A crocheted unicorn standing about 20 cm high, worked in cotton sport weight yarn with a 2.5mm hook. Listed as intermediate difficulty.
The pattern includes a clear photo tutorial for assembling the crocheted parts, which matters more than it might sound – with a jointed animal like this, assembly is where the character of the finished toy is decided.
Why the small hook
A 2.5mm hook with sport weight yarn is tighter than you would normally pair them. That is correct for amigurumi: the fabric has to be dense enough that stuffing cannot show through or push its way between stitches. If you can see the fibrefill through your work, go down another hook size.
Cotton is a good choice here. It has excellent stitch definition, so shaping stays visible, and it holds a firm fabric without the slight stretch that makes acrylic amigurumi go baggy over time.
Assembly is the hard part
The crochet itself is straightforward. Getting the legs level, the head at the right angle and the ears symmetrical is what separates a good finished unicorn from an awkward one.
Pin every piece in place before sewing anything. Stand the pinned unicorn up, look at it from the front and from both sides, and adjust until it looks right. Pins move in seconds; stitched seams do not.
Sew the head on last, and take your time over the angle. A head tilted very slightly downward reads as gentle and alert; set straight or tipped back it looks vacant.
For a child
Embroider the eyes rather than using safety eyes if the unicorn is going to a small child, and sew the horn and mane on very securely. Anything that can be pulled off a soft toy eventually will be.
