because I forgot to take photos when assembling the Ox, oops! The assembly is exactly the same for both. 

• Pin the muzzle to the face. The top of the muzzle should start at round 10 of the head. To sew the muzzle onto the head, insert your needle into the head immediately beneath your yarn tail and out the next stitch on the head, immediately below the next stitch of the muzzle. Continue doing so around the rest of the muzzle stitches, making sure to stuff the muzzle fully before completely closing off the opening. Weave the tail out the back of the head and trim to hide the excess yarn tail.

• Pin the horns and ears onto the top of the head. The horns should start at round 3 of the head and the ears immediately beside the horns. Look at the head from the top down to make sure everything is positioned properly. When you are happy with the positioning of the horns and ears, sew them into place.

• Pin the body to the head. The centre of the body is the stitch to the right of the stitch marker. Use that as a guide to align the body to the head. Sew the body and head together.
• To create the collar, locate the 2^nd decrease stitch from round 16 of the Body. Using Buttercup Yellow yarn, start with a slip knot on your hook and pick up a single crochet in the front loop of the decrease stitch. Continue making a single crochet into each of the front loops of the next 22 sts for a total of 23 sts. There should be one red stitch exposed in the front when you are done. Fasten off and weave the tails in.

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• Pin the arms to the sides of the body, with the top of the arms starting from right below the yellow collar, with roughly 8 sts between the arms in the front. Sew the arms in place.

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• To make the tail, start with a slip knot on your hook of the main colour. Locate the first exposed yellow front loop from round 6 of the body, insert your hook and make a slip stitch (Photo 1 below). Ch 7, sl st into the 2^nd ch from your hook (Photo 2), 5 sl st. Then, sl st into the same yellow front loop (Photo 3), fasten off and weave the tails in (Photo 4).

• Tail Fringe – thread a piece of Coffee Bean yarn through the tip of the tail (Photo 1 below), place a dowel or marker against the tip of the tail, wrap your yarn around the dowel and thread the yarn back through the tip of the tail (Photo 2). Repeat this however many times you want (Photo 3). Then, gently remove the dowel from the loops, making sure to not tug on any of the loops or loose ends. Take a separate strand of yarn and tie a double knot over the top of the loops to secure (Photo 4). Cut along the bottom of the loops. If you are worried about the yarn falling out, you can add a dab of glue to the top of the fringe. See tail photo on the final page.

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Embroidery

The Ox’s outfit is embroidered to look more like a changshan (traditionally worn by men).

• With gold embroidery floss, embroider a line down the centre of the body, going from between the collar to right above the yellow band around the waist. Embroider two short lines over the line in the centre. My top line was 3 rounds below the collar and the bottom line is 3 rounds below the top line.

• Embroider the nostrils in. With Coffee Bean yarn, embroider two short lines onto round 4 of the muzzle, with roughly 3 sts between the lines.
• Optional: Embroider in two short lines above the Ox’s eyes to create eyebrows. You can play around with the angle of the lines to change the expression of your Ox.
• Optional: You can also embroider in a smile with black yarn.

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Please leave me a comment down below (or contact me) if you have any questions about this pattern. I would also love to see your creation so don’t forget to tag me (@olliehollycrochet) on Instagram or use the #olliehollycrochet! Follow me on Instagram to get updates on new patterns and to see what I’m up to on a daily. 

Please let me know in the comments what you would like to see next!

If you find any mistakes in the pattern, please contact me and let me know! I do my best to catch my mistakes when I edit my patterns but I sometimes miss the little things.

You may sell products made from this pattern in small quantities but please clearly credit the design to me, Abby Sy of Ollie + Holly and provide a link to my blog www.OllieHolly.com.  Permission is NOT granted for mass production or factory manufacturing of any kind.  Thank you for being respectful and for your understanding!