Henry the Hanging Opossum
NOTE: Pattern uses US terminology. All diagrams/images/example images are at the end.
Stitch count is in curly brackets ({}) at the end of each row’s instructions.
Checkboxes (□) and circles (◯) are provided so you can keep track of rows you completed.
Materials
• Crochet Hook Size: 4.00mm
• 14-inch Floral Wire, around 18 gauge
• Yarn Needle
• Safety Eyes (Optional.) Example used smooth
buttons instead.
• Yarn weight 2 or 3 in four colors:
- Gray, white, black, and pink
Body
Foundation: In the color Gray, make a magic circle.
□ Row 1: SC 5 into magic circle {5} □ ◯
Row 1: SC 6 into magic circle. {6} □
Row 2: INC 6 {12} □
Row 3: (SC, INC) 6 times {18} □
Row 4: (SC, INC, SC) 6 times {24} □
Row 5: (SC 3, INC) 6 times {30} □
Row 6: (SC 2, INC, SC 2) 6 times {36} □
Row 7: (SC 5, INC) 6 times {42} □
Rows 8-20: SC all 42 {42} □□□ □□□ □□□ □□□ □
Row 21: (DEC, SC 19) 2 times {40} □
Row 22: SC 9, DEC, SC 18, DEC, SC 9 {38} □
Row 23: (DEC, SC 17) 2 times {36} □
Row 24: SC 8, DEC, SC 16, DEC, SC 8 {34} □
Row 25: (DEC, SC 15) 2 times {32} □
Row 26: SC 7, DEC, SC 14, DEC, SC 7 {30} □
Row 27: (DEC, SC 13) 2 times {28} □
Row 28: SC 6, DEC, SC 12, DEC, SC 6 {26} □
Row 29: (DEC, SC 11) 2 times {24} □
Row 30: SC 5, DEC, SC 10, DEC, SC 5 {22} □
Fill tightly with stuffing.
Row 31: (DEC, SC 9) 2 times {20} □
SLST, CH 1 tightly and cut off, leaving a long string
for sewing. Pinch the open end of the body shut flat
and sew in place.
Abbreviations (US)
CH Chain
YO Yarn Over
SC Single Crochet
DEC SC Decrease
INC SC Increase
SLST Slip stitch
Arms (make 2)
Foundation: In Pink, make a magic circle. □ ◯
Row 2: INC 5 {10} □ ◯
Row 3: Toe Stitch* 3, SC 7 {10} □ ◯
The instructions for the “Toe Stitch” are near the
end of this PDF.
Row 4: SC all 10 {10} □ ◯
SLST, CH 1 tightly and cut off. Perform a color
change to Black by tying black string into any of the
stitches from Row 4. Place the first stitch of the
following row in the same space as the tie-in.
Row 5: SC all 10 {10} □ ◯
Row 6: (SC 4, INC) 2 times {12} □ ◯
Rows 7-10: SC all 12 {12} □□□□ ◯◯◯◯
Row 11: (SC 5, INC) 2 times {14} □ ◯
Rows 12-14: SC all 14 {14} □□□ ◯◯◯
SLST, CH 1 tightly and cut off. Perform a color
change to Gray by tying gray string into any of the
stitches from Row 14. Place the first stitch of the
following row in the same space as the tie-in.
Rows 15-17: SC all 14 {14} □□□ ◯◯◯
Row 18: (SC 5, DEC) 2 times {12} □ ◯
SLST, CH 1 tightly and cut off, leaving a long tail
for sewing. Fill with a little stuffing. Pinch the open
end shut and sew flat, with the flat side
perpendicular to the toes as in Image 1. Note that
this is different from the arms, where the flat side is
parallel to the toes. Once you have made 2 arms,
sew the hands together. Wait to sew the arms onto
the body until after you make the head, so you can
align them properly.
 Head
Foundation: In the color Gray, make a magic circle.
□ make a sharp triangle shape then sewn shut
Row 1: SC 6 into magic circle. {6} □
Row 2: INC 6 {12} □
Row 3: (SC, INC) 6 times {18} □
Row 4: (SC, INC, SC) 6 times {24} □
Row 5: (SC 3, INC) 6 times {30} □
Row 6: (SC 2, INC, SC 2) 6 times {36} □
Rows 7-12: SC all 36 {36} □□□ □□□
SLST, CH 1 tightly and cut off. Perform a color
change to White by tying white string into any of the
stitches from Row 12. Place the first stitch of the
following row in the same space as the tie-in.
Row 13: In the color White, SC all 36 {36} □
Row 14: (SC 10, DEC) 3 times {33} □
Row 15: (SC 9, DEC) 3 times {30} □
Row 16: (SC 8, DEC) 3 times {27} □
Row 17: (SC 7, DEC) 3 times {24} □
If you’re using safety eyes, they will go between
Rows 16 and 17, about 12 stitches apart. This might
seem like a weird placement, but later you will sinch
the face like in Image 2 below.
Row 18: (SC 6, DEC) 3 times {21} □
Row 19: (SC 5, DEC) 3 times {18} □
Fill tightly with stuffing.
Rows 20 & 21: SC all 18 {18} □□
Row 22: (SC 4, DEC) 3 times {15} □
Add more stuffing if necessary.
Row 23: (SC 3, DEC) 3 times {12} □
Row 24: (SC 2, DEC) 3 times {9} □
Row 25: (SC, DEC) 3 times {6} □
SLST, CH 1 tightly and cut off, leaving a long string
for sewing. Insert Safety Eyes if you haven’t already.
Use extra string to pull the two eye points together
from the inside of the head, forming two eye divots
as pictured in Image 2 below. Sew the hole shut.
Sew Gray string down the white part of the face,
forming a sharp triangle shape that runs from the
color change down between the eyes and points to
the nose.
Use Pink string to create a V shape for the nose.
Sew head onto body along the seam of the color
change. To stop the head hanging downward when
upside down, sew the chin part flush with the body.
Sew the arms onto the body, so the hands rest just
below the tip of the nose.
Tail
The tail is crocheted in rows (NOT in the round) to
lengthwise.
Foundation: In Pink CH 15, leaving a long beginning
tail for sewing later. {15} □
Rows 1-5: CH 1 & turn, SC 15 {15} □□□ □□
Row 6: CH 1 & turn, SC 7, DEC, SC 6 {14} □
Row 7: CH 1 & turn, SC 14 {14} □
Row 8: CH 1 & turn, SC 6, DEC, SC 6 {13} □
Row 9: CH 1 & turn, SC 13 {13} □
Row 10: CH 1 & turn, SC 5, DEC, SC 6 {12} □
Rows 11 & 12: CH 1 & turn, SC 12 {12} □□
Row 13: CH 1 & turn, SC 5, DEC, SC 5 {11} □
Rows 14 & 15: CH 1 & turn, SC 11 {11} □□
Row 16: CH 1 & turn, SC 5, DEC, SC 4 {10} □
Rows 17 & 18: CH 1 & turn, SC 10 {10} □□
Row 19: CH 1 & turn, SC 4, DEC, SC 4 {9} □
Rows 20-22: CH 1 & turn, SC 9 {9} □□□
Row 23: CH 1 & turn, SC 3, DEC, SC 4 {8} □
Rows 24 & 25: CH 1 & turn, SC 8 {8} □□
Row 26: CH 1 & turn, SC 3, DEC, SC 3 {7} □
Rows 27 & 28: CH 1 & turn, SC 7 {7} □□
Row 29: CH 1 & turn, SC 3, DEC, SC 2 {6} □
Rows 30-33: CH 1 & turn, SC 6 {6} □□□□
Row 34: CH 1 & turn, SC 2, DEC, SC 2 {5} □
Rows 35-37: CH 1 & turn, SC 5 {5} □□□
Row 38: CH 1 & turn, SC, DEC, SC 2 {4} □
Rows 39-42: CH 1 & turn, SC 4 {4} □□□□
Row 43: CH 1 & turn, SC, DEC, SC {3} □
Rows 44 & 45: CH 1 & turn, SC 3 {3} □□
Row 46: CH 1 & turn, SC, DEC {2} □
CH 1 tightly and cut off, leaving a long tail for
sewing. Fold the tail shut lengthwise and sew shut.
Bend the very end of the floral wire in closely so it is
not so sharp. Insert that end of the wire into the tail
all the way to the tip. There should be a few inches of
wire sticking out. Fill tail lightly with stuffing. Bend
into a J-shape. Bend the excess wire into a circle with
a diameter the same as the Body’s, as in Diagram 3.
Insert the end of this circle into the center under the
Body and rotate the tail until the wire is completely
hidden within the body and the tail is stabilized. Sew
the tail in place.
 Legs (make 2)
Foundation: In Pink, make a magic circle. □ ◯
Row 1: SC 6 into magic circle {6} □ ◯
Row 2: INC 6 {12} □ ◯
Row 3: Toe Stitch* 3, SC 9 {12} □ ◯
Row 4: SC all 12 {12} □ ◯
SLST, CH 1 tightly and cut off. Perform a color
change to Black by tying black string into any of the
stitches from Row 4. Place the first stitch of the
following row in the same space as the tie-in.
Row 5: SC all 12 {12} □ ◯
Row 6: (SC 3, INC) 3 times {15} □ ◯
Rows 7-9: SC all 15 {15} □□ ◯◯
SLST, CH 1 tightly and cut off. Perform a color
change to Gray by tying gray string into any of the
stitches from Row 9. Place the first stitch of the
following row in the same space as the tie-in.
Rows 10-14: SC all 15 {15} □□□ □□ ◯◯◯ ◯◯
SLST, CH 1 tightly and cut off, leaving a long string
for sewing. Fill with a little stuffing. Pinch the open
end shut and sew flat, with the flat side parallel to
the toes as in Image 1. Note that this is different
from the arms, where the flat side is perpendicular
to the toes. Sew legs on either side of the tail.
Images/Diagrams
Ears (make 2)
Foundation: In Black, make a magic circle, leaving a
long tail at the start for sewing later. The following
rows are NOT performed in the round.
Row 1: SC 6 into magic circle. {6} □ ◯
Row 2: CH 1 & turn work clockwise, SC 6 {6} □ ◯
Row 3: CH 1 & turn, SC 2, INC 2, SC 2 {8} □ ◯
CH 1 tightly and cut off. Perform a color change to
Gray by tying gray string into the last stitch from
Row 3. Place the first stitch of the following row in
the same space as the tie-in.
Row 4: SC 8 {8} □ ◯
Row 5: CH 1 & turn, DEC, SC 4, DEC {6} □ ◯
Row 6: CH 1 & turn, DEC 3 {3} □ ◯
Row 7: CH 1 & turn, SC 3 {3} □ ◯
CH 1 tightly and cut off. Sew in the loose end. Sew
ears onto head, 3 rows before the color change.
*Toe Stitch
The following steps are all inserted into the same
space. The row before the one with a toe stitch and
the row after the one with a toe stitch should have
the same stitch count.
Step 1: YO 2 times, insert, YO, pull through, YO, pull
through 2 loops, YO, pull through 2 loops. There
should be 2 loops remaining on the hook.
Step 2: YO 2 times, insert, YO, pull through, YO, pull
through 2 loops, YO, pull through 2 loop. There
should be 3 loops remaining on the hook.
Step 3: Insert, YO, pull through, pull through all 3
loops on the hook.
Image 1: The arm seam is perpendicular to the toes, while the leg seam is parallel with the
toes.

Image 2: Face divots for eyes. It’s a little scary looking, but trust the process.

Diagram 3: Bend the wire like this.

 Examples of the finished product

This pattern and PDF are the original work of Etsy seller LittleBirdBigIdeas. Do not repost/resell the pattern, and please
credit me if you make this opossum to sell.