Plush hippo crochet pattern launches Africa-inspired Around the World series

Kali Dahle’s latest hippo is doing more than adding another animal to The Friendly Red Fox lineup. It opens the designer’s Around the World adventure, an amigurumi series built to unfold continent by continent, with Africa setting the tone for a collectible run of related makes.

The plush hippo was published April 15, 2026, and it leans hard into the kind of payoff crocheters notice right away: a soft, snuggly finish from plush yarn, a faster working experience than thinner yarn, and a finished toy that stands about 8 inches tall. That size matters. This is not a tiny desk trinket. The chubby seated body gives it the feel of a real stuffed animal, the kind of project that looks finished the moment the shaping comes together.

Ravelry lists Plush Hippo by Kali Dahle as part of the Around the World Amigurumi series, with Premier Yarns Basix Chenille Yarn, a 4.5 mm hook, and an estimated 112 to 125 yards of yarn. The pattern sells for $6.00. For makers who like a clean budget read before casting on, that yardage is a practical draw, especially on a pattern that uses super bulky chenille to build volume quickly.

Premier’s Basix Chenille Brights line fits the brief. The company describes it as a super bulky chenille yarn made of 100% polyester, and retail listings put one 5.3-ounce ball at 112 yards. It is also marketed as machine washable and suited to cuddly toys, blankets, and other soft projects. That makes the hippo a natural match for a giftable plush, not just a display piece.

The pattern also gives makers some smart flexibility. Kali Dahle notes that the arms can be made movable with the attachment method used in the design, which adds a little play value and a lot more personality to the finished hippo. The eye treatment is open-ended too: safety eyes work for standard plush builds, while embroidered eyes or handmade crochet eyes are the better call for baby and toddler gifts, where detachable plastic parts are a known risk.

The Friendly Red Fox has already sold an older Squishy Hippo pattern, so this new version reads less like a one-off and more like part of a larger animal-pattern catalog. That is what gives the Around the World idea real momentum. The hippo itself is appealing, but the bigger hook may be the series structure, because each continent promises another batch of themed designs worth following.