For those of you who don’t know (I sure didn’t!) Appa is the much loved Sky Bison, a character from the anime series “Avatar: The Last Airbender”.
A friend of mine asked me to make a crocheted Appa as a surprise for her husband, so I thought I would share the crochet Appa pattern with you. He’s a really sweet little guy and I must say that I was a little sad to hand him over to my friend as I’d become quite fond of him!
Crochet Appa pattern
Requirements:
- Double knit/ light worsted yarn in white (body)
- Double knit/light worsted yarn in dark grey (ears, nose and horns)
- Double knit/ light worsted yarn in dark brown (face, tummy strip, feet)
- Double knit / light worsted yarn in tan (cheeks, back stripe and arrow)
- Safety eyes (size 7 mm)
- Stuffing
- Yarn needle
- Pins
- 3.75 mm crochet hook
Notes
Finished size: 27cm long, 10cm tall
For crochet abbreviations, click here
Parts of this pattern are worked in continuous rounds. Do not slip stitch to close a round unless otherwise instructed. For more tips on crocheting amigurumi and soft toys, look here
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Body (white)
Rnd 1. Mr 6 sc (6)
Rnd 2. 2 sc in each (12)
Rnd 3. [sc in next st, 2 sc in next st] repeat around (18)
Rnd 4. [sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next] repeat around (24)
Rnd 5. [sc in next 3 sts, 2 sc in next] repeat around (30)
Rnd 6. [sc in next 4 sts, 2 sc in next] repeat around (36)
Rnd 7 – 16. sc around (36)
Rnd 17. [sc in next 3 sts, 2 sc in next st, 2 sc in next st, 2 sc in next st] repeat once more, sc to end of rnd (42)
Rnd 18. sc around (42)
Rnd 19. sc in next 22 sts, sc2tog, sc2tog, sc2tog, sc 8, sc2tog, sc2tog, sc2tog (36)
Rnd 20. [sc in next 4 sts, sc2tog] repeat around (30)
Rnd 21. [sc in next 3 sts, sc2tog] repeat around (24)
Rnd 22 – 23. sc around (24)
Rnd 24. [sc in next 2 sts, sc2tog] repeat around (18)
Sl st and bind off, stuff
Tail (white)
Rnd 1. Mr 9 sc (9)
Rnd 2. 2 sc in ea (18)
Rnd 3. [sc in next 8 sts, 3 sc in next st] repeat (22)
Rnd 4. [sc in next 10 sts, 2 sc in next] repeat (24)
Rnd 5 – 6. sc around (24)
Rnd 7. [sc in next 10 sts, sc2tog] (22)
Rnd 8 – 18. sc around (22)
Rnd 19. [sc in next 10 sts, 2 sc in next] repeat (24)
Rnd 20. sc around (24)
Sl st and bind off
Attach the tail to the closed end of the body (make sure the body is the right way around with the hump at the top!). When you attach it, open the base slightly so that the fit is snug.
Underbelly strip (brown)
This strip is worked to fit the full length of Appa’s underbelly, from his neck right down to his tail.
R1. ch 7, sc into 2nd ch from hook, sc in remaining sts (6)
R2. ch 1, turn, 2 sc in next st, sc in next 4 sts, 2 sc in last st (8)
R3. ch 1, turn, sc across (8)
Repeat step 3 (sc 8 sts) until the strip is long enough to reach from Appa’s neck to where his tail joins onto his body. Finish off the tail by doing the following:
R4. ch 1, sc2tog, sc 4, sc 2 tog (6)
R5. ch 1, sc across (6)
Repeat step 5 (sc 6 sts) until the underbelly strip covers all but the last 2cm of tail, then;
R6. ch 1, sc2tog, sc 2, sc2tog (4)
R7. ch1, turn, sc2tog, sc2tog (2)
Bind off, leaving a long tail for joining. Stitch the underbelly strip into place
Head (brown + white)
Rnd 1. In brown, mr 6 sc (6)
Rnd 2. 2 sc in ea (12)
Rnd 3. [sc in next st, 2 sc in next] repeat around (18)
Rnd 4. [sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next] repeat around (24)
Rnd 5. [sc in next 3 sts, 2 sc in next] repeat around (30)
Rnd 6. [sc in next 4 sts, 2 sc next] repeat around (36)
Change to white
Rnd 7 – 12. sc around (36)
Rnd 13. [sc in next 4 sts, sc2tog] repeat around (30)
Rnd 14. [sc in next 3 sts, sc2tog] repeat around (24)
Rnd 15. [sc in next 2 sts, sc2tog] repeat around (18)
Sl st and bind off. Add safety eyes between round 4 and 5, approximately 5 stitches apart. Stuff.
Nose (dark grey)
R1. ch 4, sk 1 st, sc into next 3 sts, ch 1, turn (3)
R2. 2 sc in next st, sc in next st, 2 sc in next st (5)
R3. ch 1, turn, sc across (5)
Bind off.
Attach the nose to the centre of the face, between the eyes
Cheek patches (tan, x 2)
Rnd 1. Mr 5 sc (5)
Rnd 2. 2 sc in ea (10)
sl st and bind off, leave a tail for joining
Bar to join the cheek patches
R1. ch 8, sk 1, sc across
R2. ch 1, sc across
Bind off.
First attach the bar below the nose, then attach the cheek patches on either side of the bar.
Ears (dark grey and white, x 2)
Rnd 1. In white, mr 6 sc (6)
Rnd 2. 2 sc in each (12)
Sl st and bind off
Rnd 1. In grey, mr 7 sc, sl st and bind off
Place a grey and white circle together, wrong sides facing and stitch around. Fold the ear in half (with the grey in the centre) and do a few whip stitches at one end to create the ear shape.
Horns (dark grey, x 2)
ch 8, sl st into 2 ch from hook, sc into next st, [*2 sc into next st*, repeat 2 more times], sc in next st, sl st into last st and bind off.
Headband (white)
The head band is stitched across the top of Appa’s head
R1. ch 18, sc into 2 ch from hook, sc across (16), and 3 sc into last st
R2. Continue working into the other side of the ch and sc across (16 sts), 3 sc into the 17th st
R3. Continue on the other side and sc 17 sts around, 3 sc into the 18th sts
R4. sc around, sl st and leave a tail for joining
Pin the ears in place, then pin the headband over Appa’s forehead (covering the row where you did a color change from brown to white in the head). The ears need to be nicely tucked underneath the head band.
First stitch down the back of the headband and stop stitching approximately ½ cm from the edge of the head band. Then stitch the ears in place.
Then stitch the horns in place by tucking them underneath the back of flap the you left open when stitching the headband on. Once the horns and ears are in place, you can stitch down the 1cm flaps. Attach the head to the body (to the open end of the body).
Legs (brown + white, x 6)
Rnd 1. start in brown, mr 6 sc (6)
Rnd 2. 2 sc in ea st (12)
Rnd 3. sc around into bl only (12)
Rnd 4 – 10. change to white and sc around (12)
Only stuff halfway, sl st and bind off, leaving a tail. Use the yarn tail to stitch the top of the leg closed. Attach the legs (3 on either side) evenly along the side of the body.
Back detail
The arrow running down Appa’s back is made up of several parts, namely a triangle which sits on his head, a long strip for the main part of the arrow, a series of small side strips and the tail base.
Triangle (tan)
R1. ch 2, sk1 and 2 sc into ch (2)
R2. ch 1, turn, sc into next st, 2 sc into last st (3)
R3. ch 1, turn, sc into next 2 sts, 2 sc into last st (4)
R4. ch 1, turn, sc into next 3 sts, 2 sc into last st (5)
R5. ch 1, turn, sc into next 4 sts, 2 sc into last st (6)
R6. ch 1, turn, sc into next 5 sts, 2 sc into last st (7)
Bind off and leave a tail for joining. Carefully pin the triangle in place on the head, overlapping onto the headband (I placed mine 2 rows back from the edge of the head band.) Stitch in place.
Centre stripe (tan)
R1. ch 40, sc into 2 ch from hook, sc to end (39)
R2. ch 1, turn, sc to end
R3. ch 1, turn, sc to end
Bind off and leave a long tail for joining. Attach the stripe down the centre of the body.
Side stripes (body, tan, x 12)
There are 6 pairs of side stripes. 3 larger pairs that are sewn onto the body, 1 small pair that is sewn at the join of the tail and body, and 2 medium sized pairs that are sewn onto the tail.
Side stripes (body, x 6)
ch 8, sl st into 2nd ch from hook, sc into next 3 sts, hdc into next st, 2 dc into last st.
Sl st and bind off. Attach to body centre stripe, and in line with the legs.
Side stripes (tail join, x 2)
ch 3, sc into 2nd ch from hook, dc into last ch. Bind off. Sew into place.
Side stripes (tail, x 4)
ch 4, sl st into 2nd ch from hook, sc in next, dc in last st. Bind off. Sew into place.
Tail base (tan)
ch 8, sl st into 2nd ch from hook, sc in next, dc in next 3 sts, sc in next st, sl st into last st. Bind off and sew into place at the base of the back stripe.
Looking to crochet Appa a little friend? Here is my free crochet Momo pattern!
Yours in craft,
Caitie x
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Thank you so much for posting this pattern Caitie, my brother just asked for this Appa thing and you’re pattern is the only one i could find, thank you for sharing it!! And for stumbling upon it in the first place! You’re a life saver lol
Muy generosa por compartir. Estoy entrando a un mundo nuevo de amigurumis contigo, Caitie.
Muchas gracias!
I just found this pattern to make the crochet appa. I just finished crocheting for the body Rnd 7. I do not understand what to do for Rnd 8 to Rnd 16? If you could help me out with this and explain it so I could understand it better. Thanks.
Hi Julie. For those rounds you simply work a single crochet in each stitch, around. Hope that helps!
Hey I love this pattern!! I’m from the UK and we use different terminology but I’m not sure what the american equivalents of each are, would you be able to clarify which are which? We normally use double crochet, increase and decrease? Also any chance of you making a video for this at some point? Would love to see it 🙂
So glad you like the pattern! This pattern is written using US terminology, which is slightly different (and can be jolly confusing!). Here are the conversions for you:
US sc = UK dc
US dc = UK sc
US sc2tog = UK dc decrease
US 2sc = UK dc increase
I’m not going to be making a video any time soon, but if you sign up to the newsletter then you will be kept up to date if that changes! 🙂
Thank you so much for this wonderful free pattern! It came out perfect and was easy to follow. Cheers!!
Hello Caitie! I love your Appa plushie pattern! Do you remember which yarn you personally used to make it? I love the colours of it and am also worried that the yarn I am planning on using will be too thin despite it being labeled as a DK yarn.
Hi Sharon, so glad you like the pattern! I used a local yarn called Elle Pure Gold DK. It is similar to Caron cotton cakes, although the Pure Gold is acrylic. I’d say go with the yarn that gives you the best color combo and then adjust your hook size (go down a hook or two) to accommodate the thinner yarn. Hope that helps!
Hello,
This is a really awesome pattern, and I’d love to try it.
Could you just please let me know how much yarn you needed? (in yards/meters?)
Thank you!
Hi! Unfortunately I don’t have the exact yardage for this pattern, but I can tell you that I didn’t use a full skein. In fact, you should be safe using half a 100g skein (so 150 meters or so).
I love this pattern! Quick question, do we attach the tail to the open end of the body?
So happy to hear you like the pattern! The tail is attached the closed end of the body (the rounds that you worked first). Happy stitching!
Hi! Dumb question, but this is my first time crocheting something like this! Are we supposed to stuff the tail before attaching it to the body? And do we attach it to the open end of the body? Thank you!
No worries! I didn’t stuff the tail (in my patterns I tell people when to add stuffing) as I didn’t want it to be too puffy, but if you want it to puff a bit more then you can stuff it lightly.
Sera que me regalas el video porfa
I don’t have any videos at this time I’m afraid!
Muchas gracias por compartir, lo pondré en práctica, bendiciones