Intro

Meet the Beach Cleanup Turtle: a friendly amigurumi turtle in a pastel tie-dye T-shirt, turquoise wave board shorts, a mint baseball cap, and aqua flip-flops. Accessories include a mesh backpack with bottles, a litter picker, a stainless water bottle, and a mini protest sign: “KEEP OUR BEACH CLEAN.”

Please note: I strive for accuracy in every pattern, but occasional errors can happen. Thank you for understanding and for enjoying my designs.

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Materials

• Worsted (Category 4) cotton or cotton-blend yarn:
  1. MC (Turtle skin): warm sand/beige, 120 g
  2. Shell top: soft olive, 40 g
  3. Shell rim/underside: seafoam, 35 g
  4. Tee (tie-dye): pastel set—sky blue, mint, butter yellow, petal pink, lilac (small balls; 40 g total)
  5. Board shorts: turquoise (30 g) + wave appliqué in pale blue (scraps)
  6. Flip-flop sole: teal + edge in ocean blue (small amounts)
  7. Flip-flop straps: gray-blue (scraps)
  8. Cap: mint (25 g)
  9. Backpack: raffia-wheat or natural straw shade (30 g)
  10. Bottle: silver gray (10 g) + deep blue cap (scraps)
  11. Picker: charcoal, light gray, and lemon (scraps)
  12. Sign board + stick: sand and brown (scraps) + black for letters
• Hooks: 3.0 mm (amigurumi parts), 3.25–3.5 mm (clothes & accessories)
• Safety eyes: 9 mm
• Polyester stuffing
• Yarn needle, stitch markers, scissors
• Thin plastic circle (~28–30 mm) for bottle base (optional)
• Stiffener/spray starch (optional for sign)
• A short bamboo skewer or firm pipe cleaner for inside picker shaft (optional, not for small children)

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Abbreviations (US Terms)

• MR – magic ring
• ch – chain
• sc – single crochet
• inc – increase (2 sc in same st)
• dec – invisible decrease (front loops)
• hdc – half double crochet
• dc – double crochet
• sl st – slip stitch
• BLO / FLO – back/front loop only
• bob – 4-dc bobble in same st (keep last loops, yo pull through all)
• st(s) – stitch(es)
• rnd – round
• rep – repeat
• fo – fasten off

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Gauge & Finished Size

• Gauge (3.0 mm, sc spiral): about 6 sts × 7 rows = 1″ × 1″ (2.5 × 2.5 cm).
• Finished height: ~10.5–11.5″ (27–29 cm) standing with hat.

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Construction Overview

Work the turtle in separate pieces: head, shell top, shell underside (plastron), body tube, arms, legs/feet, tail. Dress the turtle in a removable tie-dye tee and pull-on board shorts. Make flip-flops, baseball cap, and interactive mesh backpack with mini bottles. Props: litter picker, stainless bottle, and sign. Final assembly places the cap forward, backpack over both shoulders, picker in the right hand, and sign in the left.

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Turtle – Base Doll (3.0 mm)

Head (MC)

1. MR 6 sc (6)
2. inc around (12)
3. (sc, inc)×6 (18)
4. (2 sc, inc)×6 (24)
5. (3 sc, inc)×6 (30)
6. (4 sc, inc)×6 (36)
   7–11) sc around (36)
7. (5 sc, inc)×6 (42)
   13–14) sc around (42)
8. Place 9 mm eyes between rnds 11–12, 9 sts apart.
9. (5 sc, dec)×6 (36)
10. (4 sc, dec)×6 (30)
11. (3 sc, dec)×6 (24) — begin firm stuffing; push cheeks slightly forward.
12. (2 sc, dec)×6 (18)
13. (sc, dec)×6 (12)
14. dec around (6). Fo and close.

Mouth/Nostrils: With a darker sand/brown, embroider a tiny curved smile and two small nostril dots.

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Body Tube (MC)

1. MR 6 (6)
2. inc around (12)
3. (sc, inc)×6 (18)
4. (2 sc, inc)×6 (24)
5. (3 sc, inc)×6 (30)
   6–12) sc around (30)
6. (3 sc, dec)×6 (24) — neck
7. sc around (24). Fo leaving a long tail for joining to shell underside later. Stuff firmly to a smooth cylinder.

Arms (make 2, MC)

1. MR 6 (6)
2. (sc, inc)×3 (9)
   3–7) sc around (9)
3. (2 sc, inc)×3 (12)
   9–11) sc around (12)
4. (2 sc, dec)×3 (9)
   13–16) sc around (9) — lightly stuff palm; leave the upper arm flexible.
   Flatten last rnd; sc through both layers 4–5 sts to close. Fo long tails.

Legs/Feet (make 2, MC)

Foot/Sandal-ready toes are rounded and flat.

1. MR 6 (6)
2. inc around (12)
3. (sc, inc)×6 (18)
   4–6) sc around (18)
4. (sc, dec)×6 (12)
5. sc around (12) — firm stuff foot.
6. (3 sc, inc)×3 (15)
   10–13) sc around (15) — stuff leg moderately; fo long tails.

Tail (MC)

1. MR 4 sc (4)
2. sc around (4)
3. (sc, inc)×2 (6)
4. sc around (6) — fo, leave tail for sewing.

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Turtle Shell

Shell Top (soft olive)

1. MR 6 (6)
2. inc around (12)
3. (sc, inc)×6 (18)
4. (2 sc, inc)×6 (24)
5. (3 sc, inc)×6 (30)
6. (4 sc, inc)×6 (36)
7. (5 sc, inc)×6 (42)
8. (6 sc, inc)×6 (48)
9. sc around (48)
10. For slight dome: (7 sc, inc)×6 (54)
11. sc around (54). Fo; do not stuff yet.

Hex Panel Texture (optional): Surface stitch faint hex lines with seafoam to echo a turtle carapace spiral. Keep subtle like the photo (no thick ridges).

Shell Underside/Plastron (seafoam)

1. MR 6 (6)
2. inc around (12)
3. (sc, inc)×6 (18)
4. (2 sc, inc)×6 (24)
5. (3 sc, inc)×6 (30)
6. (4 sc, inc)×6 (36)
7. (5 sc, inc)×6 (42)
8. sc around (42). Fo leaving a very long tail for sewing.

Join & Mount Body: Place body tube centered on the plastron; whipstitch the neck opening to rnd 8 of plastron. Stuff body again if needed. Layer the shell top over the back; whipstitch shell rim to plastron rim, sandwiching the body. Before closing completely, add stuffing between shell top and back for a firm dome. Add tail at lower back edge as you close.

Attach Head: Sew head to body neck opening. Keep the head slightly forward like in the photo.

Attach Limbs: Sew arms at shoulder line; legs underneath so feet point straight forward.

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Clothing

Pastel Tie-Dye Tee (3.25–3.5 mm; worked top-down, in the round)

Use a main pastel (sky blue) and rotate other pastels every few stitches to mimic a soft spiral. Carry yarns neatly inside.

1. Ch 36; join without twist (36).
2. Rnd 1: sc around (36).
3. Rnd 2: (sc 5, inc)×6 (42).
4. Rnd 3: sc around (42).
5. Separate sleeves: sc 6, ch 4 (sk 8), sc 14, ch 4 (sk 8), sc 6 (34).
   6–9) Body rounds: sc around (34).
6. Hem: FLO hdc around for soft edge; fo.

Sleeves (each): Work around 8 skipped sts + 4 from chains = 12.
Rnd 1–2: sc around (12).
Rnd 3: (sc, dec)×4 (8).
Rnd 4: sl st loosely around for tiny cuff; fo. The tee should fit slim under the shell straps (there are none), so keep it close.

Turquoise Wave Board Shorts (turquoise)

Elastic-look waist; short legs above the knee.

1. Ch 56; join (56).
2. Rnd 1: sc around (56).
3. Rnd 2: (BLO sc 6, dec)×7 (49).
4. Rnd 3: sc around (49).
5. Split: sc 24, ch 2, sk 1, join to start to form first leg (25).
   Leg 1: Rnds 6–9 sc around (25); Rnd10 (3 sc, dec)×5 (20); Rnd11 sc around (20); Rnd12 sl st around for neat hem; fo.
   Leg 2: work remaining 25 sts the same.

Wave Appliqué (pale blue): Surface sl st two wavy lines on each leg, one above the other, curving forward like the photo.

Flip-Flops (make 2; teal sole with ocean edge and gray-blue straps)

Soles (teal)

1. Ch 7; sc in 2nd ch, sc 4, 3 sc in last; rotate, sc 4, inc at end (13)
2. inc, sc 4, inc×3, sc 4, inc×2 (20)
3. BLO sc around (20) for edge; fo.

Edge (ocean blue): Join and sl st around the sole to create the darker outline.

Strap (gray-blue):

• Count center-toe position at the top edge. Insert yarn, ch 8; sl st to right side midsole. Back at starting point, ch 8 again; sl st to left side midsole, forming a “Y.” Sew a tiny bar across the toe to secure. Place on feet; you can tack with a couple stitches so they don’t slip.

Mint Baseball Cap

Crown

1. MR 6 (6)
2. inc around (12)
3. (sc, inc)×6 (18)
4. (2 sc, inc)×6 (24)
5. (3 sc, inc)×6 (30)
6. (4 sc, inc)×6 (36)
   7–8) sc around (36)

Brim (worked in rows on 12 front sts)
9) sc 12, turn.
10) ch 1, dec, sc 8, dec (10)
11) ch 1, dec, sc 6, dec (8)
Edge: sc around entire hat opening; fo. Seat brim forward just above eyes.

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Accessories

Mesh Backpack with Bottles (natural straw)

Backpack Body (worked as a rectangle then seamed)

1. Ch 24; Row 1: sc in 2nd ch and across (23).
2. Row 2: ch 1, sk 1, sc in next across (mesh start).
   3–18) Repeat Row 2.
   Fold into a cylinder and seam the short sides to create a tube.
   Bottom: With same yarn, MR 6; (inc around) to reach 24 sc; sl st closed; sew to tube.
   Top Rim: Attach yarn at top, sc around; next rnd work (sc 2, ch 1) for a cinch look.
   Straps: Ch 28 twice; attach to top corners and lower back corners.
   Side Loops for Tongs/Picker: Ch 8; sl st back, sew as a small horizontal band on one side (to tuck the picker when posed).

Recyclables (make 2–3 mini bottles, sea glass colors)

• Bottle: With pale aqua or mint, MR 6; inc (12); sc rnds to height; switch to darker cap color for 2 rnds; fo.
• Stuff lightly to hold shape and drop into mesh.

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Litter Picker (charcoal shaft, gray grip, lemon reflector)

Claw

1. With charcoal, MR 6; sc around 2 rnds (6).
2. ch 3, sl st back to form first prong; sk 2 sts, ch 3, sl st back for second prong; fo.

Shaft

• With light gray, ch 20–22 (to doll height); sc back along chain (stiffer) or cover a pipe cleaner with sc.
• Join claw to one end.
• Add a small lemon round near the claw as a reflector: MR 5 hdc (tight circle); sew on.

Handle Grip: With charcoal, wrap a few sl sts around the top end.

Stainless Water Bottle (silver gray + deep blue cap)

1. With silver gray, MR 6 (6)
2. inc around (12)
3. (sc, inc)×6 (18)
   4–9) sc around (18)
4. (2 sc, dec)×4, sc 2 (14)
   11–12) sc around (14)
5. Join deep blue; BLO sc around (14)
6. (sc, dec)×4, sc 2 (10)
7. sc around (10); fo. Insert optional plastic circle in base for balance.

Protest Sign “KEEP OUR BEACH CLEAN”

Board

1. With sand color, ch 18; Row 1: sc 17.
   2–6) sc rows to make a rectangle. Border with sl sts.
   Letters: With black, backstitch KEEP OUR (line 1) and BEACH CLEAN (line 2) in bold block caps.
   Stick: With brown, ch 24; sl st back for a firm strip. Sew centered to the board’s back; stiffen the board lightly if desired.

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Assembly

1. Attach Head & Limbs: If not already done, sew head to body, then arms at shoulders and legs under body so feet are parallel.
2. Dress: Pull on the board shorts first, then the tie-dye tee. Fit the tee’s sleeves slightly above the elbow like the photo.
3. Flip-flops: Place soles under feet; tack at heel and toe with a few stitches.
4. Cap: Seat low on the forehead with brim forward; add a hidden tack stitch if needed.
5. Backpack: Put straps over both shoulders and settle against the shell. Tuck a couple bottles so they peek out of the mesh.
6. Props: Stitch the picker into the right hand at a slight forward angle; place the sign in the left hand. Stand the stainless bottle beside the turtle or stitch lightly to palm for security.

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Finishing & Customization

• Tie-dye spiral: For a strong pastel swirl, work body rounds of the tee switching color every 2–4 sts, always changing in the same direction so the spiral drifts from center.
• Board-short fit: If your gauge runs loose, reduce foundation chain by 4; if snug, add 4.
• Shell detailing: Add subtle seafoam surface lines in a spiral from the center to match the gentle carapace look; avoid thick ridges.
• Safety: Omit the pipe-cleaner core in the picker for children; embroider eyes instead of safety eyes for babies.
• Photo styling: Place near a bright window on a wooden table; angle the sign toward camera for the exact cozy, natural-light vibe.

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Pattern Recap

• Doll: Beige turtle with domed olive shell (seafoam rim), friendly embroidered mouth, 9 mm eyes; arms and legs smooth; short tail.
• Outfit: Pastel tie-dye T-shirt, turquoise wave board shorts, mint baseball cap, teal flip-flops with gray-blue straps.
• Gear: Mesh backpack carrying small bottles, litter picker with two charcoal prongs and a yellow reflector, stainless water bottle, and a two-line protest sign reading “KEEP OUR BEACH CLEAN.”

Your Beach Cleanup Turtle is ready to spread good vibes and cleaner-beach energy—can’t wait to see your version!