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Crab Memory Game Amigurumi Pattern

Crab Memory Game Amigurumi Pattern
4.0★Rating
8-10 HoursTime Needed
2.1KMade This
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Intermediate Level

Ideal for those with basic crocheting experience, featuring slightly more advanced stitches and techniques to expand your skills.

⏱️

All-Day Adventure

Requires 8-10 hours, ideal for a full day of immersive crocheting.

🐰

Whimsical Buddy

Playful characters full of personality, designed to spark imagination and become cherished playtime favorites.

About This Crab Memory Game Amigurumi Pattern

Crab Memory Game Amigurumi Pattern crochet pattern - detailed view

This set is the ultimate handmade gift for a toddler or preschooler—it combines the charm of a plush amigurumi with a fun, educational game they can play for hours to develop their memory skills.

Why You'll Love This Crab Memory Game Amigurumi Pattern

I absolutely love how this project uses up those tiny scraps of yarn we all have tucked away! Using five different colors for the baby bellies makes it a brilliant stash-buster. Plus, there's something so satisfying about the 'reveal' when you flip a baby crab over to see its color. It's a project that feels like a real achievement once the whole family is finished and lined up.

Crab Memory Game Amigurumi Pattern step 1 Crab Memory Game Amigurumi Pattern step 2 Crab Memory Game Amigurumi Pattern step 3 Crab Memory Game Amigurumi Pattern step 4

Switch Things Up

I remember the first time I saw a crochet memory game; I thought it was such a clever way to combine amigurumi with something truly functional. This crab set is particularly dear to my heart because it captures that whimsical seaside energy so perfectly. When I was working on the prototype, I found myself getting surprisingly excited to see which color would pop out from under the next baby crab!

One thing I really recommend while you are making this is to keep a close eye on your tension when working the double crochet rounds for the mother crab. Since we are using two different yarn weights (the 5-ply for the pink and 4-ply for the red), you want to make sure the transition looks smooth and the circles stay flat. If you find your edges starting to ruffle like a wave, you might need to drop down a hook size or tug just a bit firmer on your stitches.

I also love the idea of customizing the babies. While the pattern suggests five colors, you could totally go wild and make every single baby a different shade! It is the ultimate stash-buster for those little 2-yard lengths of yarn we all have lying around. Seeing the whole family lined up on the sand—or just on the living room rug—is such a rewarding sight. I hope you enjoy every stitch of this oceanic adventure as much as I did!

Common Mistakes & How to Fix Them

✗ If you forget to switch to your contrast color on Round 3 of the baby crab's bottom, the memory game won't work because the matching colors won't be hidden.✗ Be careful not to stuff the mother crab's pouch too firmly; if it's overstuffed, the baby crabs won't fit inside comfortably and the button might not reach the loop.✗ When joining the Mum crab's top and bottom pieces, make sure your slip stitches aren't too tight or the opening of the pouch will be puckered and difficult to use.✗ It is easy to lose track of which baby belongs to which color pair, so I recommend finishing both crabs of one color before moving on to the next set.

Crab Memory Game Amigurumi Pattern

Get ready to bring the seaside right into your living room with this incredibly fun and educational memory game! You'll be crafting a majestic mother crab who hides a secret—her belly is a cozy pouch for ten adorable baby crabs. Each little baby has a different colored tummy, turning a classic matching game into a tactile, handmade treasure. It's the kind of project that keeps you engaged with every stitch and results in a toy that children will cherish for years. Whether you're making it for your own little ones or as a standout gift, this set is sure to make a huge splash.

Intermediate 8-10 Hours

Materials Needed for Crab Memory Game Amigurumi Pattern

— Main Fabric

  • 01
    Approximately 250g of 4-ply 100% cotton yarn in a deep Dark Red or Maroon for the main bodies
  • 02
    About 10g of 5-ply 100% cotton yarn in a soft Pink for the mother's underside
  • 03
    Small amounts (about 2 yards each) of 5 different bright yarn colors for the baby crab tummy pairs
  • 04
    Roughly 5g each of Black and White yarn for the eye details and mouth embroidery

— Tools Required

  • 01
    3.00 mm crochet hook for the mother crab's base
  • 02
    3.5 mm crochet hook for the rest of the project
  • 03
    One pair of 15mm black safety eyes for the mother crab
  • 04
    Ten pairs of 4mm black safety eyes for the baby crabs
  • 05
    Polyester fiber filling for stuffing
  • 06
    A 1cm button for the pouch closure
  • 07
    Tapestry needle for sewing and embroidery
  • 08
    Stitch markers to keep track of your rounds
  • 09
    Sharp scissors

Progress Tracker

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— 1. Baby Crab Bottom (Make 10) :

Info :

Make two bottoms in each of your 5 chosen contrast colors using the 3.5mm hook.

Round 1 :

Start with a foundation of ch 6. Beginning in the 2nd ch from the hook, work 1 inc, then 3 sc, followed by 1 inc. Rotate to work along the opposite side of the chain: 1 inc, 3 sc, and 1 inc (14).

Round 2 :

Work 2 inc, 3 sc, 4 inc, 3 sc, and 2 inc (22).

Round 3 :

Switch your yarn to Dark Red. Work 22 sc around (22).

Round 4 :

rep (1 sc, 1 inc) 11 times (33).

Round 5 :

Work 33 sc around (33). Fasten off.

— 2. Baby Crab Top (Make 10) :

Info :

Use Dark Red yarn and the 3.5mm hook for all 10 tops.

Round 1 :

ch 6 to start. From the 2nd ch, work 1 inc, 3 sc, 1 inc. On the other side of the ch, work 1 inc, 3 sc, 1 inc (14).

Round 2 :

Work 2 inc, 3 sc, 4 inc, 3 sc, 2 inc (22).

Round 3 :

Work 22 sc around (22).

Round 4 :

rep (1 sc, 1 inc) 11 times (33).

Round 5 :

Work 33 sc around (33).

Round 6 :

Work 33 sc around (33).

Round 7 :

Work 33 sc around (33). Fasten off.

Info :

Insert 4mm safety eyes between rounds 4 and 5, leaving 3 stitches between them. Use black yarn to stitch a small smile on round 6.

— 3. Baby Crab Small Legs (Make 60) :

Round 1 :

Work 5 sc into a MR (5).

Round 2 :

Work 5 sc around (5).

Round 3 :

Work 5 sc around (5).

Round 4 :

Work 5 sc around (5).

Round 5 :

Work 5 sc around (5). Fasten off, leaving a tail for assembly.

— 4. Baby Crab Front Legs (Make 20) :

Round 1 :

Work 6 sc into a MR (6).

Round 2 :

Work 2 inc, then 4 sc (8).

Round 3 :

Work 8 sc around (8).

Round 4 :

Work 4 inc, then 4 sc (12).

Round 5 :

Work 12 sc around (12).

Round 6 :

Work 12 sc around (12).

Round 7 :

Work 12 sc around (12).

Round 8 :

Work 2 sc, 2 inv dec, then 6 sc (10).

Round 9 :

Work 2 sc, 1 inv dec, then 6 sc (9).

Round 10 :

Work 1 inv dec, 1 sc, 1 inv dec, and 4 sc (7).

Round 11 :

Work 7 sc around (7).

Round 12 :

Work 7 sc around (7).

Round 13 :

Work 7 sc around (7).

Round 14 :

Work 7 sc around (7). Fasten off and leave a tail. Embroider a 'V' shape on the inner side to define the claw.

— 5. Mum Crab Bottom :

Info :

Use the 3.0mm hook and Pink 5-ply yarn for this section.

Round 1 :

Work 12 dc into a MR. sl st to the first dc to close (12).

Round 2 :

ch 3. Work 1 dc inc in every st around. sl st to first dc (24).

Round 3 :

ch 3. rep (1 dc, 1 dc inc) 12 times. sl st to first dc (36).

Round 4 :

ch 3. rep (2 dc, 1 dc inc) 12 times. sl st to first dc (48).

Round 5 :

ch 3. rep (3 dc, 1 dc inc) 12 times. sl st to first dc (60).

Round 6 :

ch 3. rep (4 dc, 1 dc inc) 12 times. sl st to first dc (72).

Round 7 :

ch 3. rep (5 dc, 1 dc inc) 12 times. sl st to first dc (84).

Round 8 :

Change to Dark Red 4-ply yarn. ch 3. rep (6 dc, 1 dc inc) 12 times. sl st to first dc (96).

Round 9 :

ch 3. rep (7 dc, 1 dc inc) 12 times. sl st to first dc (108). Fasten off.

— 6. Mum Crab Top :

Info :

Use the 3.0mm hook and Dark Red 4-ply yarn for the entire piece.

Round 1 :

Work 12 dc into a MR. sl st to close (12).

Round 2 :

ch 3. Work 1 dc inc in every st. sl st to close (24).

Round 3 :

ch 3. rep (1 dc, 1 dc inc) 12 times. sl st to close (36).

Round 4 :

ch 3. rep (2 dc, 1 dc inc) 12 times. sl st to close (48).

Round 5 :

ch 3. rep (3 dc, 1 dc inc) 12 times. sl st to close (60).

Round 6 :

ch 3. rep (4 dc, 1 dc inc) 12 times. sl st to close (72).

Round 7 :

ch 3. rep (5 dc, 1 dc inc) 12 times. sl st to close (84).

Round 8 :

ch 3. rep (6 dc, 1 dc inc) 12 times. sl st to close (96).

Round 9 :

ch 3. rep (7 dc, 1 dc inc) 12 times. sl st to close (108). Fasten off.

— 7. Mum Crab Small Legs (Make 6) :

Round 1 :

Work 6 sc into a MR (6).

Round 2 :

Work 6 sc around (6).

Round 3 :

rep (1 sc, 1 inc) 3 times (9).

Round 4 :

Work 9 sc around (9).

Round 5 :

rep (2 sc, 1 inc) 3 times (12).

Round 6-7 :

Work 12 sc in each round (12).

Round 8 :

rep (2 sc, 1 inv dec) 3 times (9).

Round 9-10 :

Work 9 sc in each round (9).

Round 11 :

rep (2 sc, 1 inc) 3 times (12).

Round 12 :

rep (3 sc, 1 inc) 3 times (15).

Round 13 :

rep (4 sc, 1 inc) 3 times (18).

Round 14-16 :

Work 18 sc in each round (18).

Round 17 :

rep (4 sc, 1 inv dec) 3 times (15).

Round 18 :

rep (3 sc, 1 inv dec) 3 times (12).

Round 19 :

rep (2 sc, 1 inv dec) 3 times (9).

Round 20-21 :

Work 9 sc in each round (9).

Round 22 :

rep (2 sc, 1 inc) 3 times (12).

Round 23 :

rep (3 sc, 1 inc) 3 times (15).

Round 24 :

rep (4 sc, 1 inc) 3 times (18).

Round 25-27 :

Work 18 sc in each round (18).

Round 28 :

rep (4 sc, 1 inv dec) 3 times (15).

Round 29 :

rep (3 sc, 1 inv dec) 3 times (12).

Round 30 :

rep (2 sc, 1 inv dec) 3 times (9).

Round 31-32 :

Work 9 sc in each round (9). Fasten off and leave a tail.

— 8. Mum Crab Front Legs (Make 2) :

Part A - Rnd 1 :

Work 6 sc in MR (6).

Part A - Rnd 2 :

Work 6 sc around (6).

Part A - Rnd 3 :

Work 3 sc inc, then 3 sc (9).

Part A - Rnd 4 :

Work 9 sc around (9).

Part A - Rnd 5 :

Work 3 sc, 3 inc, then 3 sc (12).

Part A - Rnd 6 :

Work 12 sc around (12).

Part A - Rnd 7 :

Work 4 sc, 4 inc, then 4 sc (16).

Part A - Rnd 8 :

Work 16 sc around (16). Fasten off.

Part B - Rnd 1-7 :

rep steps from Part A rounds 1 through 7.

Part B - Rnd 8-9 :

Work 16 sc in each round (16).

Part B - Rnd 10 :

Work 6 sc, 4 inc, then 6 sc (20).

Part B - Rnd 11 :

Work 20 sc around (20).

Round 12 :

sc 11 into Part B. Join to Part A and work 16 sc around Part A. Finish by working 9 sc into Part B (36 total).

Round 13 :

rep (4 sc, 1 inv dec) 6 times (30).

Round 14 :

rep (3 sc, 1 inv dec) 6 times (24).

Round 15 :

Work 2 inv dec, 16 sc, then 2 inv dec (20).

Round 16-17 :

Work 20 sc in each round (20).

Round 18 :

Work 2 inv dec, 12 sc, then 2 inv dec (16).

Round 19 :

rep (2 sc, 1 inv dec) 4 times (12).

Round 20 :

rep (2 sc, 1 inv dec) 3 times (9).

Round 21-22 :

Work 9 sc in each round (9).

Round 23 :

rep (2 sc, 1 inc) 3 times (12).

Round 24 :

rep (3 sc, 1 inc) 3 times (15).

Round 25 :

rep (4 sc, 1 inc) 3 times (18).

Round 26-28 :

Work 18 sc in each round (18).

Round 29 :

rep (4 sc, 1 inv dec) 3 times (15).

Round 30 :

rep (3 sc, 1 inv dec) 3 times (12).

Round 31 :

rep (2 sc, 1 inv dec) 3 times (9).

Round 32-33 :

Work 9 sc in each round (9).

Round 34-44 :

Repeat the stitch pattern from rounds 23 through 33 one more time to finish the leg length. Fasten off.

— 9. Mum Crab Eyes (Make 2) :

Round 1 :

Work 6 sc in MR using White yarn (6).

Round 2 :

Work 6 inc around (12).

Round 3-5 :

Work 12 sc in each round (12).

Info :

Insert 15mm safety eyes between rounds 3 and 4.

Round 6 :

Work 6 inv dec (6). Fasten off and close the opening.

Assembly Instructions

  • Stuff the baby crab tops firmly before joining them to the bottoms using slip stitches all the way around the edge.
  • Sew six small legs and two large front legs to the bottom edge of each baby crab, ensuring they are spaced evenly.
  • Join the Mum crab top and bottom by slip stitching through both layers for 81 stitches, creating a sturdy hinge.
  • Finish the Mum crab's opening by working 13 sl st on the top part only, ch 8 for a button loop, and then 14 more sl st.
  • Sew the 1cm button to the center of the pink bottom section so it aligns perfectly with the button loop.
  • Attach the large white eyes to the top of the mother crab, positioning them near the front edge for a friendly look.
  • Securely sew the six long legs and two large pincers to the underside of the mother crab's body, leaving the front opening clear.

Important Notes

  • 💡Always use a stitch marker to mark the first stitch of every round, as amigurumi is worked in a continuous spiral.
  • 💡When making the baby crabs, ensure you pull your magic ring tails tight and weave them in securely so they don't open during play.
  • 💡The 5-ply pink yarn is slightly thicker than the 4-ply red; keep your tension consistent to ensure both circles match in size.
  • 💡Stuff the mother crab's legs and pincers lightly to allow them to be flexible and poseable.
  • 💡Double-check your color pairs for the babies before finishing—you should have exactly two crabs with each contrast belly color.
  • 💡If you prefer not to use safety eyes for very small children, you can embroider the eyes using black yarn instead.

There is nothing quite like the feeling of finishing a big project like this and seeing it all come together. From the tiny embroidered smiles on the babies to the big, goofy eyes of the mother crab, this set is just bursting with personality. I can already imagine the little ones in your life discovering the hidden colors and tucking the babies back into their secret pouch. It is more than just a crochet project; it is a way to make memories that last. Happy hooking, and I hope your new crab family brings a huge splash of joy to your home! ✨🦀🧶

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FAQs

Can I use worsted weight yarn instead of 4-ply cotton?

Yes, you can substitute with worsted weight, but keep in mind the finished crabs will be significantly larger. You will also need to increase your hook size to around 4.0mm or 4.5mm to maintain a tight fabric.

How do I make sure the baby crabs fit in the pouch?

The key is to not overstuff the mother crab's main body. The pouch relies on the natural flexibility of the crochet fabric. If you find it's too tight, try stuffing the babies a bit lighter.

What if I can't find 5-ply pink yarn?

You can use two strands of a thinner yarn held together or just use 4-ply and adjust your tension to be slightly looser so the diameter of the pink circle matches the red one.

Is this pattern suitable for a total beginner?

It is beginner-friendly in terms of stitches (mostly sc and dc), but because there are many pieces to assemble and join, it is best suited for someone who has completed at least one or two simple amigurumi projects before.