🧶 Beautiful ✨ Detailed 💝 Adorable

Dottie the Panda Amigurumi Pattern

Dottie the Panda Amigurumi Pattern
4.1★ Rating
8-10 Hours Time Needed
2.1K Made This
✂️

Intermediate Level

Ideal for those with basic knitting 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 knitting.

🧸

Cute Companion

An adorable friend to cherish, handcrafted with love to bring comfort and joy for years to come.

About This Dottie the Panda Amigurumi Pattern

Dottie the Panda is a whimsical take on the traditional black and white panda bear, featuring vibrant rainbow colors that make her truly one-of-a-kind. This intermediate-level pattern guides you through creating each colorful component, from her mismatched eye patches in green and orange to her pink and blue ears. The pattern includes detailed assembly instructions with helpful photos to ensure your panda comes together perfectly. With her sweet muzzle, safety eyes, and carefully positioned features, Dottie becomes a huggable 16-inch companion full of personality.

Dottie the Panda Amigurumi Pattern crochet pattern - detailed view of completed project

This pattern uses worsted weight yarn in multiple colors and requires basic amigurumi skills including magic rings, increases, decreases, and assembly techniques. The finished panda features dimensional details and a sturdy construction that makes her perfect for display or gentle play.

Why You'll Love This Dottie the Panda Amigurumi Pattern

I absolutely love this pattern because it takes the classic panda design and transforms it into something magical and unique with those gorgeous rainbow colors! The process of watching Dottie come together piece by piece is so satisfying, especially when you start seeing her personality emerge as you attach those adorable mismatched ears and colorful limbs. I appreciate how the pattern includes clear photos for the tricky assembly steps, which takes the guesswork out of positioning everything perfectly. The combination of simple stitches and creative color placement makes this project feel special without being overwhelming, and the end result is a show-stopping handmade friend that everyone admires. Plus, there's something incredibly joyful about working with such a bright, happy color palette that makes every crochet session feel like pure fun!

Dottie the Panda Amigurumi Pattern step 1 - construction progress Dottie the Panda Amigurumi Pattern step 2 - assembly progress Dottie the Panda Amigurumi Pattern step 3 - details and accessories Dottie the Panda Amigurumi Pattern step 4 - final assembly and finishing

Switch Things Up

I love experimenting with different color combinations when making Dottie! While the original rainbow palette is absolutely stunning, I've found that creating a pastel version with soft pinks, blues, and yellows gives her a dreamy, nursery-friendly look that's perfect for baby gifts. For a more sophisticated aesthetic, I sometimes work her up in jewel tones like deep emerald, sapphire, and amethyst against cream, which makes her look incredibly elegant on a bookshelf.

One of my favorite modifications is adding a little bow between her ears or creating a tiny scarf to wrap around her neck, which only takes about 15 minutes but adds so much personality. I've also experimented with making her in traditional black and white panda colors but keeping just one or two features rainbow-colored, like making her ears or eye patches vibrant while the rest stays classic. This creates a beautiful contrast that really makes those colorful elements pop.

If you want to make Dottie larger, try using bulky weight yarn with a bigger hook, which creates an impressive 20-24 inch panda that's perfect for hugging. Conversely, using fingering weight yarn and a smaller hook produces an adorable mini version that's about 8 inches tall and absolutely perfect as a keychain or desk companion. I've found that adjusting the stuffing firmness also dramatically changes her look—firmer stuffing creates a more structured, display-worthy piece, while lighter stuffing makes her squishier and more cuddly for actual play.

Common Mistakes & How to Fix Them

✗ Forgetting to use stitch markers at the beginning of rounds can lead to losing your place and creating uneven shaping throughout the pattern ✗ Not stuffing the head firmly enough before attaching it to the body results in a floppy panda that won't hold its adorable shape properly ✗ Placing the safety eyes too close together or at the wrong round creates an off-center expression, so always count your stitches carefully and position them between rounds twelve and thirteen as directed ✗ Overstuffing the arms and legs makes them stiff and difficult to position naturally, so stop stuffing when indicated in the pattern for better drape and flexibility

Dottie the Panda Amigurumi Pattern

Create your own adorable rainbow panda friend with this delightful amigurumi pattern! Dottie the Panda stands 16 inches tall and features a charming mix of white, pink, green, blue, orange, and purple colors that bring personality and whimsy to this cuddly companion. Perfect for intermediate crocheters looking to craft a unique stuffed animal, this pattern includes detailed instructions for creating colorful eye patches, multicolored limbs, and sweet facial features. Whether you're making Dottie as a gift or adding her to your handmade collection, this pattern will guide you through every step of bringing this lovable panda to life.

Intermediate 8-10 Hours

Materials Needed for Dottie the Panda Amigurumi Pattern

— Main Fabric

  • 01
    Worsted Weight #6 yarn, approximately 150g of main color (White - Color A)
  • 02
    Worsted Weight #6 yarn in accent colors: 50g total of Pink (Color B), Green (Color C), Blue (Color D), Orange (Color E), Purple (Color F), and Black (Color G)
  • 03
    Premier Parfait in Turquoise, Mango, Iris, White, Hibiscus, and Key Lime (exact colors used by designer)

— Tools Required

  • 01
    Crochet hook size F or 3.75mm
  • 02
    23mm safety eyes
  • 03
    24mm safety nose
  • 04
    Scissors
  • 05
    Sewing needle
  • 06
    Stitch markers
  • 07
    Fiberfill stuffing (Polyfil recommended)
  • 08
    Pins for assembly

Progress Tracker

0% Complete

— Eye Patches (Make 1 in Color C, 1 in Color E) :

Round 1 :

Make 6 sc into a magic ring (6)

Round 2 :

Increase in each st around (12)

Round 3 :

(inc x 3, 3 sc) x 2 (18)

Round 4 :

((sc, inc) x 3, 3 sc) x 2 (24)

Info :

F/O and leave a long tail for sewing. Place the safety eyes after the 2nd increase, between rounds 1 and 2.

— Head (Crocheted from top of head to bottom with Color A) :

Starting Chain :

Ch 6

Round 1 :

sc in 2nd ch from hook, 4 sc, inc3 in last chain, working on the opposite side of the chain: 3 sc, inc (12)

Round 2 :

inc, 3 sc, inc x 3, 3 sc, inc x 2 (18)

Round 3 :

(2 sc, inc) x 6 (24)

Round 4 :

(3 sc, inc) x 6 (30)

Round 5 :

(4 sc, inc) x 6 (36)

Round 6 :

(5 sc, inc) x 6 (42)

Round 7 :

(6 sc, inc) x 6 (48)

Rounds 8-14 :

sc in each st around (48)

Info :

In round 15: Mark the 1st sc and last sc of your first 12 sc worked in between your increases.

Round 15 :

((sc, inc) x 3, 12 sc, (inc, sc) x 3)) x 2 (60)

Round 16 :

((2 sc, inc) x 2, 18 sc, (inc, 2 sc) x 2)) x 2 (68)

Rounds 17-20 :

sc in each st around (68)

Info :

Place eyes and eye patches between rounds 12 and 13 above the stitch markers. The eyes will be 10 holes apart. Stuff the head as you work.

Round 21 :

Dec x 6, 10 sc, dec x 10, 18 sc, dec x 4 (48)

Round 22 :

(6 sc, dec) x 6 (42)

Round 23 :

(5 sc, dec) x 6 (36)

Round 24 :

(4 sc, dec) x 6 (30)

Round 25 :

(3 sc, dec) x 6 (24)

Info :

F/O the head. Sew the eye patches onto the head.

— Body (Starting with Color A) :

Round 1 :

Make 12 sc into a magic ring (12)

Round 2 :

(sc, inc) x 6 (18)

Round 3 :

(2 sc, inc) x 6 (24)

Round 4 :

(3 sc, inc) x 6 (30)

Round 5 :

(4 sc, inc) x 6 (36)

Round 6 :

(5 sc, inc) x 6 (42)

Round 7 :

(6 sc, inc) x 6 (48)

Round 8 :

(7 sc, inc) x 6 (54)

Rounds 9-15 :

sc in each st around (54)

Round 16 :

15 sc, (dec, 2 sc) x 3, 15 sc, (dec, 2 sc) x 3 (48)

Round 17 :

sc in each st around (48)

Round 18 :

(6 sc, dec) x 6 (42)

Rounds 19-20 :

sc in each st around (42)

Round 21 :

(5 sc, dec) x 6 (36)

Info :

Start stuffing the body

Round 22 :

sc in each st around (36)

Info :

Change to Color D

Round 23 :

sc in each st around (36)

Round 24 :

(4 sc, dec) x 6 (30)

Rounds 25-26 :

sc in each st around (30)

Round 27 :

(3 sc, dec) x 6 (24)

Round 28 :

sc in each st around (24)

Info :

F/O and leave a long tail for sewing

— Arms (Make 1 in Color C, 1 in Color B) :

Round 1 :

Make 6 sc into a magic ring (6)

Round 2 :

Increase in each st around (12)

Round 3 :

(sc, inc) x 6 (18)

Round 4 :

(2 sc, inc) x 6 (24)

Round 5 :

4 sc, (Color G: bob, Color C or B: sc) x 3, 14 sc (24)

Round 6 :

Sc in each st around (24)

Round 7 :

(dec, 10 sc) x 2 (22)

Round 8 :

(dec, 9 sc) x 2 (20)

Info :

Start stuffing the arms

Round 9 :

(dec, 8 sc) x 2 (18)

Info :

Do not stuff the arms any more

Round 10 :

Sc in each st around (18)

Round 11 :

(dec, 7 sc) x 2 (16)

Round 12 :

Sc in each st around (16)

Round 13 :

(dec, 6 sc) x 2 (14)

Round 14 :

Sc in each st around (14)

Round 15 :

(dec, 5 sc) x 2 (12)

Round 16 :

Sc in each st around (12)

Info :

Work a sc, fold the arms in half and sc the opening closed. F/O and leave a long tail for sewing

— Ears (Make 1 in Color B, 1 in Color D) :

Round 1 :

Make 6 sc into a magic ring (6)

Round 2 :

Increase in each st around (12)

Round 3 :

(sc, inc) x 6 (18)

Round 4 :

(2 sc, inc) x 6 (24)

Round 5 :

sc in each st around (24)

Round 6 :

(2 sc, dec) x 6 (18)

Round 7 :

(sc, dec) x 6 (12)

Info :

Fold the ears in half and sc the opening closed. F/O and leave a long tail for sewing. Do not stuff the ears.

— Muzzle (With Color F) :

Round 1 :

Make 6 sc into a magic ring (6)

Round 2 :

Increase in each st around (12)

Round 3 :

(sc, inc) x 6 (18)

Round 4 :

sc, inc, (2 sc, inc) x 5, sc (24)

Round 5 :

sc in each st around (24)

Info :

Place the safety nose in between rounds 2 and 3. F/O and leave a long tail for sewing

— Tail (With Color D) :

Round 1 :

Make 6 sc into a magic ring (6)

Round 2 :

Increase in each st around (12)

Round 3 :

(sc, inc) x 6 (18)

Round 4 :

Sc in each st around (18)

Round 5 :

(sc, dec) x 6 (12)

Info :

Start stuffing the tail

Round 6 :

Dec x 6 (6)

Info :

F/O and sew the tail closed. Leave a long tail for sewing

— Legs (Make 1 in Color E and 1 in Color F, starting with Color G) :

Round 1 :

Make 6 sc into a magic ring (6)

Round 2 :

Increase in each st around (12)

Info :

Change to Color E or F

Round 3 :

(sc, inc) x 6 (18)

Round 4 :

(2 sc, inc) x 6 (24)

Round 5 :

3 sc, inc, (Color E or F: 3 sc, Color G: inc) x 3, Color E or F: (3 sc, inc) x 2 (30)

Round 6 :

(4 sc, inc) x 6 (36)

Rounds 7-8 :

sc in each st around (36)

Round 9 :

10 sc, (2 sc, dec) x 4, 10 sc (32)

Round 10 :

10 sc, (sc, dec) x 4, 10 sc (28)

Round 11 :

10 sc, dec x 4, 10 sc (24)

Info :

Start stuffing the legs

Round 12 :

(dec, 10 sc) x 2 (22)

Round 13 :

sc in each st around (22)

Round 14 :

(dec, 9 sc) x 2 (20)

Round 15 :

sc in each st around (20)

Info :

F/O and leave a long tail for sewing

Assembly Instructions

  • If you want a needle sculpted look, place a pin on the center of the head between rounds 22 and 23, then thread your needle with yarn and insert it into the hole on the bottom of the head, bringing it up to a corner on the bottom of an eye to create indents and a slight mouth shape
  • Pin the muzzle onto the head between the eyes and sew it in place, adding more stuffing as needed for a plump appearance
  • Sew the head and body together securely, adding additional stuffing before completely closing the opening to ensure both pieces are firmly stuffed
  • Pin the arms to the sides of the body approximately between rounds 26 and 27, then sew them securely onto the body
  • Pin the legs onto the front of the body at the appropriate position, then sew them firmly in place
  • Attach the ears to the top of the head in their desired positions, ensuring they're symmetrical and secure
  • Sew the tail to the back of the body at the appropriate height for a balanced look

Important Notes

  • 💡Do not join rounds unless stated, work in a continuous spiral throughout the pattern
  • 💡Use a stitch marker to mark the beginning of each round to avoid losing your place
  • 💡All stitches are worked in both loops unless stated otherwise in the specific pattern instructions
  • 💡The type and firmness of your stuffing significantly affects the final appearance of your panda, with Polyfil being the recommended choice
  • 💡You can use different eye sizes and hook sizes which will change the overall size of your panda and may require adjustments to placement
  • 💡Pin all body parts in place before sewing to ensure correct positioning and symmetry

This delightful Dottie the Panda pattern brings together classic amigurumi techniques with a vibrant rainbow twist that makes every stitch feel special! Designed with intermediate crocheters in mind, this pattern offers clear instructions, helpful photos, and that perfect balance of simplicity and detail that makes the creative process truly enjoyable. The finished 16-inch panda becomes a treasured companion with her mismatched colorful features and sweet personality. Whether you're crafting Dottie for yourself, as a gift, or to add a pop of handmade charm to any space, this pattern delivers a rewarding project that's as fun to make as it is to display. 🧶 Happy crocheting! 🐼✨

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FAQs

What size will my finished Dottie the Panda be?

When using weight 6 yarn and a 3.75mm hook as specified in the pattern, your finished panda will measure approximately 16 inches from bottom to top of head. If you use a different yarn weight or hook size, your panda will be proportionally larger or smaller.

Can I use different colors than the ones specified in the pattern?

Absolutely! While the pattern uses specific Premier Parfait colors (Turquoise, Mango, Iris, White, Hibiscus, Key Lime), you can substitute any worsted weight yarn colors you prefer. The rainbow color scheme is just a suggestion, so feel free to make Dottie in traditional panda colors or create your own unique color combination.

Do I need to stuff all the parts of the panda?

No, the pattern specifically states not to stuff the ears, and to stop stuffing the arms partway through. The head, body, legs, muzzle, and tail should be stuffed, but follow the pattern instructions carefully about when to stop stuffing certain pieces to ensure proper shaping and flexibility.

Where can I find the 23mm safety eyes mentioned in the pattern?

The pattern recommends nightmarestitchery.com for safety eyes, but you can also find them at most craft stores or online retailers that sell amigurumi supplies. If you can't find exactly 23mm, you can use slightly different sizes (like 20mm or 24mm) but may need to adjust the placement slightly.

What does it mean to work stitches in back loops only (BLO)?

Working in back loops only means you insert your hook only through the loop of the stitch that's furthest away from you, rather than through both loops as usual. This creates a ridge effect and is typically used for specific shaping or decorative purposes in amigurumi patterns.

Is this pattern suitable for beginners?

This pattern is rated as intermediate level and is suitable for novice crocheters who have basic skills but requires patience and precision during assembly. If you're comfortable with magic rings, increases, decreases, and basic single crochet stitches, you should be able to complete this pattern successfully.