Chubby Monkey Ball Pillow Crochet Free Pattern

Introduction

Meet the Chubby Monkey Ball Pillow: a round, squishy sphere with a soft cream belly band and two little cream ears that make it instantly recognizable as a friendly monkey. It's a wonderful project for intermediate crocheters who are comfortable with single crochet, increasing, and decreasing, and it's gentle enough for a confident beginner to try too. Worked in sage green chenille yarn, it has a plush, velvety texture that feels amazing to hug and looks lovely tossed on a sofa, a bed, or a nursery chair. Best of all, it's a no-sew project: the body is crocheted in one continuous piece, and the only sewing is attaching the two ears.

Materials Needed

• Yarn: Super bulky (weight 6) chenille yarn, polyester. Color A (sage green): approximately 150 yd. Color B (cream): approximately 50 yd.
• Hook: 6.0 mm (US J-10).
• Notions: Stitch marker, tapestry needle, scissors, polyester fiberfill stuffing.
• Finished size: Approximately 12 inches (30 cm) in diameter.

Abbreviations

• MR: Magic ring — an adjustable loop you crochet into to start a round with no hole.
• sc: Single crochet — insert hook, yarn over, pull up a loop, yarn over, pull through both loops.
• inc: Increase — work 2 single crochet stitches into the same stitch.
• dec: Decrease — single crochet 2 stitches together into one.
• sts: Stitches.
• rnd(s): Round(s) — a full circle of stitches worked in continuous spirals.

Gauge

10 single crochet x 10 rounds = 4 inches (10 cm). Crochet a small swatch in the round and measure it flat; if your stitches are larger than this, go down a hook size, and if smaller, go up a hook size.

Tips Before You Start

• Chenille yarn sheds and can be tricky to frog, so count your stitches every round and use a stitch marker in the first stitch of each round.
• Work in continuous spirals without joining rounds or chaining up, so the body stays seamless.
• Change colors on the last stitch of the previous round for a clean, tidy color line at the belly band.
• Stuff the body firmly but gradually as you decrease, before the opening gets too small to reach inside.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Body (Color A, then B, then A)

Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc (6 sts).
Rnd 2: inc x6 (12 sts).
Rnd 3: [sc, inc] x6 (18 sts).
Rnd 4: [2 sc, inc] x6 (24 sts).
Rnd 5: [3 sc, inc] x6 (30 sts).
Rnd 6: [4 sc, inc] x6 (36 sts).
Rnd 7: [5 sc, inc] x6 (42 sts).
Rnd 8: [6 sc, inc] x6 (48 sts).
Rnd 9: [7 sc, inc] x6 (54 sts).
Rnd 10: [8 sc, inc] x6 (60 sts).
Rnd 11: [9 sc, inc] x6 (66 sts).
Rnd 12: [10 sc, inc] x6 (72 sts).
Rnds 13-24: sc in each st around (72 sts).
Change to Color B.
Rnds 25-30: sc in each st around (72 sts).
Change to Color A.
Rnds 31-42: sc in each st around (72 sts).
Rnd 43: [10 sc, dec] x6 (66 sts).
Rnd 44: [9 sc, dec] x6 (60 sts).
Rnd 45: [8 sc, dec] x6 (54 sts).
Rnd 46: [7 sc, dec] x6 (48 sts).
Rnd 47: [6 sc, dec] x6 (42 sts).
Rnd 48: [5 sc, dec] x6 (36 sts).
Rnd 49: [4 sc, dec] x6 (30 sts).
Rnd 50: [3 sc, dec] x6 (24 sts).
Rnd 51: [2 sc, dec] x6 (18 sts).
Rnd 52: [sc, dec] x6 (12 sts).
Rnd 53: dec x6 (6 sts).
Fasten off, leaving a long tail. Stuff the body firmly, then weave the tail through the remaining 6 stitches and pull tight to close.

Ears (make 2, Color B)

Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc (6 sts).
Rnd 2: inc x6 (12 sts).
Rnd 3: [sc, inc] x6 (18 sts).
Rnds 4-5: sc in each st around (18 sts).
Rnd 6: [sc, dec] x6 (12 sts).
Rnd 7: dec x6 (6 sts).
Fasten off, leaving a long tail. Do not stuff the ears.

Assembly and Finishing

Flatten each ear lightly and pin them to the sides of the body at rounds 14-18, approximately 2 inches (5 cm) from the top, spacing them evenly on opposite sides. Using the long tails and a tapestry needle, sew through both layers of each ear and into the body, going back and forth a few times for security. Weave in all ends on the inside of the pillow. Gently shape the ball with your hands, then lightly steam or mist and pat into a round shape; avoid heavy blocking, which can flatten the chenille pile. No further assembly is required.

Pro Tips and Variations

• Swap the cream band for a soft brown or blush pink to create a different monkey palette.
• Add a small cream muzzle or embroidered closed eyes for a kawaii face, or leave it faceless for a modern, minimalist look.
• Use a slightly larger hook and looser tension for an even squishier, cloud-soft pillow.