Amigurumi Shih Tzu

Written and designed by: Natasha Cornelis ( https://liefenuniek.etsy.com)

This Shih Tzu is about 15 cm and crocheted with crochet hook 2.0 mm.

Materials:
• Phildar Cotton 2 yarn ( colors brown, white and black.)
• Crochet hook 2.0 mm
• Safety eyes black, 10,5 mm.
• Fiberfill
• Black felt for the nose.
• Yarn needle, embroidery needle and pins
• Scissors and stitchmarker
• Glue for fabric

Ch = chain
Sc = single crochet
Dec = decrease
Sl st = slipstitch
Head:
Use white yarn.
R 1: Ch 2, 6 Sc in second ch from the hook (6), or create a magic loop with 6 sc.
R 2: Sc 2 in each sc around(12).
R 3: *1 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(18).
R 4: *2 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(24).
R 5: *3 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(30).
R 6: *4 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(36).
R 7: *5 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(42).
R 8: *6 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(48).
R 9: *7 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(54).
R 10: * 8 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(60).
R 11: *9 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(66).
R 12: *10 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(72).
R 13 - 27: Sc 72 (72).
R 28: *Sc 10, dec 1*, repeat between **(66).
R 29: *Sc 9, dec 1*, repeat between **(60).
R 30: *Sc 8 , dec 1*, repeat between **(54).
R 31: *Sc 7, dec 1*, repeat between **(48).
R 32: *Sc 6, dec 1*, repeat between **(42).
Place the safety eyes somewhere between round 18 and 19.
R 33: *Sc 5, dec 1*, repeat between **(36).
R 34: *Sc 4, dec 1*, repeat between **(30).
R 35: *Sc 3, dec 1*, repeat between **(24). Stuff the head firmly.
R 36: *Sc 2, dec 1*, repeat between **(18).
R 37: *Sc 1, dec 1*, repeat between **(12). Stuff rest of the head.
R 38: *Dec 1*, repeat between**(6).
Fasten off and leave long end of yarn for sewing the head on the body.

Muzzle:
Use black yarn.
R 1: Ch 2, 6 Sc in second ch from the hook (6), or create a magic loop with 6 sc.
R 2: Sc 2 in each sc around(12).
R 3: *1 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(18).
R 4: *2 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(24).
R 5: *3 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(30).
R 6: *4 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(36).
R 7: *5 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(42).
R 8: *6 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(48).
R 9: *7 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(54).
R 10 -16: Sc 54 (54).
Fasten off and leave long end of yarn for sewing the muzzle on the face. Stuff muzzle first, before
attaching.

Chin:
Use white yarn.
R 1: Ch 2, 6 Sc in second ch from the hook (6), or create a magic loop with 6 sc.
R 2: Sc 2 in each sc around(12).
R 3: *1 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(18).
R 4: *2 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(24).
R 5: *3 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(30).
R 6: *4 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(36).
R 7: *5 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(42).
R 8: *6 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(48).
R 9: *7 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(54).
Fasten off and leave long end of yarn for sewing the chin on the muzzle.

Ears:
Use brown yarn.
R 1: Ch 2, 6 Sc in second ch from the hook (6), or create a magic loop with 6 sc.
R 2: Sc 6 (6).
R 3: Sc 2 in each sc around(12).
R 4: Sc 12 (12).
R 5: *1 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(18).
R 6 en 7: Sc 18 (18).
R 8: *2 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(24).
R 9 - 11: Sc 24 (24).
R 12: *3 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(30).
R 13 - 22: Sc 30 (30).
Fasten off with sl st and leave long end of yarn for sewing the ears on the head. Fold the ends
forwards and add a little bit of glue on the inside of the ears to make sure they stay into place.

Body:
Use white yarn.
R 1: Ch 2, 6 Sc in second ch from the hook (6), or create a magic loop with 6 sc.
R 2: Sc 2 in each sc around (12).
R 3: *1 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(18).
R 4: *2 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(24).
R 5: *3 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(30).
R 6: *4 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(36).
R 7: *5 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(42).
R 8: *6 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(48).
R 9: *7 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(54).
R 10: *8 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(60).
R 11: *9 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(66).
R 12 - 21: Sc 66 (66).
R 22: *Sc 9, dec 1*, repeat between **(60).
R 23 - 27: Sc 60 (60).
R 28: *Sc 8 , dec 1*, repeat between **(54).
R 29 - 31: Sc 54 (54).
R 32: *Sc 7, dec 1*, repeat between **(48).
R 33 - 40: Sc 48 (48).
R 41: *Sc 6, dec 1*, repeat between **(42).
R 42: *Sc 5, dec 1*, repeat between **(36).
R 43: *Sc 4, dec 1*, repeat between **(30). Stuff body firmly.
R 44: *Sc 3, dec 1*, repeat between **(24).
R 45: *Sc 2, dec 1*, repeat between **(18).
R 46: *Sc 1, dec 1*, repeat between **(12). Stuff rest of the body.
R 47: *Dec 1*, repeat between**(6).
Fasten off and close the gap with the left over yarn. Insert the rest of the yarn with a yarn needle
into the body.

Back spot:
Use brown yarn.
R 1: Ch 2, 6 Sc in second ch from the hook (6), or create a magic loop with 6 sc.
R 2: Sc 2 in each sc around(12).
R 3: *1 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(18).
R 4: *2 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(24).
R 5: *3 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(30).
R 6: *4 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(36).
R 7: *5 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(42).
R 8: *6 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(48).
R 9: *7 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(54).
R 10: * 8 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(60).
R 11: *9 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(66).
R 12: *10 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(72).
Fasten off and leave long end of yarn for sewing the spot on the back.

Front paws:
Use white yarn.
R 1: Ch 2, 6 Sc in second ch from the hook (6), or create a magic loop with 6 sc.
R 2: Sc 2 in each sc around(12).
R 3: *1 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(18).
R 4: *2 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(24).
R 5: *3 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(30).
R 6: *4 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(36). Change color to gold yarn.
R 7 - 11: Sc 36 (36).
R 12: *Sc 4, dec 1*, repeat between **(30).
R 13 - 15: Sc 30 (30).
R 16: *Sc 3, dec 1*, repeat between **(24).
R 17 - 26: Sc 24 (24). Stuff paws firmly.
R 27: *Sc 2, dec 1*, repeat between **(18).
R 28 - 36: Sc 18 (18). Stuff rest of the paws.
Fasten off with sl st and leave long end of yarn for sewing the front paws on both sides of the
body.

Back paws:
Use white yarn.
R 1: Ch 2, 6 Sc in second ch from the hook (6), or create a magic loop with 6 sc.
R 2: Sc 2 in each sc around(12).
R 3: *1 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(18).
R 4: *2 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(24).
R 5: *3 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(30).
R 6: *4 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(36).
R 7 - 11: Sc 36 (36).
R 12: *Sc 4, dec 1*, repeat between **(30).
R 13 - 15: Sc 30 (30).
R 16: *Sc 3, dec 1*, repeat between **(24).
R 17 - 26: Sc 24 (24).
R 27: *Sc 2, dec 1*, repeat between **(18). Stuff paws firmly.
R 28 - 30: Sc 18 (18). Stuff rest of the paws.
Fasten off with sl st and leave long end of yarn for sewing the front paws on both sides of the
lower body.

Tail:
Start with white yarn.
R 1: Ch 2, 6 Sc in second ch from the hook (6), or create a magic loop with 6 sc.
R 2: Sc 6 (6).
R 3: *1 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(9).
R 4: Sc 9 (9).
R 5: *1 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(14).
R 6 – 9: Sc 14 (14). Change color to brown.
R 10 - 23: Sc 14 (14).
R 24: *1 Sc, 2 sc in the next sc*, repeat between **(21).
R 25: Sc 21 (21).
Fasten off and leave long end of yarn for sewing tail at the bottom of the body. Stuff tail before
attaching.

Finishing touch:
Determine the position of the parts and fasten them one by one with pins. Do this one part at a
time. Also determine in which order you’re gonna finish it.

Head:
• Stuff the muzzle and attach it on to the face, just underneath the eyes.
• Attach chin spot just beneath the middle of the muzzle, this part remains visible.
• Attach head on the body.
• Fold the ends of the ears forwards, so they become triangles. Use glue to keep it in place,
see pictures below. Attach ears to both sides of the head
 Body:
• Attach back spot on to the body, see pictures above.
• Attach back paws on bottom of the body.
• Attach front paws to both sides of the body, one facing upwards, see picture. Bent this
one. With black yarn you can sew stripes between the toes.
• Attach the tail on the back at the bottom of the body.

Facial hair and finishing touch:

For this project i only did the facial hair, to keep the caracteristic appearance of the Shihtzu. You
can also make body hair, but it’s very time consuming. If you don’t have the patient to do this,
then i wouldn’t recommend it.

Please note that only adding the facial hair is already a very time consuming process, it will at
least take one day to finish! But once finished it’s worth the effort.
1. To attach hair on the head of face, you’re gonna use the loops of a row, see picture
below

2. Cut pieces of grey and white yarn in the same length. You’re gonna use them to
make facial hair, hair on forehead and muzzle. Advice: don’t use to much yarn and
keep them short. You are gonna cut them anyway afterwards to achieve the proper
length. You don’t wanna waste more yarn then necessary. By brushing them after,
the hair becomes denser and full, so it will cover up the face and muzzle
completely.
Take 1 piece of yarn and fold it, so you get a loop, see picture below.
3. Pull the loop of the yarn through the needle. After that, pull needle with yarn
through one of the loops of a row on the head, face or muzzle.. Depending on
where you start. Pull it halfway through.

4. Remove the needle.

5. Pull the ends of the yarn through the loop with you thumb and indexfinger.

6. Pull it thight with your thumb and indexfinger.

7. You have made one hair. The arrows show the direction of the hair.

8. Follow the arrows on the picture below for the direction of the hair. You should
experiment yourself with pulling yarn through the loops, to find out which
direction the hair goes if you pull it thight.
You can see how the drawings above looks like in reality in the pictures below.
 The drawing below shows which color to use in which area ( the colored parts of
the head) and what the direction of the hairs should be ( follow the arrows).
Make a few rows of hair in each area of the head and determine how many rows
you need, to cover that area. It will depend on the thickness of the yarn you use.
If you use thick yarn, you obviously need less rows to cover that area.
I used thin yarn, so I needed to add more rows to cover it.

In the pictures below you will see the proces of making hair according to the drawing
above, beginning with the muzzle:
 • After the hair has been added, you can cut a little nose out of black felt and glue this in
the middle of the muzzle, where you can see the base of the hair.
• Use a brush for pets with metal pens to brush the yarn. This will make it fluffy and dense.
Ofcourse you can also leave the yarn like this if you like it.
• Cut the facial hair to finish it off. You can also stiff it with some hairspray, to keep it in
place and make it smell nice!

Your Shih Tzu puppy is finished!

Have fun crocheting!

Note: This pattern is designed and written by me and may not be copied or
used for commercial purposes as well as the final products made with this
pattern.

If you like to share it, please refer to my Etsy shop at

https://liefenuniek.etsy.com for this pattern.