an upright river otter plushie

BeginnerUS TerminologyModular

A standing river otter with a tall, cylindrical torso, a wide flat tail acting as a kickstand, a large round head with an upward-tilted neck, tiny tucked arms, and wide flat webbed feet. The design emphasizes the otter's upright posture and balancing tail.

Materials

Yarn

WORSTED · 200yd

Hook

6mm

Notions

Tapestry needle

Stitch markers

Gauge

17 sts × 20 rows = 4in × 4in (in single crochet)

Stitches Used

sc = single crochet
ch = chain
inc = increase
dec = decrease

Pattern

Body

R1Ch 68, sc in 2nd ch from hook and each ch across. (67)(67 sts)
R2[Sc 66, dec] repeat around. (66)(66 sts)
R3Sc in each st around. (66)(66 sts)
R4Sc in each st around. (66)(66 sts)
R5Sc in each st around. (66)(66 sts)
R6[Sc 65, dec] repeat around. (65)(65 sts)
R7Sc in each st around. (65)(65 sts)
R8Sc in each st around. (65)(65 sts)
R9[Sc 64, dec] repeat around. (64)(64 sts)
R10Sc in each st around. (64)(64 sts)
R11Sc in each st around. (64)(64 sts)
R12[Sc 63, dec] repeat around. (63)(63 sts)
R13Sc in each st around. (63)(63 sts)
R14Sc in each st around. (63)(63 sts)
R15Sc in each st around. (63)(63 sts)
R16[Sc 62, dec] repeat around. (62)(62 sts)
R17Sc in each st around. (62)(62 sts)
R18Sc in each st around. (62)(62 sts)
R19[Sc 61, dec] repeat around. (61)(61 sts)
R20Sc in each st around. (61)(61 sts)
R21Sc in each st around. (61)(61 sts)
R22[Sc 60, dec] repeat around. (60)(60 sts)
R23Sc in each st around. (60)(60 sts)
R24Sc in each st around. (60)(60 sts)
R25[Sc 59, dec] repeat around. (59)(59 sts)
R26Sc in each st around. (59)(59 sts)
R27Sc in each st around. (59)(59 sts)
R28Sc in each st around. (59)(59 sts)
R29[Sc 58, dec] repeat around. (58)(58 sts)
R30Sc in each st around. (58)(58 sts)
R31Sc in each st around. (58)(58 sts)
R32[Sc 57, dec] repeat around. (57)(57 sts)
R33Sc in each st around. (57)(57 sts)
R34Sc in each st around. (57)(57 sts)
R35[Sc 56, dec] repeat around. (56)(56 sts)
R36Sc in each st around. (56)(56 sts)
R37Sc in each st around. (56)(56 sts)
R38Sc in each st around. (56)(56 sts)
R39[Sc 55, dec] repeat around. (55)(55 sts)
R40Sc in each st around. (55)(55 sts)
R41Sc in each st around. (55)(55 sts)
R42[Sc 54, dec] repeat around. (54)(54 sts)
R43Sc in each st around. (54)(54 sts)
R44Sc in each st around. (54)(54 sts)
R45[Sc 53, dec] repeat around. (53) Stuff lightly. Fasten off.(53 sts)

Head

R1Pick up 55 sc evenly around opening. (55)(55 sts)
R2[Sc 1, dec] repeat around. (28)(28 sts)
R3[Sc 0, dec] repeat around. (1)(1 sts)
R4[Sc 0, inc] repeat around. (27)(27 sts)
R5[Sc 2, inc] repeat around. (37)(37 sts)
R6[Sc 5, inc] repeat around. (44)(44 sts)
R7[Sc 7, inc] repeat around. (50)(50 sts)
R8[Sc 12, inc] repeat around. (54)(54 sts)
R9[Sc 13, inc] repeat around. (58)(58 sts)
R10[Sc 19, inc] repeat around. (61)(61 sts)
R11[Sc 30, inc] repeat around. (63)(63 sts)
R12[Sc 31, inc] repeat around. (65)(65 sts)
R13[Sc 65, inc] repeat around. (66)(66 sts)
R14[Sc 66, inc] repeat around. (67)(67 sts)
R15Sc in each st around. (67)(67 sts)
R16Sc in each st around. (67)(67 sts)
R17[Sc 66, dec] repeat around. (66)(66 sts)
R18[Sc 65, dec] repeat around. (65)(65 sts)
R19[Sc 31, dec] repeat around. (63)(63 sts)
R20[Sc 30, dec] repeat around. (61)(61 sts)
R21[Sc 19, dec] repeat around. (58)(58 sts)
R22[Sc 13, dec] repeat around. (54)(54 sts)
R23[Sc 12, dec] repeat around. (50)(50 sts)
R24[Sc 7, dec] repeat around. (44)(44 sts)
R25[Sc 5, dec] repeat around. (37)(37 sts)
R26[Sc 2, dec] repeat around. (27)(27 sts)
R27[Sc 0, dec] repeat around. (1) Stuff firmly before closing. Fasten off, leaving 12-inch tail for sewing.(1 sts)

Muzzle

R1Pick up 80 sc evenly around opening. (80)(80 sts)
R2[Sc 5, dec] repeat around. (67)(67 sts)
R3[Sc 4, dec] repeat around. (54)(54 sts)
R4[Sc 2, dec] repeat around. (40)(40 sts)
R5[Sc 2, dec] repeat around. (27)(27 sts)
R6[Sc 26, dec] repeat around. (26)(26 sts)
R7[Sc 25, dec] repeat around. (25)(25 sts)
R8[Sc 24, dec] repeat around. (24)(24 sts)
R9Sc in each st around. (24)(24 sts)
R10[Sc 23, dec] repeat around. (23)(23 sts)
R11[Sc 22, dec] repeat around. (22)(22 sts)
R12[Sc 21, dec] repeat around. (21) Stuff lightly. Fasten off, leaving 12-inch tail for sewing.(21 sts)

Right Arm

R1Pick up 30 sc evenly around opening. (30)(30 sts)
R2[Sc 6, dec] repeat around. (26)(26 sts)
R3[Sc 4, dec] repeat around. (21)(21 sts)
R4[Sc 4, dec] repeat around. (17)(17 sts)
R5[Sc 2, dec] repeat around. (12)(12 sts)
R6[Sc 11, dec] repeat around. (11)(11 sts)
R7Sc in each st around. (11)(11 sts)
R8[Sc 10, dec] repeat around. (10)(10 sts)
R9Sc in each st around. (10)(10 sts)
R10[Sc 9, dec] repeat around. (9) Stuff lightly. Fasten off, leaving 12-inch tail for sewing.(9 sts)

Left Arm

R1Pick up 34 sc evenly around opening. (34)(34 sts)
R2[Sc 5, dec] repeat around. (29)(29 sts)
R3[Sc 3, dec] repeat around. (23)(23 sts)
R4[Sc 3, dec] repeat around. (18)(18 sts)
R5[Sc 2, dec] repeat around. (12)(12 sts)
R6[Sc 11, dec] repeat around. (11)(11 sts)
R7Sc in each st around. (11)(11 sts)
R8[Sc 10, dec] repeat around. (10)(10 sts)
R9Sc in each st around. (10)(10 sts)
R10[Sc 9, dec] repeat around. (9) Stuff lightly. Fasten off, leaving 12-inch tail for sewing.(9 sts)

Right Foot

R1Pick up 52 sc evenly around opening. (52)(52 sts)
R2[Sc 1, dec] repeat around. (32)(32 sts)
R3[Sc 9, dec] repeat around. (29)(29 sts)
R4[Sc 13, dec] repeat around. (27)(27 sts)
R5[Sc 8, dec] repeat around. (24) Stuff lightly. Fasten off, leaving 12-inch tail for sewing.(24 sts)

Left Foot

R1Pick up 55 sc evenly around opening. (55)(55 sts)
R2[Sc 1, dec] repeat around. (32)(32 sts)
R3[Sc 9, dec] repeat around. (29)(29 sts)
R4[Sc 13, dec] repeat around. (27)(27 sts)
R5[Sc 8, dec] repeat around. (24) Stuff lightly. Fasten off, leaving 12-inch tail for sewing.(24 sts)

Tail

R1Pick up 17 sc evenly around opening. (17) Fasten off, leaving 12-inch tail for sewing.(17 sts)