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Crochet German Shepherd keychain amigurumi pattern
A single crochet (UK double crochet) German Shepherd amigurumi keychain, with US and UK stitch terms given throughout.
- Skill
- Intermediate
- Time
- 4-6 hours
- Yarn weight
- Worsted
- Hook
- 3 mm
Intermediate
What the original write-up called it. Nothing here is graded again.
Worsted
What the sample was worked in. Any weight works; the size moves with it.
4-6 hours
What the original page reckoned. Your own pace is the one that matters.
About this pattern
This pattern is a small amigurumi keychain shaped like a German Shepherd, worked in single crochet (UK: double crochet) from a magic ring in black and brown yarn. The head and body use four shaping rounds, colour changes build the face markings, a tail is added in round 20, and popcorn stitches close the piece in rounds 21 and 22.
This amigurumi German Shepherd keychain is built almost entirely in single crochet (UK: double crochet), the dense, firmly-worked stitch that gives amigurumi its structure. The head and body form one continuous piece worked from a magic ring, with a separate tail attached afterwards. Brown and black yarn alternate within rounds to build the dog's eyebrow, eye, and nose markings, so colour changes are as much a feature of this pattern as the stitch count.
Construction starts with 8 single crochets in a magic ring, increasing over four rounds to shape the top of the head before the brown eyebrow and eye markings are introduced in round 5. The body continues in a single spiral, so a stitch marker is needed to track round changes. A short tail is worked separately in round 20 using brown and black yarn plus a chained loop, then the whole piece is closed with popcorn stitches and decreases across rounds 21 and 22 before weaving in ends and attaching a keychain.
Materials
- 3 mm crochet hook (use 5 mm for a larger size)
- Black and brown yarn, compatible with a 3 mm hook
- Yarn needle and scissors
- Stitch marker
- Keychain attachment (optional)
The list is the pattern's own wording.
Instructions
Every round is printed as the pattern wrote it, brackets and all. Open the key beside a round to see only the short forms that round uses.
Head and Body (Starting with Black Yarn)
- (8)Round 1
Magic Ring: Make 8 single crochets (sc) in a magic ring.
Key1
- sc
- single crochet
- (8)Rounds 2–3
For Rounds 1-3: Work 8 sc around (8 sts each round).
Key2
- sts
- stitches
- sc
- single crochet
- (12)Round 4
2 sc, increase in the next 4 sts, 2 sc (12 sts).
Key2
- sts
- stitches
- sc
- single crochet
- (17)Round 5
(Switch to Brown Yarn for Eyebrows): Introduce brown yarn, 3 sc in brown, switch to black, 2 increases in black, switch to brown, 1 increase in brown, switch to black, 2 increases in black, 4 sc in brown (17 sts).
Key2
- sts
- stitches
- sc
- single crochet
For Round 6 (Eyes and Nose Section): this round builds the eye and nose colour blocks by alternating brown and black stitches within the round.
- (17)Round 6
4 sc in brown, switch to black, 2 sc in black (finish last sc halfway and switch to brown), complete in brown. Repeat (4 sc in brown, finishing with 2 sc in black) (17 sts).
Key2
- sts
- stitches
- sc
- single crochet
- (17)Round 7
8 sc in brown, 1 sc in black (switch back to brown to finish the stitch), 8 sc in brown. Place safety eyes between Rounds 5 and 6 (17 sts).
Key2
- sts
- stitches
- sc
- single crochet
- Round 8
Ears 1 sc, 1 decrease, repeat, then make the first ear: In one st, work 1 sc, 1 half double crochet (hdc), 1 double crochet (dc), 1 treble crochet (tr), chain 4, slip stitch (sl st) in the same st. Repeat for the second ear using opposite crochet stitch order. Finish the round by working 1 sc and 1 decrease twice (11 sts, excluding ears).For Round 9-12: (Continue with Body, increasing and forming the shape) — this section shapes the body by alternating increase rounds with plain single-crochet rounds.
Key7
- sl st
- slip stitch
- sts
- stitches
- hdc
- half double crochet
- st
- stitch
- sc
- single crochet
- dc
- double crochet
- tr
- treble crochet
- (18)Rounds 9–12
Alternating increases and simple sc rounds, use black and brown yarn as required to form the body shape. Continue up to Round 12, ending each round with 18 sts in Round 12. Include a popcorn stitch for textured spots.
Key2
- sts
- stitches
- sc
- single crochet
Tail
- Round 20
Start in brown with 5 sc, switch to black, 3 sc, chain 7, work 6 hdc back along the chain, join with a sc to the start of the tail.
Key2
- hdc
- half double crochet
- sc
- single crochet
Closing
- Rounds 21–22
Work popcorn stitches, decreases, and sc to close up the amigurumi, finish off with an invisible close.
Key1
- sc
- single crochet
Making up
- Step 1Weave in all ends.
- Step 2Attach a keychain if desired.
Notes from the pattern
- A 3 mm hook matches the yarn weight listed in materials; swapping to a 5 mm hook changes the finished size without altering any stitch counts.
- A stitch marker is essential from the very first round, since the whole piece is worked in a continuous spiral with no turning chains to mark the round.
- Keep stitches firm throughout, particularly through the round 4 increases on the head, so stuffing does not show through gaps between stitches.
The essentials
- Rounds
- 10
- Parts
- 3
- Level
- Intermediate
- Time
- 4-6 hours
- Hook
- 3 mm
- Yarn
- Worsted
Stitches you will use
- Magic ring starts Used to begin the head and body with 8 single crochets; pull the centre tight so no gap remains once stuffing is added.
- Mid-round colour changes First appears in round 5 for the brown eyebrows, then again in the tail; carry the unused yarn snugly inside the stitches rather than cutting it each time.
- Popcorn stitch closing Worked across rounds 21 and 22 to shape and shut the base; keep each popcorn the same size so the closure sits flat rather than puckering.
Troubleshooting
The head does not look evenly round
This usually means the four increases were bunched together rather than spaced out. Count stitches at the end of the round and space increases evenly across the 8 starting stitches.
The popcorn closing in rounds 21-22
Uneven popcorn stitches or mismatched decreases cause this. Work every popcorn to the same stitch count and decrease gradually rather than all at once before closing.
Substituting yarn
- Acrylic, DK weight
- An affordable, widely available option close to the original weight; use a slightly smaller hook, around 2.75 mm, to keep stitches tight enough to hide the stuffing.
- Cotton, worsted weight
- Gives a firmer, less fuzzy finish with clearer stitch definition for the eyebrow and eye colour-change sections; cotton has less give, so stuffing should be slightly looser to avoid stiffness.
- Wool-blend, aran weight
- Produces a noticeably larger, softer-draping keychain; best paired with the 5 mm hook alternative, with slightly more stuffing to fill the larger cavity.
Washing and care
- The materials list does not name a specific fibre, so treat the finished piece as a hand wash item: spot clean with cool water and a small amount of mild detergent, then press out excess water in a towel rather than wringing.
- Reshape the head and tail while still slightly damp, lay flat to dry away from direct heat, and store the keychain unhooked from bags when not in use to keep the ears and tail from flattening.
The photographs taken while this was being made
Every one was taken by whoever published the pattern, in the order the source listed them.
FAQs
Questions
What hook size does this pattern need?
A 3 mm hook matches the yarn listed in materials and gives the standard size. A 5 mm hook can be used instead for a larger version of the same keychain.
How many pieces make up the finished keychain?
The head and body are one continuous piece worked over the first four rounds, with a separate tail added in round 20. The two are joined and closed together across rounds 21 and 22.
Is the keychain attachment required?
No, it is listed as optional in the materials and assembly steps. The finished piece can be left as a standalone amigurumi without one.
Which part of this pattern is hardest to get right?
The popcorn-stitch closing in rounds 21 and 22 takes the most care, since uneven popcorns or mismatched decreases can leave the base looking lopsided. Working each popcorn to the same size keeps the closure flat.
These answers came from whoever first published the pattern, kept word for word.