About This Pattern
This little rat starts with one head, worked soft and unstuffed at the top. From there, the neck grows long, round after round, until it can bend and pose. It sits well in a quiet evening, one part at a time. It needs plush yarn, a small hook, and patience for the long neck rounds. Nothing about it is rushed. By the end, you have a small creature with real personality, sitting wherever you put it.
In the basket
Yarn
Hook
Safety eyes
Abbreviations
- ch
- Chain
- dc
- Double Crochet
- dec
- Decrease (invisible decrease)
- inc
- Increase (2 sc in same stitch)
- MR
- Magic Ring
- sc
- Single Crochet
- sl st
- Slip Stitch
Baby rat amigurumi pattern with a bendable long neck
Head (make 1 per rat — used for both versions)
Work in Soft Pink.
- Round 16 sc in MR. (6)
- Round 2dec, sc repeat around, then switch to main color. (4) If you’d like pink ears later, leave the pink yarn attached instead of cutting it.
- Round 31 sc, inc repeat 2 times. (6)
- Round 41 sc, inc repeat 3 times. (9)
- Round 5sc in each st around. (9)
- Round 62 sc, inc repeat 3 times. (12)
- Round 75 sc, switch to White, work 2 bobble stitches (3 dc worked together with one shared top and base), fasten off and cut the white yarn, continue in main color with 5 sc. (12)
- Round 8sc in each st around. (12)
- Round 94 sc, then work the first ear: switch to Soft Pink if desired, ch 3, work 4 dc in the 3rd chain from hook, ch 2, then slip stitch into that same 3rd chain space. Switch back to main color if needed. Continue with 5 sc across the head, then work the second ear the same way — switch to Soft Pink if desired, ch 3, work 4 dc in the 3rd chain from hook, ch 2, slip stitch into the same space, switch back to main color (fasten off and cut the pink yarn if used). Continue with 2 sc across the head, then ch 3 and skip the next 3 stitches on the head to create the neck opening. Stuff the head firmly before closing. This is a good point to attach the safety eyes, positioning them on either side of the white bobble-stitch patch.
- Round 10dec 6 times, beginning right where the neck opening was created. Fasten off and close the opening. You can add more stuffing through the neck opening later if the head feels too soft.
Neck & Body — Long-Neck Rat
Join main-color yarn in the neck opening left above and work 6 sc to start the neck.
- Rounds 11–36sc in each of the 6 sts around (26 rounds total, 156 stitches). Do not stuff the neck — this is what allows it to bend and pose.
- Round 37inc in each st around. (12)
- Round 382 sc, then work the first arm: ch 7, starting from the 2nd chain from hook work 2 sl st, ch 2, starting from the 2nd chain work 2 sl st (one into the chain, one into the fork), ch 2, starting from the 2nd chain work 2 sl st, then work 4 sl st along the remaining chain of the arm. Continue across the body with 5 sc. Work the second arm the same way: ch 7, starting from the 2nd chain work 2 sl st, ch 2, starting from the 2nd chain work 2 sl st (one into the chain, one into the fork), ch 2, starting from the 2nd chain work 2 sl st, then 4 sl st along the remaining chain. Continue across the body with 5 sc. (12)
- Round 391 sc, inc repeat 6 times. (18)
- Rounds 40–41sc in each st around. (18)
1 sc, then work the first arm: ch 7, 2 sl st from the 2nd chain, ch 2, 2 sl st from the 2nd chain (one into the chain, one into the fork), ch 2, 2 sl st from the 2nd chain, then 4 sl st along the remaining chain. Continue across the body with 6 sc. Work the second arm identically, then continue with 6 sc. Switch to Soft Pink and work the tail: ch 26, starting from the 2nd chain work 25 sl st, switch back to main color, fasten off and cut the pink yarn, then continue across the body with 5 sc. (18)
- Round 424 sc, then work an arm the same way as before: ch 7, 2 sl st from the 2nd chain, ch 2, 2 sl st from the 2nd chain, ch 2, 2 sl st from the 2nd chain, then 4 sl st along the remaining chain. Continue across the body with 6 sc, then work the second arm identically, followed by 6 sc across the body. Continue with 6 more sc, then switch to Soft Pink and work the tail: ch 26, starting from the 2nd chain work 25 sl st, switch back to main color, fasten off and cut the pink yarn, then continue across the body with 2 sc. (18)
- Round 431 sc, dec repeat 6 times. (12) Stuff the body firmly at this point.Step by step: dec 6 times. Fasten off and cinch the opening closed.
- Round 44dec 6 times. Fasten off and close the opening.
Neck & Body — Little Baby Rat
Join main-color yarn in the neck opening left above and work 6 sc to start the neck.
- Rounds 11–12sc in each st around. (6) Do not stuff this section — leaving it soft here lets the head press down snugly once you cinch it later.(6)
- Round 131 sc, inc repeat 3 times. (9)
- Round 142 sc, inc repeat 3 times. (12)
- Round 15sc in each st around. (12)
- Round 16Work the first arm: ch 7, starting from the 2nd chain from hook work 2 sl st, ch 2, starting from the 2nd chain work 2 sl st (one into the chain, one into the fork), ch 2, starting from the 2nd chain work 2 sl st, then 4 sl st along the remaining chain. Continue across the body with 5 sc. Work the second arm the same way, then continue across the body with 7 sc. (12)
- Round 171 sc, inc repeat 6 times. (18) Stuff the neck now, except for the very first section worked in Rnds 11–12.(18)
- Rounds 18–20sc in each st around. (18)
- Round 211 sc, then work the first arm: ch 7, 2 sl st from the 2nd chain, ch 2, 2 sl st from the 2nd chain (one into the chain, one into the fork), ch 2, 2 sl st from the 2nd chain, then 4 sl st along the remaining chain. Continue across the body with 6 sc. Work the second arm identically, then continue with 6 sc. Switch to Soft Pink and work the tail: ch 26, starting from the 2nd chain work 25 sl st, switch back to main color, fasten off and cut the pink yarn, then continue across the body with 5 sc. (18)
- Round 221 sc, dec repeat 6 times. (12) Stuff the body firmly at this point.(12)
- Round 23dec 6 times. Fasten off and cinch the opening closed.
More pictures
Before the first stitch
- Check you have enough main-color yarn for 26 straight neck rounds — they add up fast.
- Place a stitch marker at the start of each round; the spiral gives no other clue.
- Read through Rnd 38 once before you get there — the arms are worked as chains, not sc.
Minutes per piece
- Head about 45 minutes, because it is only 10 rounds but needs careful shaping near the eyes
- Neck & Body about 3 hours, because 26 plain rounds for the neck take longer than they look, plus fiddly arm chains
Other yarns that work
- acrylic bulky weight gives a firmer body and holds its shape well, but loses some of the plush softness; hook size stays the same.
- cotton worsted weight makes a smaller, denser rat since worsted is thinner than bulky; drop to a smaller hook and expect less give when stuffing.
Where it ends up
- A soft companion for a child's shelf, next to other small amigurumi.
- A quiet gift for someone who collects small handmade creatures.
- A desk companion that pairs well with a mug and a stack of books.
Joining up
- Step 1 With the Head already stuffed and its opening closed (Rnd 10 of the Head), and the Neck & Body already worked directly from that same opening, there are no separate pieces to sew together — the head, neck, arms, and tail are all built in one continuous piece.
- Step 2 Thread a yarn needle with white cotton thread and cinch the top of the head slightly, pulling gently so the safety eyes sink in a touch and the head tips forward against the neck.
- Step 3 Using black cotton thread, embroider a small mouth at the front of the muzzle, centered or offset slightly to one side.
- Step 4 If desired, embroider a short straight stitch between the eyes for a subtle facial marking.
- Step 5 Using a small scrap of white plush yarn, add two short stitches at the center of the mouth to suggest little front teeth.
- Step 6 Weave in all remaining yarn tails through the body and trim close to the surface.
Small notes
- Use a 4mm hook for the body and 6mm safety eyes; check your eyes fit before placing them, since sizing varies by supplier.
- Leave the neck unstuffed on purpose — this is what lets the head tip and the whole rat pose later.
- Work in a tight spiral throughout; no joining or chaining between rounds unless the pattern says otherwise.
- This pattern is written in US crochet terminology.
- Gauge is not critical for this project; just make sure your stitches are tight enough that stuffing doesn't peek through.
- Both the Long-Neck Rat and Little Baby Rat share the same head construction — only the neck and body sections differ.
Little questions
Why is the neck left unstuffed?
Stuffing would stiffen it. Leaving it soft lets the head bend and the rat hold a pose.
Can I skip the pink ears mentioned in the head section?
Yes, you can cut the pink yarn instead of leaving it attached. The head still works fine without added ears.
How many rounds does the neck actually take?
Rounds 11 through 36, so 26 rounds total. Each one is just 6 single crochet stitches around, so it goes quickly once you find a rhythm.
What is the black cotton thread for?
It embroiders the mouth, and optionally a stripe between the eyes. White plush yarn scraps handle the small teeth separately.
What is the difference between the two versions?
The Long-Neck Rat has a slender, poseable neck (Rnds 11–44) perfect for draping over curtain rods or bag straps, while the Little Baby Rat has a compact, huggable body (Rnds 11–23) ideal for smaller hands. Both share the exact same head.
Original pattern: https://amigurumicorner.com/baby-rats-amigurumi-pattern/
About the Author
Tamsin Okoro Who writes the patterns at Yarn Gallery, how a pattern gets from the hook to the page, and what this site will never do.
