The amigurumi was inspired by tangyuan, also called Chinese glutinous rice balls, a traditional Chinese dish that has been eaten by Chinese people around the world since ancient times. While eaten all year around, tangyuan is a traditional food made and eaten by the Chinese and Peranakans during Dongzhi (the Winter Solstice) and the Yuanxiao Festival, the last day of Chinese New Year, as a symbol of harmony and family reunion.

Pattern Notes

The pattern consists of 3 sections for a small version and a large version and a half-eaten version.

The small and large versions are basically a crochet ball, which is a basic technique for making amigurumi. So, it is very easy to make and is suitable for beginners in amigurumi. Each comprise of only 1 part -- a crocheted sphere worked in one piece, with only single crochet stitches worked in the round. It can be made in continuous rounds or closed rounds.

The half-eaten version has 3 parts: the main body, the filling and the optional dribble. It is also fairly easy and beginner-friendly.

Finished Size

Small tangyuan: approx. Ø 2cm
Large tangyuan: approx. Ø 3cm~3.5cm
Half-eaten tangyuan: approx. 4cm by 5.4cm by 2.8cm
Finished size may vary depending on yarn weight, hook size and crochet tension.

Materials & Tools

• Yarn, fingering/sports weight in white, bright pink or red, golden brown (peanut filling), dark grey or black (sesame filling)
• 2mm and 2.5mm crochet hook
• Stuffing
• Stitch markers
• Scissors
• Yarn needle
• 4 - 4.5mm and 6 - 7mm safety eyes (optional)
• Embroidery thread (optional)

Crochet Techniques

This pattern uses US crochet terms and consists of the following stitches:

MR : magic ring
sl st : slip stitch
sc : single crochet
hdc : half double crochet
dc : double crochet
inc : increase
dec : decrease / invisible decrease
sl2tog : slip stitch 2 stitches together
hdc2tog : half double crochet 2 stitches together
dc2tog : double crochet 2 stitches together

©All Rights Reserved. Unless stated otherwise, the content and images are mine. Please do not sell, copy or distribute them without my express consent. Sharing of the pattern is welcomed. To share the pattern, please link to the pattern post and include my Instagram profile @yotsuba_blythes with proper attribution. Sale of limited quantities of the finished items made from this pattern is permitted and please include my website and Instagram profile as attribution for the pattern.