Louie’s Notes: Who doesn’t love a fiery dragon? Well, not their victims I suppose! From the edge of the claws to the tips of the wings, this design is a fun challenge all the way through. I especially like the use of pipe cleaners in the arms, neck, and wings to make it a posable toy. I have a dozen or so of these that I have protecting my yarn horde, and I highly recommend you do the same.

Skill Level: Advanced

Size: Approx. 4in (10cm) long

Materials

Worsted (aran) weight yarn in the following shades:

• Red [R] (body)
• Maroon [M] (accent color)
• White [W] (teeth)

Hook: size G/6 (4mm)

Notions: Safety eyes: 6mm x 2, Stuffing, Darning needle, Pipe cleaners (chenille stems)

Special Stitches and Abbreviations

sbo = spiked bobble

mp = mini picot (ch 2, slst in back loop of first ch)

Pattern

Arm (make 2)

Using Red, make a magic loop.

Rnd 1: sc 1, sbo 1, sc 1, sbo 1, sc 2, sbo 1, sc 1, into the magic loop (8)

Rnds 2–4: sc in each st (8 for 3 Rnds)

Rnd 5: sc 2, invdec 1, sc 4 (7)

Rnds 6–7: sc in each st (7 for 2 Rnds)

Rnd 8: sc 2, invdec 1, sc 3 (6)

Rnds 9–10: sc in each st (6 for 2 Rnds)

Slst 1, cut the yarn, and pull through leaving a tail long enough to sew onto the body.

Legs (make 1 Right [R] and 1 Left [L])

Using Red, make a magic loop.

Rnd 1: sc 1, sbo 1, sc 1, sbo 1, sc 2, sbo 1, sc 1, into the magic loop (8)

Rnd 2: sc in each st (8)

Rnd 3R: hdc 1, sc 2, slst 3, sc 1, slst 1 (8)

Rnd 3L: slst 2, sc 2, hdc 1, sc 2, slst 1 (8)

Cut the yarn leaving a tail long enough to sew onto the body and pull through.

Wing (make 2)

Using Red, ch 23.

Row 1: turn, skip the fi rst ch and sc in each ch across (22)

Row 2: turn, ch 1, sc in each st across (22)

Fold a pipe cleaner (chenille stem) in half and twist its two arms together, leaving about 1in (2.5cm) untwisted. Place the pipe cleaner into the wing and fold the crochet fabric over it. You will be working around the pipe cleaner in Row 3.

Row 3: turn, ch 2, and pull tight, working into both loops of Row 2 and into the starting chs on the other side, slst in each. Make sure to work around the twisted pipe cleaner so that it is encased by the crochet. (22)

Change to Maroon

Row 4: turn, ch 1, working into the slsts from Row 3, sc 3, mp, hdc 2, dc 1, tr 1, mp, tr 7, dc 1, sc2tog 3, slst 1 (19 + 2 mp, stopping 1 early)

Row 5: turn, skip the slst, sc 1, hdc 1, dc 1, tr 1, mp, tr 1, dc 1, hdc 1, sc 2, slst 1 (10 +1 mp).

Cut yarn and pull through.

Attach the wings onto the body by twisting the two ends of the pipe cleaner into the body then using the yarn tail end to sew it in place.

Teeth (make 2)

Using White, ch 3, pull tight, skip 2 chs, working in back loop of the third ch, sc 1, ch 1, cut the yarn and pull through.

Sew the teeth onto the body over the lip.

Lip

Using Red, ch 14.

Cut the yarn leaving a long tail end and pull through. Sew onto the face under the eyes after Rnd 8 of the body.

Spikes

Using Maroon, ch 3.

Skip the first ch and pull tight, working in BLO, sc2tog in the next 2 chs. [Ch 4, skip the fi rst ch and pull tight, working in BLO, sc2tog in the next 2 chs] (9 times)

Ch 1, cut the yarn and pull through leaving a tail long enough to sew onto the back. There should be 10 spikes in total.

Head

Note: Change to Maroon for the nostrils (Rnd 3) and sbo stitches (in Rnd 7) to make more pronounced facial features. For the sbo stitches in Rnd 7, try working into the stitches from Rnd 5 (1 Rnd above). This gives your dragon fiercer eyebrows.

Using Red, make a magic loop.

Rnd 1: sc 8 in the magic loop (8)

Rnd 2: sc 3, inc 2, sc 3 (10)

Rnd 3: sc 4, nostril (working over Rnd 3 and into Rnd 2, dc 1), sc 1, nostril, sc 3 (10)

Rnds 4–6: sc in each st (10 for 3 Rnds)

Rnd 7: sc 5, sbo 1, sc 1, sbo 1, sc 2 (10)

Rnd 8: sc 1, invdec 1, sc 7 (9)

Add the eyes between Rnds 6 and 7, just below the sbo sts from Rnd 7.

Using Red, embroider a short strand of yarn beneath each eye to add more expression to the eyes, like he’s been hoarding gold for centuries.

Sew the lip onto the front of the face using a ch for each Rnd. Start under the left eye, go over the very center, and around to under the other eye. Use the sbo stitches as guides and try to make sure the lip ends in the same Rnd but on the opposite side. You can use this as an opportunity to add a smile or frown to your dragon! It’s your choice.

Using the yarn tail ends, sew the teeth onto either side of the mouth into two adjacent stitches. Pull the yarn ends tightly so that their knots are just poking through to the inside, and double knot.

Body (continued from Rnd 8 of head)

Rnd 9: sc 1, invdec 1, sc 6 (8)

Rnd 10: sc in each st (8)

Rnd 11: [sc 2, invdec] twice (6)

Rnds 12–15: sc in each st (6 for 4 Rnds)

Rnd 16: [sc 2, inc] twice (8)

Rnds 17–18: sc in each st (8 for 2 Rnds)

Rnd 19: [sc 1, inc] 4 times (12)

Rnd 20: sc in each st (12)

Rnd 21: [sc 3, inc] 3 times (15)

Rnd 22: sc in each st (15)

Rnd 23: [sc 4, inc] 3 times (18)

Rnds 24–26: sc in each st (18 for 3 Rnds)

Sew the arms on between Rnds 20 and 22 on the bottom half of the body.

Note: To make the arms posable, cut a pipe cleaner (chenille stem) in half, fold in half, and twist the two arms together, leaving about ³⁄₈in (1cm) untwisted. Attach the pipe cleaners to either side of the dragon, securing the untwisted ends inside the body before sewing the crocheted arms on over the top of the pipe cleaners.

Stuff the head fully. Place a pipe cleaner twisted in half in the neck to make it posable.

Attach the wings just above the arms, again using the two ends of the pipe cleaners inserted through two adjacent stitches and twisted on the inside to secure. Then use the yarn tail ends to sew the edge of the wing’s sts to the body.

Rnd 27: sc 9, [sc 1, invdec] 3 times (15)

Rnd 28: sc 9, invdec 3 (12)

Rnd 29: sc in each st (12)

Using the two yarn tail ends, sew the legs onto the bottom of your dragon just under the arms, between Rnds 25 and 27. Make sure to stuff the legs slightly before finishing sewing and be sure they are pointed forward with the two toes closest to each other facing forward.

Rnd 30: sc 10, invdec 1 (11)

Rnd 31: sc in each st (11)

Rnd 32: sc 9, invdec 1 (10)

Rnd 33: sc in each st (10)

Rnd 34: sc 8, invdec 1 (9)

Rnd 35: sc in each st (9)

Partially stuff the body.

Rnd 36: sc 7, invdec 1 (8)

Rnd 37: sc in each st (8)

Rnd 38: sc 6, invdec 1 (7)

Rnd 39: sc in each st (7)

Rnd 40: sc 5, invdec 1 (6)

Rnd 41: sc in each st (6)

Stuff fully. Insert a pipe cleaner cut in half and twisted to make a posable tail.

Rnd 42: sc 4, invdec 1 (5)

Rnd 43: sc in each st (5)

Cut the yarn and pull through. Sew the tail closed.

Attaching the Spikes

Sew the spikes on along the back of the dragon using the long yarn tail end.

Sew through the Rnds along the back, and around the chs connecting the adjacent spikes. I start two Rnds after the sbo stitches on the head and go down 2 Rnds for the first 2 spikes, then 3 Rnds for the remaining spikes. Use the other yarn tail end to fasten the last spike into the body and exit with both tail ends from an adjacent stitch, double knot tightly, cut, and stuff the knot into the body with the end of a needle.

Make sure to keep supplied with an ample horde of gold and gems to prevent dragon sickness.

This project is featured in the book, Crochet Goomis by Louie’s Loops (Quadrille, September 2026, $29.99).
Photography by Louie Mesinger