Free Crochet Pattern: Orion the Polar Bear

Orion’s pattern makes an amigurumi bear about 8” tall and 3” wide when using the recommended yarn and hook size. Orion is crocheted continuously in the round unless specified otherwise.

Skill Level

Intermediate

Materials Needed

• Crochet hook: C/2.75mm
• DK or light worsted (3) weight yarn in five colors: I used Bernat Softee Cotton in Clear White and Golden, and Bernat Softee Baby Cotton in Aqua Mist, Dusk Sky and Feather Gray.
• Black embroidery floss to embroider the mouth, eyebrow and claw details
• Tapestry needle to weave in ends and embroider
• Polyfill stuffing
• 8mm safety eyes
• Stitch markers to mark the beginning/end of each round if desired

Skills Needed

• single crochet stitch
• foundation single crochet stitch
• slip stitch
• magic circle
• working continuously in the round
• increases
• invisible decreases
• color changes
• embroidery back stitch
• chaining
• joining open amigurumi pieces

Abbreviations Used

* * Repeat instructions within the asterisks as directed

inc(s) Increase(s) – 2 single crochets in 1 stitch

BLO Back loop only

ch Chain

MC Magic circle

dec(s) Invisible decrease(s)

sc(s) Single crochet stitch

fsc(s) Foundation single crochet stitch

Gauge

Use a small enough hook so that stitches are tight and stuffing does not show through. I typically use a C/2.75mm hook with DK or light worsted weight yarn.

Snout

Make in Feather Gray

Rnd 1. 6 sc in MC (6)

Rnd 2. 6 inc (12)

Rnd 3. 3 sc, inc, 3 sc, inc, 4 sc (14)

Rnd 4. Sc in each stitch around (14)

Rnd 5. 4 sc, inc, 4 sc, inc, 4 sc (16)

Rnd 6. Sc in each stitch around (16)

Rnd 7. *3 sc, inc* repeat 4 times total (20)

Rnd 8. Sc in each stitch around (20)

Fasten off – leave 18” tail to sew it onto the head. Embroider a nose, mouth and eyebrows with black embroidery floss.

Cheeks – Make 2

Make in Aqua Mist

Rnd 1. 5 sc in MC (5)

Slip stitch to the first stitch, cut yarn

and pull it through the final stitch to

finish off.

Head and Body

Make in Clear White

Rnd 1. 6 sc in MC (6)

Rnd 2. 6 inc (12)

Rnd 3. *1 sc, inc* 6 times (18)

Rnd 4. 1 sc, inc, *2 sc, inc* 5 times, sc in last stitch (24)

Rnd 5. *3 sc, inc* 6 times (30)

Rnd 6. 2 sc, inc, *4 sc, inc* 5 times, 2 sc (36)

Rnd 7. *5 sc, inc* 6 times (42)

Rnds 8-13. Sc in each stitch around for 6 rounds total (42)

Rnd 14. 3 sc, inc, *6 sc, inc* 5 times, 3 sc (48)

Rnds 15-22. Sc in each stitch around for 8 rounds total (48)

Stuff the snout and sew it on the center front of the head over rounds 14-21 – The marker should be at the back of the project. Attach the safety eyes between rounds 13 and 14, about 2-3 stitches away from the snout. Sew on the cheeks between rows 15-17 about three stitches away from each side of the snout. Stuff the head.

Rnds 23-35. Sc in each stitch around for 13 rounds (48). The stitch marker should be in the back middle of the bear. Add stitches or pull some out to get there.

These next increases should be at the FRONT MIDDLE of the bear. Same for the decreases in Rnd 42.

Rnd 36. 15 sc, *inc, sc* 9 times, 15 sc (57)

Rnds 37-41. Sc around for 5 rounds (57)

Rnd 42. 15 sc, *dec, sc* 9 times, 15 sc (48)

Now you’ll divide the work and separate the legs. Mark the middle 4 stitches in the front and the back. You should have 20 stitches on each side. Rnd 42 should end in the BACK of the bear at the stitch before the middle marker. You may need to remove some of your stitches to get there. You will start the first leg by making an sc in the stitch across from where you currently are, next to the stitch marker on the front of the bear. This is the first stitch of Rnd 43.

Left Leg

Rnds 43-53. Sc in each stitch around for 11 rounds total (20)

Rnd 54. *4 sc, inc* 4 times (24)

Rnd 55-56. Sc around for 2 rounds (24)

Change to Feather Gray and cut White

Rnd 57. In BLO, *2 sc, dec* 6 times (18)

Stuff the leg and the body and continue stuffing the leg through the next two rounds. (Fig. E-6)

Rnd 58. *sc, dec* 6 times (12)

Rnd 59. 6 dec (6)

Fasten off and weave your yarn needle through each loop of Rnd 59, pulling tight to close the hole. Weave in the end through the leg.

Right Leg

Attach yarn in White in the stitch to the left of your back middle stitches, leaving a 12” tail to eventually sew the opening closed. Ch 1.

Rnd 43. Starting in the same stitch where you attached the yarn, sc in each stitch around until you reach the marker. (20)

Rnd 44. Begin this round by making an sc in the stitch across from where you currently are, the first stitch of Rnd 43, connecting the leg. Continue around with an sc in each stitch. (20)

Rnds 45-53. Sc in each stitch around for 9 rounds total (20)

Rnd 54. *4 sc, inc* 4 times (24)

Rnd 55-56. Sc around for 2 rounds (24)

Change to Feather Gray and cut White

Rnd 57. In BLO, *2 sc, dec* 6 times (18)

Stuff the leg and continue stuffing through the next two rounds.

Rnd 58. *sc, dec* 6 times (12)

Rnd 59. 6 dec (6)

Fasten off and weave your yarn needle through each loop of Rnd 59, pulling tight to close the hole (see below left). Sew the opening between the legs closed using the 12” tail from where you attached the yarn for the second leg.

Embroider three vertical lines in black embroidery thread on each leg (see below right). I made mine across rows 56-57.

Arms – Make 2

Start in Feather Gray

Rnd 1. 5 sc in MC (5)

Rnd 2. 5 inc (10)

Rnd 3. *sc, inc* 5 times (15)

Rnd 4. *2 sc, inc* 5 times (20)

Change to White, cut Gray

Rnd 5. In BLO, sc in each stitch around (20)

Rnd 6. *2 sc, dec* 5 times (15)

Rnds 7-15. Sc in each stitch around for 9 rounds total (15)

Rnd 16. *3 sc, dec* 3 times (12)

Stuff the arm.

Rnds 17-20. Sc in each stitch around for 4 rounds total (12)

Stuff the rest of the arm lightly and sew on over rows 22-23. Embroider three vertical lines to make claws in black embroidery thread (see right).
I embroidered mine across rows 3-4.

Ears

Make in Clear White

Rnd 1. 6 sc in MC (6)

Rnd 2. 6 inc (12)

Rnd 3. *sc, inc* 6 times (18)

Rnds 4-6. 8 sc in White, 3 sc in Aqua Mist, 7 sc in White (18)

Fasten off. The ears do not need to be stuffed. Cup the ears into a curved shape and sew them onto the head over rounds 5-11.

Tail

Make in Clear White

Rnd 1. 6 sc in MC (6)

Rnd 2. *sc, inc* 6 times (9)

Rnd 3. Sc in each stitch around (9)

Rnd 4. *sc, dec* 6 times (6)

Fasten off. The tail does not have to be stuffed. Flatten and sew between rounds 33 and 34 in the back center.

Scarf

Start in Golden, work in rows

Row 1. 114 foundation sc (114). Ch 1 and turn.

(Or you can ch 115 and sc back across the chain to end with 114 sc and then continue).

Row 2. Sc in first stitch. *Ch 1, sk st, sc 1* repeat to the end of the row (114). Ch 1 and turn. Sk first stitch. Sc in first ch-1 space, *sk st, sc in next ch-1 space*. Repeat until the end of the row and make your last sc in the turning ch-1 (114). Change to white. Ch 1 and turn.

Row 3. Repeat row 2 (114). At the end of the row, change to yellow.

Ch 1 and turn.

Row 4. Repeat row 3 (114). Continue in yellow.

Row 5. Repeat row 4 (114).

Fasten off. Sew the ends of the scarf together and loop over Orion’s head.

Backpack

Start in Feather Gray

Ch 13. You’ll be working on both sides of the chain.

Rnd 1. Starting in the second chain from hook: inc, 10 sc, 4 sc in next stitch. Continuing on the other side of the chain: 10 sc, 2 sc in the last stitch. (28)

Rnd 2. Inc, 12 sc, 2 inc, 12 sc, inc (32)

Rnd 3. Sc, inc, 13 sc, inc, sc, inc, 13 sc, inc (36)

Rnd 4. In BLO, sc in each stitch around (36)

Rnds 5-15. Sc in each stitch around for 11 rounds total (36)

Change to Dusk Sky. Work in rows to make the top flap of the backpack.

Row 1. Ch 1 and turn. You should be working across the back of your backpack. Add or remove a stitch from round 15 if this flap doesn’t line up properly with the back. Make 15 sc. (15)

Rows 2-11. Ch 1 and turn. 15 sc. (15) (See above right photo)

Fasten off and weave in the tail.

Flip the backpack upside down and attach Dusk Sky yarn to the last front loop of round 4. (See bottom left photo). Sc in each stitch around. This gives the bottom of the backpack a nice contrasting border. (See bottom right photo).

Stuff the backpack about halfway full if you want to give it some shape or leave it empty.

Back backpack straps – Make 2

Make in Feather Gray

Ch 24. Starting in the third loop from hook, hdc in each stitch back across the chain. (22)

Fasten off and leave a 12” tail. Sew the ends of the straps on the back of the backpack on rows 6 and 15. There should be about six stitches between the straps.

Front backpack straps – Make 2

Make in Feather Gray

Ch 9. Starting in the third loop from hook, hdc in each stitch back across the chain. (7)

Fasten off and leave a 12” tail (see below left photo). Sew the straps on the front of the backpack. Sew the tops of the straps to row 15 of the backpack flap. Continue sewing the strap onto the front of the flap and onto the front of the backpack, sewing the end of the straps over row 7 of the backpack.

Embroider a buckle with Golden yarn by sewing vertical and horizontal lines to make a square, and a small vertical line in the middle of the square. (See below right photo).

Pin For Later!

Thank you!

Thank you for supporting independent crochet designers! Browse all my patterns or check out Gus the Bat and Everett the Bear for starters. And again, if website patterns aren’t your jam, find the ad-free PDF version in my Etsy and Ravelry shops. The PDF includes many more pictures to guide you in the process of crocheting Orion.