Project introduction
This article is a pattern overview, not a full row-by-row tutorial. The Easy Potato Axolotl is a pudgy amigurumi project designed by Craft Alotl and shared on Red Ted Art. For the complete written instructions and designer support, see the Original designer’s pattern and instructions.
The design is wonderfully versatile. A smaller hook makes a mini potato pet, while a larger hook creates a chunky doorstop, so the finished size simply follows your yarn and hook choice. The axolotl sits within a wider series of potato pets, which also includes a cat, pug, bunny, hamster, and dino.
Who is Craft Alotl?
Craft Alotl is the teenage daughter of the Red Ted Art author. She grew up crafting alongside her mum and first picked up crochet during lockdown, a silver lining that became a real passion. She now designs her own patterns and shares them with readers.
Her designer name comes from her love of all things axolotl, the much-loved amphibian from Mexico. You can follow her work on Instagram and Ravelry. This pattern is shared free with Red Ted Art readers, and an ad-free printable version is available for purchase.
The wider Potato Pets collection grows from one basic potato crochet pattern by Craft Alotl, with each animal adding its own features and small adjustments. That shared foundation makes the series friendly for beginners, since getting comfortable with the basic shape carries straight into the next pet.
Amigurumi Axolotl Crochet Pattern Key
The pattern uses American crochet terminology throughout, so a quick look at the key below helps before you start. Keep these abbreviations handy while you read the designer’s instructions, especially the mini bobble stitch, which gives the potato pet its little paws.
- SC: single crochet
- MC: magic circle
- Inc: increase
- Dec: decrease
- CH: chain
- MBS: mini bobble stitch
- Slip stitch
Axolotl Materials
The source says you can use any yarn for this project. For the large doorstop version, the designer used a super cozy chunky wool; for the mini potato pet, she used Ricorumi Cotton DK. Pink and cerise make great axolotl colors. Here is the full supply list from the source:
- 2mm crochet hook for the mini axolotl, or a 10mm hook for the large version.
- Safety eyes: 6mm for the mini axolotl, 10/12mm for the large one.
- 1 kg of rice in a bag if you are making a doorstop; a little rice at the bottom of the mini also makes a nice sensory toy.
- Stuffing, needed for both the doorstop and the plushie.
- A needle for sewing, plus a little black yarn thinned out for the axolotl’s mouth.
- Stitch markers: the source says you should be able to get away without using any.
Finished size depends on your yarn and hooks. The doorstop version measures 20cm/8inch tall in the designer’s sample, worked a little tighter than normal, while the mini potato pet is 7.5cm/3inch. Expect your own version to come out a little bigger.
How to make a bobble stitch, needed for the Potato Pet’s paws
This potato axolotl is an easy project worked mostly in basic stitches, with one fun exception. The arms and legs use the mini bobble stitch, so this is a great chance to add a new technique to your crochet skills. The source points to a quick “Make a Mini Bobble Stitch” video tutorial on autoplay that runs about 45 seconds.
Mini Bobble Stitch description
The mini bobble is built by working twice into the same stitch: yarn over, insert the hook, yarn over and pull through for three loops, then yarn over and pull through the first two. Repeat into the same stitch, yarn over and pull through two, then yarn over and pull through the remaining three loops. Continue with your single crochet stitches, and the little bobble will pop out like a tiny paw as your work grows.
Free Axolotl Crochet Pattern Overview
The head and body are crocheted as one continuous piece, starting at the top of the head. The eyes are placed between rows 10 and 11 with a gap of around 8 stitches between them, and the mouth is sewn as a straight line with a yarn needle. Mini bobble stitches form the little paws along the way.
The body is stuffed before the final shaping is closed and fastened off. The axolotl’s ferns, also called gills, are made as two separate pieces and sewn to either side of the head. Using finer amigurumi yarn and hooks, the same project becomes the small potato pet version instead of the chunky doorstop.
This is an overview to help you decide whether the project suits you, so follow the designer’s full pattern page linked above for the actual instructions. The pattern is copyrighted by Craft Alotl (2023) and shared for personal use only; the source notes it may not be sold, distributed, or published in any form.
