A Turtle of a Tale
Searching for the perfect “no-sew” Sea Turtle Crochet Pattern
I have had trouble in the past working with plush yarns. When I picked it up again, I was determined to make a success of it! I decided my first project would be a sea turtle. Actually, I have been wanting to make one for over a year… and even purchased a pattern! But my lack of confidence in using plush yarn AND… my budget hindered those plans. Another big factor was my dislike for SEWING parts together!! So my search for the perfect “no-sew” sea turtle crochet pattern was on!
But first…
First, I had to find plush yarn that I could work with (with my bum hand). I found some plush yarn at the Dollar Tree in vibrant colors. They would be perfect for a sea turtle. It was “Just Chenille” by Premier Yarn. It was on the thinner side and so velvety soft. So I bought it and had it ready once I got my confidence built up!
I had been seeing a lot of reels on “the gram” lately about using plush yarns. Those reels covered things I was having reservations about as well… including the magic ring and sewing on pieces. I had already had issues in my past experiences using chenille yarn and hadn’t found a good solution. The reels suggested using acrylic yarn to make the magic ring and to sew pieces together and/or using the “ch2” method instead of a magic ring. Another tip was to singe the ends of the yarn with a lighter to stop the shedding. I tried them all and they worked!!! Now, I felt ready to dive into my search for the perfect “no-sew” sea turtle crochet pattern.
The Search Begins…
Next, I had to find a pattern. My criteria was simple…
- It needed to be NO SEW! I HATE sewing crochet body parts together. Also, the Just Chenille from the Dollar Tree is NOT good for sewing. This wa the #1 requirement!!!
- The shell needed to be perfectly rounded. I did not want a flat shell.
- I didn\’t want a floppy head. My turtle would be curious to see the world!
- It needed to be well proportioned. I had seen several that were off just a bit.
- It had to be CUTE!
I chose 2 paid patterns:
Tiana the Tiny Sea Turtle by All About Jade (the one I had already purchased)
Silo the Sea Turtle by The Crochet Code (it also happened to be on sale!)
And 2 FREE patterns:
No Sew Crochet Turtle Amigurumi Plush by The Friendly Red Fox.
No-Sew Amigurumi Turtle Pattern by One Cent Crochet
First up: Pattern by The Friendly Red Fox
First, I made the pattern by The Friendly Red Fox. The pattern was very easy to follow. One thing I did struggle with a bit was keeping the direction of the fins in the correct direction. I wound up attaching one the wrong way. I didn’t notice until it was complete and there sure wasn’t a re-do happening. However, I wound up fixing it by twisting it the correct way and stitching it in place. Had I watched her video on it, I probably wouldn’t have made that mistake! Once I had made my first one, this was no longer a struggle.
I first used Just Chenille yarn by Premier that I bought at the Dollar Tree and a 4mm hook. It only took about 1/2 a skein to make the turtle. I can get 2 turtles out of one skein of each color. Not bad for a free pattern and $2.50 in yarn!!
My second turtle was made using Retro Velvet by Premier yarn for the shell and Just Chenille for the body. They are the same thickness and weight, but the Retro is not nearly as cheap!
| Pros | Cons |
| Easy to Follow | Parts of the pattern seem incomplete, but the notes and videos help to explain. That’s it! |
| Construction works up perfectly | |
| Works up very quickly | |
| Includes lots of photos, videos and helpful notes | |
| Perfect size for little hands | |
| It’s a FREE pattern! |
Second: Pattern by All From Jade
I then felt confident to go for the pattern by All From Jade next. This is a paid pattern and it includes a lot of helpful photos and links to videos. She also includes MANY color combinations to give your turtle shell unique looks, such as flowers or fruit or cupcakes! One thing I really like is that this turtle can “stand up” on those front two fins. It looks so adorable!
For this turtle, I used Just Chenille from the Dollar Tree for the green and yellow. The blue is Retro Velvet by Premier Yarns that I had on hand from another project. I also used a 4mm hook on this one.
| Pros | Cons |
| The pattern is very well written | The legs are a bit more advanced so they do take just a bit more time, but worth it |
| Easy to follow with good photos and videos | It a paid pattern |
| Construction is good | |
| Works up fairly quickly | |
| Lots of color variations included | |
| Has a “frill” around the shell | |
| Perfect size for little hands |
Third make: Pattern by The Crochet Code
I was so tickled to find this pattern on sale!! Go Me!! I really loved how this pattern was written out. It was very easy to follow and had a nice aesthetic to it as well.
The yarns used for this one are Just Chenille from the Dollar Tree for the green and the coral color is Retro Velvet by Premier Yarns. Hook size: 6mm.
| Pros | Cons |
| The pattern is very well written | Head is floppy. Hubby said he liked it that way, but I told him my turtle is curious to see the world! |
| Easy to follow with good photos | Even though I did get it on sale, it is still a paid pattern |
| Construction is good | |
| Works up fairly quickly | |
| Perfect size for little hands |
Final make: Pattern by One Cent Crochet
I have never came across this maker before, but she is very easy to understand (and has an awesome accent). The lighting for her videos is very good and the picture is clear.
The yarns used for this one are Just Chenille from the Dollar Tree for the green and the brown color is Retro Velvet by Premier Yarns. Hook size: 6mm.
| Pros | Cons |
| Easy to follow with good video | I don’t follow videos as well as written patterns. But this is just a personal choice. |
| Construction is good | Head is floppy on this one too. |
| Works up fairly quickly | The head is smaller than the rest. |
| Perfect size for little hands | This one is the smallest of all 4, but it’s still cute! |
| It’s a FREE Pattern |
The final results…
Gosh, I really liked all 4 of these patterns! Each one of them brought something a little different to the pattern and I really enjoyed seeing that. I really like the construction technique of The Friendly Red Fox pattern the best. All From Jade’s proportions are PERFECT and I love all the added variation instructions. The Crochet Code’s turtle has different legs that I think I like better. One Cent Crochet’s tiny turtle is so cute!! I really enjoy “mini” things. In conclusion, I can’t decide which one is the perfect no-sew sea turtle crochet pattern. They are all wonderful!
Something a little extra: A turtle test
While working on turtles for this post, I was blessed to get chosen to be a pattern tester for a MUCH larger “no-sew” sea turtle crochet pattern by CrafTrovebyT! I absolutely love this pattern and highly recommend it.
