Hi, friends!

I have a new pattern for you today for this sugar skull amigurumi, or a calavera, which is a decorative skull used in the Mexican celebration of the Day of the Dead (Día de Muertos). The holiday begins on October 31st and is celebrated until November 2nd, so people often mistake these sugar skulls as halloween decorations.

That being said, if you are wanting to make a skeleton amigurumi for Halloween, you can totally make this pattern and leave off (or add on!) as many details as you want to turn this sugar skull into a spooky skele-gurumi!

As usual, this pattern is made in the same style as my Ragdoll patterns; separate pieces worked in flat rows and then joined together to give them that unique 2-D look. The Sugar Skull Ami has 8 main pieces (front and back panels, arms and eyes), plus extra pieces for the flowers and leaves, for a total of 20 pieces. This pattern incorporates the tapestry (or intarsia) crochet technique and has a fair bit of colour-work involved.

The finished measurements are approximately 30cm/12″ from top to bottom.

Let’s get started! (Or Pin for later!)

Materials:

Here’s what I used:

**If you’d prefer a downloadable or printable version of this pattern, an inexpensive, formatted, and ad-free PDF can be purchased HERE.**

• 3.5mm hook (I use THESE hooks!);
• Bernat Super Value in Black;
• Bernat Super Value in White;
• Bernat Super Value in Light Damson (small amounts for flowers);
• Red Heart Super Saver in Cherry Red (small amounts for flowers);
• Bernat Super Value in Lush (very small amounts for leaves);
• Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice in Aqua (small amounts for eyes);
• Light Weight (category 3) yarn or crochet thread in bright colours for embroidery details;
• Stuffing;
• Tapestry needle;

Reading this Pattern and Colour Changes:

Everything on the front and back panels is worked in single crochet stitches. So, in order to indicate the colour-changes, I have omitted the usual “sc” in front of the stitch counts in lines with colour-changes and I’ve used the associated colour letter instead. For example, “Binc” means to work a sc increase in black yarn. “B6, W5” means to work the next 6 sc in Black and the next 5 sc in White, and so on.

Due to the colour-changes, you will have several skeins or balls of yarn attached to your project at once. I used two skeins of black yarn, one for each side , and then again, two skeins of white yarn, one for each side of the body for the bones. You could also do this by taking one skein of yarn and dividing it into two smaller balls or bobbins. This cuts down significantly on having to carry your yarn.

The bonus part of the colour-changes in amigurumi is that you don’t have to worry about what the back of your panels look like! This is why I carry my yarn on the back instead of carrying it inside the stitch as you go. It prevents any colours from bleeding through where they shouldn’t. As long as you always carry your yarn on the back of your panel, you won’t have to tie in any ends and you’ll have a beautiful smooth front with clear lines and colours. Please see the photos below to get an idea of where and how I carried my yarn.

When changing colours, you will insert your hook into the stitch for the last stitch of Colour A and pull up a loop. Then, with Colour B, yarn over and complete the stitch by pulling through both loops with Colour B. Drop your working yarn in Colour A and continue with Colour B. You will pick your Colour A working yarn back up again on the way back in the next row when you need it.

*Make sure to always drop your yarn on the WRONG side of your panel!* This will be different depending on whether you’re working an odd or even row. So, for the front panel, whenever you are working on an odd-numbered row, the right side of your panel will be facing you. When you’re working on an even-numbered row, the wrong side will be facing you (this will be the opposite for the back panel!). So, for example, when you are working on a row where the wrong side of the panel is facing you, you will have to make a conscious effort to pull your yarn toward you to the wrong side of the panel when dropping your yarn during a colour-change. This is because it will naturally drop to the side furthest away from you if you don’t.

Colour legend:

B – Black

W – White

Terms and Stitches:

Ch – Chain

Slst – Slip stitch

Sk – Skip a stitch

Sc – Single Crochet (again, in rows with colour changes, sc stitches will be indicated with the Colour Legend letter instead of the usual “sc”)

Inc – Increase. Work a regular sc increase

Dec – Decrease. Work a regular sc decrease

Hdc – Half double crochet

Dc – Double crochet

Front Body Panel:

You will make 1 panel using a 3.5mm hook. Start with Black. First we will make two separate legs pieces and then join them together.

*Ch 1 and turn at the end of each row*

Row 1: Ch 8, B7 (7 sts)

Row 2: Binc, B5, Binc (9 sts)

Row 3: Binc, W3, B1, W3, Binc (11 sts)

Row 4: B1, W9, B1 (11 sts)

Row 5: Binc, W9, Binc (13 sts)

Row 6: B3, W7, B3 (13 sts)

Row 7: B4, W5, B4 (13 sts)

Row 8: Binc, B4, W3, B4, Binc (15 sts)

Rows 9-10: B6, W3, B6 (15 sts)

Tie off. Repeat rows 1-10 for the second leg. Do not tie off the second leg. Move on to Row 11 below, where you will join the two legs together by crocheting across both.

Row 11: Binc, B5, W3, B12, W3, B5, Binc (32 sts)

Row 12: B6, W5, B10, W5, B6 (32 sts)

Row 13: B4, W8, B8, W8, B4 (32 sts)

Row 14: B3, W3, B20, W3, B3 (32 sts)

Row 15: B2, W3, B6, W10, B6, W3, B2 (32 sts)

Row 16: B2, W2, B24, W2, B2 (32 sts)

Row 17: B1, W2, B5, W3, B1, W8, B1, W3, B5, W2, B1 (32 sts)

Row 18: B1, W2, B2, W5, B12, W5, B2, W2, B1 (32 sts)

Row 19: B1, W8, B3, W8, B3, W8, B1 (32 sts)

Row 20: B2, W4, B20, W4, B2 (32 sts)

Row 21: B13, W6, B13 (32 sts)

Row 22: Bdec, B3, W7, B8, W7, B3, Bdec (30 sts)

Row 23: B3, W2, B7, W6, B7, W2, B3 (30 sts)

Row 24: Bdec, B1, W1, B22, W1, B1, Bdec (28 sts)

Row 25: B5, W5, B2, W4, B2, W5, B5 (28 sts)

Row 26: Bdec, B2, W2, B16, W2, B2, Bdec (26 sts)

Row 27: B3, W1, B7, W4, B7, W1, B3 (26 sts)

Row 28: Bdec, B4, W3, B8, W3, B4, Bdec (24 sts)

Row 29: Bdec, B2, W2, B5, W2, B5, W2, B2, Bdec (22 sts)

Row 30: Bdec, B1, W1, B14, W1, B1, Bdec (20 sts)

Row 31: Binc twice, B7, W2, B7, Binc twice (24 sts)

Row 32: Binc twice, B1, W18, B1, Binc twice (28 sts)

Row 33: Binc, B2, W22, B2, Binc (30 sts)

Row 34: Binc, B1, W26, B1, Binc (32 sts)

Row 35: Binc, B1, W28, B1, Binc (34 sts)

Row 36: Binc, B1, W4, B4, W14, B4, W4, B1, Binc (36 sts)

Row 37: B2, W4, B4, W16, B4, W4, B2 (36 sts)

Row 38: Binc, B1, W3, B5, W16, B5, W3, B1, Binc (38 sts)

Row 39: B2, W3, B5, W18, B5, W3, B2 (38 sts)

Row 40: B2, W2, B3, W24, B3, W2, B2 (38 sts)

Row 41: Binc, B1, W1, B3, W10, B2, W2, B2, W10, B3, W1, B1, Binc (40 sts)

Row 42: B2, W2, B1, W12, B6, W12, B1, W2, B2 (40 sts)

Row 43: B2, W16, B4, W16, B2 (40 sts)

Row 44: B2, W17, B2, W17, B2 (40 sts)

Rows 45-49: B2, W36, B2 (40 sts)

Row 50: B3, W34, B3 (40 sts)

Row 51: Bdec, B1, W34, B1, Bdec (38 sts)

Row 52: B3, W32, B3 (38 sts)

Row 53: Bdec, B1, W32, B1, Bdec (36 sts)

Row 54: B3, W30, B3 (36 sts)

Row 55: Bdec, B1, W30, B1, Bdec (34 sts)

Row 56: B3, W28, B3 (34 sts)

Row 57: Bdec, B2, W26, B2, Bdec (32 sts)

Row 58: Bdec, B3, W22, B3, Bdec (30 sts)

Row 59: Bdec, B4, W18, B4, Bdec (28 sts)

Row 60: Bdec twice, B20, Bdec twice (24 sts)

Row 61: Bdec twice, B16, Bdec twice (20 sts)

Tie off. Put aside for assembly later.

Back Body Panel:

You will make 1 panel using a 3.5mm hook.

I worked the back panel entirely in black, but feel free to work the front panel again to have the skeleton pattern on the back as well if you want!

*Ch 1 and turn at the end of each row.*

Row 1: Ch 8, sc across (7 sts)

Row 2: Inc, sc 5, inc (9 sts)

Row 3: Inc, sc 7, inc (11 sts)

Row 4: Sc across (11 sts)

Row 5: Inc, sc 9, inc (13 sts)

Rows 6-7: Sc across (13 sts)

Row 8: Inc, sc 11, inc (15 sts)

Rows 9-10: Sc across (15 sts)

Tie off. Repeat rows 1-10 for the second leg. Do not tie off the second leg. Move on to Row 11 below, where you will join the two legs together by crocheting across both.

Row 11: Inc, sc 28, inc (32 sts)

Rows 12-21: Sc across (32 sts)

Row 22: Dec, sc 28, dec (30 sts)

Row 23: Sc across (30 sts)

Row 24: Dec, sc 26, dec (28 sts)

Row 25: Sc across (28 sts)

Row 26: Dec, Sc 24, dec (26 sts)

Row 27: Sc across (26 sts)

Row 28: Dec, sc 22, dec (24 sts)

Row 29: Dec, sc 20, dec (22 sts)

Row 30: Dec, sc 18, dec (20 sts)

Row 31: Inc twice, sc 16, inc twice (24 sts)

Row 32: Inc twice, sc 20, inc twice (28 sts)

Row 33: Inc, sc 26, inc (30 sts)

Row 34: Inc, sc 28, inc (32 sts)

Row 35: Inc, sc 30, inc (34 sts)

Row 36: Inc, sc 32, inc (36 sts)

Row 37: Sc across (36 sts)

Row 38: Inc, sc 34, inc (38 sts)

Rows 39-40: Sc across (38 sts)

Row 41: Inc, sc 36, inc (40 sts)

Row 42-50: Sc across (40 sts)

Row 51: Dec, sc 36, dec (38 sts)

Row 52: Sc across (38 sts)

Row 53: Dec, sc 34, dec (36 sts)

Row 54: Sc across (36 sts)

Row 55: Dec, sc 32, dec (34 sts)

Row 56: Sc across (34 sts)

Row 57: Dec, sc 30, dec (32 sts)

Row 58: Dec, sc 28, dec (30 sts)

Row 59: Dec, sc 26, dec (28 sts)

Row 60: Dec twice, sc 20, dec twice (24 sts)

Row 61: Dec twice, sc 16, dec twice (20 sts)

Tie off. Set aside for assembly later.

Arms (make 4 panels in twos as explained below):

Use a 3.5mm hook and start with black yarn. Ch 1 and turn at the end of each row.

Row 1: Ch 6, B5 (5 sts)

Rows 2-8: B1, W3, B1 (5 sts)

Row 9: B5 (5 sts)

Tie off. Repeat rows 1-9 for the second panel in all black (or repeat the front panel with the white if you want the skeleton design to be on the back and front!) Tie off second panel. Put both panels together, matching up all sides. Ensure the panel with the white is facing you. Chain 1 and sc around the entire piece. (Sc, ch, Sc) into each of the corners of row 1. Stuff when you’ve crocheted about two-thirds of the way around. Slst to beginning st to close. Tie off. Repeat for second arm.  Set these aside for assembly later.

Eyes:

The eyes are worked in joined rounds, meaning at the end of each round, you will slst to the beginning st of the round and chain 1. Start in black with a 3.5mm hook.

Rnd 1: MR 6 sc (6 sts)

Rnd 2: 2 Hdc in each st around (12 sts)

Rnd 3: [Hdc in first st, 2 hdc in next st], repeat [ ] around (18 sts)

Rnd 4: [Hdc into next 2 sts, 2 hdc in next st], repeat [ ] around (24 sts)

Switch to Aqua yarn.

Rnd 5: [Sc 5 into next st, sk 1 st, slst into next st], repeat [ ] around (8 shell sts).

Tie off. Stitch on a small star in each eye using white yarn. Set aside for assembly later.

Rosettes:

Make as many as you need to line the top of the head. I made 9 (5 red and 4 purple). Use a 3.5mm hook.

Row 1: Ch 6, 2 sc into each ch (10 sts)

Row 2: Ch 3 (counts as first dc), dc into first st, 2 dc into each st (20 sts)

Tie off, leaving a long tail. Starting at one end, roll the piece up to create the rosette. Using a tapestry needle, weave the tail back and forth through the centre of the rosette.

Set aside for assembly later.

Leaf:

Using Lush and 3.5mm hook, make three leaves (or as many as you would like to add!)

Row 1: Ch 4, slst in first st, sc in next, 6 dc into last st, continue working on other side of chain, sc, slst.

Tie off. Set aside for assembly later.

Assembly:

Step 1: Face

Here is the blank canvas that we’re working with.

First thing’s first! We need to attach and stitch on our facial features to the front panel.

First, stitch on the eyes using black yarn. I attached them by stitching around the outside of the black centre (not the aqua shell stitches).

Next, use black yarn to stitch the mouth/teeth. Make one long  horizontal stitch between the two cheek areas and then short, vertical stitches across that to create the teeth.

Finally, use brightly coloured light weight yarn or crochet thread to add some fun details to the face. I did this by simply stitching “X”s over various sc stitches to make some designs. Here’s what I did:

• Made “X”s around the mouth using green, orange and yellow thread;
• Made “X”s in an upside-down triangle shape on the chin in purple;
• Made “X”s around each eye in purple;

The sky’s the limit with the decorative details! Hearts, diamonds, flowers; I can’t wait to see what you come up with!

Step 2: Body and Arms

Okay, here are all the pieces you should now have at this step.

Cut off two lengths of Black yarn about 30 cms (12 inches) long each. Put them aside for later.

Place the two body panels together, matching up all sides.

**Make sure the front of your skele is facing you as you crochet around the outside of the piece.**

Starting on the left side of the head, begin attaching the panels together by chaining one and single crocheting around the outside of the panels in Black.

Stop when you get to the bottom of the head. Pull up a long loop and leave this for now.

Now, with your tapestry needle and a length of yarn that you set aside earlier, place the first arm between the panels and attach it by sewing through all three pieces; the top panel, the arm, and the bottom panel. When finished, tie a knot to secure and hide the yarn tails between the panels of the body.

Continue single crocheting down the side of the body. When you get to the arm, simply sc in the stitches of the front panel only, since this part is already sewn shut. Once you are past the arm, continue single crocheting both panels together as normal.

Crochet down and around each leg and up the other side.

Place and attach the second arm the same way you did for the first.

Continue crocheting up the body. Stop about halfway up the head. Stuff the body.

Now, picking up where you left off, continue single crocheting around the top of the head. Top up stuffing as you go as necessary.

Close with a slst to first st. Tie off. With your tapestry needle, poke the yarn tail back inside the piece.

Step 3: Flowers and Leaves

Attach the rosettes by starting in the middle of the forehead and working outwards. To attach the rosettes, thread one yarn tail through a stitch on the front of the head and out a stitch on the back. Thread the second yarn tail through a different stitch on the front but through the same stitch on the back. Tie a knot to secure and poke the yarn tails back inside. Repeat for the rest of the flowers.

Once all the flowers have been attached, you may want to take one long piece of yarn and stitch them all down securely to the forehead.

Add leaves as accents wherever you want!

That’s it! Enjoy!

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