Ellie Ostrich Mod

Meet Ellie Ostrich – a free crochet pattern modification for Millie Chicken from the Fable Collection! With her long neck and fluffy feathers, Ellie is full of personality and super fun to make! This post shares how a few simple changes can transform your Millie Chicken into the cutest little friend.

A hand holding a crochet ostrich with long legs and fur trim.

Want a Downloadable Version?

You can find the complete Ellie Ostrich pattern as a downloadable PDF on my website and Etsy. It includes detailed head to toes instructions, along with extra tips and tricks for adding fur trim and lashes to bring your little ostrich to life!

About Millie Chicken

Millie Chicken is the sweetest leggy little chicken and includes mods for a rooster, duck and mallard. If you already have a copy of the Millie Chicken and Friends pattern – you are ready to get started!

Hand holding a crochet chicken with long legs against a wood background.

4 different crochet birds on a wood surface. There is a rooster, duck, mallard and a chicken.

Fable Friends

Millie Chicken and Ellie Ostrich are part of the Fable Collection crochet animal patterns. The series was lovingly designed to inspire imaginative play. With interchangeable outfits, color changes, and accessories, each one can be customized however you like.

You can find the Fable Collection series of patterns HERE or on Etsy HERE. (Shown here is Brie Mouse, Beth Bunny and Prim Bunny.)

Hand holding a pink and white crochet ballet mouse wearing a tutu.

hand holding a beige crochet bunny wearing blue/green overalls with an orange headband.

hand holding a white and yellow bunny wearing a blue flower on her ear. She's also wearing an orange tulip-shaped dress.

Let’s get started!

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SUPPLIES:

Millie Chicken and Friends crochet pattern
Size 6 super bulky weight yarn in at least 3 colors – legs/neck/beak, body/head, white for details.
Optional: small amount of black fur yarn and white fur yarn
7mm crochet hook
16mm safety eyes
Scissors
Stitch markers
Yarn needle

YARN AND HOOKS USED IN PHOTOS:

Premier Basix Chenille Brights yarn in the colors Peach and Shell. Bernat Blanket yarn in the colors Lead and Vintage White.

ABBREVIATIONS:

ch – chain

dec – decrease

FO – fasten off

hdc – half double crochet

inc – 2 sts in same st

sc – single crochet

sl st – slip stitch

st(s) – stitches

YO – yarn over

SPECIAL STITCHES:

dec (invisible decrease)

Insert hook into front loops of the next two sts, YO and draw through first two loops, YO and draw through remaining two loops.

color change

On the last sc before color change – insert hook into st, draw up a loop, YO with new color, draw through both loops on hook to complete.

INSTRUCTIONS

LEGS:

Omit color change, FO first leg, tucking end inside. Do not FO second leg.
Second leg only: *Change to body color. Work 1 additional st, so you finish at the side of the leg, and when the piece is folded flat the hdc sts from round 3 are facing away from you.

A process photo showing a pink crochet ostrich leg and crochet hook.

A process photo showing two crochet ostrich legs with a crochet hook.

BODY AND NECK:

Complete round 8 of the body as written in the pattern.
White yarn band at the base of the neck is optional, neck and head can be worked in all one color.

*Change to white yarn.

Round 9: (1 sc, dec) x 3 (6)

Round 10: sc around (6)

*Change to neck and head color yarn.

Rounds 11-13: sc around (6) (3 rounds/18 sts)

*Stuff the neck firmly (especially at the base), or use a foam dowel if preferred.

HEAD:

Round 1: (inc, 3 sc into next st) x 3 (15)

Follow the rest of the head section as written in the pattern.

WINGS:

Work rounds 1-3 in white yarn, rounds 4-7 in main color yarn.

BEAK:

The beak will be crocheted onto the surface of the head.

1: Mark sts on round 3 under the eyes, with 7 visible sts between them.

2: Insert hook into the marked st under the right eye. Complete a sl st.

3: Work 5 sc into the round above, centered between the eyes. Work one final sl st into the marked st under the left eye.

4: Turn Ellie upside down to work back across previous 5 sts. Work a sl st, sc, hdc inc, sc, sl st.

5: Sl st back into 1st sl st on under the right eye.

6: FO and weave in ends.

There is a hand in the photo crocheting a pink beak onto am ostrich head.

The ostrich head is upside down and a hand is crocheting the last row of the beak onto it's head.

A crochet ostrich head with hands crocheting the last stitch on for the beak.

EYELASH EMBROIDERY:

1: With a 40″ (101 cm) strand of black worsted weight yarn doubled over on your yarn needle, insert into the back of the head, coming out at the top of Ellie’s left eye.

2: Insert needle back into the head, approx. 1 st to the bottom right of the left eye, coming back out the top of the eye, forming the 1st lash.

3: Insert needle back into the head, 1 st above the bottom lash, coming out at the top of Ellie’s right eye. Repeat steps for right eye.

FO and weave in ends.

Process photo showing embroidering the eyelashes onto the eyes of a crochet ostrich.

2nd process photo step showing embroidering the eyelashes onto the eyes of a crochet ostrich.

TAIL:

Follow instructions as written in the pattern, changing to white yarn for 2nd row.

OPTIONAL HEAD TUFT:

Insert hook into round 7 on the head, YO with fur yarn and pull through to complete a slip knot. Ch 2, and sl st into the next st back.

Hands showing steps for adding a fur tuft to the top of the crochet ostrich head.

Finished crochet ostrich with a white tuft of fur on her head.

Your Ellie Ostrich is complete! I hope you enjoyed loved making her as much as I did!

Don’t forget that the full Ellie Ostrich crochet pattern is available on my website and Etsy if you prefer a downloadable version!

A hand holding a crochet ostrich on a wood surface with pink and white yarn in the background.

Happy making!

Check out my other popular blog posts here:

Free Crochet Cookie Pattern for Brie Mouse

Fable Collection Purse Pattern

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All patterns, designs and photographs included in this blog post are property of Oak and Marlow. This pattern is for personal use only and may not be sold, distributed or transferred to any other person or website. Handmade items produced with this pattern may be sold as long as credit is given to the designer – Oak and Marlow. Copyright 2025.