Benji the Tiny Bear

Benji the Tiny Bear: Amigurumi Crochet Toy Pattern

What Is Being Made

Benji the Tiny Bear is a small crocheted stuffed toy designed by Adriana Aguirre. This adorable amigurumi-style bear measures approximately 5 inches in height, making it a perfect tiny companion or gift. The finished toy features a two-color construction with a warm toasted almond brown body and cream accents, enhanced with safety eyes for a charming, expressive face.

Craft and Technique Overview

This project uses the crochet technique, which involves creating fabric by looping yarn with a single hook. Crochet is an ideal method for constructing amigurumi—three-dimensional stuffed toys—because it creates a dense, sturdy fabric that holds its shape and prevents stuffing from escaping. The pattern is classified as intermediate difficulty, making it suitable for crocheters with some foundational experience who are ready to tackle shaping and assembly techniques.

The designer recommends using a hook size one or two sizes smaller than what the yarn typically calls for. This intentional choice creates a tighter fabric weave, which is essential for amigurumi construction to ensure that polyester stuffing remains securely contained within the finished toy.

Stitches Used

• Chain (Ch): The foundation stitch used to create the base loops for the pattern
• Single Crochet (Sc): The primary stitch throughout the pattern, creating tight, dense rows ideal for stuffed toys
• Single Crochet 2 Together (Sc2tog): A decrease stitch used to shape the bear's head, body, and limbs by combining two stitches into one

Materials Required

Yarn: Worsted weight acrylic yarn in two colors from Hobby Lobby's I Love This Yarn line (100% acrylic; 355 yards per 7 ounces). Color A is #150 Toasted Almond (70 yards needed for the main bear body), and Color B is #796 Cream (10 yards for accents). A small amount of Color C, #30 Black (1 yard), is used for details.

Hook: Size G-6 (4mm) crochet hook, intentionally chosen smaller than standard recommendations to achieve the tight gauge necessary for amigurumi.

Additional Supplies: Polyester stuffing for filling the bear, a tapestry needle for weaving in yarn ends and assembling pieces, 12mm safety eyes for the bear's face, and a stitch marker to track rounds during circular crochet construction.

Pattern Notes

Exact gauge is not critical for this toy project, as the focus is on achieving a tight, dense fabric rather than precise measurements. The pattern uses bracket notation—such as [2x]—to indicate repeating sections, streamlining instructions for multiple rounds of similar stitches. Video tutorials are available on the designer's blog at www.adrialyshc.blogspot.com to provide additional visual guidance for construction techniques.