Crochet Duck – the story behind my little duckling

Yay – I can finally share my Little Duckling crochet pattern! And just in time before Easter.

This little crochet duck has been the main character on my table for the past few weeks, but its story actually began much earlier than it might seem at first.

The idea to crochet a duck started almost a year ago, inspired by a well-known charity duck race in Estonia that supports children with cancer and their families. I remember thinking, how hard can it be – a simple rubber duck? Anyone can make that.

Well… it turned out not to be that simple.

Thinking of babies, I made my first ducks using organic cotton yarn. They were so sweet with their soft yellow bodies and pink beaks. Everything seemed perfect… except for one thing: my crochet duck wouldn’t stand upright.

I tried adding weights inside, which worked to some extent, but it didn’t feel right. I wanted the pattern to stay simple. I didn’t want anyone who wants to make their own crochet duckling to worry about finding special materials like weighted filling.

So I went back to the drawing board.

I adjusted the shape, making the body wider to create a better base. At one point I also experimented with chenille yarn. The ducks became incredibly soft and fluffy – almost like little balls of down – but structurally, it still didn’t work.

By that time, I had already crocheted nearly ten ducklings… and still wasn’t satisfied.
So I paused the whole project.

But sometimes all it takes is someone gently nudging you at the right moment.

One day, a lovely person asked me if I would ever write a pattern for this duck, because they would love to make one themselves. That was exactly the push I needed. I picked it up again and decided to finally bring it to life – especially since the next charity duck race is approaching, and maybe others would also like to make ducklings for a good cause.

When I returned to the project a few weeks ago, I committed fully to chenille yarn.
I widened the body again, adjusted the head placement slightly towards the center…

…and suddenly – it worked.

The finished crochet duckling is about 15 cm tall. It’s made in two parts.

You start by crocheting the beak from cotton yarn, and later attach it in place. The only sewing required is securing the top of the beak, which gives a cleaner and neater result than crocheting it directly in.

From my own experience, I can say that making these ducklings is a little addictive.
It’s simple, relaxing, and the pattern quickly becomes intuitive – the kind of project you just want to keep making again and again.

This design comes in two versions. If you feel like making your own duck, you can either start with a free amigurumi duck pattern, or go for the more detailed duckling crochet pattern available in my shop.

The free version is a simple, one-color crochet duck. The paid pattern includes detailed instructions with plenty of photos, plus bonus versions: a classic three-color duck and my personal favorite – a slightly grumpy, wobbly duck with a clinging wobble ball inside.

Crocheting a duck is simple overall, but since the pattern uses chenille yarn, I would rate it as intermediate level. The reason is simple – stitches are a bit harder to see and count with chenille yarn.

And finally, if you make your own little duckling, I would absolutely love to see it. You can send me a photo by email or tag me on social media – those moments truly make this work so special.