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Hermit Crab with Removable Shells Crochet Pattern

Marianne | Yarnworx Studio

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Making time: ~4-6 hours

Materials needed:

  • 4 mm crochet hook

  • Worsted weight yarn of your choice, I used Bernat Super Value

  • 2 x 6mm safety eyes

  • Tapestry needle

  • Stuffing

    • I used extra polyfill I had laying around, very similar to this Fiberloft filling

    • Tip: use new materials only and follow safety guidelines for toys/stuffing in your country/region

  • Optional: stitch marker

Stitch Glossary:

  • See here for a good instruction guide for basic stitches

  • Hermit Crab Stitches

    • ch - chain

    • sl st - slip stitch

    • sc - single crochet

    • sc2tog - single crochet 2 together

    • magic ring (instructions here)

  • Shell Stitches

    • all of the above stitches, plus:

    • hdc - half double crochet

    • dc - double crochet

    • pff stitch - {yo, insert into st, pull yarn through} 3 times total, yo and pull through all loops on hook

  • General note: after the first round, the pieces are worked in a continuous fashion - you do not need to sl st at the end of each round.  Because of this, I recommend you use a stitch marker to keep track of where the current round started, in case you lose count during a round.

Pattern:

General note: after the first round, the pieces are worked in a continuous fashion - you do not need to sl st at the end of each round.  Because of this, I recommend you use a stitch marker to keep track of where the current round started, in case you lose count during a round.

Body:
Round 1: 6 sc into magic ring, sl st into first st
Round 2: 2 sc in each st around (12 st)
Round 3: *2 sc in next st, sc in next st* repeat until end of round (18 st)
Round 4: *2 sc in next st, sc in next 2 st* repeat until end of round (24 st)
Round 5: sc in each st around
Rounds 6-9: repeat Round 5 (24 st)
Round 10: *sc2tog, sc in next 2 st* repeat until end of round (18 st)
Add stuffing at this point - I used a fabric bag with bean bag poly-fil filling to keep it weighted
Round 11: *sc2tog, sc in next st* repeat until end of round (12 st)
Round 12: sc2tog around (6 st)
sl st, fasten off, leaving a tail for sewing
Sew small opening shut and weave in ends

Belly: in contrasting color
Round 1: 6 sc into magic ring, sl st into first st
Round 2: 2 sc in each st around (12 st)
Round 3: *2 sc in next st, sc in next st* repeat until end of round (18 st)
Round 4: *2 sc in next st, sc in next 2 st* repeat until end of round (24 st)
sl st, fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing

Head:
Round 1: 6 sc into magic ring, sl st into first st
Round 2: 2 sc in each st around (12 st)
Round 3: *2 sc in next st, sc in next st* repeat until end of round (18 st)
Round 4: *2 sc in next st, sc in next 2 st* repeat until end of round (24 st)
Round 5: sc in each st around
Rounds 6-8: repeat Round 5 (24 st)
Round 9: *sc2tog, sc in next 2 st* repeat until end of round (18 st)
Add stuffing at this point - I used batting
Round 10: *sc2tog, sc in next st* repeat until end of round (12 st)
Round 11: sc2tog around (6 st)
sl st, fasten off, leaving a tail for sewing
Sew small opening shut and weave in ends

Eyes: make 2
Round 1: 6 sc into magic ring, sl st into first st
Round 2: sc in each st around
Rounds 3-6: repeat Round 2 (6 st)
sl st, fasten off, leaving a tail for sewing
Attach safety eyes to the magic ring - note you may need to do this after round 3ish to be able to squeeze it tight properly

Tail: will hold the shells in place
Round 1: 6 sc into magic ring, sl st into first st
Round 2: sc in each st around
Round 3: repeat Round 2 (6 st)
Round 4: 2sc in each st around (12 st)
Rounds 5-7: repeat Round 2 (12 st)
Round 8: *2 sc in next st, sc in next st* repeat until end of round (18 st)
Rounds 9-12: repeat Round 2 (18 st)
Add stuffing at this point - I used batting
Round 13: sc2tog around (9 st)
Round 14: *sc2tog, sc in next st* repeat until end of round (6 st)
sl st, fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing

Leg: make 4
Round 1: 6 sc into magic ring, sl st into first st
Round 2: sc in each st around
Rounds 3-10: repeat Round 2 (6 st)
sl st, fasten off, leaving a tail for sewing

Claw: make 2 (See below for extra pictures and info about the construction of the claw)
Round 1: 6 sc into magic ring, sl st into first st
Round 2: sc in each st around
Round 3: repeat Round 2 (6 st)
Round 4: *2sc in next st, sc in next st* repeat until end of round (9 st)
Rounds 5-6: repeat Round 2 (9 st)
Round 7: *2sc in next st, sc in next 2 st* repeat until end of round (12 st)
Round 8: 2sc in each of next 4 st, sc in each remaining st (16 st)
Round 9: sc in next 2 st, 2sc in each of next 4 st, sc in each remaining st (20 st)
Add stuffing at this point - I used batting
Round 10: sc2tog 5 times, sc in each remaining st (15 st)
Round 11: sc2tog 3 times, sc in each remaining st (12 st)
Round 12: sc2tog around (6 st)
Rounds 13-16: repeat Round 2 (6 st)
sl st, fasten off, leaving a tail for sewing

SEPARATELY...
Round 1: 6 sc into magic ring, sl st into first st
Round 2: sc in each st around
Round 3-4: repeat Round 2 (6 st)
sl st, fasten off, leaving a tail for sewing
Sew this small piece onto the increase areas of the big claw piece (on rounds 8-9) to complete the claw

Claw construction - additional tutorial

I've received a couple questions about the claw specifically, so have taken some pictures along the way to help understand the claw construction. Check out the grid below.

Hermit Crab Assembly Video

Don’t worry, I’ve got a video showing you every step of assembling this cute little critter! I don’t know why, but my website won’t let this video embed properly. Hopefully this works below, otherwise check it out on YouTube here, subscribe for all my videos!

Sew the belly onto the body, centered over the bottom of the body (this helps cover up any gaps created by the decrease rounds of the body)

  1. Attach the tail centered over the magic ring of the body

  2. Sew the head onto the body at the angle pictured

  3. Sew eyes onto head so they point upwards on the head

  4. Attach claws between the head and the tail, one on each side so they mirror each other. With the claws, the arms themselves shouldn't be stuffed and when you attach them you should sew them so that they aim down against the body

  5. Sew the legs in place around the base of the tail, spacing them evenly along each side

  6. Weave in loose ends and optionally embroider a smile on the little guy! I tried one out but didn't think it worked with my crab!

See this content in the original post

Shell Patterns

Note: I googled a couple shells and do not in any way claim that I created these solely out of my own imagination!  I've added links where I can to things I've reference.

Spiral Shell
Ch 101, sc in 2nd ch from hook and next 29 ch, hdc in next 30 ch, dc in next 40 ch.
Fasten off.
Starting with the sc portion, wrap the shell around the shape of the tail of the crab, sewing as you go.
Weave in loose ends and VOILA!  A snug little spiral shell.

Puff Shell
For this shell, I used the Sea Songs Conch Shell pattern from Yarnspirations online (free!) and made modifications to fit it to my crab.  I decided to alternate colors every 2 rows just to mix it up!  It is stuffed for fullness.
Round 1: 6 sc in magic ring, sl st into first st
Round 2: sc in each st around (6 st)
Round 3: 2sc in each st around (12 st)
Round 4: *sc in next 2 st, 2sc in next st, puff st in next st* repeat until end of round (15 st)
Round 5: sc in back loop only of each st around
Round 6: *2sc in next st, sc in next 2 st* repeat until end of round (20 st)
Round 7: *sc in next 2 st, 2sc in next st, puff st in next st* repeat until end of round (25 st)
Round 8: repeat Round 5 (25 st)
Round 9: *2sc in next st, sc in next 4 st* repeat until end of round (30 st)
Round 10: *sc in next 3 st, 2sc in next st, puff st in next st* repeat until end of round (36 st)
Rounds 11-12: repeat Round 5 (36 st)
Round 13: *sc2tog in back loops only, sc in back loops only in next 4 st* repeat until end of round (30 st)
Round 14: sc in each st around (30 st)
Round 15: *sc2tog, sc in next 4 st* repeat until end of round (25 st)
Round 16: repeat Round 14 (25 st)
Round 17: *sc2tog, sc in next 3 st* repeat until end of round (20 st)
Round 18: repeat Round 14 (20 st)
Round 19: *sc2tog, sc in next 2 st* repeat until end of round (15 st)
sl st, fasten off
SEPARATELY... mimick the tail pattern
Round 1: 6 sc into magic ring, sl st into first st
Round 2: sc in each st around
Round 3: repeat Round 2 (6 st)
Round 4: 2sc in each st around (12 st)
Rounds 5-7: repeat Round 2 (12 st)
Round 8: *2 sc in next st, sc in next st* repeat until end of round (18 st)
Rounds 9-14: repeat Round 2 (18 st)
sl st, fasten off leaving long tail for sewing
Stuff the big shell piece and sew smaller piece, connecting the openings to make a spot for the shell to slip onto the tail of the crab
Weave in loose ends.

Detailed Assembly Photo Instructions for the Puff Shell

Snail Shell
For this pattern I roughly mimicked this pin on Pinterest, which links to a site in German.  I cannot tell if this is a pattern being sold - if it is PLEASE let me know and I will immediately remove my pattern below!  I just looked at the picture and kind of made it up as I went along, so I'll share how I did it and take it from there...

Round 1: 6 sc in magic ring, sl st into first st
Round 2: sc in each st around
Rounds 3-11: repeat Round 2 (6 st)
Round 12: *2sc in next st, sc in next st* repeat until end of round (9 st)
Rounds 13-22: repeat Round 2 (9 st)
Round 23: *2sc in next st, sc in next 2 st* repeat until end of round (12 st)
Rounds 24-25: repeat Round 2 (12 st)
Round 26: *2sc in next st, sc in next 3 st* repeat until end of round (15 st)
Round 27: repeat Round 2 (15 st)
Round 28: *2sc in next st, sc in next 4 st* repeat until end of round (18 st)
Round 29: *2sc in next st, sc in next 5 st* repeat until end of round (21 st)
Round 30: *2sc in next st, sc in next 6 st* repeat until end of round (24 st)
Round 31: *2sc in next st, sc in next 7 st* repeat until end of round (27 st)
Round 32: *2sc in next st, sc in next 8 st* repeat until end of round (30 st)
Round 33: *2sc in next st, sc in next 9 st* repeat until end of round (33 st)
Round 34: repeat Round 2 (33 st)
Round 35: *ch3, sc in next st* repeat until end of round (33 ch3 loops)
Round 36: working on underside of shell, sc around the stitches from Round 34 (approx 30 st)
Round 37: sc2tog around (approx 15 st)
Round 38: *sc2tog, sc in next st* repeat until end of round (approx 10 st)
sl st, fasten off
Weave in loose ends

And there you have it!  Just a couple shell options.  I'm sure there are some great options using little squares or hexagons, or doing more braided or spiral work!  Just ensure you design something in a way that will allow the tail to fit in snuggly for play time!  Please post pics on Ravelry so I can see finished products!