I crocheted the amigurumi. I followed the free pattern. I got bamboozled. 💀🧶
Welcome to Part 2 of my Walking Zombie Amigurumi saga—a.k.a. “The Pattern That Lied.” If you missed the first post, that’s where I shared my suspicions about the polished-but-possibly-AI pattern photo. Today, I bring you the stitch-by-stitch account of what actually happened when I tried to make it.
🧠 The Basics
Pattern: Walking Zombie Amigurumi (Free)
Designer: Punqa
Yarn: Worsted weight scraps (no brand listed, zombie-green and gray shades)
Hook: 4 mm (US G-6)
Skill level: Not beginner-friendly—pattern formatting is confusing
When your free pattern turns on you… this creature feature graphic sets the stage for a very stitchy horror story. 🧟♂️🧶
🧟 The Side-by-Side Reveal
Below is a side-by-side comparison of the two head versions. On the left: bright green with yarn under. On the right: olive green with yarn over. The second version is both easier on the hands and more zombie-appropriate in color.
Left: bright green + yarn under. Right: olive green + yarn over. Guess which one didn’t hurt my hands and actually looks undead?
🧵 What I Did Differently
✔️ I used yarn over instead of yarn under (after testing both).
✔️ I used an invisible decrease method, which I always use—even outside of amigurumi.
✔️ I used contrasting scrap yarn to mark the eye placement between rounds 10 and 11 instead of a stitch marker (great tip when you’re low on markers or just too cozy to get up!).
✔️ I wore my DISUPPO Arthritis Compression Gloves—once I remembered them. 😅
⚠️ The Snags (A Growing List…)
This pattern unraveled more than yarn. Here's where things went south:
• 🌀 Round Confusion: Round 7–14 is written as one group, then HTML numbering restarts at “7” again. It looks like the head is 11 rounds, but it’s actually 19.
• 👁️ Eye Lies: I followed the second eye instructions exactly. The result doesn’t match the photo at all.
• 👂 Missing Ears: The pattern photo clearly shows ears, but there are no instructions for them anywhere.
• 🎩 Hair Hat? The “hair patch” doesn’t fit. It looks like a tiny gray hat that was plopped on as an afterthought. And that jagged edge in the image? You’re told to embroider it in… “if desired.”
• 📜 Copy/Paste Confirmed: The pattern is nearly identical to this other zombie pattern by the same designer. Only the yarn colors and photo are different—plus a few random, poorly integrated additions.
💬 Final Thoughts
Is this pattern usable? Technically, yes.
Is it accurate to the photo? Not even close.
Would I recommend it to a beginner? Absolutely not.
It’s a shame, because the pattern photo is adorable. But now that I’ve worked through it, I’m 90% convinced the image is AI-generated, and the pattern was pieced together afterward to match it. Not cool.
🧪 What’s Next? (And Why I Frogged the Finish)
I paused the project before sewing everything together. Between the mismatched eye, the tiny hat-hair, and the absent ears, I didn’t feel great finishing something that clearly wasn’t going to turn out like the image that sold me.
But this story isn’t over yet…
⚡ Part 3 is Coming: “Resurrecting the Real Walking Dead”
I’m going to design my own version of this zombie—one that actually matches the pattern image. No guesswork. No weird HTML-numbered rounds. Just a fun, creepy little dude who turns out the way he’s supposed to.
💬 Tell Me Your Thoughts!
Have you ever crocheted a pattern that didn’t match the pictures? Do you prefer yarn over or yarn under? Drop your thoughts in the comments or tag me on socials!
🧶 Stay Stitchy!
— Ann @ Laughing Yarns
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