Finally!! I am back!! Well, kind of. I have been super busy this year trying to de-stash and de-clutter and get some home projects done, but I did finally get to this guy!!! I’ve only had the yarn saved for him for about 2 years now in a project bag 🙂 – I actually had him in the planning phase shortly after finishing Haybelly the Horse – because a unicorn is basically a magical horse with a horn <3
Meet Ulysses! Ulysses the Unicorn is my latest free blog pattern – or you can purchase the Printable PDF from my Etsy Shop or my Ravelry. No time? That is okay – save the pin below and come back soon.
Find the PDF for both Haybelly the Horse and Ulysses the Unicorn on my Ravelry HERE 
Or get all the PDFs together in my Etsy Shop
I updated my original horse pattern while working on this pattern and made a few wording changes to help with construction and placement.
So, don’t miss the original post with my horse pattern because it’s full of useful information and links to so many of my other Farm Animal crochet patterns.
This pattern is intended for personal use only. This pattern -and all my patterns- are offered for free or a small fee to help support my family so please do not redistribute, sell, copy or use them in any way not in accordance with fairness.
You may sell products made from this pattern, but please give me credit as the designer. Please do not use my photos as your own work, but you may use my photos to reference back to my blog, Etsy, Pinterest, IG or FB, but please link back to me.
If you find any problems with this pattern please let me know and if you have any problems with any of it feel free to message me and ask for support.
Kristi Bergin-Smith and The Burgundy Basket, 2021. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to me, Kristi Bergin-Smith and The Burgundy Basket with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Stitches Guide: *US Terms apply
Chain: Ch
Stitch: St
Single Crochet: SC
Inc Sc or Inc or 2sc: make two single crochet stitches in the same stitch as indicated
Half-double Crochet: hdc
Invisible Decrease: inv. dec. – this is an invisible single crochet decrease
Decrease: Dec or Sc2tog
Invisible Single Crochet 3 Together: inv3sctog
Double Crochet: DC
BLO: back loop only/ FLO: front loop only
PATTERN NOTE: THIS IS A MODIFICIATION TO MY HAYBELLY THE HORSE PATTERN. The stitch count and pattern are almost identical to my Horse pattern with only the addition of the horn. I have also made a few new notes along the way to help with the construction and placement.
This is a big stuffie – my example measures about 26” total length. My Horse pattern is about 30” in length, but I made the legs longer on the horse than on this guy. Note: if you use materials far different from what I have used, your end product will be different in size. I usually like to use Caron One Pound yarn or Red Heart Super Saver for my crochet toys, but this example does use Caron Cake yarn which does work up just a bit smaller for me than the above-mentioned yarns. Use different colors to make a “girl” unicorn and substitute yarn curls for the hair if you prefer.
Most of my free blog patterns don’t contain all my hints/tips or photographs like my paid patterns, but they do give the basics.
My Paid for patterns also contain a FREE Cheat Sheet that help you with the increases and decreases for the numbers in my chart.
I want to say thank you for all who stop by to support my patterns and my blog. I have chosen to NOT do ads on my blog and truly offer FREE patterns, but please – if you love my patterns and want to say a little thank you- or just have some good small business karma support points- a purchase now and then or a visit to any of my affiliate links really helps. It keeps this blog going so I can continue to offer free patterns for all to enjoy. I also purchase a pattern now and then or visit an affiliate link from my favorite blogs and designers. Thank you
This post does contain affiliate links. I will get a small percentage from any purchase made through my page here, but your price remains the same. I appreciate any purchase made through my page as I can continue to offer free patterns here on my blog.
Materials:
Yarns: The head and body were made using Caron Cake in Blueberry Shortcake. The “feet” “hands” and legs were made holding two strands of yarn together because I wanted to use a sparkly yarn, but it worked up as a very lightweight yarn. (*I Love This Yarn does tend to work up smaller than RHSS or Caron One Pound) I have held together I Love This Yarn in Aqua Sparkle with I Love This Yarn in Antique Teal for the “hands” and “feet” and replaced the teal with Red Heart Super Saver in Pale Plum for the legs and arms. I’ve used the Pale Plum for the nostrils and to embroider the mouth. The face strip is made with the teal yarn in my example. The horn was created using Caron One Pound in white and then surface crochet was used in the teal to create a spiral. The mane was made in Red Heart Gemstone in Sapphire.
This would be a super cute girl unicorn too with lots of pink!
-Hook: I used a G/4mm hook for this pattern except for the ears. I used my I/5mm hook for them. *only for this particular example – since I was using two strands for the “hands/arms” and “feet/legs” – I used my size H/4.5mm hook, but if you are single stranding your example, you will need to keep your smaller size G/4mm hook.
-These are the hooks I use exclusively now. They have helped end any hand pain that I had since they are easy to hold and more ergonomic.
I also have this set that is less expensive, but I needed the larger size hooks:
-Safety Eyes or buttons (or yarn to embroider if you choose) and needle to embroider face. My unicorn example uses 20mm safety eyes from SunCatcher in Color Burst Cotton Candy. I order direct from their website.
The eyes that I have used on Haybelly are no longer available from Amazon and I like the big size – the 18-24mm size on my big amigurumi – so, these are the ones that I am ordering now. They are a little higher, but have free shipping and are really fantastic!
-Stuffing. I have used Poly-Fill brand stuffing, but feel free to use what you prefer.
– I don’t use Stitch markers, but if you do you will want those to keep track of your rounds. As a “free” stitch marker you can loop a bright colored piece of scrap yarn through your stitch to act as a marker – then just pull it out when you get back around to it and move it up one row. Easy marker!
I mentioned earlier that the yarn for this project has been sitting in one of my project bags for about two years – and these are my project bags. I love them! Not only are they the perfect tote size, but being see through makes for great conversation starters or showing off your pieces.
This is what I store my hooks and supplies in:
And if you need everything for amigurumi or a fabulous gift, I have also ordered this as a gift before:
Alrighty! Now, let’s get to it!
Hints and Tips for Stuffies, Ragdolls, Amigurumi etc.
Spiral Crochet or Continuous Rounds:
I crochet in the “spiral” for this project and for most of my work. This prevents the joining seam that can occur with crochet. What that means is that you don’t join each round with a slip stitch and then chain 1, but rather keep on working the next stitch – the first one from the previous row. It may help to use a stitch marker to designate the beginning of the previous round. For example, if your round calls for 30 sc stitches, then sc 30 around, but instead of slip stitching to the first stitch and then chaining one, sc in the first stitch and keep on going for your next round.
TIP Counting:
I also tend to open the calculator on my phone and keep track of “rounds” and stitches by my calculator. For example: if I need to do 4 rounds of 36 stitches I will do “4×36=144” on my calculator and then subtract as I go. So, I might do 30 sc and stop (144-30) get up and do something and come back and so forth until I get done. This keeps me on track and keeps me from having to use and move stitch markers. I only advise this if you are good with counting and have no distractions.
Invisible Decrease:
Doing an invisible single crochet decrease is one of the best things I ever learned! There are many online tutorials on this so look up doing the invisible decrease single crochet online and you will not be sorry. Essentially, you will be doing your single crochet decrease in only the front loops of the crochets being decreased.
This is a simplified pattern – a chart with the numbers – you need to have knowledge of crochet amigurumi and how to do rounds and increases to read. If you do it will be pretty straight forward. I do include with all my advanced chart patterns a FREE cheat sheet that does all the math, so make sure to use that if you need help on the math. It automatically sends with each PDF purchase on my paid for patterns.
I start my work with a chain 2 and then sc in second chain from hook, but you can also start with a magic ring if you prefer that start.
Starting at the Nose:
| Row/Round | Stitch Count/Number |
| 1 | 6 |
| 2 | 12 |
| 3 | 18 |
| 4 | 24 |
| 5 | 30 * my mouth is embroidered between this round and the next – you can choose to do it in a few rows before you stuff or at the end if you prefer. |
| 6 | 36 |
| 7 | 42 |
| 8 | 48 |
| 9 | 54 |
| 10 | 60 |
| 11 | 66 |
| 12 | 72 *my nostrils are positioned between this round and round 18. They are a simple circle of 6, 12, 18 – leave a tail when you finish to sew on. I have about 12 stitches between them. |
| 13-17 | 72 |
| 18 | 66 |
| 19 | 60 |
| 20 | 54 |
| 21-22 | 54 |
| 23 | 48 |
| 24-26 | 48 |
| 27 | 42 |
| 28-31 | 42 |
| 32 | 36 |
| 33 | 36 *If you are NOT using a cake yarn like in my example, change color at last stitch here for head. In my horse pattern I changed color here between the nose and the head. |
Head
| Row/Round | Stitch Count/Number |
| 34 | 36 |
| 35 | 30 |
| 36 | 24 |
| 37 | 24 |
| 38 | 30 |
| 39 | 36 |
| 40 | 36 |
| 41 | 42 |
| 42 | 48 |
| 43 | 54 *my eyes went here between this round and the next about 5 holes from the nose piece. *I did do my nose strip first before placing them so that I knew where to position them. The pattern for the nose strip is at the end of this pattern. |
| 44-48 | 54 *I have eyebrows embroidered between rounds 44-47 *now we decrease and close. I use an invisible decrease |
| 49 | 48 *my ears are sewed between rounds 49-50 and the facepiece ends just between my ears. I start the mane on this round as well |
| 50 | 42 |
| 51 | 36 – Start stuffing and continue as needed. Make sure to stuff the head very well adding stuffing into the back before you sew closed. You want a nice firm head and body. |
| 52 | 30 |
| 53 | 24 |
| 54 | 18 |
| 55 | 12 |
| 56 | 12 – leave a length of tail to sew the opening closed and weave the end inside the head to hide. |
Ears (make 2): *I used my I/5mm hook for these.
| Row/Round | Stitch Count/Number |
| 1 | 5 *I just do my one increase at the beginning of the round. |
| 2 | 6 |
| 3 | 7 |
| 4 | 8 |
| 5 | 9 |
| 6 | 10 |
| 7 | 11 |
| 8 | 12 |
| 9 | 13 |
| 10 | 14 |
| 11-14 | 14 stitches in each round around *FO leaving long tail. Gather in half at the bottom and fold up to sew |
Body: I used the same color from the back of my head for the body – or at least the TOP of the body (the neck). I feel that you need to probably use the same color from back of head as you do the body to make your sewing blend in and be invisible. It will require good sewing for this head because it is large. You do not want to do all this work and then have visible sewing stitches or a floppy head. The body starts from the bottom up and we leave an opening at top for the neck. You want to pin your head in place and make sure to stuff the neck VERY well before final stitches to support the head. This large head needs lots of support. I can NOT stress enough how important it will be to have enough stuffing in the neck. You will need to sew the neck in as open of a position as you can widely around the bottom of the back of the head. *with using a Cake yarn for the head and body, I chose to cut the cake yarn at the top of the body and join in the color that matched the back of the head for the top of the body/neck to get the colors to match.
| Row/Round | Stitch Count/Number |
| 1 | 6 *this is the bottom of the body |
| 2 | 12 |
| 3 | 18 |
| 4 | 24 |
| 5 | 30 |
| 6 | 36 |
| 7 | 42 |
| 8 | 48 |
| 9 | 54 |
| 10 | 60 *the tail is a big tassel and I have placed it between this round and the next. |
| 11 | 66 |
| 12-21 (10 rows) | 66 decrease starts now |
| 22 | 60 |
| 23-24 | 60 |
| 25 | 54 |
| 26-27 | 54 |
| 28 | 48 |
| 29-30 | 48 |
| 31 | 42 |
| 32-33 | 42 |
| 34 | 36 |
| 35-44 (10 rows) | 36 |
| 45 | 30 |
| 46 | 30 |
| 47 | 24 |
| 48-49 | 24 |
| 50 | 18 |
| 51-53 | 18 *leave super long tail to sew on the head. |
Feet/Legs (make two):
| Row/Round | Stitch Count/Number |
| 1 | 6 |
| 2 | 12 |
| 3 | 18 |
| 4 | 24 |
| 5 | 30 |
| 6 | 36 |
| 7-14 | 36 – stuff as needed and continue. I only stuffed the “feet” and very bottom of the leg and left the top of the legs unstuffed. |
| 15 | 30 |
| 16 | 24 |
| 17 | 18 *if you are using different colors for the “feet” and “legs” change color here to the leg color |
| 18 | 18 |
| 19 | 12 |
| 20-49
*this is the original Horse count since it was a single strand, but for the unicorn example, I only did 20-34 (15rows) – you can also make them longer if you prefer. |
12 *FO leave long tail to sew. In my example, I have sewed the legs in the open position between rounds 5-10. Weave the end through the body to hide. |
Arms (make two):
| Row/Round | Stitch Count/Number |
| 1 | 6 |
| 2 | 12 |
| 3 | 18 |
| 4 | 24 |
| 5 | 30 |
| 6-11 | 30 – stuff as needed and continue. I only stuffed the “hands” and very bottom of the arm and left the top of the arms unstuffed. |
| 12 | 24 |
| 13 | 18 *if changing color change here |
| 14 | 18 |
| 15 | 12 |
| 16-45
*this is the original Horse count since it was a single strand, but for the unicorn example, I only did 16-30 (15rows) – you can also make them longer if you prefer. |
12 **FO leave long tail to sew. In my example, I have sewed the arms in the closed/flat position around round 45 of the body. Use the tail to first sew the opening closed flat and then sew to the body. Weave the end through the body to hide. |
Nose strip between eyes: This piece is worked in ROWS and you will Ch 1 and turn at the end of each row.
| Row/Round | Stitch Count/Number |
| 1 | Chain 13; then sc across for 12 |
| 2 | Dec, sc 8, Dec (10) |
| 3 | sc 10 |
| 4 | Dec, sc 6, Dec (8) |
| 5 | Sc 8 |
| 6 | Dec, sc 4, dec (6) |
| 7-9 | Sc 6 |
| 10 | Dec, sc 2, dec (4) |
| 11-12 | sc 4 |
| 13 | Dec, dec (2) |
| 14 | Sc 2 |
| 15 | Dec (1) *FO but leave a tail to sew onto the head. |
The horn is a simple cone. The horn in my example is large – about 6” long – but if you want to make yours a bit smaller, simple stop increasing a few increases early and/or do few rows. For example: stop increasing when you reach 16 stitches around and then work 8 rows straight. This is completely up to you. I wanted to give the math to be able to make a large horn to accommodate Caron One Pound type yarns that work up larger. If you are using a yarn like I Love This Yarn that works up smaller, this count may be too large for your example. For this reason, I suggest making the horn last and fitting it to your example.
*note on the surface crochet technique to make the blue swirl that goes around – I found it helpful to work the surface crochet a bit at a time as I added length to my horn and worked them together – so, I worked a few rows of the horn and then picked up my blue yarn to add some surface crochet as I went.
Chain 2 and put 4sc in the 2nd chain from the hook.
Round 2: 2sc, sc* around (6)
Round 3: sc around (6)
Round 4: 2sc, sc* around (9)
Rounds 5-6: sc around (9)(9)
Round 7: 2sc, sc, sc *around (12)
Round 8: sc around (12)
Round 9: 2sc, sc, sc, sc * around (15)
Round 10: sc around (15)
Round 11: 2sc, sc 14 (16)
Round 12: sc around (16)
Round 13: 2sc, sc 15 (17)
Round 14: sc around (17)
Round 15: 2sc, sc 16 (18)
Round 16+: sc around (18)
Finish off with a length of tail to sew it to the top of the head. Sew over the top of the nose piece between the ears and then add hair/curls.
Repeat round 16 to the length you want. I did 10 rounds after round 15.
The blue swirl is surface crochet. This isn’t hard to do, but if you have never done it before you will want to find a nice YouTube video or online tutorial for this. Just work around in a spiral with surface crochet and hide your ends inside.
And that is it! Yes, he’s big, but how fabulous is he!! Here he is chilling in my office.
Still no time? Here is another pin you can save and come back later.
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