Design Diary | Wall Dragon Amigurumi Pattern

If you’ve ever wanted a crochet dragon to guard your craft room, you’re going to love this new pattern in progress! This wall-mounted dragon amigurumi is a big, bold fantasy project that combines plush sculpture with home decor. Follow along as I design this brand new pattern!

Why A Pattern Design Diary?

In this design diary, I’m sharing each step of my process — from my horrible sketches to shaping the perfect wings. Follow along for progress photos, behind-the-scenes videos, and a chance to help test the pattern before it’s released!

I LOVE to design amigurumi, and up until recently, I used to keep my designs a secret until the day they launched. They I would have a big reveal of the pattern with a loud, “Ta da!”

Then I realized it was even more fun sharing progress photos and “sneak peeks” and participating in the conversations that follow. I get input from other yarn artists and get to share my excitement for the creature as it comes together.

Designing “live” just makes the whole process a little more fun for all of us!

You can also follow along with the Video Design Diary in several places:

HbK on YouTube (shorts and longer posts, plus live design events!)

Instagram

Facebook

TikTok

Wall Dragon Pattern Inspiration

I have wanted to make a wall dragon for ages! I have other ideas (oh, yes. I’m making more…), but this one is something exciting.

A few years ago, for Halloween, we decorated our living room in Harry Potter theme. Of course, my grand idea was a GIANT dragon (horntail, of course) coming out of the wall. I found this pepakura (cardstock paper sculpture) and it turned out to be 4 feet tall by 6 feet wide, and it stuck 2 feet out from the wall. He’s HUGE!

Since then, my huge paper dragon moved into our office, but I’ve always dreamed of making a smaller, crocheted one (because when you design amigurumi, your brain makes everything into yarn art).

So here it is…my plan for the yarn-tastic wall dragon — well wyvern — crawling out of the wall.

Check out this video of the 3D paper dragon

Supplies I’m Using

I’m designing the wall dragon with Big Twist Value, something I have a lot of since Joann’s closed and I stocked up on my favorite worsted weight yarn in case it was discontinued.

I chose really bold colors for my first prototype, mostly so I can see the contrast easily between the spikes/claws/horns and the shaping of the body. (I learned the hard way — never design in dark colors! You can’t see the shaping at all!)

• Big Twist Value yarn, 100% acrylic, worsted weight, 380 yds/6 oz/170 g. Light Green for the body, Plum for the spikes and wings, Red mouth, and Ivory teeth
• Furls G (4.00 mm) hook
• Polyfil stuffing
• 24mm safety eyes from Darkside Crochet

Apply To Be A Tester!

Use this form to apply to be a tester when the pattern is finished. (Some time in Q3, 2025.)

Get Early Access To The Pattern Before Launch!

Piece-By-Piece Updates (Most Recent At The End)

Watch this Wall Dragon amigurumi pattern come together!

Scroll down for latest update! Want to get notified when I add a new diary entry?

Horribly-Drawn Sketches Of A Wall Dragon

Oh, how I wish I could draw! I need to have this down on paper in order to plan my math and my measurements, but holy wow, is it ugly. HA!

Thank goodness I have pictures of my inspiration that I can refer back to instead of this monstrosity.

Video Update for Sketch

Dragon Mouth and Integrated Teeth

I knew I wanted to use integrated teeth, just like I did the Zeke the Land Shark pattern. This way, you make a mouth with teeth already attached, and there is no need to sew in all those chompers! They look more realistic if they aren’t sewn it, and let’s face it, any way to save time and effort is a bonus.

So my first attempt had the teeth done exactly like the shark, but in the shark mouth, the red shows above the teeth, so I redid the mouth with a row of white before the teeth attachment to prevent any red from showing above them. It worked great!

I really like these teeth. I think I MIGHT make the fangs longer and add some on the bottom once we get to the testing phase and I can have others input on their placement. 🙂

Yes, I rely on my testers to help me get things right, not just look for errors. It’s loads of fun testing with a team. You can fill out this form if you are interested in becoming an HbK tester.

Video comparing the two teeth styles.

Dragon Snout and Chin – Part One

Working back and forth on rounds in order to fill in a space is something I have done before, most recently on Zeke the Land Shark (okay, he was a test for a LOT of new techniques I wanted to master). This first attempt at the dragon’s snout and chin were not…ideal.

It is okay. I’m not thrilled to death. I keep telling myself that there are a lot of details to add to the head and so it doesn’t need to be very expressive yet, but I still don’t think it’s great.

So I’m writing down what I did and how, then I’m doing something I HATE and ripping it out to try something different. Cross your fingers with me I don’t end up having to do this exact same thing over again and waste all that time. *sigh*

Video of the flopping head.

Dragon Snout and Chin – Part Two

Soooooo much better!

I ripped out the snout and started again, using only one slip stitch on the jaw between rows instead of two. This made the head curve (since short rounds), but it also allowed me to play with the shaping a bit more. I moved the nostril up to the front of the snout and made them bigger. I made the end a sharper incline, and added increases in better places for the eye shaping.

All this allowed me to keep a few stitches on the jaw unused to work into the neck, so that will help with stability and keeping the mouth open without being floppy.

I LOVE it now, and I’m ready to move in to the neck.

Video of the new and improved head.

LIVE! Amiguru-Math for Neck Short Rounds!

DRagon Neck and Shoulders

Whew! It’s nice to get a little farther on this guy after a busy week last week. I’m getting really excited to start his body! He’s getting TOO BIG to post little video or even to crochet in my office chair comfortably, so I will probably be moving videos to the pink chair.

Yesterday, once I had a neck on this guy and knew the angles were going to be right, I installed my safety eyes for real. Eek! It’s always a little scary to put the washers on, but they are on and permanent.

I finished stuffing his head, added the other mouth corner to help his jaw keep its structure, and stuffed his newly curved neck. 🙂

Now, onto the shoulders! They are going to have to be HUGE because I have to increase to accommodate both of his 30-st-around shoulders and keep the body increasing. So I will be increasing out to at least 108…maybe more depending on how the branching goes.

Here’s the video update:

DRagon torso and Adding Plastic Canvas

There was a fair amount of math that needed to be done on the torso, though I didn’t do a video for this math. I know, you love a good math video, but it needed to get done over the weekend. Curving 80 sts required quite a few short rounds (as you can imagine), and I’m thrilled with how it turned out.

I then got to work on measuring and cutting the plastic canvas for the flat back that will mount to the wall.

I once again *sigh* had to use math from middle school to figure out the size of my plastic canvas circle. I knew my gauge, and I knew I had 80 sts around. In my standard gauge with a G hook and worsted weight yarn, it would be 20 inches around. (80 sts /8 sts per 2″= 4 sts =1 inch. 80/4 = 20 inches around. ) That was my circumference.

I had to yell over my shoulder and up the stairs to one of my high school kids, “Boys! What is the formula for the diameter of a circle?!”

I got back, also in yelling, “Circumference divided by pi!” (I also got, “I don’t know! I’m a music major!” But that was less helpful.)

So 20 inches / 3.14 = 6.34ish. I stupidly rounded up to 6.5.

I cut out the middle of my circle so I could sew it to the dragon, and tried to squeeze it in. It’s too big. Shocker, I know. So am cutting it down to 6″ in diameter and trying again.

But you know what I did before I picked out my seams? I hung it on the door. To my absolute delight…. IT…. WORKS! The angle of the neck and torso support the weight of the head and it will stick out just like I wanted it to. Will it possibly still need more support in the future? Maybe. But for now, I’m so excited I will cross that bridge when I get to it.

My dream of a wall dragon is becoming reality. Wahoo!

Here is a video!

What Should We Name Our Dragon?

Similar HbK Patterns

These patterns share elements with this design. If you think this looks fun, you might really enjoy these!

Zeke the Land Shark (cool integrated teeth and lips)

Charlie the Celestial Dragon (short rounds at their finest)

Dragon Wing Pillow (wing math!)

Kati Brown

Kati is the designer behind Hooked by Kati. With thousands of patterns sold around the world, Kati prides herself in creating innovative, easy-to-follow amigurumi patterns. She has designed for several publications, including Crochet!, Crochet World, Simply Crochet, and I Like Crochet. Kati finds her inspiration in science fiction, video games, and numerous visits to the zoo — all passions she shares with her husband and two boys.