Not a Paper Mache Chicken - Medium Size
/Back in 2014, I crocheted a jumbo size amigurumi chicken for my husband that was inspired by Alton Brown’s “fry some more” paper mache chicken from Good Eats. I also crocheted a medium version, a slightly improved medium version, and a small version. I’ve finally decided to share the jumbo and medium size patterns here on the blog (the small version is part of a collection that I do not plan to share at this time). This post covers the medium size chicken. If you’d like to see the jumbo size chicken pattern, please see this post.
A few notes:
The pattern below is based on the notes I made when creating these chickens. Some parts were not documented (which I have called out where appropriate) and the pattern has not been tested so there may be errors to work around. Please let me know if you come across something that doesn’t make sense and I’ll do my best to update here.
This pattern should not be reproduced, sold, or otherwise claimed as your own. You may make items for yourself, to gift, or to sell, but always credit me as the designer and link back to this post.
Materials:
3.75mm crochet hook
Worsted weight yarns in the following colors:
White
Red
Yellow
Orange
Black
Stuffing
Yarn Needle
Terminology:
Ch - chain
Sl st - slip stitch
Sc - single crochet
Hdc - half double crochet
Dc - double crochet
Increase - 2 single/half/double crochet in the next stitch
Decrease - invisible decrease
Medium Chicken Pattern:
Head & Body
In white yarn -
Round 1: sc 6 in magic ring (6)
Round 2: increase around (12)
Round 3: (sc, increase) x 6 (18)
Round 4: (sc 2, increase) x 6 (24)
Round 5: (sc 3, increase) x 6 (30)
Round 6: (sc 4, increase) x 6 (36)
Round 7: (sc 5, increase) x 6 (42)
Round 8: (sc 6, increase) x 6 (48)
Round 9: (sc 7, increase) x 6 (54)
Round 10: (sc 8, increase) x 6 (60)
Round 11: (sc 9, increase) x 6 (66)
Round 12: (sc 10, increase) x 6 (72)
Round 13 – 24: sc around (72)
Round 25: (sc 11, increase) x 6 (78)
Round 26: (sc 12, increase) x 6 (84)
Round 27: (sc 13, increase) x 6 (90)
Round 28: Switching to yellow yarn - (sc 14, increase) x 6 (96)
Round 29: (hdc 15, hdc increase) x 6 (102)
Round 30: (dc 16, dc increase) x 6 (108)
Round 31: Switching to white yarn - (sc 17, increase) x 6 (114)
Round 32: (sc 18, increase) x 6 (120)
Round 33: (sc 19, increase) x 6 (126)
Round 34: (sc 20, increase) x 6 (132)
Round 35 - 55: sc around (21 rows of 132 sc)
Round 56: (sc 20, decrease) x 6 (126)
Round 57: (sc 19, decrease) x 6 (120)
Round 58: (sc 18, decrease) x 6 (114)
Round 59: (sc 17, decrease) x 6 (108)
Round 60: (sc 16, decrease) x 6 (102)
Round 61: (sc 15, decrease) x 6 (96)
Round 62: (sc 14, decrease) x 6 (90)
Round 63: (sc 13, decrease) x 6 (84)
Round 64: (sc 12, decrease) x 6 (78)
Round 65: (sc 11, decrease) x 6 (72)
Round 66: (sc 10, decrease) x 6 (66)
Round 67: (sc 9, decrease) x 6 (60)
Round 68: (sc 8, decrease) x 6 (54)
Round 69: (sc 7, decrease) x 6 (48)
Round 70: (sc 6, decrease) x 6 (42)
Round 71: (sc 5, decrease) x 6 (36)
Round 72: (sc 4, decrease) x 6 (30)
Stuff the body.
Round 73: (sc 3, decrease) x 6 (24)
Round 74: (sc 2, decrease) x 6 (18)
Round 75: (sc, decrease) x 6 (12)
Add any remaining stuffing as needed.
Round 76: decrease around (6)
Comb
The comb for this chicken is made in the round, but starts with a chain that you crochet down one side (“side 1”) and continue back up the other side (“side 2”). The instructions for some rounds have stitches bucketed by front/middle/back bump since it helps me keep track of where I am in a round. These buckets are indicated by brackets and labeled by side and bump location. You can ignore the buckets if you do not find them helpful.
In red yarn -
Round 1: ch61, sc 59, sc 4 in end ch, and continue on to side 2 with sc 58, sc 3 in end ch, sl st into first sc (124)
Round 2: ch1, sc in same st, sc around, sl st into first sc (124)
Round 3:ch1, sc in same st, [sc 2, hdc 5, 5 dc decreases, hdc 5] for side 1 rear bump, [hdc 5, 5 dc decreases, hdc 5] for side 1 middle bump, [hdc 4, 4 dc decreases, hdc 4] for side 1 front bump, sc 4 in end as you continue to side 2, [hdc 4, 4 dc decreases, hdc 4] for side 2 front bump, [hdc 5, 5 dc decreases, hdc 5] for side 2 middle bump, [hdc 5, 5 dc decreases, hdc 5, sc 2] for side 2 rear bump, sc 3, sl st into first sc (96)
Round 4: ch1, sc in same st, [sc 2, hdc 3, 4 dc decreases, hdc 2, 2 sc increases] for side 1 rear bump, [sc increase, hdc 2, 4 dc decreases, hdc 2, 2 sc increases] for side 1 middle bump, [sc increase, hdc 2, 3 dc decreases, hdc 3] for side 1 front bump, sc 4 in end as you continue to side 2, [hdc 3, 3 dc decreases, hdc 2, sc increase] for side 2 front bump, [2 sc increases, hdc 2, 4 dc decreases, hdc 2, sc increase] for side 2 middle bump, [2 sc increases, hdc 2, 4 dc decreases, hdc 3, sc 2] for side 2 rear bump, sc 3, sl st into first sc (86)
Round 5: ch1, sc in same st, [sc 2, hdc 3, 3 dc decreases, hdc 2, 2 sc increases] for side 1 rear bump, [sc increase, hdc 2, 3 dc decreases, hdc 2, 3 sc increases] for side 1 middle bump, [sc increase, hdc 2, 2 dc decreases, hdc 2, sc] for side 1 front bump, sc, 2 sc increases, sc, [sc, hdc 2, 2 dc decreases, hdc 2, sc increase] for side 2 front bump, [3 sc increases, hdc 2, 3 dc decreases, hdc 2, sc increase] for side 2 middle bump, [2 sc increases, hdc 2, 3 dc decreases, hdc 3, sc 2] for side 2 rear bump, sc, 2 sc increases, sl st into first sc (88)
Round 6: ch1, sc in same st, [sc 2, hdc 3, dc 3, hdc 2, 2 sc decrease] for side 1 rear bump, [sc 2, hdc 2, dc 3, hdc 2, 3 sc decreases] for side 1 middle bump, [sc 2, hdc 2, dc 2, hdc 2, sc] for side 1 front bump, sc 6, [sc, hdc 2, dc 2, hdc 2, sc 2] for side 2 front bump, [3 sc decreases, hdc 2, dc 3, hdc 2, 2sc] for side 2 middle bump, [2 sc decreases, hdc 2, dc 3, hdc 3, sc 2] for side 2 rear bump, sc 5, sl st into first sc (78)
Round 7: ch1, sc in same st, [12 sc] for side 1 rear bump, [sc 4, 2 sc decreases, sc 4] for side 1 middle bump, [sc 9] for side 1 front bump, sc, 4 sc increases, sc, [sc 9] for side 2 front bump, [sc 4, 2 sc decreases, sc 4] for side 2 middle bump, [sc 12] for side 2 rear bump, sc 3, 2 sc increases, sl st into first sc (80)
Round 8: ch1, sc in same st, [sc 12] for side 1 rear bump, [sc 3, 2 sc decreases, sc 3] for side 1 middle bump, [sc 9] for side 1 front bump, sc 4, 2 sc increases, sc 4, [sc 9] for side 2 front bump, [sc 3, 2 sc decreases, sc 3] for side 2 middle bump, [sc 12] for side 2 rear bump, sc 3, 2 sc increases, sc 2, sl st into first sc (80)
Beak
In orange yarn -
Round 1: sc 6 in magic ring (6)
Round 2: increase around (12)
Round 3: sc around (12)
Round 4: (sc, increase) x 6 (18)
Round 5: sc around (18)
Round 6: (sc 2, increase) x 6 (24)
Round 7: sc around (24)
Round 8: (sc 3, increase) x 6 (30)
Round 9: sc around (30)
Round 10: (sc 4, increase) x 6 (36)
Round 11: sc around (36)
Wattle (x2)
In red yarn -
Round 1: sc 4 in magic ring (4)
Round 2: increase around (8)
Round 3: (sc, increase) (12)
Round 4 - 7: sc around (12)
Round 8: (sc, decrease) (8)
Round 9: sc around (8)
Round 10: decrease around (4)
Wings (x2)
In white yarn -
Round 1: 6sc in magic ring (6)
Round 2: increase around (12)
Round 3: (sc, increase) x 6 (18)
Round 4: (sc 2, increase) x 6 (24)
Round 5: (sc 3, increase) x 6 (30)
Round 6: (sc 4, increase) x 6 (36)
Round 7: sc around (36)
Round 8: (sc 5, increase) x 6 (42)
Round 9: sc around (42)
Round 10: (sc 6, increase) x 6 (48)
Round 11 – 18: sc around (48)
Round 19: (sc 6, decrease) x 6 (42)
Round 20: sc around (42)
Round 21: (sc 5, decrease) x 6 (36)
Round 22: sc around (36)
Round 23: (sc 4, decrease) x 6 (30)
Round 24: (sc 3, decrease) x 6 (24)
Round 25: (sc , decrease) x 6 (18)
Round 26: (sc, decrease) x 6 (12)
Round 27: decrease around (6)
Thighs (x2)
In white yarn -
Round 1: sc 6 in magic ring (6)
Round 2: increase around (12)
Round 3: (sc, increase) x 6 (18)
Round 4: (sc 2, increase) x 6 (24)
Round 5: (sc 3, increase) x 6 (30)
Round 6: (sc 4, increase) x 6 (36)
Round 7: (sc 5, increase) x 6 (42)
Round 8: (sc 6, increase) x 6 (48)
Round 9 - 11: sc around (48)
Leg/Foot Base (x2)
In orange yarn -
Round 1: sc 6 in magic ring (6)
Round 2: increase around (12)
Round 3: (sc, increase) x 6 (18)
Round 4: (sc 2, increase) x 6 (24)
Round 5 - 7: sc around (24)
Round 8: (sc 2, decrease) x 6 (18)
Round 9: (sc, decrease) x 6 (12)
Round 10 – 13: sc around (12)
Toes (x8)
In orange yarn -
Round 1: sc 6 in magic ring (6)
Round 2 & 3: sc around (6)
Round 4: increase around (12)
Round 5 - 8: sc around (12)
Eyes (x2)
For the first version of the medium chicken, I sewed the eyes on instead of crocheting them. For the second version of the medium chicken, I crocheted circles with the first round white, the second round red, the third round black, and the final round red. Unfortunately, I didn't write the instructions for this part down - so I'd encourage you to get creative with the eyes as you see fit.
Assembly
Sew the comb to the top of the head.
Stuff the beak and sew it to the front of the head.
Sew the wattle to the bottom of the beak.
Sew the eyes onto the head.
Stuff each leg/foot base and sew onto a thigh.
Stuff each toe and sew it onto the leg/foot base.
Once each leg has been constructed, stuff the thigh and sew it onto the body.
Finally, sew on the wings.
I hope you enjoy this pattern and I would love to see the chickens you make - please tag me on Instagram! Happy crocheting!
Edit 5/28/23 - Adjusted comb section to clarify that I was bucketing stitches and updated format for readability
