Hugo the Numbat

Helloo and welcome back! Today I want to introduce you to one of my absolute favourite patterns I've ever made, Hugo the Numbat 🎶 He's small, he's ridiculous, he's wearing a jester hat with bells on it, and he's a tapestry in 3D. If you've been looking for an Amigurumi colourwork project that's going to really push your skills and reward every second of that effort, Hugo might just be your guy.

Meet the Numbat

Before we get into the pattern, let's talk about the real deal for a second. Because numbats are genuinely one of Australia's most remarkable little creatures, and there's a pretty good chance you've never heard of them!

Numbats are small striped marsupials native to Australia, with reddish-brown fur, bold white stripes across their backs, and a pointed snout. They remind me a lot of meerkats, and I like to think of them as the Australian version. They're one of the only marsupials that are strictly active during the day, which is pretty unusual in the marsupial world. Their whole existence is basically built around one thing: termites. They eat up to 20,000 of them a day, tracked down by an incredible sense of smell and scooped up with a long sticky tongue that's almost half their body length 😮

Here's a fun one: each numbat has a completely unique stripe pattern, similar to a human fingerprint. There's nobody else quite like them!

Sadly, numbats are endangered. It's estimated there are fewer than 1,000 mature individuals left, squeezed down from a range that once covered most of the bottom half of Australia to just two small natural populations in southwest Western Australia. The biggest culprits are introduced predators like foxes and feral cats, and habitat loss.

If you'd like to do something for the real-life Hugos of the world, Project Numbat accepts donations and does incredible work for the species 🌿

Hugo's Origin Story

Now, onto our jester!

Hugo came to life as part of the Once Upon a Make Along, a medieval fairy tale themed crochet event I was part of with a wonderful group of designers I'm lucky enough to call friends. I was tossing up between designing a quoll and a numbat (a quoll is actually in the works now, so watch this space!). I knew I wanted to spotlight an Australian animal that most people might not have come across before. I love shining a light on the unusual and unexpected with my work, especially when it's one of our own amazing Australian critters. Living here and being surrounded by incredible wildlife every day is such a huge inspiration for me.

As for the medieval angle? I was scrolling through Pinterest looking at medieval clothing for inspiration, fully expecting to land on a knight or something sensible, and then a jester popped up. Something just clicked instantly. A numbat as a jester. It made me laugh and I couldn't un-see it. Hugo was born that day!

I'll be real with you, Hugo is a little on the advanced side for a make-along pattern and I think the amount of colourwork might have looked a bit intimidating to folks at first glance. But I actually think that makes him a perfect Patreon bonus, because he's a brilliant little introduction to the kind of patterns I'm really focusing on these days: slow, careful, rewarding work that results in a proper showstopper of an Amigurumi.

About the Pattern

So what are you actually getting yourself into?

Hugo is roughly 14cm tall (not counting the hat!) when made with DK weight yarn and a 2.75mm hook. Don't let that small size fool you though, because there is a lot going on! The pattern is 27 pages and includes:

• 35 colour photos throughout
• Written instructions in US crochet terms
• Colourwork charts (an absolute lifesaver)
• Multiple video tutorials for the tricky bits, including colour changing
• Instructions for semi-poseable limbs
• Two printer-friendly versions, black and white with and without photos
• Options for crocheted or craft bells on the hat

The skill level is intermediate to advanced and I want to be upfront about that! Hugo has small tight rounds and plenty of colour changes. But here's the thing: if you're already comfortable changing one or two colours in Amigurumi, you're going to surprise yourself with what you're actually capable of here. The charts were actually suggested by my fellow collab designers and I'm so glad they were, because they're now a staple of any of my patterns with multiple colour changes. The video walkthroughs are there to hold your hand through every step too, and once you find your rhythm it's so satisfying to watch the colourwork build up. It really does end up looking like a tiny 3D tapestry.

If you'd like a refresher on colour changing before diving in, my post on how to change colours with Amigurumi is a great place to start!

The Test Team

No pattern leaves here without the help of some seriously dedicated people first, and Hugo was no exception!

A huge thank you to my wonderful testers, @celestialdreamcreations, @karriebaker, and @synchronizedstitches. You were all incredible and I can't thank you enough for your time and your kind words!

And as always, an enormous thank you to the amazing @chaosaunty who's goes through plenty of my patterns with a fine-toothed comb. She's an absolute gem 🙏

The Once Upon a Make Along

Hugo was one of seven patterns created for the Once Upon a Make Along, a medieval fairy tale themed event that ran across August and September 2025. The bundle is no longer available, but individual patterns may still be available directly from the designers. 

The rest of the collab lineup was absolutely stunning and if you haven't already explored these designers' work, you're in for a treat:

• Joanne Fowler (Ysoria Hood)
• Lucy Anwar(Amigurumi Fairy)
• Veronica Lönnqvist of Garnknuten (Dragon Egg Pocket Pouch)
• Ciara Doyle of The Fairythorn (Once Upon a Pocket)
• Nichola Griffiths of Elimee Designs (Once Upon a Castle Blanket)
• Blissful Country Crochet (Princess Book Cover)

You can check out the collection on Ravelry

How to Get Hugo

Ready to bring this little jester home?

Hugo the Numbat is available as a free bonus pattern for anyone who joins as a paid member on the Folk & Sundry Patreon! All three membership tiers get Hugo, plus access to purchase older Patreon exclusive patterns and stay up to date with everything coming next. Otterfolk and Badger Lord members also get the free pattern of the month and a discount code on past patterns, which is a pretty sweet deal 🌿

I hope Hugo brings as much joy to your hook as he did to mine. He's a small make with a big personality, and I think the finished result speaks for itself. Happy crocheting!

Sage 🌿