Poppi the Hippo

Poppi was born in the water, and has been in love with it ever since. She
plays in the water, sleeps underwater, and ah, if only she didn’t have to
head to shore to munch on her favorite grasses, life would be perfect!
SAFARI EDITION
Date of birth: September 2018 Height: 6.75 inches
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Setup
Materials

1 2mm crochet hook

1 2 4 6 8
2 Tapestry needle

3 Stitch marker

4 8mm safety eyes

5 Stuffing

6 Pink fingering-weight yarn

3 5 7 9
7 Purple fingering-weight yarn

8 Scissors

9 Pins (optional)

Abbreviations
This pattern is written in US terminology

ch chain
sc single crochet
inc 2 sc in the same st
Round and round we go
dec (invisible) decrease
This pattern is worked in continuous rounds. Use the
dc5tog double crochet 5 together
stitch marker to mark the beginning of each round.
rnd round
Move the marker every time you start a new round.
st(s) stitch(es)
tblo through back loop only
yo yarn over
[sc, inc] x 3 sc followed by inc, repeated 3 times
(5) 5 total stitches in the round

No gauge, no problem
Color code Since we’re making a stuffed toy, the sizes of the yarn,
A Main Color used for most of the hippo hook, and ultimately toy, are up to you! Just make sure
B Secondary Color for details such as inner ears to crochet tightly enough so the stuffing won’t be seen.
and nails
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Pattern
Head & body (yarn A)

Rnd 1: 8 sc in magic loop (8) Rnd 30-32: 66 sc (66)

Rnd 2: inc x 8 (16) Rnd 33: [21 sc, inc] x 3 (69)
Rnd 3: [sc, inc] x 8 (24) Rnd 34-36: 69 sc (69)
Rnd 4: sc, inc, [2 sc, inc] x 7, sc (32) Rnd 37: [22 sc, inc] x 3 (72)
Rnd 5: [3 sc, inc] x 8 (40) Rnd 38-40: 72 sc (72)
Rnd 6: 2 sc, inc, [4 sc, inc] x 7, 2 sc (48) Rnd 41: [23 sc, inc] x 3 (75)
Rnd 7-8: 48 sc (48) Rnd 42-43: 75 sc (75)
Rnd 9: [15 sc, inc] x 3 (51) Rnd 44: [24 sc, inc] x 3 (78)
Rnd 10-12: 51 sc (51) Rnd 45: 23 sc, [6 sc, dec] x 4, 23 sc (74)
Rnd 13: [16 sc, inc] x 3 (54) Rnd 46-47: 74 sc (74)
Rnd 14-16: 54 sc (54) Rnd 48: 23 sc, [5 sc, dec] x 4, 23 sc (70)
Rnd 17: [17 sc, inc] x 3 (57) Rnd 49: 70 sc (70)
Rnd 18-20: 57 sc (57) Rnd 50: 23 sc, [4 sc, dec] x 4, 23 sc (66)
Rnd 21: [18 sc, inc] x 3 (60) Rnd 51: [9 sc, dec] x 6 (60)
Rnd 22-24: 60 sc (60) Rnd 52: 60 sc (60)
Rnd 25: [19 sc, inc] x 3 (63)
(63) Put eyes on the front of the body between rows 12-13, with
Rnd 26-28: 63 sc
(66) 10 st between them. The front of the body is the side with
Rnd 29: [20 sc, inc] x 3
the belly bulge, caused by the dec. Add stuffing.

Legs (yarn A)

Now we’ll be building a smaller round on top of the round

we were just working on, to create the legs.

Rnd 53: 4 sc. Move the stitch marker to the (27)

sid
fourth st. This marks the beginning of ew
ith
every new rnd. 23 sc. st m
ark
Rnd 54: The first sc of this rnd will be in the st (24) er
with the st marker, and will connect the
front of the body to the back. See
instructions to the right for more detail.
Remember to insert the hook from the Starting rnd 54
outside to the inside of the body. 24 sc. To start rnd 54, rotate your work so that the side with the st
Rnd 55-56: 24 sc (24) marker is facing you. Like all of the other rnds, the first sc
goes in the st with the st marker. To keep the right side of
Add stuffing the work facing out, remember to insert the hook from the
outside to the inside of the work. Try to make the st
Rnd 57: tblo [sc, dec] x 8 (16) connecting the front and back of the body as small as
Rnd 58: dec x 8 (8) possible.

Fasten off. Using a tapestry needle, weave the yarn tail

through the front loops of the last round to close the gap.
Weave in the remaining yarn.
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Second leg
Leave 6 sc on each side of the body, between the first leg
and what will be the second leg. Join the yarn in the 7th
unworked stitch on the front of the body with a slip st. The
front of the body is the side with the belly bulge. Leave a
long tail, which you’ll use to sew the gap between the legs.
See pictures on right for more detail.

Rnd 1: sc in the same st as the slip st join. This (24) fron

t
counts as the first st. Put a stitch marker
in this st to mark the beginning of every
new rnd. 23 sc.
Rnd 2-6: Repeat steps 54-58 from the first leg.

Add more stuffing to the body and legs as needed. When

you’re ready to close the body, use a tapestry needle and
the long tail to whipstitch together the 6 st between the
legs.
1
. . 32
7
Arms (yarn A)

Make two.

Rnd 1: 8 sc in magic loop (8)

Rnd 2: inc x 8 (16)
Rnd 3: 16 sc tblo (16) Snout (yarn A)
Rnd 4-9: 16 sc (16)
Rnd 1: ch 4 (4)
Rnd 10: [6 sc, dec] x 2 (14)
Rnd 2: sc in 2nd ch from hook, and in next ch. 3 (8)
Rnd 11-12: 14 sc (14)
sc in next ch. Rotate work to work in the
Rnd 13: [5 sc, dec] x 2 (12)
back of the foundation chain. sc in next
Rnd 14: 12 sc (12)
st. inc in ch where you stitched in 1st st.
Rnd 15: [sc 2, dec] x 3 (9)
Rnd 3: inc, sc, 3 inc, sc, 2 inc (14)

Fasten off. Stuff both arms halfway, so that they will lay Rnd 4: inc, 2 sc, [inc, sc] x 3, sc, [inc, sc] x 2 (20)

flatter against the body, and sew them closed. Rnd 5: inc, 5 sc, [inc, sc] x 3, 4 sc, [inc, sc] x 2 (26)
Rnd 6: inc, 8 sc, [inc, sc] x 3, 7 sc, [inc, sc] x 2 (32)
Rnd 7: inc, 11 sc, [inc, sc] x 3, 10 sc, [inc, sc] x 2 (38)

Ears (yarn A) Rnd 8: 38 sc (38)

Rnd 9: 3 sc, [3 sc, inc] x 3, 7 sc, [3 sc, inc] x 3, 4 (44)
Make two. Remember to work with the right side facing out.
sc
Rnd 10: 2 sc, dc5tog, 14 sc, dc5tog, 26 sc (44)
Rnd 1: 6 sc in magic loop (6)
Rnd 11-12: 44 sc (44)
Rnd 2: inc x 6 (12)
Rnd 13: 3 sc, [3 sc, dec] x 3, 7 sc, [3 sc, dec] x 3, (38)
Rnd 3: [sc, inc] x 4, (yarn B) [sc, inc] x 2 (18)
Rnd 4: (yarn A) 13 sc, (yarn B) 4 sc, (yarn A) sc (18) 4 sc
Rnd 14-15: 38 sc (38)
Rnd 5: [sc, dec] x 5, (yarn B) [sc, dec] (12)
Rnd 6: (yarn A) 6 dec (6)
Fasten off and stuff. Leave long tail to sew onto body.

Fasten off. Leave long tail to sew onto body.

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Tail (yarn A)

Rnd 1: 4 sc in magic loop (4) Tail hairs

Rnd 2: [sc, inc] x 2 (6) Each of these creates 2 tail hairs. Add as many of them as

Rnd 3-5: 6 sc (6) you want to make the tail as full or sparse as you want.

Rnd 6: 2 sc, 2 inc, 2 sc (8) When you’ve added as many hairs as you want, trim them
down to the length you want. It looks more natural if the
Fasten off. Leave long tail for sewing onto body. hairs are different lengths.

1. Cut a piece of yarn a little 2. Insert the hook into rnd 1 of 3. Pull the loop through, then 4. Pull both ends of the yarn
more than 2x the length you the tail, from the outside in, yo with both ends of the through the loop.
want your tail hairs. and yo. yarn.

Nails (yarn B)

For each leg and arm, make 3 nails. Use a tapestry needle threaded with yarn B, and insert the
2 3
needle in the gaps between stitches, right above the ridge caused by the tblo row. Follow the
diagram to the right: the tail of the arrow is where the yarn should come out of the work, and
the arrowhead is where the yarn should go into the work. Repeat this sequence as many times
as it takes to get a solid triangle. Make the nails from left to right, and skip 2 st between each 1
nail.

For the very first nail, insert Insert the needle to the right Keep following the diagram A completed triangle nail!
the needle from right to left, of the stitch, and take it out to see where to insert and
so that the yarn can move through the midpoint above take out the needle.
from left to right, like in the the stitch.
diagram, on the outside of
the work.
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Put it all together

Use pins to lay it all out before you start sewing.

Attach the ears starting at the end of rnd 9. The bottom of

the ears should be roughly inline with the eyes, and slightly
tilting downwards.

Attach the snout at the end of rnd 16, so that when looking
at the hippo from the front, the top of the snout lines up
with the bottom of the eyes. Then attach the tail starting at
the end of rnd 42, centered at the back of the body.

Lastly, attach the arms between rnd 23 & 24. To attach

them in a way that they can move, keep reading below.

Attach movable arms

Cut a piece of yarn 7x the width of the body at rnd 26.

1. Make a stitch in the middle 2. Pull the yarn through the

of the inside of one arm, body between rnds 23 & 24.
between rnd 2 & 3. Leave a
short tail.

© 2018 The Woobles. Justine T.

All rights reserved. Pattern may 3. Make a stitch in the 4. Repeat steps #1-3, 2-3 5. The 2 ends of yarn should
not be copied or distributed in middle of the inside of the times for extra strength and come out of the same hole.
any form, online or offline.
other arm, between rnd 2 & support. Try to insert the Pull on both ends of the yarn
Finished items may be sold in
3. Then pull the yarn through needle into the same holes tightly, tie a knot, and hide
small quantities, as long as
credit for the pattern is given to the same points of the body. throughout the repeated the tails inside the body.
Justine T. steps.