Introducing Kalla the Orca! This crochet orca pattern finally joins my ever-growing crew of sea beasts – including (but certainly not limited to) Ingrid the Octopus and Jag the Jellyfish. There’s just something way too much fun about designing under-the-sea creatures, so here she is in all her black and white glory! This amigurumi pattern is the perfect balance between realistic + adorable. Accompanied by a video tutorial, this crochet orca will be a sweet gift for your loved one, or the perfect addition to your amigurumi toy collection!

Jump into the crochet orca pattern now, or PIN it for later here!

I’ve created a helpful video tutorial for this pattern as well. You can find that further down in this post or access it straight away on YouTube here.

This crochet orca pattern is supported by ads on my blog. If you’d rather print the pattern for some cozy couch crocheting, you can find the ad-free, printable PDF in my shop here or on Ravelry here.

This pattern is written in US terms. If needed, you can find a handy term conversion chart right here in my Resource Library.

Crochet Orca Pattern Guide:

Size & Gauge:

Size: 12″ long

Gauge: N/A. Ultimately with toys, gauge doesn’t matter. It won’t have to fit someone’s body or a specific space. My patterns will include the size of the finished toy based on the yarn and hook I use. But if you want it smaller or bigger, just use a bigger yarn and hook! Just remember, when crocheting toys, crochet tightly and choose a hook one size smaller than the yarn size recommends in order to avoid holes between each stitch where the stuffing will show through.

Yarn & Stuffing:

Yarn: Take your choice of yarn! Choose colors that bring you joy and fibers that feel good between your fingers. I use 100% cotton yarn because I make these toys for my kids and need them to be functional. Cotton is natural, washable, soft, and relatively inflexible so the toys don’t stretch and sag, even after being thrown across the house, down the stairs and adventured through every part of the garden!

Stuffing: Stuff more than you think you should. Not enough for the stitches to stretch and show holes, but enough to make the toy stiff and able to withstand the rough trials of toy life. The filling will compress a bit over time. I encourage you to use an alternative to poly-fill (unless it’s recycled!). Try using leftover yarn scraps and snippets or old non-donate-able clothes and materials cut into strips. For this crochet orca pattern, I used recycled polyester stuffing.

Policies & Disclaimers:

This crochet orca pattern is for PERSONAL USE ONLY. This pattern or parts of it may not be reproduced, resold, distributed, published, altered, translated, posted or shared without authorization. You can sell your finished items provided that you credit Off the Beaten Hook as the designer using this verbiage, “This pattern was designed by Lindsey Roe and Off the Beaten Hook.” Thank you for your respectfulness!

This post contains affiliate links for materials I use and love. If you purchase something using one of these links I may earn a small commission which in no way affects the cost to you. These partnerships help me support my small business which allows me to provide you with free crochet patterns. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support!

What makes this pattern eco-friendly and sustainable?

THE YARN: I use only sustainable and eco-friendly yarn that has been ethically grown/raised and processed, putting the people and the planet first. This is why I chose 100% cotton yarn for this pattern.

THE STUFFING: I used 100% Post-Consumer Recycled Polyester Filling (recycled water bottles) for this free crochet orca pattern. You can also use recycled cotton stuffing, left over yarn snippets (save them all – they add up fast!) or old fiber you’ve cut into strips.

THE SLOW YARN MOVEMENT: I’m participating in the Slow Yarn Movement. There’s far too much to talk about here, but please take a few minutes to learn about what this means by reading the article I wrote about the Slow Yarn Movement as part of my 6-part Sustainable Crochet Series.

I’M MAKING SUSTAINABLE TOYS FOR MY KIDS: This is the reason I learned how to crochet to begin with! I wanted my son to have mostly sustainable toys to play with as I eliminated a huge amount of non-renewable plastics from our home.

If you’re interested in learning more about sustainable crochet you can read all about it in the 6-part series I wrote covering everything about Sustainable Crochet and how to implement it into your own crafting starting today!

Materials you will need for the Crochet Orca Pattern:

YARN:

Deramores Studio Organic Cotton DK | 100% Cotton | Weight: 3/DK/Light Worsted | 115 yards per ball:

• Obsidian (black): x2 balls (you’ll use about 150 yards)
• Pure White: x1 balls (you’ll use about 70 yards)
• Light Green: leftovers (you’ll use about 17 yards)
• Dark Green: leftovers (you’ll use about 6 yards)

YARN SUBSTITUTION OPTIONS:

If you can’t access the recommended yarn, want to explore other colors, or would just prefer to use a different yarn for this crochet orca pattern, here are some others that will work well! All of these are DK weight:

100% Cotton Options:

• Stylecraft Naturals Organic Cotton
• Rico Essentials Organic Cotton DK
• Paintbox Yarns Cotton DK
• Rowan Handknit Cotton
• Debbie Bliss Cotton DK

Cotton Blend & Other Fiber Options:

• Scheepjes Linen Soft (Cotton/Linen/Acrylic)
• Paintbox Yarns Simply DK (Acrylic)
• Stylecraft Bamboo & Cotton Blend
• Sirdar Stories DK (Cotton/Acrylic)
• Valley Yarns Haydenville DK (Wool/Acrylic)

OTHER TOOLS & MATERIALS:

• Crochet Hook Size: 3.00 mm
• Pair of safety eyes: 10 mm (trust me, the backs on these ones are WAY better/easier than the others)
• Tapestry Needle
• Stitch Markers
• Scissors
• Stuffing

Abbreviations used in this crochet orca pattern:

ch – chain
st – stitch
hk – hook
sl st – slip stitch
mc – magic circle
sc – single crochet
hdc – half double crochet
dc – double crochet
FLO – front loop only
BLO – back loop only
inc – increase
dec – decrease
(…) x – repeat instructions indicated number of times
[…] – number of stitches in row/round
PH – photo reference number

MEET KALLA the ORCA:

In the deep blue sea, where the waves roll and churn,
Lived a young orca named Kalla, with a lesson to learn.
She swam with her pod, but she felt quite alone,
For Kalla’s self-esteem was as low as a stone.

Bullied and teased, she felt unseen by the others,
For she was smaller and weaker than her sisters and brothers.
But Kalla had dreams, big and bold in her heart,
To make an impact – a difference – so she made a fresh start.

Through the trials and the tumbles, Kalla pushed on,
Determined to prove that she truly belonged.
She practiced her flips and her graceful dives,
Finding strength in the depths where her spirit thrives.

With each passing day, Kalla grew strong and tall,
Her confidence shining like a beacon for all.
No longer held back by the doubts in her mind,
She embraced her true self, leaving insecurities behind.

Now Kalla swims proudly, a leader with grace,
Inspiring others to find their own place.
For in the vast ocean of life’s ebb and flow,
Even the smallest orca can make their glow grow.

So let Kalla’s tale be a lesson to you,
To believe in yourself, no matter what you go through.
For like Kalla the Orca, you’re destined to shine,
In the vast, wondrous ocean of life’s grand design.

The Crochet Orca Pattern

Beak & Body:

NOTES:

• The head and body are worked in continuous rounds – do not join after each round
• You’ll end up with a bullet-shaped body. Take time and diligence to shape the orca into a nice smooth bullet shape.

Rnd 1: st 6 sc in a magic circle [6]

Rnd 2: inc in each st around [12]

Rnd 3: (sc, inc) x6 [18]

Rnd 4: (sc 2, inc) x6 [24]

Rnd 5: sc around [24]

Rnd 6: (sc 3, inc) x6 [30]

Rnd 7: sc around [30]

Rnd 8: (sc 4, inc) x6 [36]

Rnd 9: sc around [36]

Rnd 10: (sc 5, inc) x6 [42]

Rnd 11: sc around [42]

Rnd 12: (sc 6, inc) x6 [48]

Rnd 13-14: sc around [48]

Rnd 15: (sc 7, inc) x6 [54]

Rnd 16-36: sc around [54]

Insert safety eyes between Rnds 18 & 19, spaced by 23 stitches over the top of the head. Optional: embroider a small white line along the bottom/back of the eye to emphasize it.

Rnd 37: (sc 7, dec) x6 [48]

Rnd 38-40: sc around [48]

Rnd 41: (sc 6, dec) x6 [42]

Rnd 42-44: sc around [42]

Begin to stuff the orca

Rnd 45: (sc 5, dec) x6 [36]

Rnd 46-57: sc around [36]

Rnd 58: (sc 4, dec) x6 [30]

Rnd 59-60: sc around [30]

Rnd 61: (sc 3, dec) x6 [24]

Rnd 62-63: sc around [24]

Rnd 64: (sc 2, dec) x6 [18]

Rnd 65-66: sc around [18] Stuff more!

Rnd 67: (sc, dec) x6 [12] One last stuff!

Rnd 68: inc in each st around [24]

Tail:

NOTES:

• I cover the making of the tail in the video tutorial
• You will now split Rnd 68 for the tail. You will make 2 identical ?layers? (one black, one white), and then crochet a border around to joint them – do not stuff the tail. Rnd 68 has 24 stitches, so each side of the tail will have 12 stitches each to begin with. Be sure these 2 sides are split proportionately and centered in relation to the placement of the eyes – the top side of the tail will be crocheted with black yarn, and an identical underside will be crocheted with white yarn. Then, they will be crocheted together with black.
• If needed, add or remove a few stitches to/from Rnd 68 to be sure your hook begins at the start of what will become the bottom white section of 12 stitches (I talk more about this in the video tutorial if you need help positioning your hook)
• The two tail pieces are crocheted in turning rows – chain 1 and turn at the end of each row

With white yarn:

Row 1: sc in next 12 st, ch 1, turn [12]

Row 2: inc, sc 10, inc, ch 1 turn [14]

Row 3: inc, sc 12, inc, ch 1, turn [16]

Row 4: inc, sc 14, inc, ch 1, turn [18]

Row 5: inc, sc 16, inc, ch 1, turn [20]

Row 6: inc, sc 18, inc, ch 1, turn [22]

Row 7: inc, sc 10, ch 1, turn [12]

Row 8: dec, sc 9, inc, turn [12]

Row 9: ch 4, sc in 2nd ch from hook and next 2 chs, sc 10 along the top of Row 8, dec over last 2 st, ch 1 and make 3 sc going down the inside of Rows 7-9, sl st in the st at the base of the 3 rows, which is the last st you would have made in Row 7 [17] PH 05

Fasten off. Rejoin yarn in the first st of the opposite corner of the tail (the other end st of Row 6. Repeat Rows 7-9 for the other side of the tail and fasten off. PH 06

Rejoin black yarn on the topside of the whale, in the first black stitch of the 12-stitch section and repeat Rows 1-9 for the second/black flap of the tail. Fasten off. PH 07 & 08

Using stitch markers, pin the two flaps of tail together, aligned identically stitch by stitch. PH 09

With the black side up, rejoin black yarn in the corner of the first row of the tail, making sure to go through both the black and white sides, and single crochet the two sides together, making a sc in the end of each of the rows along the side, through each stitch along the back edge of the tail and back down the opposite row ends on the other side. Place TWO sc at the tips of each side of the tail so it doesn?t curl under too much. Fasten off and weave in. PH 10-12

White Belly

NOTES:

• The belly is worked in turning rows – ch 1 and turn at the end of each row (this is NOT specified after every row in the instructions below, but it applies to every row) – ch doesn?t count as a st
• Upon completion, you?ll come back and seam the belly onto the Orca
• Refer to PH 13

Begin by chaining 3

Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hk and next ch [2]

Row 2: inc in both st [4]

Row 3: inc in first st, sc across stopping short of the last st, inc in last st [6]

Row 4-16: repeat Row 3 (increase in the 1st st, sc in each st across, increase in the last st). Each row count will increase by 2 stitches. Stitch count after Row 15: [32]

Row 17: sc across [32]

Row 18: dec, sc across stopping short of the last 2 st, dec [30]

Row 19-27: repeat Row 17 (decrease over the first 2 st, sc across, dec over the last 2 st). Each row count will decrease by 2 st. Stitch count after Row 26: [12]

Row 28-34: sc across [12]

Row 35: dec, sc 8, dec [10]

Row 36-42: sc across [10]

Row 43: dec, sc 6, dec [8]

Row 44-46: sc across [8]

Row 47: dec, sc 4, dec [6]

Row 48-50: sc across [6]

Row 51: dec, sc 2, dec [4]

Row 52-54: sc across [4]

Fasten off.

White Belly Continued:

NOTES: The belly patches are worked in turning rows – take note of the number of chains at the end of each row as it varies from row to row in order to shape it properly.

You will now rejoin the yarn at the edge of few rows back to create the white belly spots that flare out to the side near the bottom end of the white belly patch:

Slip knot onto your hook and rejoin yarn at the end of row 41 (pick either side – you?ll repeat on the other side either way). Working down towards the narrow end of the belly patch PH 14:

Row 1: sc along the edge of the next 5 rows (Rows 41, 42, 43, 44, 45), ch 1, turn [5] PH 15

Row 2: sc across, ch 1, turn [5] PH 16

Row 3: sk next st, sc in next 3 st, inc in last st, ch 2, turn [5]

Row 4: sc in 2nd back bump of ch and next 4 st across, ch 1, turn [5]

Row 5: sk next st, sc in next 3 st, inc in last st, ch 2, turn [5]

Row 6: sc in 2nd back bump of ch and next 4 st across, ch 1, turn [5]

Row 7: sk next st, sc in next 3 st, inc in last st, ch 2, turn [5]

Row 8: sc in 2nd back bump of ch and next 4 st across, ch 1, turn [5]

Row 9: dec over next 2 st, sc in next st, dec over last 2 st, ch 1, turn [3]

Row 10: sc in next st, dec over last 2 st, ch 1, turn [2]

Row 11: dec [1]

Fasten off. Rejoin at the edge of Row 41 on the other side of the belly patch and repeat Rows 1-11 for the other belly spot. PH 17,18

At this point, there is no official right or wrong side so it?s time to choose one because you?re going to sc a border around the entire belly patch. So, choose what side you want to be the right side and with that side facing, rejoin the yarn at the corner stitch on the narrow end of the patch. PH 18 Making your way up towards the beak end of the patch, make a border around the entire piece by placing 1 single crochet at the end of every row. PH 19 & 20

Sewing on the White Belly:

Using the photos or video tutorial as reference, pin the patch to the belly: PH 21-27. Using a long strand of white yarn and a tapestry needle, seam the patch to the body all the way around – beginning with the tip of the beak. Deal with your ends as you go around, pushing them to the underside of the belly so they?ll be hidden and secured between the white patch & black belly.

Eye Patches – Make 2:

NOTES:

• The eye patches are worked in continuous rounds around both sides of the starting chain – do not join after each round

Begin by chaining 6

Rnd 1: starting in 2nd ch from the hk, sc in the back bump and next 3 chs, inc in last ch. Continuing on the other side of the ch: sc in next 4 chs, inc in last ch [12]

Rnd 2: inc in next st, sc in next 4 st, inc in next 2 st, sc in next 4 st, inc in last st [16]

Sl st to next st and invisible fasten. Snip, leaving a long tail for sewing on. Make 2. PH 28

Position the eye patches to the whale, back and up by one row of space between the eye and where you?ll start seaming the eye patch on. Check out the photo for reference. PH 29

Pectoral Fins – Make 2:

NOTES:

• The the pectoral fins are worked in continuous rounds – do not join after each round

Rnd 1: st 6 sc in a magic circle [6]

Rnd 2: inc in each st around [12]

Rnd 3-4: sc around [12]

Rnd 5: (sc, inc) x6 [18]

Rnd 6-7: sc around [18]

Rnd 8: (sc 2, inc) x6 [24]

Rnd 9-11: sc around [24]

Rnd 12: dec twice, sc in next 9 st, dec, sc in next 9 st [21]

Rnd 13: sc in next 19 st, dec [20]

Rnd 14: dec, sc in next 8 st, dec, sc in next 8 st [18]

Rnd 15: sc in next 16 st, dec [17]

Rnd 16: dec, sc in next 6 st, dec, sc in next 5 st, dec [14]

Rnd 17: dec, sc in next 10 st, dec [12]

Rnd 18: sc around [12]

Fasten off, leaving a tail for sewing on. PH 30

Flatten the pectoral fin, ensuring the decreases are at the edges so it?s shaped properly. PH 30 Then, with the more extreme ?point? of the fin facing backwards, sew it onto the side of the orca – right where the inner corner of the belly patch stops decreasing – use the photo as reference. PH 31-33

Dorsal Fluke:

NOTES:

• The dorsal fluke is worked in continuous rounds – do not join after each round

Rnd 1: st 6 sc in a magic circle [6]

Rnd 2: sc in each st around [6]

Rnd 3: (sc, inc) x3 [9]

Rnd 4-6: sc around [9]

Rnd 7: (sc 2, inc) x3 [12]

Rnd 8-10: sc around [12]

Rnd 11: (sc 3, inc) x3 [15]

Rnd 12-14: sc around [15]

Rnd 15: (sc 4, inc) x3 [18]

Rnd 16-18: sc around [18]

Rnd 19: (sc 5, inc) x3 [21]

Rnd 20-22: sc around [21]

Fasten off, leaving a tail for sewing on. PH 36

Flatten the dorsal fluke and sew it onto the top of the orca, centered, over Rnds 35-45. PH 37 & 38

Seaweed Top Hat:

NOTES:

• The top hat is worked in continuous rounds – do not join after each round
• The seaweed band is crocheted separately using a starting chain and then working back into the chain. It is then slipped over the hat and sewn on.

THE HAT:

Rnd 1: st 6 sc in a magic circle [6]

Rnd 2: inc in each st around [12]

Rnd 3: (sc, inc) x6 [18]

Rnd 4: (sc 2, inc) x6 [24]

Rnd 5: sl st around [24]

Rnd 6: through the BLO of Rnd 4, sc around [24]

Rnd 7-13: sc around [24]

Rnd 14: FLO (sc 3, inc) x6, sl st to next st, ch 1 [30]

Rnd 15: 2 dc in each st around, sl st to first st [60]

Fasten off and weave in end.

THE SEAWEED BAND:

The seaweed band is made in one long row. To make it easier to follow, I?m going to break the row up into steps (versus rows). Remember, we?re working in the back bumps of the chain:

• Begin by chaining 24 and joining into a circle with a sl st – I will call this the ?band?
• Working along the ch band, sc in next 10 chs
• Seaweed Blade 1: ch 7, sl st in 2nd ch from hk, sc, hdc, dc, hdc, sc, sc in next ch along original band
• Seaweed Blade 2: ch 17, sl st in 2nd ch from hk, sc, hdc, dc in next 2 ch, hdc in next 2 ch, sc, sl st, sc, hdc, dc in next 2 ch, hdc in next 2 ch, sc in next ch, sc in next ch along band
• Seaweed Blade 3: ch 13, sc in 2nd ch from hk, hdc in next 2 ch, dc in next 4 ch, hdc in next 3 ch, sc in next 2 ch, sc in next ch along band
• Seaweed Blade 4: ch 7, sl st in 2nd ch from hk, sc, hdc, dc, hdc, sc, sc in next ch along band
• Working along the band, sc in next 10 chs, join with a sl st to first st. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing on.
• Slip band over the top hat. Using the long tail and a tapestry needle, take a few stitches in and out along the band and blades to seam it on.

CROCHET ORCA PATTERN VIDEO TUTORIAL:

You did it! Well done! I hope you loved using this free orca crochet pattern.

I would love to see your version of Kalla the Orca. Please post pictures on instagram and tag me @offthebeatenhook and use #offthebeatenhook. Cheers!

PIN THIS CROCHET ORCA PATTERN FOR LATER!