The otter is the Animal of the Year in 2021. With these crochet instructions you can crochet your own little otter to keep you company at home or on your travels.

Note

Please read through these instructions before starting to work.

Unless otherwise described, work in continuous spirals. Mark the start of each round with a stitch marker.

The head and body are worked as one piece. The arms, legs, ears, muzzle and tail are sewn on to the head/body as specified in the instructions.

Abbreviations

row – row 

rnd - round 

st – stitch 

ch – chain stitch 

dc – double crochet 

sl st – slip stitch 

htr – half treble 

t-ch – turning chain 

inc – increase(s) 

dec – decrease(s) 

°    °  -  work the given number of stitches between these symbols into one and the same stitch of the previous round 

(    ) x - repeat the given sequence of stitches between the brackets in the number indicated 

rep – repeat 

That's how it's done:

Body and head:

Start with taupe.

• Rnd 1: work 6 dc into a ring of yarn. 
• Rnd 2: work 6 inc. (12) 
• Rnd 3: (1 dc, inc) rep 6 times. (18) 
• Rnd 4: (2 dc, inc) rep 6 times. (24) 
• Rnd 5: (3 dc, inc) rep 6 times. (30) 
• Rnd 6: 30 dc. 
• Rnd 7: (4 dc, inc) rep 6 times. (36) 
• Rnd 8 - 11 (4 rounds): 36 dc. 
• Rnd 12: (4 dc, dec) rep 6 times. (30) 

Change colour to natural.

• Rnd 13 and 14: 30 dc. 
• Rnd 15: (3 dc, dec) rep 6 times. (24) 
• Rnd 16 and 17: 24 dc. 
• Rnd 18: (2 dc, dec) rep 6 times. (18) 
• Rnd 19: 18 dc. 

Change colour to taupe.

• Rnd 20 and 21. Rnd: 18 dc. 
• Rnd 22: 18 sl st. 

Stuff the body with wadding material to make it firm. Take care to work into the sl st in rnd 23.

• Rnd 23: (1 dc, inc) rep 9 times. (27) 
• Rnd 24: (2 dc, inc) rep 9 times. (36) 
• Rnd 25: (3 dc, inc) rep 9 times. (45) 
• Rnd 26: (4 dc, inc) rep 9 times. (54) 
• Rnd 27 and 28: 54 dc. 
• Rnd 29: 10 dc, work 3 dc together (decrease), 24 dc, work 3 dc together (decrease), 14 dc. (50) 
• Rnd 30 - 39 (10 rounds): 50 dc. 
• Rnd 40: (23 dc, dec) rep 2 times. (48) 
• Rnd 41: (6 dc, dec) rep 6 times. (42) 
• Rnd 42: (5 dc, dec) rep 6 times. (36) 
• Rnd 43: (4 dc, dec) rep 6 times. (30) 

Start stuffing the head. Stuff firmly up to the last rnd.

• Rnd 44: (3 dc, dec) rep 6 times. (24) 
• Rnd 45: (2 dc, dec) rep 6 times. (18) 
• Rnd 46: (1 dc, dec) rep 6 times. (12) 
• Rnd 47: work 6 dec. (6) 

Cut off the yarn and draw it completely through the last st. Now use a needle to weave into the front loop of every stitch in the last round and in this way close the head by closing the circle. Sew up the loose thread.

Arms (2x):

Start with taupe.

• Rnd 1: work 7 dc into a ring of yarn. 
• Rnd 2: work 7 inc. (14) 
• Rnd 3 and 4: 14 dc. 
• Rnd 5: work 7 dec. (7) 
• Rnd 6 - 9 (4 rounds): 7 dc. 

Change colour to natural.

• Rnd 10 - 13 (4 rounds): 7 dc.

Press the top of the arm flat together and close the opening by working through both sides at once. Work 3 dc to close. Cut off the yarn, leaving a long end and draw it completely through the last st. Sew the arms to the sides of the body, between rnd 19 and rnd 20.

Tail:

Work in taupe.

• Rnd 1: work 5 dc into a ring of yarn. 
• Rnd 2: 5 dc. 
• Rnd 3: 1 dc, inc, 1 dc, inc, 1 dc. (7) 
• Rnd 4: 7 dc. 
• Rnd 5: 2 dc, inc, 2 dc, inc, 1 dc. (9) 
• Rnd 6: 9 dc. 
• Rnd 7: (2 dc, inc) rep 3 times. (12) 
• Rnd 8 and 9: 12 dc. 

Press the top of the tail flat together and close the opening by working through both sides at once. Work 6 dc to close. Cut off the yarn, leaving a long end and draw it completely through the last st. Sew the tail to the back of the body, between rnd 4 and rnd 5.

Paws (2x):

Work with taupe.

• Rnd 1: work 8 dc into a ring of yarn. 
• Rnd 2: work 8 inc. (16) 
• Rnd 3: 16 dc. 
• Rnd 4: 4 dc, work 4 dec, 4 dc. (12) 
• Rnd 5: 12 dc. 
• Rnd 6: work 6 dec. (6) 

Work one sl st. Cut off the yarn, leaving a long end and draw it completely through the last st. Stuff the paws with wadding material and sew them close to the body at the front, so that the otter is able to sit.

Lake collar:

Work in natural. Work in rows.

Cast on 25 ch. Beginning in the 2nd st from the hook, work as follows:

• Row 1: (3 dc, inc) rep 6 times, 5 t-ch. (30)
• Row 2: miss the 1st st, (1 dc, 4 ch, miss 1 st) rep 14 times, 1 dc.

When you have finished, you will have a total of 15 chain loops. Cut off the yarn, leaving a long end and draw it completely through the last st. Place the collar around the neck. Take care that the ch st chain lies close against the neck. This should give the collar a slightly waved effect, like a frill. Sew the lace collar securely to the neck and sew the two ends of the collar together.

Muzzle:

Work in natural.

Cast on 8 ch. Beginning in the 2nd st from the hook, work as follows:

• Rnd 1: 6 dc, °3 dc°, continue on the other side of the ch chain with: 5 dc, inc. (16) 
• Rnd 2: inc, 5 dc, work 3 inc, 5 dc, work 2 inc. (22) 
• Rnd 3 and 4: 22 dc. 

Work one sl st into the next st but one. Cut off the yarn, leaving a long end and draw it completely through the last st. Sew the muzzle centrally on the front of the head, so that it covers rnd 25 to 28. Stuff the muzzle.

Tip: the two decreases of 3 dc in rnd 29 of the head symbolise the jaw and cheek bones and frame the face.

Bridge of the nose:

Work in taupe. Work in rows.

Cast on 8 ch. Beginning in the 2nd st from the hook, work as follows:

• Row 1: inc, 5 dc, inc, 1 t-ch. (9) 
• Row 2: inc, 7 dc, inc, 1 t-ch. (11) 
• Row 3: 11 dc, 1 t-ch. (11) 
• Row 4: 11 dc. 

Cut off the yarn, leaving a long end and draw it completely through the last st.

Nose and eyes:

Work in black.

Begin with a starting loop and draw it with the crochet hook through the first st of the ch chain for the bridge of the nose. The ch chain has 7 basic ch. At the end work one ch. This counts as the first dc for the nose.

Continue working as follows: 2 dc, 1 tr, 3 dc.

Cut off the yarn, leaving a very long end and draw it completely through the last st. Now place the bridge of the nose on the top of the muzzle. The nose points towards the front. Using taupe, begin by sewing the bridge of the nose securely. Next, using the black remnant, secure the nose on the muzzle and then, using a long stitch, embroider the philtrum on to the muzzle. To do this, guide the needle towards the eyes and draw the yarn fast. This shapes the muzzle into two cheeks.

Embroider the eyes on rnd 30 and rnd 31. Leave about 9 st free between the eyes.