Some crochet patterns become much easier when you stop thinking of them as one continuous project and instead treat them as a series of checkpoints. Nele the little Panda is a perfect example. Her construction moves from two separate black legs into a shaped body, then into a rounded white head, black ears and arms, a ruffled light pink tutu, and finally the small floral and facial details that give the finished character her personality.
This third article approaches the original Amalou.Designs pattern as a stitch-checkpoint and finishing guide. The goal is to make it easier to know what should be happening at each stage, while keeping the original technical information intact. The yarn, hook size, colors, safety-eye size, stitch counts, round numbers, color changes, placement directions, and assembly instructions below follow the supplied source. The source does not state a finished size, gauge, or yarn yardage, so no such measurements are added.
Project Snapshot
- Yarn: Schachenmayr Catania in white, black, light pink, and light green
- Hook: 2.5 mm
- Stuffing: Soft stuffing (Polyfill)
- Safety eyes: 12 mm
- Felt: Light pink, black, and white
- Other tools: Scissors, pins, and stitch marker
The original pattern uses the following abbreviations: Mc = Magic circle, sc = single crochet, sl st = slip stitch, ch = chain(s), inc. = increase, dec. = decrease, (…) = repeat, hdc = half double crochet, and dc = double crochet.
Checkpoint 1: The Two Feet Must Begin Separately
The first construction decision is simple but important: the two black legs are not joined immediately. The first leg is completed through Round 12, the yarn is cut and sewn up, and the second leg is then made through Round 12 without cutting its yarn.
First Black Leg
- Rd. 1: 6sc in Mc (6)
- Rd. 2: 6 inc (12)
- Rd. 3: (1sc, inc.) (18)
- Rd. 4: (2sc, inc.) (24)
- Rd. 5: sc (24)
- Rd. 6: dec, dec, 9sc, inc, inc, 9sc (24)
- Rd. 7: sc (24)
- Rd. 8: dec, dec, 9sc, inc, inc, 9sc (24)
- Rd. 9: sc (24)
- Rd. 10: sc (24)
- Rd. 11: dec, dec, 9sc, inc, inc, 9sc (24)
- Rd. 12: sc (24)
Cut the yarn and sew it up.
Second Black Leg
Repeat the same twelve rounds for the second leg. The difference is at the end: do not cut the yarn. The attached working yarn is needed for the next stage.
Checkpoint: Before joining the legs, make sure the two pieces have the same shape and that the working yarn is still attached to the second leg.
Checkpoint 2: Join the Legs With the Feet Facing Each Other
After Round 12 of the second leg, crochet 2sc, change to light pink, and crochet 6ch(s). Continue by connecting both legs with a sc in the first leg.
The original joining count is:
23 sc around the first leg + 6sc in the chains + 24sc around the second leg + 6sc in the chains = 60 sc.
The source specifically states that the tips of the feet should look at each other. This is a useful visual checkpoint before you proceed farther into the body.
Checkpoint 3: Follow the Body Counts and Color Changes
The body is where several important structural transitions happen. The first five rounds remain at 60 stitches, then shaping gradually reduces the circumference. The color changes occur at specific rounds and should not be moved.
- Rd. 1: sc (60)
- Rd. 2: sc (60)
- Rd. 3: sc (60)
- Rd. 4: sc (60)
- Rd. 5: sc (60)
- Rd. 6: 12sc, dec, 28sc, dec, 16sc (58)
- Rd. 7: sc (58)
- Rd. 8: 12sc, dec, 27sc, dec, 15sc (56)
- Rd. 9: sc in back loops only (56) change to white
- Rd. 10: 12sc, dec, 26sc, dec., 14sc (54)
- Rd. 11: sc (54)
- Rd. 12: 12sc, dec, 25sc, dec., 13sc (52)
- Rd. 13: sc (52) change to light pink
- Rd. 14: 12sc, dec, 24sc, dec, 12sc (50)
- Rd. 15: sc (50)
- Rd. 16: 12sc, dec., 23sc, dec, 11sc (48)
- Rd. 17: sc (48)
- Rd. 18: 12sc, dec, 22sc, dec, 10sc (46)
- Rd. 19: sc (46)
- Rd. 20: 12sc, dec, 21sc, dec, 9sc (44)
- Rd. 21: sc (44)
- Rd. 22: 12sc, dec, 20sc, dec, 8sc (42)
- Rd. 23: 12sc, dec, 19sc, dec, 7sc (40)
- Rd. 24: 12sc, dec, 18sc, dec, 6sc (38)
- Rd. 25: 12sc, dec, 17sc, dec, 5sc (36) in back loops only! Change to black
- Rd. 26: 12sc, dec, 16sc, dec, 4sc (34)
- Rd. 27: 12sc, dec, 15sc, dec, 3sc (32)
- Rd. 28: 12sc, dec, 14sc, dec, 2sc (30)
Fasten off leaving a long tail for sewing. Stuff the body!
Body Checkpoint Table
- Round 1–5: 60 stitches
- Round 6: 58 stitches
- Round 8: 56 stitches
- Round 9: 56 stitches, back loops only, change to white
- Round 13: 52 stitches, change to light pink
- Round 25: 36 stitches, back loops only, change to black
- Round 28: 30 stitches
These checkpoints are not replacement instructions; they are quick ways to verify that your work is still following the original sequence.
Checkpoint 4: Prepare the Face Before Final Assembly
The face uses a combination of black, white, and light pink felt together with 12mm safety eyes. Take the felt and cut the black pieces. Take the white felt and insert the safety eyes, cut with a distance of 1mm (0.039 inch) around the eyes. Insert the eye+white felt into the black felt.
Insert the safety eyes when you are ready with the head. Count 18 rounds from the MC, with a distance of 9 st. Close the safety eyes and sew the black felt onto the head. Cut circles (0,07 inch diameter) out of the light pink felt and sew them onto the black felt.
Checkpoint 5: Build the Head From the Center Out
The white head grows steadily from a six-stitch magic circle to a maximum of 84 stitches. After the widest section, the stitch count decreases in a controlled sequence down to 30 stitches.
- Rd. 1: 6sc in Mc (6)
- Rd. 2: inc. (12)
- Rd. 3: (sc, inc.) (18)
- Rd. 4: (2sc, inc.) (24)
- Rd. 5: (3sc, inc.) (30)
- Rd. 6: (4sc, inc.) (36)
- Rd. 7: (5sc, inc.) (42)
- Rd. 8: (6sc, inc.) (48)
- Rd. 9: sc (48)
- Rd. 10: (7sc, inc.) (54)
- Rd. 11: sc (54)
- Rd. 12: (8sc, inc.) (60)
- Rd. 13: (9sc, inc.) (66)
- Rd. 14: (10sc, inc.) (72)
- Rd. 15: sc (72)
- Rd. 16: (11sc, inc.) (78)
- Rd. 17: sc (78)
- Rd. 18: (12sc, inc.) (84)
- Rd. 19: sc (84)
- Rd. 20: sc (84)
- Rd. 21: (12sc, dec.) (78)
- Rd. 22: (11sc, dec.) (72)
- Rd. 23: (10sc, dec.) (66)
- Rd. 24: (9sc, dec.) (60)
- Rd. 25: (8sc, dec.) (54)
- Rd. 26: (7sc, dec.) (48)
- Rd. 27: (6sc, dec) (42)
- Rd. 28: (5sc, dec.) (36)
- Rd. 29: (4sc, dec.) (30)
Fasten off leaving a long tail for sewing. Stuff the head.
Head Shape Checkpoints
The key numerical landmarks are 48 stitches at Round 8, 60 stitches at Round 12, 72 stitches at Round 14, 78 stitches at Round 16, and 84 stitches from Round 18 through Round 20. The decrease sequence then brings the head down to 30 stitches at Round 29.
Checkpoint 6: Make Both Ears Before Sewing
Make two ears in black.
- Rd. 1: 6sc in MC (6)
- Rd. 2: inc (12)
- Rd. 3: (sc, inc) (18)
- Rd. 4: (2sc, inc) (24)
- Rd. 5: (3sc, inc) (30)
- Rd. 6–9: sc (30) 4 rounds
Fasten off leaving a long tail for sewing.
At this point you should have two matching black ears, each ending with 30 stitches and four rounds of sc after the final increase round.
Checkpoint 7: Keep the Arm Direction in Mind
Make two arms in black. The arm has three different shaping areas, so the round numbers are especially useful here.
- Rd. 1: 6sc in Mc (6)
- Rd. 2: inc. (12)
- Rd. 3: (sc,inc.) (18)
- Rd. 4–7: sc (18) 4 Rounds
- Rd. 8: decx2, 14sc (16)
- Rd. 9–16: sc (16) 8 Rounds
- Rd. 17: 10sc, dec., 4sc (15)
- Rd. 18–24: sc (15) 7 Rounds
- Rd. 25: 11sc, dec, 2sc (14)
- Rd. 26: sc (14)
- Rd. 27: sc (14)
- Rd. 28: fold together and crochet both sides together.
Perhaps you have to crochet another sc first. It is important that the decx2 look to the side.
Checkpoint 8: Use the Body’s Front Loops for the Tutu
The tutu is worked on the back at Round 9 from the body and in the front loops. Turn Nele, feet to the top.
- Rd. 1: (sc), sl st (56)
- Rd. 2: 3ch(s)+2dc in same st, (3dc in next st),sl st (168)
- Rd. 3: 3ch (s), (dc), sl st (168)
Cut the yarn and sew it up.
The front-loop placement is an important construction checkpoint. It allows the body color-change area and the ruffled skirt to work together as shown in the source photographs.
Checkpoint 9: Create the Six-Petal Flower
The flower is light pink. The original instruction about the petals is particularly important: do not crochet the dc from the petal complete through. At the end of every petal you will have 6 loops on your hook which you crochet all together = Bobble Stitch.
- Rd. 1: 12sc in MC, sl st (12)
- Rd. 2: (2ch+5dc in same st, 3ch(s), sc in next st) (6 petals)
Fasten off leaving a long tail for sewing.
Checkpoint 10: Make Four Leaves
Use light green yarn for the leaves. Four identical leaves are required.
- Rd. 1: 7ch(s), insert in 2° st from hook, sc, hdc, dc, dc, hdc, sc, 2ch(s), turn your work
- Rd. 2: sc, hdc, dc, dc, hdc, sl st
Fasten off leaving a long tail for sewing.
Because the leaves are small, keeping the tails long is useful for the later sewing stage. The source specifically calls for four leaves, so prepare all four before arranging the head decoration.
Checkpoint 11: Make Two Pink Straps
Make two straps in light pink.
- 12ch(s), sc in 2°st from hook, (3sc in next st) x9, sc in last st.
Make two straps. Their final placement is shown in the pattern’s assembly photograph.
Assembly Sequence: A Practical Order
Once the crocheted pieces are ready, assembly becomes much easier if you treat each attachment as a separate checkpoint. The original source gives the following instructions.
1. Sew the Head to the Body
Sew the head onto the body. Use the long tail left from the head and work securely around the opening.
2. Sew the Ears
Sew the ears onto the sides at 3° round from the top of the head.
3. Sew the Arms
Sew the arms under the seam of the head.
4. Add the Light Pink Neck Detail
Crochet sl st with light pink on the body where the colour changes from white to light pink.
5. Stitch the Nose
Use black yarn to stitch the nose over 4 stitches oblique.
6. Stitch the Snout
Divide the yarn and stitch the snout over 4 rounds.
7. Stitch the Bellybutton
Stitch the bellybutton with black yarn.
8. Sew the Straps
Sew the straps as you can see in the picture.
Head Decoration: Pin First, Sew Second
The source recommends using pins to find the right position of the leaves. This is a valuable finishing checkpoint because the arrangement is placed on the right side of the head.
Once the position looks correct, sew the leaves and the flower to the right side of the head.
Face Placement Check
Before considering the head finished, compare the facial components as a group. The original instructions specify 12mm safety eyes, white felt around the eyes with a 1mm (0.039 inch) distance, black felt facial areas, and light pink felt circles with a 0,07 inch diameter.
The eye placement instruction is to count 18 rounds from the magic circle, with a distance of 9 st. Close the safety eyes and sew the black felt onto the head.
Keeping these measurements together as one checkpoint helps prevent the eye pieces, felt, and cheeks from drifting away from the placement specified by the pattern.
What to Check Before Closing the Project
Body
- Legs point toward each other.
- Body begins with 60 stitches after joining.
- Round 9 is back loops only and changes to white.
- Round 13 changes to light pink.
- Round 25 is back loops only and changes to black.
- Round 28 finishes at 30 stitches.
- Body is stuffed after fastening off.
Head
- Head reaches 84 stitches at Round 18.
- Rounds 19–20 remain at 84 stitches.
- Round 29 ends at 30 stitches.
- Head is stuffed after fastening off.
Limbs
- Two black ears are completed.
- Two black arms are completed.
- The arms are folded and joined at Round 28.
- The arm decrease direction is kept to the side.
Clothing and Decoration
- Tutu begins from the body Round 9 front loops.
- Flower has 6 petals.
- Four light green leaves are made.
- Two light pink straps are made.
Finishing Tips Without Changing the Pattern
When working an amigurumi project with many shaping rounds, one of the safest habits is to check the number in parentheses before moving forward. The parentheses in this pattern provide a reliable checkpoint for each round. If the number is wrong, stop and recount rather than changing the following round.
Color changes deserve the same attention. The white section begins at Round 9, light pink returns at Round 13, and black begins at Round 25. The two back-loop-only instructions are also fixed points that should be followed exactly as written.
For assembly, avoid sewing everything immediately. First place the head, ears, arms, straps, leaves, and flower with pins where the source indicates. This gives you a chance to inspect symmetry and orientation before making the attachment permanent.
When stuffing the body and head, the source simply instructs you to use soft stuffing (Polyfill). No extra stuffing quantity is specified, so the safest approach is to follow the source’s construction rather than introducing a new measurement.
Common Checkpoint Problems
The Body Count Is Not 60 After Joining
Review the joining sequence: 23 sc around the first leg, 6sc in the chains, 24sc around the second leg, and 6sc in the chains. The source gives a total of 60 sc.
The Feet Do Not Face Each Other
Check the orientation before continuing the body. The source explicitly states that the tips of the feet should look at each other.
The Head Does Not Reach 84 Stitches
Recheck the increase rounds before Round 18. The original sequence reaches 84 stitches at Round 18 and remains at 84 through Rounds 19 and 20.
The Tutu Is Not Sitting at the Correct Height
Check that you started on the back at Round 9 from the body and worked in the front loops with Nele’s feet to the top.
The Flower Arrangement Looks Unbalanced
Do not sew immediately. Use pins to find the right position of the leaves, then attach the leaves and flower to the right side of the head.
Final Finished-Piece Review
The finished piece brings together several distinct crochet sections without changing their original roles. The black feet establish the lower silhouette, the pink and white body forms the dress-like torso, and the black arms and ears create the panda shape. The white head provides the canvas for the felt face and safety eyes.
The ruffled tutu is one of the most recognizable finishing elements, while the two pink straps add the final dress structure. The light pink flower and four green leaves complete the decoration on the right side of the head.
Quick Reference: Pieces to Have Ready
- Two completed black legs
- One completed and stuffed body
- One completed and stuffed white head
- Two black ears
- Two black arms
- One light pink tutu
- One light pink flower with 6 petals
- Four light green leaves
- Two light pink straps
- Facial felt pieces
- 12mm safety eyes
Final Assembly Order
- Complete and stuff the body.
- Complete and stuff the head.
- Prepare the safety-eye and felt pieces.
- Sew the head onto the body.
- Sew the ears onto the sides at 3° round from the top of the head.
- Sew the arms under the head seam.
- Add the light pink slip-stitch detail at the white-to-light-pink color change.
- Stitch the nose over 4 stitches oblique.
- Stitch the snout over 4 rounds.
- Stitch the bellybutton with black yarn.
- Sew the two pink straps.
- Use pins to position the four leaves.
- Sew the leaves and flower to the right side of the head.
About the Original Pattern
The supplied source credits the pattern to Amalou.Designs. It also states that the pattern is for personal use only and may not be resold, shared, rewritten, or distributed. If the finished doll is sold, the source asks that the designer Amalou.Designs be pointed out.
The source also invites makers to share pictures of their Nele using #pandanele and @amalou.designs.
Conclusion
Nele the little Panda becomes much more manageable when each major section has its own checkpoint. Instead of worrying about the entire doll at once, concentrate first on the 60-stitch leg join, then the body’s fixed color changes, then the 84-stitch head, followed by the matching ears and shaped arms. The tutu, straps, flower, and leaves can then be treated as separate finishing modules before the final assembly.
The most important principle throughout the project is accuracy rather than improvisation. Keep every round number, stitch count, color change, and placement instruction exactly where the original pattern puts it. Use the supplied photographs as visual checkpoints for the shape and assembly, and use the numerical counts as your technical checkpoints. With those two forms of verification working together, the final result can retain the distinctive appearance of the original Nele design.