Making crochet appliques/patchwork was new to me as well so when I got a request to make this I was thrilled to start doing it.

I have to admit, doing crochet patchwork is as challenging as making a full on 3 dimensional amigurumi toy. One wrong move/stitch it ends up looking skewed and ugly. And this pattern is an ode to the number of times I have unraveled it in an attempt to make the best looking one.

Have fun making it using this free pattern, and as always I’m open to revisions/ clarifications, if there’s any please let me know.

Finished measurements: 3 inches tall

Crochet simba patchwork/applique

To make this Simba you’ll need,

  1. Two shades of yellow colored 8 ply acrylic yarn, black color and pink on the nose. Scrap yarn in white, brown and dark blue for the eyes.
  2. Crochet hook: 2.5 mm
  3. Poly fill for stuffing the muzzle to give an embossed look.

To crochet Simbas face:

Use the dark yellow/ mustard yellow yarn

  • Row 1: Chain 11.
  • Row 2: Turn, starting from the second chain from the hook, 1 sc in the next 10 ch (10)
  • Row 3: Turn, ch1, 1 inc, 1 sc in the next 8 sts, 1 inc. (12)
  • Row 4: Turn, ch1, 1 inc, 1 sc in the next 10 sts, 1 inc. (14)
  • Rows 5 to 12: Turn, ch1, 1 sc in all sts. (14)
  • Row 13: Turn, ch1, 1 dec, 1 sc in the next 10 sts, 1 dec. (12)
  • Row 14: Turn, ch1, 1 dec, 1 sc in the next 8 sts, 1 dec. (10)
  • Row 15: Turn, ch1, 1 dec, 1 sc in the next 6 sts, 1 dec. (8)
  • Rows 16 to 18: Turn, ch1, 1 sc in all sts. (8)
  • Row 19: Turn, ch1, 1 dec, 1 sc in the next 4 sts, 1 dec. (6) sc around the face, make sure you don’t do it tightly. Use a bigger hook if you think it would look better.

For Simbas muzzle:

For the lower-half of his mouth, use the light yellow yarn

  • Row 1: Chain 7.
  • Row 2: Turn, starting from the second chain from the hook, 1 sc in the next 6 ch (6)
  • Row 3: Turn, ch1, 1 inc, 1 sc in the next 4 sts, 1 inc. (8)
  • Row 4: Turn, ch1, 1 inc, 1 sc in the next 6 sts, 1 inc. (10)
  • Row 5: Turn, ch1, 1 inc, 1 sc in the next 8 sts, 1 inc. (12)
  • Rows 6 to 7: Turn, ch1, 1 sc in all sts (12) sc around the lower half.

The Upper-half of Simba’s mouth,

start working in rounds.

  • Chain 6.
  • Round 1: Starting from the second chain from the hook, 1sc in the next 4 ch, 3sc in the last (turn), 1sc in the next 3 ch, 2sc in the last st. (12)
  • Round 2: (sc, sc, sc, sc, sc, inc) * 2 times. (14)
  • Round 3: (sc, sc, sc, sc, sc, inc, inc) * 2 times. (18)
  • Round 4: (sc, sc, sc, sc, sc, sc, inc, inc, inc) * 2 times. (24)
  • Round 5: (sc, sc, sc, sc, sc, sc, sc, inc, inc, inc, inc) * 2 times. (30)
  • Round 6: (sc, sc, sc, sc, sc, sc, sc, sc, inc, inc, inc, inc, inc) * 2 times. (36)
  • Round 7: sc around. (36). Fill and sew it to the face. Make sure you pinch and sew at the bottom to make it appear like the mouth.
For simbas ears,

using a dark yellow colored yarn,

  • Magic circle, 5 sc.
  • Turn, chain 1, 2 sc in each stitch. (10)
  • Turn, chain 1, [ 1sc, inc ] * 5 times. (15)
  • Turn, chain 1, [ 1sc, 1sc, inc] * 5 times. (20)
  • Now using black colored yarn, Turn, chain 1, [1sc, 1sc, 1sc, inc] * 5 times. (25) Finish off. Make two of these.

To make the triangular folded part of simbas ears,

  • Chain 2, make a sc in the 2nd chain from the hook.
  • Turn, ch1, inc
  • Turn, ch1, inc, inc
  • Turn, ch1, inc, sc, sc, inc
  • Turn, ch1, inc, sc, sc, sc, sc, inc. Make two of these and sew it to the ears.

The eyes and eyebrows are personal touches and they don’t really need a pattern or cant be explained with one, so feel free to make what looks right to you.