Advanced Standing Dragon Plush with Large Wings - Full Crochet Pattern

Designer: PurlJam • Website: https://purljam.verde.uk • Support: team@verde.uk • Socials: #purljam

Overview

This is an advanced-level amigurumi pattern to make a standing dragon plush with articulated legs, internal wire armature for stable posing, and large, structured wings with surface-ribbing. Pattern assumes confident knowledge of continuous rounds, invisible decreases, short rows, and sewing/assembly of shaped parts. Finished size: approximately 18–22 inches (46–56 cm) tall depending on hook and stuffing tension.

Materials

• Yarn: Worsted/Aran weight (US 4). Main color (MC): 350–450 yards (320–412 m) / 300–375 g. Contrast color (CC) for wing membranes, belly, spines: 150–250 yards (137–229 m) / 100–200 g. Fiber content: acrylic, wool blend, or cotton blend suitable for stuffing.
• Hook and needle sizes (equivalents included):
  • Crochet hooks: US G/6 (4.0 mm) / UK (old) 8 / Metric 4.0 mm. Alternative for tighter fabric: US F/5 (3.75 mm) / Metric 3.75 mm.
  • Knitting needles (optional for knitted inserts or panels): US 6 / UK 4 / Metric 4.0 mm.
• Safety eyes (optional): 12–18 mm (use washers rated for toys) or embroidered eyes for child-safe toy.
• Sturdy craft wire for armature: two 14–16 gauge wires for legs and one 16–18 gauge for tail/wings spine. Wrap with tape and cover with yarn or use cable inside tubing to protect stuffing and fabric.
• Polyfill stuffing, polyester fiberfill. Optional: pea pellets or bag of dried beans for base stabilization (in a sealed inner pouch).
• Tapestry needle, stitch markers, sewing pins, scissors, hot glue (optional for reinforcing wing seam), felt for pads (optional), thin craft foam (optional internal wing stiffeners).

Gauge

Sample gauge for body: 16 sc x 20 rounds = 4" (10 cm) using 4.0 mm hook. Because fit and standing depend on fabric density, aim for a tight fabric: if your gauge is more open, reduce hook size by one step.

Stitch abbreviations (US terms) and UK equivalents

• MR: magic ring
• ch: chain
• sc: single crochet (UK: dc)
• hdc: half double crochet (UK: htr)
• dc: double crochet (UK: tr)
• sl st: slip stitch
• inc: increase (2 sc in same st)
• dec: invisible decrease (sc2tog invisibly)
• BLO/FLO: back/front loop only
• sk: skip

Notes & advanced techniques

• Work in continuous rounds unless directed otherwise. Use a stitch marker to track round beginnings.
• Invisible decreases: use the invisible decrease method for smooth shaping on cylindrical parts.
• Short rows: used for shaping snout and shoulder slopes. Wrap-and-turn or working partial rows as described in the pattern.
• Wire armature: all wire must be fully wrapped or sleeved and the end anchored into the foot/leg interior to avoid poking through. Reinforce ends with heavy-duty sewing around the base.

Construction order summary

1. Make spine core and tail (includes internal wire slip).
2. Make body and hips; shape insert channel for leg armature.
3. Make head and horns, attach to body; integrate neck shaping.
4. Make legs and feet with internal wires, attach to body with reinforced sewing.
5. Create wings: two wing bones (ribs) and two membranes; join and add surface ribs and optional stiffeners.
6. Add dorsal spines/scales and tail finishing details.
7. Stuff, assemble, embroider details, finish seams and apply protective coating to wire ends.

Pattern: Head & Neck (worked top-down, in continuous rounds)

Use MC, 4.0 mm hook.

1. Head R1: MR 6 sc (6)
2. R2: inc around (12)
3. R3: (sc, inc) x6 (18)
4. R4: (2 sc, inc) x6 (24)
5. R5: (3 sc, inc) x6 (30)
6. R6: (4 sc, inc) x6 (36)
7. R7–R11: sc around (36) — insert safety eyes between R8–R9, spacing ~6–8 sts apart depending on eye size; use washers.
8. R12: (4 sc, dec) x6 (30)
9. Insert short row for snout shaping: work 18 sts across front only stopping at midpoint, turn and work back 18 sts in rows for 4 short rows, decreasing at the base of the short rows to create a tapered snout. Wrap-and-turn or pick up loops later. After short rows, continue in rounds.
10. R13: sc around (30)
11. R14: (3 sc, dec) x6 (24)
12. R15: (2 sc, dec) x6 (18)
13. Stuff head firmly on Rounds 14–16; close with invisible decreases and finish off, leaving tail for sewing into neck cavity.

Neck & Shoulder Integration

Pick up stitches around the base of the head into neck shaping.

1. Join on neck R1: pick up 18–22 sts around base (depending on size) and work sc rounds increasing to blend into body join.
2. Work 6–8 rounds of sc decreasing gradually to the body gauge. Leave a stitch marker where the neck meets body to aid placement during assembly.

Body & Torso (make second major piece or work continuous from neck depending on preference)

1. Body R1: MR 10 sc (10)
2. R2: inc around (20)
3. R3: (sc, inc) x10 (30)
4. R4: (2 sc, inc) x10 (40)
5. R5: (3 sc, inc) x10 (50)
6. R6–R10: sc around (50) — at round 8 mark front center for belly panel and leg placement.
7. R11: (3 sc, dec) x10 (40)
8. R12: (2 sc, dec) x10 (30)
9. Stuff firmly up through the chest. Continue R13: sc around (30) and shape hips with increases for leg anchors as below.

Legs (make 2, reinforced for standing)

Legs are worked from foot up to thigh; leave a long tail for sewing. Insert 14–16 gauge wire from foot through to thigh; the wire should be anchored into the foot tip by wrapping and knotting or by looping around a felt pad inside foot sole.

1. Foot R1: MR 7 sc (7)
2. R2: inc around (14)
3. R3: (sc, inc) x7 (21)
4. R4–R6: sc around (21)
5. Start shaping ankle: R7: (4 sc, dec) x3 (18)
6. R8–R10: sc around (18)
7. Begin thigh shaping: R11: (5 sc, inc) x3 (21)
8. R12–R17: sc around (21)—stuff foot and lower leg firmly, leave top open to insert wire and sew to body at hip anchors. Use an inner-seam reinforcement: whipstitch top 6–8 sts to the body, then sew around with doubled yarn for extra durability.

Tail (tapering, with internal wire; add dorsal scales)

1. Tail R1: MR 6 sc (6)
2. R2: inc around (12)
3. R3–R6: sc around (12)
4. R7: (2 sc, dec) x3 (9)
5. R8–R14: sc around (9) decreasing every 3rd round until tip is 4–6 sts; insert thinner gauge wire for poseable tail, anchor into body base with heavy sewing.
6. Dorsal spines: Make 10–14 small triangle scales in CC. Triangle pattern: ch4, 2 dc in 2nd ch from hook, dc in next, sl st in last, fasten off. Sew along spine at even intervals, overlapping slightly.

Wings (Large structured wings, make 2)

Wing consists of an inner bone framework and a membrane. Optionally create an internal thin plastic/twill web or lightweight craft foam between membranes for extra stability.

Wing bones (ribs)

1. Make a central wing bone panel (work flat): ch 36 (length of bone depends on dragon size; lengthen for larger wings). Row1: sc in 2nd ch from hook across (35). Row2–4: ch1, turn, sc across. Add 2–3 tapered tips: decrease 1 st at the end of each row to create tapered bone points.
2. Make 3–5 additional rib strips that decrease in length radiating from the central bone: ch 30, ch 24, ch 18, etc. Single crochet several rows to create firm ribs.

Wing membrane (flat semicircular panel)

1. With CC on 4.0 mm hook, ch 46; Row1: sc across (45). Row2: ch1, turn, sc across. Continue for 10–12 rows to make a wide rectangular membrane.
2. Alternatively, work in rounds for a scalloped edge: start MR and increase in a semicircular shape until membrane reaches desired span.

Assembling wings

• Lay rib strips onto membrane and sew through all layers with whipstitch using strong yarn; reinforce at base where wing connects to shoulder/upper back by sewing through 6–8 stitches into body canvas.
• Surface-crochet ridges along ribs: use hook to sc across rib edges on the exterior of the wing to create raised bones.
• Attach thin craft wire to central bone and to a short wire to run into body to anchor. Cover wire ends with tape and wrap in yarn; place inside or between layers before final sewing so there is no sharp end.

Horns, Ears & Facial Details

1. Horns: Make 2 horn cones in MC. MR 4 sc; R1: sc around (4) R2: (inc) x4 (8) R3–R6: sc around (8) R7: (dec) x2 (4) fasten off leaving long tail to sew. Stuff sparsely to keep curve. For curved horns, insert a short length of flexible wire and bend before securing.
2. Ears/fin: ch6 row sc back and forth, increase at base, decrease to a point, finish with a picot edge for texture.
3. Snout ridges and nostrils: embroider with CC or FELT panels sewn in and top-stitched.

Optional texture: scales and surface crochet

• Scale stitch: work small overlapping semicircles using short strips worked in dc clusters sewn along sides. Make separate small scale motifs and sew overlapping down flanks.
• Surface crochet: use a contrasting yarn and a 3.5 mm hook to work sc or slip-stitch ridges along the spine and wing bones to emphasize structure.

Assembly

1. Insert leg wires and anchor to body by sewing the leg tops into hip openings. Use multiple passes of strong yarn to anchor and seat legs so weight is distributed.
2. Attach head securely to neck opening: whipstitch head tail into neck and reinforce with a running stitch through head base and into upper torso. Add a button joint or a tight sewing loop if you want limited swivel movement.
3. Attach wings to upper back: align bases symmetrically and sew the base of the wing securely to the body through multiple rows of whipstitch and backstitch. Consider a small sewn-in piece of felt under the wing junction for reinforcement.
4. Sew tail to body base with ladder stitch and reinforce with internal whipping around the wire core so it cannot be tugged out.

Finishing touches

• Embroider or sculpt the eyes, eyelids and brows. Add eyebrow ridges using surface crochet and then lightly block into shape.
• Weave-in all ends and use a small dab of craft glue inside critical seams (wing base, leg anchors) if the toy is decorative only. For children’s toys, avoid glue at seams and rely on sewn reinforcement.
• Blush with pastel chalks or toy-safe paints for highlights, carefully sealing according to paint instructions.

Safety notes (pattern-related)

If making for small children or infants, avoid small parts such as unsafe-sized safety eyes, beads, or glued pieces. Embroider eyes and secure all internal wires with extra wrapping and covering. When using wire, fully encase wire tips and test pull force to ensure wires do not puncture.

Customizations & sizing

• To make a larger dragon, increase initial MR counts and proportionally increase wing membrane dimensions. Add additional wing ribs for stability.
• For a plush that holds poses well, use heavier yarn for bone ribs and stronger wire for the armature; for a softer plush, reduce wire gauge and increase stuffing density.

Troubleshooting tips

• Legs too floppy: add a second wire filament inside leg or reinforce with a piece of plastic-coated cable inside tubing.
• Wings droop: add a curved wire along central bone or insert a lightweight plastic stiffener between membrane layers.
• Head lopsided: remove and re-seat with extra filling and reinforcing stitches, or add a small internal support disc (felt) glued into neck cavity then sewn in.

Abbreviated stitch worksheet (for reference)

MR, inc, sc, dec(invis), ch, BLO/FLO, sl st, hdc, dc

Final assembly checklist

• All wires wrapped and sealed.
• Leg anchors reinforced with doubled sewing and backing felt if desired.
• Wings sewn into body with multiple passes and internal stiffener if using.
• All ends woven in and trim excess yarn.

If you need a printable PDF or step-by-step photo tutorial for specific sections (eg wing ribs or leg armature installation), contact support at team@verde.uk or visit https://purljam.verde.uk. Happy stitching — share your makes with #purljam!

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