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🧟 Pattern Panic Part 2: Walking Zombie Amigurumi (Post-Stitch Shock)

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

Vintage-style graphic with distressed green background, cartoon zombie illustration, and bold yellow title reading 'Pattern Panic: Walking Zombie Amigurumi (Post-Stitch Shock)'

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.

Side-by-side image showing two zombie crochet heads: bright green using yarn under (left) and olive green using yarn over (right)

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

🧟‍♂️ Love a Good Crochet Cautionary Tale?

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🪡 Explore More on Laughing Yarns

Whether you're here for crochet tutorials, inspired projects, or free printable tools to organize your stash, this blog is a creative home for fiber-loving folks. Laughing Yarns is all about making crochet joyful, accessible, and occasionally ridiculous — in the best way possible. If you’ve ever made a blanket while binge-watching horror movies or needed a stitch marker and used a paperclip instead, you’ll fit in just fine here.

These categories below are some of our most loved spots — from fan-favorite series to resource-rich sections that help you keep your projects on track and your yarn stash in check. Click around, discover something new, and don’t forget to grab your free printables along the way.

  • 🎬 Movie Madness – Cult films meet cult stitches, where we bring movie magic to the yarn world
  • 📌 Free Crochet Printables – Charts, trackers, and helpful yarn-life resources that make WIP management way more fun
  • 👩‍🔬 Crochet Hacks – Time-saving tips and sneaky tricks that make even complicated patterns feel like a breeze