🧶 Beautiful ✨ Detailed 💝 Adorable

Tip the Border Collie Amigurumi Pattern

Tip the Border Collie Amigurumi Pattern
4.8★ Rating
5-7 Hours Time Needed
3.9K Made This
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Beginner Friendly Level

Perfect for those just starting their crochet journey, with clear instructions and simple techniques

⏱️

Weekend Treat

Takes 5-7 hours, making it an enjoyable project to finish over a couple of days.

🧸

Cute Companion

An adorable friend to cherish, handcrafted with love to bring comfort and joy for years to come.

About This Tip the Border Collie Amigurumi Pattern

This free pattern creates Tip, a Border Collie amigurumi inspired by the childrens book Tip Counts to Ten. You will crochet the head, muzzle, ears, body, front and hind legs, and tail, then sew them together for a finished plush pup. The design uses worsted weight yarn in cream and black and standard amigurumi shaping techniques.

Tip the Border Collie Amigurumi Pattern crochet pattern - detailed view of completed project

Clear round-by-round instructions and helpful placement notes are included for accurate assembly. Ideal for gifting or for fans of the book, this puppy measures about 9" long.

Why You'll Love This Tip the Border Collie Amigurumi Pattern

I absolutely love this pattern because it brings a beloved book character to life in yarn. I enjoy how the contrasting cream and black sections create that classic Border Collie look with simple shaping. The construction is straightforward yet satisfying, letting you see progress quickly as you finish each piece. Sewing the parts together and placing the muzzle and ears really adds personality, and I always smile when I see the finished face. This pattern is a warm, creative project I love sharing with other crocheters.

Tip the Border Collie Amigurumi Pattern step 1 - construction progress Tip the Border Collie Amigurumi Pattern step 2 - assembly progress Tip the Border Collie Amigurumi Pattern step 3 - details and accessories Tip the Border Collie Amigurumi Pattern step 4 - final assembly and finishing

Switch Things Up

I love customizing this pattern to make different breeds by changing color placement and markings.

I sometimes swap the cream for tan or gray to create other dog varieties while keeping the same shaping instructions.

If you want a larger pup, choose a bulkier yarn and a larger hook; the body will become chunkier and more cuddly.

For a miniature keychain version, use fingering weight yarn and a much smaller hook and skip the safety eyes, embroidering the eyes instead.

I like to add embroidered eyebrows or a stitched mouth to change the expression; small changes in eye placement also give very different personalities.

Try adding a tiny crocheted scarf, collar, or felt heart as an accessory to personalize your finished pup.

Make the ears more perky by reducing the final decreases or flatten them more for a floppy-eared look; tack them in different positions to experiment.

I sometimes add a little wire in the legs if I want a posable toy, but secure the wire well and ensure safety if for a child.

For extra texture, use a boucle or chenille yarn for the cream sections to create a fluffy coat effect.

I recommend testing color placement by pinning parts in place before sewing so you can move them around until the face looks just right.

Common Mistakes & How to Fix Them

✗ Skipping the contrasting yarn marker when working continuously can cause you to lose track of the round; mark the end of each round with a short length of contrasting yarn and move it up as you work. ✗ Not stuffing evenly results in lumps or a misshapen body; stuff gradually and evenly, adding small amounts of fiberfill while shaping the piece for a smooth finish. ✗ Forgetting to count stitches during increases or decreases leads to incorrect shaping and stitch counts; count after every round, especially during shaping rounds, to ensure accuracy. ✗ Sewing parts in the wrong position can throw off the finished look; pin or tack pieces in place and compare to photos before permanently sewing to ensure correct placement. ✗ Fastening off too short makes sewing difficult and messy; leave a longer length of yarn when fastening off so you can weave ends through stitches and hide the yarn inside the piece. ✗ Attaching safety eyes too low or too high changes the expression of the face; follow the pattern note (eyes attached through rnd 4, five stitches apart in the sample) and check placement against photos.

Tip the Border Collie Amigurumi Pattern

Create an adorable Border Collie amigurumi inspired by the childrens book "Tip Counts to Ten." This pattern walks you through crocheting a sweet, poseable pup with clear step-by-step instructions and helpful placement notes. You will make the head, muzzle, ears, body, legs and tail, then assemble them into a lovable handmade companion. Perfect for gifting or snuggling, the finished toy measures about 9 inches long.

Beginner Friendly 5-7 Hours

Materials Needed for Tip the Border Collie Amigurumi Pattern

— Main Fabric

  • 01
    Worsted weight yarn (#4) - Cream - approx. 110 yards
  • 02
    Worsted weight yarn (#4) - Black - approx. 110 yards

— Tools Required

  • 01
    Crochet hook size F (3.75 mm)
  • 02
    Stuffing / polyester fiberfill
  • 03
    16 mm safety eyes (2)
  • 04
    16 mm safety nose (1)
  • 05
    Yarn needle
  • 06
    Short length of yarn in a contrasting color (for marking rounds)

Progress Tracker

0% Complete

— Head :

Round 1 :

Beginning at front of head with black, make a magic ring, ch 1, 6 sc in ring. Pull yarn end to tighten ring. (6 sc) Do not join; Work continuously in rnds. Mark end of rnd with a short length of yarn in a contrasting color and move marker up as you work.

Round 2 :

2 sc in each sc around. (12 sc)

Round 3 :

(Sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc) around. (18 sc)

Round 4 :

(Sc in next 2 sc, 2 sc in next sc) around. (24 sc)

Round 5 :

(Sc in next 3 sc, 2 sc in next sc) around. (30 sc)

Round 6 :

(Sc in next 4 sc, 2 sc in next sc) around. (36 sc)

Round 7-12 :

Sc in each sc around. (36 sc)

Round 13 :

(Sc in next 4 sc, sc dec) around. (30 sc)

Round 14 :

(Sc in next 3 sc, sc dec) around. (24 sc)

Round 15 :

(Sc in next 2 sc, sc dec) around. (18 sc)

Infos :

Attach safety eyes. Sample had eyes attached thru sts of rnd 4, 5 sts apart. Stuff head.

Round 16 :

(Sc in next sc, sc dec) around. (12 sc)

Round 17 :

(Sc dec) around. (6 sc)

Info :

Fasten off, leaving a longer length of yarn. Weave yarn end through remaining 6 sc and draw to a close. Pull yarn end to inside of head to hide. Set aside.

— Muzzle :

Round 1-3 :

Beginning at front of muzzle with cream, work as per rnds 1-3 of head. (18 sc)

Round 4-6 :

Sc in each sc around. (18 sc) At end of rnd 6, join with sl st to 1st sc.

Info :

Continue working in rows:

Row 1 :

Ch 1, sc in same sp and in next 2 sc. Turn. (3 sc) (There is intentionally no ch-1 at the end of these rows.)

Rows 2-3 :

Sc in each sc across. Turn. (3 sc)

Row 4 :

2 sc in 1st sc, sc in next 2 sc. Turn. (4 sc)

Rows 5-10 :

Sc in each sc across. Turn. (4 sc) Fasten off, leaving a longer length of yarn for sewing.

Info :

Attach safety nose at center front of muzzle.

Info :

Stuff muzzle and sew in place at front of head. The rnds of the muzzle are positioned directly below the eyes, with the rows positioned between the eyes, stretching up to the top of the head. Refer to photos for help with placement.

— Ears (make 2) :

Round 1 :

Beginning at tip of ear with black, make a magic ring, ch 1, 3 sc in ring. Pull yarn end to tighten ring. (3 sc) Do not join; Work continuously in rnds. Mark end of rnd with a short length of yarn in a contrasting color and move marker up as you work.

Round 2 :

2 sc in each sc around. (6 sc)

Round 3 :

Sc in each sc around. (6 sc)

Round 4 :

(Sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc) around. (9 sc)

Round 5 :

Sc in each sc around. (9 sc)

Round 6 :

(Sc in next 2 sc, 2 sc in next sc) around. (12 sc)

Round 7 :

Sc in each sc around. (12 sc)

Round 8 :

(Sc in next 3 sc, 2 sc in next sc) around. (15 sc)

Round 9-11 :

Sc in each sc around. (15 sc)

Round 12 :

(Sc in next sc, sc dec) around. (10 sc)

Round 13 :

Sc in each sc around. (10 sc) Fasten off, leaving a longer length of yarn for sewing.

Info :

Flatten and sew ear closed through sts of rnd 13. Sew ear in place at side of head, leaving approx. 3 black sts visible between ear and front of muzzle. Sew in place in line with top of muzzle. Fold ear down and tack in place at side of head in line with eyes. Sew in place securely, also tacking wider back part of folded ear to top and/or side of head to get desired look.

— Body – Part 1 :

Round 1-12 :

Beginning at front of body with cream, work as per rnds 1-12 of head. (36 sc) At end of rnd 12, join with sl st to 1st sc.

Info :

Continue working in rows:

Row 1 :

Ch 1, working in front loops only, sc in same sp and in next 8 sc. Turn. (9 sc) There is intentionally no ch-1 at the end of these rows.

Rows 2-9 :

Working through both loops, sc in each sc across. Turn. (9 sc)

Row 10 :

Sc in 1st sc, sc dec, sc in each sc across to last 3 sc, sc dec, sc in last sc. Turn. (7 sc)

Row 11 :

Sc in each sc across. Turn. (7 sc)

Row 12 :

Repeat row 10. (5 sc)

Rows 13-20 :

Sc in each sc across. Turn. (5 sc) Fasten off, leaving a longer length of yarn for sewing.

— Body – Part 2 :

Info :

Continue working in rnds – working into sts of rnd 12 of body – part 1.

Round 13 :

Join black with sc in 1st remaining back loop of rnd 12, sc in remaining back loop of next 8 sc of rnd 12, sc in both loops of next 27 sc of rnd 12. (36 sc)

Round 14-26 :

Sc in each sc around. (36 sc)

Round 27 :

(Sc in next 4 sc, sc dec) around. (30 sc)

Round 28 :

(Sc in next 3 sc, sc dec) around. (24 sc)

Round 29 :

(Sc in next 2 sc, sc dec) around. (18 sc)

Info :

Stuff body.

Round 30 :

(Sc in next sc, sc dec) around. (12 sc)

Round 31 :

(Sc dec) around. (6 sc) Fasten off, leaving a longer length of yarn. Weave yarn end through remaining 6 sc and draw to a close. Pull yarn end to inside of body to hide.

Info :

Sew cream underside of body – part 1 in place on top of black body – part 2. End of cream underside should be positioned at center back of body. Refer to photo.

— Front Legs (make 2) :

Round 1-2 :

With cream, work as per rnds 1-2 of head. (12 sc)

Round 3-12 :

Sc in each sc around. (12 sc) At end of rnd 12, join with sl st to 1st sc. Fasten off, leaving a longer length of yarn for sewing.

Info :

Stuff leg. Flatten end of leg and sew closed. Sew leg in place at front of body so that it can lay flat. Refer to photos for help with placement.

— Hind Legs (make 2) :

Round 1-5 :

With cream, work as per rnds 1-5 of front legs. (12 sc) At end of rnd 5, join with sl st to 1st sc. Fasten off.

Round 6 :

Join black with sc in any sc of rnd 5 and sc in each sc around. (12 sc)

Round 7-12 :

Sc in each sc around. (12 sc) At end of rnd 12, join with sl st to 1st sc. Fasten off, leaving a longer length of yarn for sewing.

Info :

Stuff leg. Flatten end of leg and sew closed. Sew leg in place at back of body so that it can lay flat. Refer to photos for help with placement.

— Tail :

Round 1 :

Beginning at tip of tail with cream, make a magic ring, ch 1, 3 sc in ring. Pull yarn end to tighten ring. (3 sc)

Round 2 :

2 sc in each sc around. (6 sc)

Round 3 :

Sc in each sc around. (6 sc) Join with sl st to 1st sc and fasten off.

Round 4 :

Join black with sc in any sc of rnd 3 and sc in each sc around. (6 sc)

Round 5 :

(Sc in next 2 sc, 2 sc in next sc) twice. (8 sc)

Round 6-7 :

Sc in each sc around. At end of last rnd, join with sl st to 1st sc. Fasten off, leaving a longer length of yarn for sewing. Flatten top end of tail and sew closed. There is no need to stuff the tail unless you wish to stuff it lightly. Sew tail in place at top back of body.

Assembly Instructions

  • Attach safety eyes through rounds 4 of the head approximately 5 stitches apart (sample placement used sts of rnd 4); secure according to manufacturers instructions before stuffing and closing head.
  • Sew the muzzle to the front of the head so the rounds of the muzzle sit directly below the eyes and the rows stretch up between the eyes toward the top of the head; stuff muzzle lightly before sewing and attach nose at center front.
  • Flatten and sew ears closed through the last round, position at sides of the head leaving about three black stitches visible between ear and front of muzzle, fold and tack to achieve desired droop and secure firmly.
  • Sew the cream underside (body part 1) to the top of the black body (body part 2) with the end of the cream underside positioned at the center back of the body.
  • Sew front legs to the front of the body so they can lay flat; stuff legs, flatten the end, and sew closed before attaching. Use photos as placement reference.
  • Sew hind legs to the back of the body in line so they lay flat; stuff lightly, flatten the end and sew closed. Sew tail to top back of body, flattening and closing the top end first.

Important Notes

  • 💡Work continuously in rounds for head, ears, and other round sections; mark the end of each round with a short length of contrasting yarn and move it up as you work.
  • 💡Leave longer lengths of yarn when fastening off to allow for sewing pieces securely and weaving ends into the interior of the toy.
  • 💡Stuff firmly but gradually and evenly for smooth shaping; overstuffing can distort shape while understuffing will make parts floppy.
  • 💡Refer to the photos for placement guidance when attaching muzzle, eyes, ears, and underside pieces to achieve the intended expression and silhouette.

This pattern celebrates my childrens book Tip Counts to Ten with a sweet Border Collie you can make by hand. The finished pup is a cuddly, gift-ready friend that captures the charm of the story. Make one for yourself or as a heartfelt present—each stitch tells part of Tip's tale. 🧶🐶✨

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FAQs

What size will the finished piece be?

The finished amigurumi measures approximately 9 inches long (nose to tip of tail) and about 6 inches tall when lying flat using the recommended yarn and hook.

Can I use different yarn weights for this pattern?

Yes, but the final size will change; use an appropriate hook size for your chosen yarn and adjust stuffing and placement accordingly to maintain proportions.

Do I need prior crochet experience for this pattern?

This pattern is rated beginner friendly; basic knowledge of single crochet, increases, decreases, and working in rounds is helpful for best results.

How long does this project typically take to complete?

Most crocheters complete this project in about 5-7 hours, though time may vary depending on experience and the amount of detail in assembly.