[Free Pattern] Crochet Jiaozi (Shui Jiao) Dumplings Amigurumi・钩针编织水餃

This week's weather has been a little weird, with white-hot or grey cloudy afternoons, and sudden thundery showers. When it's rainy weather during the monsoon season in Singapore, I start longing for something piping hot, soupy, savoury, and feels like I'm being enveloped by a warm, fluffy blanket. A steaming bowl of broth filled with jiaozi餃子 would be just the thing!

Early in my crochet journey, I made crochet dumplings as practice, using this free dumpling amigurumi pattern by Genuine Mudpie. But as my crochet journey continued, I started experimenting and made my own changes (below). And so here they are! These are not much different, except I made the edge ruffled, instead of scalloped.

Crochet shui jiao dumplings for a rainy afternoon (IG).

Dumplings exist in every cuisine and every culture, and are as ancient as they come. Here in Singapore, we love and enjoy a variety of dumplings from the cuisines of our main ethnic groups, as well as from other cuisines that have become popular over the course of time (historical or present day).

Jiaozi餃子 are now so well-known throughout the world that they don't really need an introduction. Outside the Chinese community, jiaozi are commonly known as Chinese dumplings or potstickers in English or gyoza in Japanese. While gyoza is the Japanese pronunciation of jiǎo zi (餃子 in traditional Chinese), the English name "potsticker" is a loanword that derived from the literal translation guō tiē (鍋貼), the Chinese word for pan-fried jiaozi. Today, it's shuǐ jiǎo (水饺), boiled Chinese dumplings.

Jiaozi are dumplings consisting of thin dough wrappers filled with ground meat and/or chopped vegetables, usually pork or shrimp and cabbage, chives or spring onions. They are typically cooked in various ways—boiled, steamed, pan fried, deep fried, you name it—and how they are cooked generally influences how they are folded. Jiaozi can be folded in many ways. They can be simply folded into half or into triangular parcels, into ingots or pleated crescents. In the hands of master chefs, they can even turn into beautifully shaped plants and animals, such as the ones served at the famous restaurant De Fa Chang in Xi'an, China.

Jiaozi are culturally significant in China, as well as in countries in the East Asian cultural sphere or with a significant overseas Chinese community. They are eaten all year around, but they are also a traditional dish eaten during festive occasions like Chinese New Year and, for the northern Chinese, during Dongzhi. Its legendary beginnings date back to the Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD), when Chinese physician Zhang Zhongjing was said to have created them to treat frostbitten ears. Documentary records that refer to jiaozi date as far back to the Three Kingdoms period (220-280 AD). However, while its name may date back to then, these Chinese dumplings may have existed even before then.

I wish this bowl of shui jiao dumplings were real ones and I could eat them (IG).

Be it jiaozi餃子, shui jiao水餃, guō tiē鍋貼, gyoza, potstickers or whatever other type, form or filling, jiaozi are delicious comfort food. Jiao zi have been part of our local food heritage and culture for a long time, having been introduced by Chinese traders and settlers who came here in the past.

Now my craving for a steamy bowl of dumplings has intensified. Oh no!

SHUI JIAO, BOILED CHINESE DUMPLING AMIGURUMI CROCHET PATTERN

These are the modifications I made to the free dumpling amigurumi pattern by Genuine Mudpie. Her pattern is beginner-friendly and easy to make. I made some small modifications to the original pattern to try and create more ruffles, among others. These amigurumi dumplings are really resemble their real life counterparts. This shape is what we call the half moon shape, and is the simplest method to fold dumplings. Dumplings in this shape are typically boiled and eaten as is or served in a soup.

Crochet shui jiao dumplings (IG).

Materials & Tools:

• Yarn - white
• 2.5mm and 3mm crochet hooks
• Stuffing
• Stitch markers
• Scissors
• Yarn needle
• Safety eyes, embroidery thread (optional)

For this amigurumi, I used Sirdar Cotton DK No.502 Vanilla.

Abbreviations (US terms):

R : round / row (as the case may be)
MR : magic ring
ch : chain
st(s) : stitch(es)
sl st : slip stitch
sc : single crochet
dc : double crochet
inc : increase (2 sc in same st)
(...) : a set of pattern instructions
[...] : total number of sts in the round/row

Finished Size:

Approx. 7.5cm long × 3.5〜4cm wide

DUMPLING

Using white yarn, work in rounds,
R1. 6 sc in MR. [6]
R2. 6 inc. [12]
R3. (1 sc, inc) 6 times. [18]
R4. (2 sc, inc) 6 times. [24]
R5. (3 sc, inc) 6 times. [30]
R6. (2 sc, inc, 2 sc) 6 times. [36]
R7. (5 sc, inc) 6 times. [42]
R8. Fold the piece in half, ch 1 and sc the edges together. Stuff before closing the work completely. [24]
R9. Turn, and using a 2.5mm hook, ch 2 and 1 dc in the first st, 3 dc in the next st and repeat for the next 21 sts, 2 dc in the last st. [70]
Fasten off and hide the end inside the work.

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The pattern and images herein are not for commercial use, sale or distribution without the express permission of their respective owners. If you wish to share the pattern and my modifications, please link to the original by Genuine Mudpie and this post. Thank you.