Crochet an Amish Puzzle Ball – a hippo that comes apart (EN & DE)

IMPORTANT: You are buying a PDF pattern, NOT the finished item.

Crochet pattern for an Amish puzzle ball hippo – a baby toy that comes apart and puzzles back together. PDF for instant download, in English and German.

The Amish puzzle ball is a classic: it looks like a ball, but it comes apart into several pieces and puzzles back together. This one is a hippo – with head, ears, four legs and a little tail, in grey with dark grey feet. A toy children can take apart and rebuild again and again, and a gift you rarely see anywhere else. How the pieces are made and fit together is explained step by step in the pattern.

11 pages, illustrated with photos
bilingual: English and German in one file
with gauge and a complete list of materials
stitch count at the end of every round
the ball comes apart and puzzles back together

Photo note: The crocheted item is real and made by me. On some photos the background was AI-generated or digitally edited.

If you run into any trouble or if an error has slipped in somewhere, please send me a message before leaving a review – we will sort it out together!

Chain, single crochet, slip stitch, half double crochet, double crochet, triple crochet, magic ring, increase, double, decrease, skip.
The parts are worked in rounds and in rows. Each part states which of the two is used.
Every round is listed separately, with the stitch count at the end of the line.

Gauge: 26 stitches × 24 rows = 10 × 10 cm / 4 × 4 inches.
Yarn used: Schachenmayr Catania (50 g = 125 m / 137 yds).

approx. 100 g grey yarn
small amount of dark grey
a pair of black safety eyes, approx. 7.5 mm / 0.3 inches
stuffing
crochet hook 3 mm, darning needle, scissors