Here are the instructions for crocheting a gerbil, based on the two versions I made last year. Unfortunately I didn’t write everything down at the time, so a couple of things are a bit iffy in the instructions. My gerbils were the result of a lot of experimentation: feel free to experiment, too. If I’ve got anything wrong, please forgive me & let us all know so nobody wastes their time & yarn. If you can think of improvements, please say so. If you have any questions, please ask.
Hoping to see lots of lovely gerbils for dear Waffle.
Maud the Crocheted Gerbil
Maud is basically made up of circles: a big circle for her body, a medium-sized circle for her head, & two small circles for her ears.
In addition, two rectangles make her arms & a line of chain stitches makes her tail.
Her eyes, whiskers, nose, mouth & hands are all embroidered.
She was made in two forms. The full-length Maud was appliqued onto a 6” knitted square, for Swash’s Woolly Hug in the summer of 2025. The head of Maud appeared as a crocheted Christmas bauble for the WH Christmas sale later that year & it measured about 4” in diameter.
You will need:
Small amounts of
- One of the recommended off-white yarns. I used Drops Merino Extra Fine - Off White (01)
- A gerbil-coloured yarn. I used Yarnsmiths Merino DK Superwash - Stone Grey (3015)
Tiny amounts of pale pink yarn & black yarn, for embroidering details. Don’t tell K&P but I used whatever I had in my stash - in fact, the pink was a chunky yarn which I de-spiralled into thinner threads.
4mm crochet hook
4mm knitting needles if knitting the background square.
Darning needle
Scissors
Method (NB using UK terms)
Body for full-body version
This is a 4-row circle, slightly flattened at the base
Row 1 inner tummy circle: Using off-white, make a magic ring (MR), do 3ch & then do 11tr into the MR. Join into 3rd chain with a sl st. (12 sts)
Row 2 outer tummy circle: Do (3ch, 1tr) into top of first treble of previous round, then 2tr into each following treble. Join into 3rd chain with a sl st. (24 sts)
Row 3 main body circle: Change yarn to gerbil back colour. Do (3ch, 1tr) into top of first treble of previous round, then (1tr into next st, 2tr into next st) until there are 4 sts of previous row left - DO NOT WORK THESE ON THIS ROW. This gives the flat base. (30 sts)
Row 4 tidying-up body circle: Do 1dc into top of each of the 4 off-white tr from row 2 that you didn’t use in row 3, then carry on round & do 1dc into each tr from row 3 (now the previous round, which are all gerbil-coloured). Join with a sl st. Secure & cut yarn. (34 sts)
Head for either version
This is a standard 2-row circle
Row 1: Using off-white, make a magic ring (MR), do 3ch & then do 11tr into the MR. Join into 3rd chain with a sl st. (12 sts)
Row 2: Change yarn to gerbil back colour. Do (3ch, 1tr) into top of first treble of previous round, then 2tr into each following treble. Join into 3rd chain with a sl st. Secure & cut yarn. (24 sts)
Alternative row 2 for head
This uses both off-white and body colour, to give a white throat as in the Maud bauble. Stitches are as row 2 above, but work the first 2 lots of 2tr (actually (3ch, 1tr) & then 2tr) in white, & then change colour & work the other 10 lots of 2tr in gerbil body colour.
Ears for full-body version (make 2)
These are standard one-row circles
Row 1: Using gerbil back colour, make a magic ring (MR), do 3ch & then do 11tr into the MR. Join into 3rd chain with a sl st. Secure & cut yarn. (12 sts)
Ears for head-only version (make 2)
These are standard one-row circles, slightly flattened at the base
Row 1: Using gerbil back colour, make a magic ring (MR), do 3ch & then do 8tr & then 3dc into the MR. Join into 3rd chain with a sl st. Secure & cut yarn. (12 sts) I might have done 3ch, 9tr & 2dc.
The reason for the different ears is that full-body Maud’s ears were full circles partly hidden by being tucked under her head. That wasn’t possible with head-only Maud, as there’s a crocheted ring around the head, so they’re shaped to get the same effect. Obviously, the shaped ears can go with the full-body version too.
Arms for full-body version only (make 2)
Row 1: Using gerbil back colour, ch4 & make 1tr in 4th chain - or should that be 5ch & 1tr in 5th chain? I didn’t write it down at the time. We’re going to make an oblong 2tr wide, so do whatever’s standard for that.
Row 2: Turn, 3ch & 1tr into top of previous 3ch.
Row 3: As row 2, then secure & cut yarn, leaving enough of a tail to applique the arm on. It should taper where you finished (= wrist) & be wider where you started (= shoulder). Make the arms longer by adding rows if necessary. It doesn’t look like much & seems a bit loose & messy at this stage, but that’s fine.
Tail for full-body version only
Using gerbil back colour, loosely chain 10-12 stitches, secure & cut yarn. Or make to whatever length you want: one end will be hidden under the body for a stitch or two.
To assemble full-body version
Experimentation required to get the best look!
Lay head at top of body (flatter bit of body goes at the bottom) & overlapping body a bit with head over body. Stitch in place & if necessary make larger stitches using off-white to get a natural-looking fit between head & body (I did this on the original because I did the first version of the head, i.e. a full gerbil-coloured circle without a white throat).
Position ears with a bit under the head & stitch in place.
Embroider eyes in black as French knots. They will disappear a bit into the crochet, so don’t pull them too tight & do put a stitch or two underneath them, on the WS (wrong side), to give them a firmer foundation. Add to the French knots on RS if necessary.
Embroider nose & mouth in fine pale pink yarn. Getting the right expression can be a challenge: unpicking & patience may be required! Embroider whiskers using off-white yarn.
Attach arms, getting them the right way up (thinner at the wrist) & bending them slightly. Embroider little pink hands.
Applique your gerbil to your 6” knitted, stocking stitch square - or perhaps a crocheted square. Don’t forget the tail: put one end just under the body & stitch it down all along the tail in a single line, going up in one chain & down in the next. This thickens it a bit.
Head-only version
Make the throated alternative head & 2 flattened ears.
In a contrasting colour, do 2 standard circles of trebles. I wish I could remember what the heck I did, but I think it was one circle of (2tr, 1tr) & then one circle of 2tr all round. I know I had to experiment & frog a bit till I got it to lie flat. That may have been because I was using a different type of yarn.
Embroider face, etc as described above & as in photo. Attach ears with each flattened bit next to head.
For the bauble, I made an all-blue backing circle & sewed them together & had a loop of chain to hang it by, with the ends hidden inside. For a blanket square, the head & surrounding circles could be appliqued onto a 6” square. Or it should be possible to square off one or other of the surrounding contrasting circles using crochet & carry on crocheting till the square is 6” - but in that case it might be best to applique the ears last thing, once the squaring-off is complete.