There is something deeply satisfying about the rhythmic progression of tight, even stitches that slowly transform a small circle of yarn into a three-dimensional character. In amigurumi, the magic lies in those subtle shaping rounds—the invisible decreases that pull fabric inward without creating ridges, and the precise stuffing that gives a form its personality. This adorable crochet pig amigurumi keychain couple pattern relies on that specific texture and structural integrity. The interplay between the oversized head and the compact body creates a charming silhouette, while the careful placement of the snout and ears brings the character to life. It is a project that rewards patience with a delightful, portable result.
Texture and Stitch Notes
The visual appeal of this keychain couple comes from the contrast between the smooth, pale pink head and the deeper pink snout, accented by the distinct blue or purple outfits. Because the head is significantly larger than the body, the texture of the stitches on the head carries the most visual weight. Maintaining a tight tension is essential here; loose stitches at this small scale will allow the white fiberfill to show through the pale pink yarn almost immediately, ruining the smooth finish. The “our touch” for this project lies in the styling: while the pattern provides the structure, you can give each pig a unique personality by slightly varying the snout shade or angling the ears differently—one outward for a relaxed look, one forward for a curious expression. Adding a touch of blush under the eyes with pink yarn or cosmetic blush adds a layer of softness that elevates the charm from a simple toy to a collectible accessory.
Project Overview
This pattern creates a pair of tiny, kawaii-style pig keychains. They are designed to be clipped onto car keys, work lanyards, or purse straps. The design features a large, round head that dominates the proportions, a distinct snout, and small limbs. The “couple” aspect is achieved by using two different outfit colors (blue and purple) for the body section, while keeping the head and snout colors consistent or slightly varied for individual character.
Materials
- Light pink yarn: For the head and body.
- Dark pink yarn: For the snout.
- Blue or purple yarn: For the outfits (one color per pig).
- Darker shade or black yarn: For the nostrils.
- Crochet hook: 2.5 mm to 3.0 mm.
- Safety eyes: 5 to 6 mm.
- Fiberfill stuffing.
- Tapestry needle.
- Stitch marker.
- Scissors.
- Keychain rings: One per pig.
Gauge and Finished Size
Gauge: Tight tension is required. At keychain scale, loose stitches will cause stuffing to show through the pale pink yarn.
Finished Size: When worked at 2.5 mm, the finished pig should be approximately 7 to 9 cm tall, which is the ideal size for a keychain charm.
Abbreviations
- MR: Magic Ring
- sc: Single Crochet
- inc: Increase (2 sc in the same stitch)
- dec: Decrease (2 sc together)
- ch: Chain
Pattern Notes
- Continuous Rounds: Work in a continuous spiral; do not join with a slip stitch at the end of rounds. Place a stitch marker in the first stitch of each round and move it up as you complete each round.
- Tension: Keep your tension tight. If your stitches are loose, the stuffing will be visible through the pale pink yarn.
- Stuffing: Stuff as you go rather than waiting until the end. The neck rounds carry the weight of the head, so how you stuff them determines whether the head sits up or tips forward.
- Decreases: Use invisible decreases if you are comfortable with them. Standard decreases can leave a visible ridge at the neck shaping.
- Proportions: The head finishes at 30 stitches around, while the body only reaches 18 stitches. This “mostly head” proportion is what gives the pig its keychain charm look.
Pattern Instructions
Head and Body
Worked in one continuous piece from the head down to the body base.
Round 1: 6 sc in MR [6]
Round 2: inc in each stitch [12]
Round 3: 1 sc, 1 inc, repeat [18]
Round 4: 2 sc, 1 inc, repeat [24] — Still flat, like a coin. If it is already cupping, your tension is tight enough that the later rounds will fight you.
Round 5: 3 sc, 1 inc, repeat [30]
Rounds 6 to 11: sc in each stitch [30] — Six straight rounds should give a cylinder with straight sides. Any flare means a stray increase crept in, so recount round 6 against 30 before going further.
Insert safety eyes between rounds 8 and 9, about 5 stitches apart.
Round 12: 3 sc, 1 dec, repeat [24] — If you run out of stitches before the last repeat, the error is upstream in rounds 4 to 5, not here.
Round 13: 2 sc, 1 dec, repeat [18] — Start stuffing firmly.
Round 14: 1 sc, 1 dec, repeat [12] — The head should now be a firm ball with a clear pinch below it. This is your last easy access for adding filling to the head.
Round 15: sc in each stitch [12] — Pack the neck lightly here, not firmly. Over-stuffing this round is the single most common reason a finished pig tips forward on the ring.
Round 16: 1 sc, 1 inc, repeat [18]
Rounds 17 to 20: sc in each stitch [18] — The body should read as a small barrel sitting under a much larger head.
Change yarn colour here for the shirt or dress effect.
Round 21: 1 sc, 1 dec, repeat [12]
Round 22: dec in each stitch [6] — The base should close smoothly. A dent means the body needed more filling a round or two back.
Fasten off and sew the hole closed.
Snout
With dark pink yarn:
Chain 4.
Round 1: Start in the second chain from the hook, 2 sc, 3 sc in the last chain. Turn and work on the opposite side, 1 sc, 1 inc [8 total] — A small flat oval. If it comes out as a straight bar, the 3 sc went into two different chains instead of the same one.
Round 2: sc in each stitch [8]
Fasten off leaving a long tail.
Ears, Make 2
Round 1: 4 sc in MR
Round 2: 1 sc, 1 inc, repeat [6]
Round 3: sc in each stitch [6] — A tiny shallow cup that flattens into a rounded tab.
Flatten slightly.
Arms and Legs, Make 4
Round 1: 5 sc in MR
Rounds 2 and 3: sc in each stitch [5] — Stubby little cylinders, wider than they are long.
Lightly stuff if desired. Working a 5 stitch round is fiddly. If the magic ring keeps collapsing, leave the tail long and pull it tight only after round 3 is done.
Assembly
Finish, stuff, and close the head and body first. Everything else attaches to a completed piece.
- Snout: Pin the snout centred between the eyes before sewing a stitch. This is the one placement that decides whether it looks like a pig. Sew around the full outer edge of the snout rather than tacking it at a few points. Push a pinch of stuffing underneath just before you close the last section if you want it to stand proud.
- Nostrils: Embroider the nostrils once the snout is on and you can judge the spacing against the whole face.
- Ears: Place the ears symmetrically on top of the head, angled slightly outward rather than straight up. Sew between rounds 3 and 7 on top of the head.
- Arms: Sew two to the sides just below the neck. Too high and the pig looks stiff, too low and they read as a second pair of legs.
- Legs: Attach two to the bottom evenly so the pig sits level.
- Keychain: Add the keychain loop last, between the ears.
Pin the snout and both ears before committing to any of them. On a head 30 stitches around, two millimetres of drift on the snout changes the whole face, and you only see it once the ears are on for comparison. Look at it from arm’s length before threading the needle.
Tips
- Stuffing Balance: Stuff the head firmly so it holds a round shape under the weight of the ring. Keep the neck rounds deliberately softer. The shaping should stay visible as a pinch, and a firm neck also pushes the head off balance.
- Body Stuffing: The body takes less than you expect. Firm enough not to collapse, no more. Arms and legs stay barely stuffed, or unstuffed entirely. At 5 stitches around they hold their shape without help, and filling them makes them stick straight out.
- Eye Placement: The eyes go in between rounds 8 and 9, about 5 stitches apart. They must be in before round 13, because that is where the stuffing starts. Push the posts through from the outside, look at the face straight on to check the height and spacing, then snap the washers on from inside. Sitting them any higher than round 8 gives a startled expression, and any lower leaves no room for the snout underneath.
- Child Safety: Making these for a child under three? Leave the safety eyes out. Embroider two small black satin stitch ovals in the same position and work the ends deep into the stuffing. This applies more than usual to keychains, which get carried around and handled constantly.
- Fixing the Hang: The head tips forward once it is on the ring. Nearly always the neck rounds got stuffed as firmly as the head. If it is already closed, moving the keychain loop slightly back from centre will correct the hang.
FAQs
Can I make just one pig instead of the pair?
Of course, it works fine as a single pig. The couple thing is only a colour choice at round 16 or 17. If you are making one, pick whichever outfit colour you like and ignore the pairing section entirely.
My snout looks flat against the face.
Push a small pinch of stuffing under it just before you close the last few stitches of the seam, and sew all the way around the edge rather than tacking the top. It should sit forward off the head, which is most of what makes the pig look like a pig rather than a bear.
Why does my pig tip forward on the keychain?
This usually happens because the neck rounds were stuffed as firmly as the head. Those rounds are meant to stay soft so the shaping shows, and a packed neck shifts the balance point forward. Try to keep the neck stuffing light.
What if my magic ring keeps collapsing for the arms and legs?
Working a 5 stitch round is fiddly. If the ring collapses, leave the tail long and pull it tight only after round 3 is done.
How do I make the two pigs look like a couple without being identical?
Work the two pigs identically and change only the outfit colour, blue for one and purple for the other. A slightly different snout shade on each gives them separate personalities. You can also angle the ears differently—one outward and one forward—to read as two characters rather than two copies.
If you enjoy making cute amigurumi keychains, you might also like our mini octopus keychain pattern or our cute cherry keychain for more portable crochet projects.
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