A few days ago, I broke my series of food and fruit crochet appliques and made this crochet Whale Applique instead!
There are many reasons why to crochet a whale during these quarantine days:
- Whales are solitary animals that don’t like hanging out in big groups.
- Whales communicate with each other from a long distance.
- And they also socialize at a distance!
So, while the isolation keeps us far apart, let’s all learn from them, and why not? Let’s crochet a cute, little whale.
Find more crochet appliques here on the blog…
Add this pattern to your Ravelry queue HERE and favorite it (thank you!). Or save it for later by pinning it to your favorite crochet board on Pinterest using this pin!
Note: This post contains affiliate links. This means that if you purchase something through the links on my blog, I might earn a commission. This will not have any effect on the price you pay. For more info, please, see my Privacy Policy.
Ad-free Printable Pattern
The pattern of the Whale Appliques is available as a printable PDF pattern from my Ravelry, LoveCrafts, and Etsy shops!
Materials
- Yarn of Choice
- Appropriate Hook Size
- Small Amount of Black Embroidery Thread (for the eyes and mouth)
- Small Amount of Light Blue Yarn or Embroidery Thread (for the water splash)
- Embroidery Needle
- Tapestry Needle
What Yarn Will You Need?
I used a 2.5-mm crochet hook Sport weight cotton Schachenmayr Catania in the following colors:
- A – Royal Blue (201) or other color of choice
- B – Natur (White) (105)
Crochet Abbreviations (US Terms)
Ch – Chain
Dc – Double Crochet
Hdc – Half Double Crochet
Inc – Increase
MC – Magic Circle
Sc – Single Crochet
Sl st – Slip Stitch
St – Stitch
Yo – Yarn over
Special Stitches
Increase (Inc)
One increase consists of 2 sts worked in the same indicated st.
Invisible Join
Find a step-by-step tutorial on how to make an invisible join HERE.
Magic Circle (MC)
Learn how to make a magic circle or adjustable ring HERE.
Pattern Notes
- If the pattern says “sc 2”, it means that you have to crochet 1 sc in each of the next two sts.
- […] – Crochet the instructions within square brackets all into the same indicated st.
Size
When crocheted with sport weight yarn and a 2.5-mm (C/2 US, 12 UK) crochet hook, you can expect the following dimensions:
- Big Whale – 2.5” (6 cm) by 1.5” (3.8 cm).
- Little Whale – 2” (5 cm) by 1” (2.5 cm).
Gauge
This pattern is too small to accurately determine the gauge.
Big Whale Applique – Free Crochet Pattern
With A, make a MC (or ch 3).
Round 1. Dc 12 in MC (or in first-made ch). Sl st into first st to join the round. (12 sts) (photo 1)
Round 2. Ch 2 (does not count as a st), dc inc 8, dc 1, ch 10 (photos 2-3).
Working on the ch-10, sc 1 in the second ch from hook, hdc 1, dc 1, hdc 1, sc 1, sl st 1.
Ch 6 (photo 4), sc 1 in the second ch from hook, hdc 1, dc 1, hdc 1, sc 1, sl st into same st as last sl st. Sc inc 1, [hdc 1, dc 1], hdc 1, hdc inc 1 on the upper half of the dc post (pink arrow in photo 5), hdc 1 in the bottom loop of the dc post (grey arrow in photo 5), hdc 1 in last st of round 1 where there is a dc from round 2, [sc 1, sl st 1] in next st of round 1.
Cut the yarn leaving a tail of approximately 10” (25 cm) and slide the yarn through the last st (photo 7).
Join B in the dc of last [hdc, dc] inc (photos 8-9).
Round 3. Sl st 2, sc 2, sc inc 1, hdc 1 in last sc in color A, dc 1 in next sl st (photo 10).
Start carrying the tail of yarn A inside your sts as for tapestry crochet.
Dc inc 1, [dc 3] in next st and switch to color A with the last yo of last dc (photo 11).
Make an invisible join into the first st of round 2.
Fasten off and weave in all your ends.
Crochet Little Whale – Free Pattern
With A, make a MC (or ch 3).
Round 1. Dc 12 in MC (or in first-made ch). Sl st into first st to join the round. (12 sts)
Round 2. Ch 1, sc inc 8, ch 8.
Working on the ch-8, sc 1 in the second ch from hook, dc 1, hdc 1, sl st 1.
Ch 4, sc 1 in the second ch from hook, dc 1, hdc 1, sl st into the same st as last sl st.
Sc inc 2, hdc 1, dc 1 in last st of round 1 where there were 2 sc sts, hdc 1 in next st, sc inc 3.
Join the round with an invisible join.
Fasten off and weave in all your ends.
Finishing
With a length of light blue yarn, tie a little knot on top of the whales to make the water splash.
Then, with embroidery thread and needle, embroider the mouth and the eye.
Fasten off and weave in all your ends.
Your Crochet Whale Applique is ready!
I hope you enjoyed crocheting this crochet pattern. Please, do not hesitate to contact me if you need any help or support. I am looking forward to seeing all your beautiful makes on Facebook and Instagram!
Find more crochet appliques and embellishments!
weird question, I’d like to make this but big enough to hang on the wall as wall decor… do I just add stitches to the circle until it’s as big as I need it? I’m a beginner so I’m not sure if that’s how it’s supposed to go?
Hi,
For many patterns that might be the way to go. However, for the whale applique, you will have to adjust the pattern almost entirely because the white belly is not worked in the round.
One easier way to get a much bigger whale would be to use super chunky yarn, like T-shirt yarn or something similar. Some yarn that you can work with an 8-mm hook or higher. But I haven’t tried that for the whale applique so I’m not sure how big the whale would turn out…
Thanks for the pictures. They helped a ton! I made my whale with worsted weight yarn and a size G hook. It turned out super cute and didn’t take long at all.
Oh, that’s awesome, I am happy you could crochet it easily! I’d totally love to see your whale! Feel free to send a pic via e-mail or via socials 🙂
I’m new to crocheting and was wondering if there is a video for the whale? There are a few parts I’m stuck on.
Hi,
I’m so sorry but I don’t have a video on how to crochet the whale. I’ll try and make one as soon as possible. But in the meantime, feel free to send me a pic of your work via e-mail and I’ll be happy to help 🙂
Best,
Raffaella