*Free* Crochet Pattern Mama Kangeroo and Joey

This poor mama kangaroo is not getting much sleep these days with her squirmy little joey! This is how I feel as I start my 7th month of pregnancy with my surrogate baby boy. He kicks me all day and night! But, just as mama kangaroo hasn’t lost that loving twinkle in her eye, I too feel it is all worthwhile. Every sacrifice for my own children, and for this IVF miracle growing inside me, brings rewards that cannot be measured.

A few months ago, a surrogate sister asked me to make her a kangaroo and joey to represent herself as a surrogate and her Intended Parents from Australia. I wrote down the pattern as I made it, but left out major chunks! So, when I went back to type it out, I realized, I was going to have to recreate the whole project to ensure the pattern’s accuracy!

I am happy I did though because I was able to add some more personality to this sleep deprived mama!

Ready to make your own?

Skill level: intermediate

Techniques:

Mostly single crochet stitches worked in rounds and rows. You also need to know how to switch colours and work with jacquard or tapestry crochet.

Resources:

Heart Pattern from the book ‘201 crochet motifs, blocks, projects and ideas’ by Melody Griffiths, which you can purchase from Amazon.ca. Or, find a heart pattern online – (instructions on gauge and alternative options are in the pattern)

Materials:

Crochet Hook size 3.5

Yarn needle

Medium worsted weight yarn in:

• brown (1 skein)
• off-white (l skein)
• light brown
• black
• white
• grey
• purple

Fiber Fill stuffing

Needle and thread

1 pipe cleaner – optional to create a pacifier – consider safety if you are gifting this to a child under 3

Abbreviations

Rd – round

hk – hook

sl st- slip stitch

sc – single crochet

dc – double crochet

ch – chain

ea – each

st – stitch

Mama Kangaroo: in brown

Starting with the head and continuing through the body, work in rounds:

Rd 1: ch 2, 8 sc in 2nd ch from hk (8)

Rd 2: 2sc around (16)

Rd 3: (2sc, sc) around (24)

Rd 4: (2sc, sc in 2) around (32)

Rd 5: (2sc, sc in 3) around (40)

Rd 6-15: sc around (40)

Rd 16: (sc2tog, sc in 3) around (32)

Rd 17-18: sc around (32)

Rd 19: (sc2tog, sc in 2) around (24)

Rd 20: sc around (24)

— note – you may wish to stop here and add the facial details or continue through to make the body and add them on later!

Rd 21: (sc2tog, sc) around (16)

Rd 22: sc around (16)

Rd 23: (2sc, sc) around (24)

–note- you will be switching colours here between brown and off-white to create the stomach – I used jacquard crochet, but tapestry is also fine!

Rd 24-30: brown: sc in 8; off-white: sc in 8; brown: sc in 8 (24)

Rd 31: (2sc, sc in 2) around— complete using brown for 10 st; off-white for 12; brown for 10 (32)

Rd 32-35: brown: sc 10; off-white: sc 12; brown sc 10 (32)

Rd 36: (sc2tog, sc in 2) around — complete using brown for 8st; off-white for 8; brown for 8 (24). Fasten off the off-white

Rd 37: (sc2tog, sc) around (16)

Rd 38: sc around (16)

Stuff firmly

Rd 39: sc2tog around (8)

Rd 40: sc around (8)

Add more stuffing if needed

Rd 41: sc2tog around (4), sl st, fasten off and sew closed

Snout in off-white

Rd 1: ch 2, 8 sc in 2nd ch from hk (8)

Rd 2: 2sc around (16)

Rd 3: (2sc, sc) around (24)

Rd 4-10: sc around (24)

sl st and fasten off. Embroider nostrils and mouth in black. Stuff and sew onto face.

Eyes and lashes:

Embroider in black eyes as shown in the picture

Eye twinkle in white:

Embroider as shown

Eyebrows in off-white:

Embroider as shown

Ears: (make 2) start in brown

Rd 1: Ch 8, sc in 2nd ch from hk, sc in 5, 6sc in last st, sc in 5 foundation st, 3 sc in last st (20)

Rd 2: sc in 7, 2c in 4 st, sc in 7, 2sc in last 2 st (26)

Rd 3: sc around (26)

Rd 4: attach off-white (leave a tail of brown yarn to sew the ear onto the head): sc 12, (ear ruffles) ch 3, sc in same st, sc, ch 3, sc in same st, sc, ch 3, sc in same st, sc in 12.

sl st and fasten off.

Arm: (make 2) start in brown

Rd 1: ch 2, 6 sc in 2nd ch from hk (6)

Rd 2: 2sc around (12)

Rd 3-5: dc in 3, sc in 9 (12)

Rd 6-8: sc around (12)

Rd 9: (sc in 2, sc2tog) around (9)

Rd 10: sc around (9)

(Hands)

Rd 11: (sc in 2, 2sc) around (12)

Rd 12-13: Switch to off-white, sc around (12)

Stuff now

(Fingers)

–note: You will now fold the hold closed and switch to working in rows:

Row 1: ch 1, fold hand closed, sc across through both thicknesses (6)

Row 2: turn (ch 2, dc, sl st)- repeat 3 times. Fasten off.

Sew arms to the body using brown

Leg: (make 2) in brown

Rd 1: ch 2, 6sc in 2nd ch from hk (6)

Rd 2: 2sc around (12)

Rd 3: (2sc, sc) around (18)

Rd 4: (2sc, sc in 2) around (24)

Rd 5-12: sc around (24)

Rd 13: (sc2tog, sc in 2) (18)

Rd 14: (sc2tog, sc) (12), sl st and fasten off

Stuff firmly.

Make your foot. When done, your foot will sew to the open end of the leg

Foot: (make 2) in off-white

Row 1: ch 12, sc in 2nd ch from hk and in ea ch down (11)

Row 2-16: ch 1, turn, sc across (11)

Fold in half, stuff lightly and sew closed and to bottom of the leg (leave the top open for toes)

Make the toes and sew three on each foot.

Toes in off-white:

Middle Toe: (make 2) (1 per foot)

Rd 1: ch 2, 8 sc in 2nd ch from hk (8)

Rd 2: sc around (8), sl s and fasten off

End Toes (make 4) (2 per foot)

Rd 1: ch 2, 6 sc in 2nd ch from hk (6)

Rd 2: sc around (6), sl st and fasten off

Assemble your foot as previously instructed and sew your legs onto the body.

How she looks before the pouch:

Pouch: in light brown

Make a heart shape:

I used the heart pattern by Melody Griffiths from her book ‘201 crochet motifs, blocks, projects and ideas’. (See resources above for a link).

You may use a heart pattern you find online instead. Just try to gauge your heart to fit just a bit wider than mama kangeroo’s stomach.

When you are done your heart, switch to brown and sc in back loops only around and then in both loops for a second rd. sl st, fasten off and sew to her stomach and legs, ensuring the top is open for her joey.

Alternatively, you could crochet an oval or square (again, the fit should be just a bit wider than the stomach and then add two sc rows of brown).

The heart is a subtle shape here so it isn’t necessary, but I like the sentiment.

After pouch pic:

Tail: start in off-white

Rd 1: ch 2, 6sc in 2nd ch from hk (6)

Rd 2: (2sc, sc) around (9)

Rd 3-7: sc around (9)

Rd 8: fasten off the off-white and change to brown: (2sc, sc) around (12)

Rd 9-13: sc around (12)

sl st, fasten off, stuff and sew into place

Sleeping eye mask: in purple

This is made by creating two circles, sl stitching them together, and crocheting around the edges

Rd 1: ch 2, 8 sc in 2nd ch from hk (8)

Rd 2: 2sc around (16)

Rd 3: (2sc, sc) around (24). Sl st and fasten off.

Make your second circle by repeating rds 1-3 but do not fasten off.

Attach your eyepieces together by holding them side by side and sl st in 5 st of both eyes together

Rd 4: in back loops only sc around (40) sl st and fasten off.

Mask Strap:

Sl st black to one side, ch 36, sl st into the second side.

Eyes

Embroider closed eyes and lashes with black on each eye circle as shown in the picture

Sew the back of the mask strap to the back of kangaroo’s head, ensuring the mask can be raised and lowered on her face.

There! Mama is done!!

Joey: in grey

Rd 1: ch 2, 6 sc in 2nd ch from hk (6)

Rd 2: 2sc around (12)

Rd 3: (2sc, sc) around (18)

Rd 4-8: sc around (18)

Rd 9: (sc2tog, sc) around (12)

Rd 10-12: sc around (12)

–note, you may stop here to add on the facial features or continue on to finish the body first

Rd 13: (2sc, sc) around (18)

Rd 14: 2sc, sc in 8, 2sc, sc in 8 (20)

note, you will be switching colours using jacquard or tapestry crochet in next rounds

Rd 15-19: in grey: sc 5; off-white: sc 5; grey: sc 10 (20)

Detach off-white at end of rd 19

Rd 20: sctog around (10)

Stuff firmly

Rd 21: sc2tog around (5)

sl st, fasten off and sew closed

Snout: in off-white

Rd 1: ch 2, 6 sc in 2nd ch from hk (6)

Rd 2: (2sc, sc) around (9)

Rd 3-6: sc around (9), sl st and fasten off. Embroider nostrils in black.

Pacifier: (optional) – otherwise embroider a mouth in black

Shape a pipe cleaner into a pacifier (circle and handle) and trim.

Sew the pacifier onto the snout below the nostrils using a needle and thread

Stuff and sew the snout to Joey’s face

Eyes

embroider in black as shown with white yarn for the eye twinkles

Eyebrow

Use off-white as shown

Ear: (make 2) start in grey

Rd 1: ch 5, sc in 2nd ch from hk, sc in 2, 3sc in last st, working on opposite side of ch, sc in 2, 2 sc in last st (10)

Rd 2: sc in 4, 3sc, sc in 5 (12)

Rd 3: attach off-white, leaving a long tail of grey for sewing; sc around (12) sl st and fasten off

Sew to head using grey

Arm: (make 2) in grey

Rd 1: ch 2, 5 sc in 2nd ch from hk (5)

Rd 3-8: sc around (5)

St sl and fasten off. Do not stuff.

Use off-white to embroider fingers.

Sew arms onto the body

Legs: (make 2) in grey

Rd 1: ch 2, 8 sc in 2nd ch from hk (8)

Rd 2-3: sc around (8)

sl st and fasten off. stuff.

Make feet and sew to open side of legs. Sew legs to the body

Foot: (make 2) in off-white

Row 1: ch 6, sc in 2nd ch from hk and in each st across (5)

Row 2-6: ch 1, turn, sc across (5)

Sl st, fasten off, sew closed without stuffing. Embroider toes in grey. Sew to open end of legs.

Tail: in off-white

Row 1: ch 4, sc in 2nd ch from hk, sc in next 2 st, ch 1, turn (3)

Row 2-3: sc across, ch 1 turn (3)

sl st, fasten off. Roll and sew closed and sew to body

Tada!!! All done!

Now, you can enjoy your sleepless mama kangaroo and her little joey or gift them to a special friend!

If you use my pattern, please credit Crochetstein! Like and share my page! Also, follow me @crochetstein on FB and Instagram! 😀 thank you