Rainbow Crochet Lion

Well hello there, cutie pie! Meet Ranger, the Rainbow Crochet Lion!

This adorable lion is made with color transitioning super bulky yarn for a fast and fun project!

Isn’t this adorable little crochet lion the cutest thing?

Sigh. I love him!

This cutie is one of 3 delightful rainbow belly amigurumi I made out of a single Caron Chunky Cake in Rainbow Jelly color. His friends are equally adorable too: Remington the Crochet Frog and Reagan the Crochet Bunny.

Isn’t he JUST adorable?! He’s easy, fast and budget friendly because this cutie pie crochet lion is made with one Caron Chunky Cake in Rainbow Jellys color.

This guy is so easy to make. Just rewind your Caron Cake so that each color is in its own ball. The body is rainbow striped for those of you who love rainbows while the rest of the lion amigurumi uses more traditional yellow and orange yarns.

If you’re wanting an all yellow lion, you can do that too; but you’ll have to buy a second cake to get all the yellow and orange yarn you need. But if you love the rainbow vibe on his body, not only can you get this delightful little lion out of the one cake, but you very likely can make his two friends as well!

You will only need to buy one Caron Chunky Cake to make Ranger the Lion in all his rainbow goodness. I’m also including the yardage for each color segment you’ll need for the project. This will help you not run out of yarn if you decide to make any of my other rainbow cutie pies later.

If you want to make all three of my rainbow cuties, be sure to check out this special priced collection that includes tips on getting all 3 amigurumi out of one yarn cake! Note: you can also purchase an ad-free version of just the lion. And of course the free version is just below, if you’d prefer!

This is such a fun crochet project. Because it’s made with Super Bulky weight yarn, the project goes really fast. The arms and legs are crocheted first and then they are crocheted right on to the body, eliminating the sewing on of limbs which can sometimes be tricky.

You can make this crocheted lion in an evening. He might just roar right into your heart!

Crochet Lion

Materials

• Super Bulky Weight #6 yarn, sample used one Caron Chunky Cake, Rainbow Jellys color divided into segments by colors.  Quantity needed by color: 
  • Yellow: 42 yards
  • Orange: 18 yards
  • Green: 8 yards
  • Blue: 7 yards
  • Red: 3 yards
• K/10.5 6.50 mm Crochet Hook  (these are my favorite hooks)
• 12mm safety eyes.  
• Stitch markers to keep track of rows
• Fiberfill
• Tapestry Needle

Important Pattern Note

The rainbow lion is made from colors from one Caron Chunky Cake.  Before beginning to crochet, wind each color into it’s own ball.

Resources and tutorials you may find helpful in following this pattern: Crochet Abbreviations, US to UK Crochet Conversion Chart.  Find links to stitches on the “Tutorial” menu: Getting Started will show basic stitches used in many patterns and Crochet Stitch Dictionary shows our growing collection of crochet stitch tutorials.  I really like to use the invisible seamless join when finishing pieces that get sewn together.

Gauge:

Using the K/6.50 mm hook, my gauge is 5.5 sc to 2 inches.  

Resources and crochet tutorials you may find helpful in following this pattern: Crochet Abbreviations, US to UK Crochet Conversion Chart.  Find links to stitches and basic crochet skills on the “Tutorial” menu: Getting Started will show basic stitches such as the slip stitch, single crochet, double crochet stitch and chain stitch used in many patterns and Crochet Stitch Dictionary shows our growing collection of crochet stitch tutorials.

Crochet Abbreviations:

• ch = chain
• sc = single crochet
• sl st = slip stitch
• st = stitch(es)

Note:  Use a stitch marker to mark the last stitch of each round as you work, moving the stitch marker as you work each round.

Finished Crochet Lion Size

Lion shown measures 10” from tip of foot to top of head (excluding ears and mane).

Head

With Yellow yarn, make a magic ring

R1:  6 sc into ring (6 sts).  (Do not join, worked in rounds)

R2:  2 sc in ea st (12 st)

R3: *sc in next st, 2 sc in next.  Repeat from * around.  (18 st)

R4: *sc in next 2 st, 2 sc in next.  Repeat from * around.  (24 st)

R5-9:  sc around (24 st)

R10: *sc in next 2 st, sc2tog.  Repeat from * around (18 st)  

Insert safety eyes between rows 7 and 8, leaving 4 stitches between eyes.

R11: *sc in next st, sc2tog.  Repeat from * around (12 st). Fasten off leaving a long strand for sewing.

Stuff the head.

Ears (Make 2)

With Yellow yarn, make a magic ring

R1:  4 sc into ring (4 sts).  (Do not join, worked in rounds)

R2:  2 sc in ea st (8 st)

R3: sc in next st, 2 sc in next st, sc in next 3 st, 2 sc in next st, sc in next 2 st (10 st)  Fasten off, using an invisible join and leaving a long strand for joining (or alternatively, join with a slip stitch instead).

Mane

The mane is worked back and forth in rows.  With Orange yarn chain 28.

R1:  sl st in 2^nd ch from hook, sl st across.  Turn at end of round

R2:  *ch 7, sl st to next st.  Repeat from * around.  At end of round, fasten off, leaving a long strand for joining.

Pattern Note:  The arms and legs are made first, then crocheted in as the body is crocheted.

Arms (Make 2)

With Yellow yarn, make a magic ring

R1:  6 sc into ring (6 sts).  (Do not join, worked in rounds)

R2-3:  sc around (6 st)

R4: *sc in next st, sc2tog.  Repeat from * once.  (4 st)

Stuff hand lightly, remainder of arm is unstuffed.

R5-9: sc around (4 st). At end of last round, sl st to next stitch, then fasten off, leaving a long strand for joining.

Legs (Make 2)

With Yellow yarn, make a magic ring

R1:  6 sc into ring (6 sts).  (Do not join, worked in rounds)

R2:  *sc in next st, 2 sc in next.  Repeat from * around. (9 st)

R3-4: sc around (9 st)

R5:  *sc in next st, sc2tog.  Repeat from * around.  (6 st)

Begin stuffing leg, stuffing as you go.  Leave last ½” unstuffed.

R6-11: sc around (6 st).  At end of last round, sl st to next stitch, then fasten off, leaving a long strand for joining.

Body

With Orange yarn, make a magic ring

R1:  6 sc into ring (6 sts).  (Do not join, worked in rounds)

R2:  2 sc in ea st (12 st)

R3: *sc in next st, 2 sc in next.  Repeat from * around.  (18 st)

R4: *sc in next 2 st, 2 sc in next.  Repeat from * around, changing to green yarn in last stitch.  (24 st)

The legs are attached in the next round.  Flatten each leg piece; you will work through a double thickness of the leg and the body stitches over 3 stitches while crocheting the next round.

R5: With green yarn, sc in next st, holding one leg over next 3 stitches and working through both the leg and the body stitches, sc into the next 3 stitches (leg attached), sc in next 9 st, attach 2^nd leg in the same manner over the next 3 st, sc in last 8 st. (24 st)

R6:  sc around. (24 st)

R7:  sc around, changing to blue yarn in last stitch. (24 st)

R8-9:  With blue yarn, sc around (24 st)

R10: *sc in next 2 st, sc2tog.  Repeat from * around, changing to red yarn in last stitch (18 st)

R11: With red yarn, sc around (18 st)  

R12: *sc in next st, sc2tog.  Repeat from * around (12 st). 

To determine arm placement in the next round, fold body in half so that the legs are centered in the front of the body.  Determine the 2 side stitches on each side for placing each arm and mark with a stitch marker. Flatten each arm piece; you will work through a double thickness of the arm and the body stitches over 2 stitches while crocheting the next round.

R13:  sc around, attaching the arms at the markers on the sides of the body by working over both the arm and body in the next 2 sc.  The arms are separated by 4 sc stitches.  (12 st) Fasten off leaving a long strand for sewing.

Finishing

Stuff the body.  Then use a fastened off strand to sew head and body together, adding additional stuffing if needed.  

Using a strand of orange yarn, embroider straight stitches as shown for the nose.

Sew ears over rows 3-5 on an angle and towards the face.  Starting behind one year, position the mane behind the ears and around the front of the face, as shown.  Sew into place with orange yarn.  If needed, take one or two stitches in the back of the ear to hold it closer to mane.

Weave in any remaining ends.

I love seeing your finished projects!  If you enjoyed making Ranger, the Crochet Rainbow Lion or any of my crochet patterns,  I’d love to see yours on Instagram, be sure to tag me @crochet365knittoo.  If you are on Facebook, stop over to the Crochet 365 Knit Too Facebook page or pop over to the Crochet365KnitToo Club and share a photo!  I’d love to see your work!