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Saturday, August 12, 2023

Funny Amigurumi – A Crochet Craft Pattern Book Review

16 Creatures & Their Accessories to Crochet by Emilie Penou

Amigurumi is the Japanese craft of crocheting small stuffed animals and toys.

Images of stuffed animal crochet patterns

Funny Amigurumi Craft Book

This crochet craft book has 16 quirky creatures to create. Each one has a cute accessory.

These characters are portable, collectible and very giftable. They average about 4.5 inches tall, depending upon the yarn and the size crochet hook you choose to use. The author recommends a cotton yarn that is a sock/super fine weight 1 yarn used with a D hook I prefer to work in a worsted weight 4 acrylic yarn and almost always use an F hook.

Therefore, my version of the hedgehog, for instance, turned out to be 8 inches tall, about twice what the pattern in the book states. Crochet crafters will understand what I mean by preference. :)

The List of Characters in Funny Amigurumi include:

Mini Bunny and Carrot
Mini Bug and Aphid
Mini Tiger and Bow tie
Mini Fox and Mask
Mini Chicken and Cape
Dragon and Surfboard
Unicorn and Cloud
Owl and Witch Hat
Reindeer and Scarf
Frog and Crown
Hedgehog and Hairbrush
Donkey and Hat
Wolf and Broccoli
Penguin and Floatie
Sheep and Fox Blankie
Squid and Book

These patterns are fairly quick to crochet and most are good for beginners with easy-to-follow instructions. Most can be made in a day or a weekend. They are small enough to be portable for creating on the go!

Several of the characters/animals in this book are done in a similar style, with the body being sort of pear-shaped, such as the wolf and the unicorn.

There are several pages of crochet lessons at the beginning of the book. I found the lessons well worth reading and very helpful. In fact, I learned something I'd never known, even after crocheting for over 40 years.

I also really liked the fact that the individual patterns each give you specific instructions on exactly where to place the arms, legs, ears and features. Having followed many a pattern over the years, I have to tell you that having the pattern author tell you to, for instance, insert the eyes between row 18 and 19, with 15 stitches in between is invaluable. Many times I have had to look at a picture and try and figure out how many rows down the eyes or ears are placed, which naturally can be time-consuming and frustrating.

My Recent Creations from Funny Amigurumi

Plush crocheted Hedgehog looking at the pattern in the craft book

I loved the Hedgehog, one of my favorite animals to crochet. I got a big kick out of the Hedgehog accessory. He comes with a hairbrush, which makes sense as he will need one to comb out his 'quills'.

The quills are easy to make, but are a bit time-consuming as you cut strands of yarn, then insert the hook under a stitch, grab the middle of the yarn with the hook and pull it through the stitch. Then you grab the two tail strands of yarn and pull them through the loop on the hook. In my version, it took over 100 strands to create the quill look I wanted across the head and all the way down the back. Turned out really cute, though. :)

The Wolf was fun to make and turned out so nice. The picture in the pattern book looks like he is done in tan, but the pattern calls for gray yarn, which is what I used, since wolves are normally gray in color. The nose on the pattern appears to be embroidered in black yarn, but I have always had problems getting the embroidery to come out neatly when working on a yarn piece. Therefore, this time I came up with another idea. I simply crocheted a 6 stitch circle and sewed it onto the tip of the nose. Came out very neat, instead of the sloppy look my embroidery always gives me. LOL.

Plush white rabbit with carrot. Crochet pattern in Funny Amigurimi craft book.

The Bunny was such a delightful plush toy to create. He reminds me of the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland.

And I love the crochet carrot they included in the bunny rabbit pattern.

Such a cute accessory for a plush bunny!

Summary

So, if you are looking for a cute collection of 'funny' and fun creatures to crochet, Funny Amigurumi is a good book to have in your craft library.

Quick Links to More Craft Book Reviews:

Note:

Crocheted Bunny, hedgehog, wolf in a photo collage

If you liked the crafty critters I have featured here, but do not crochet, the Hedgehog, the Wolf, and the Bunny & his carrot shown in this review are currently available for purchase in my Etsy Store, Coastal Crochet Crafts. More will be along soon as I am busy with my crochet hook!

*Review of the Crochet Craft Book Funny Amigurumi was written by

~Wednesday Elf

For More Reviews in the world of crafts, check out
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Saturday, October 28, 2017

Baby Crochet Pattern Book Review

Baby Crochet available on Etsy and Amazon

When you create a handmade gift for a baby shower, or to welcome a new arrival in the family, your gift becomes extra special. A 'Made with Love' gift.

For those who love to crochet, this pattern booklet by Lois Daykin called 'Baby Crochet' is filled with 20 wonderful designs for newborns and little toddlers.

The collection includes garments such as booties, a wrap cardigan, and practical & pretty bibs and bottle warmers. There are also patterns for soft toys and nursery decor, along with a crochet cushion and blanket set.

Teddy Bear Scarf and Hat

The teddy scarf and hat for a toddler is adorable. The scarf has pockets for tots to carry around little stuffed animals. This pattern is very easy to crochet if you do the simplest form (as seen in the image on the left).

There is an alternative version that has little teddy decorations that are crocheted and stitched on after the scarf and hat are finished (image on right). The little teddy bear motifs take a bit more crochet skill, but are not all that difficult and add a really cute finish, along with the bear ears with tassels, making the set truly TEDDY!

Nursery Decor

This pattern book also has cool accessories for decorating the nursery, such as a little rabbit diaper holder and a mobile of crochet hearts.

Soft Plush Toys

Soft plush toys for toddlers are also included in this baby crochet book. Choose a cat, a curly snake or some big soft crochet building blocks! Use simple bright primary colors for these soft toys, to catch baby's eye, or choose soft baby pastels. Any color yarn makes crocheting for babies fun to do.

Baby Crochet

Many of the projects in this book can be done in a few hours and the instructions are easy enough for even novices to make successfully.

The book was published in 2007. It is a soft cover book with 120 pages and is nicely illustrated with color photographs.

Author Lois Daykin

Lois Daykin is a very successful knitwear designer whose designs are regularly featured in the prestigious Rowan magazine. She is the author of some of their best-selling pattern booklets, including Little Treasures.

Baby Crochet, along with Baby Knits, is her first book to be published in the United States. She lives in Derbyshire, England with her husband and their three small children.

Little Treasures and Baby Knits


Little Treasures on Abe Books & Baby Knits on Amazon

Baby Crochet Front & Back Covers

Quick Links:

(c) Wednesday Elf 10/28/2017

*Images shown in this article were photographed by or compiled from stock photos by (c) Wednesday Elf.

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Saturday, November 12, 2016

A Review of the Crochet Book "Amigurumi Two"

Discovering Amigurumi Crochet

Amigurumi Two crochet pattern book book cover

Amigurumi Two! by Ana Paula Rimoli

I have been a crochet crafter for more than 30 years and love to create plush animals. I began making stuffed toys for my children when they were small, and then for my grandchildren. Today I crochet cute plush critters for children everywhere and feature many in my Etsy Shop.

I love handmade crafts, particularly in the field of fiber arts. Throughout my crafting years I've been familiar with patterns for stuffed teddy bears and cute crocheted cats and fun frogs. Then, as I visited and admired the crocheted creations in other Etsy Shops, I began to see some strange dolls and animals. They called them 'Amigurumi'. I thought they were rather silly looking with big heads and skinny bodies, arms & legs and sometimes with quirky or funny faces on non-animal things like toy hammers or a baseball bat & ball. I thought they were very weird.

The more I looked around, the more I noticed that these strange creations appeared to be very popular. Finally, I had to find out what it was all about. I discovered that Amigurumi is the Japanese art of crochet (and knitting) small stuffed animals & dolls. The technique is also used to give 'personality' to inanimate objects!

And then I fell in love with Amigurumi!

Amigurumi Bunny Girl in Blue (c) Elf

Because of my initial reaction to the style, I didn't become a fan until I finally got around to actually crocheting an Amigurumi-style bunny one day.... and absolutely fell in love with how adorable it turned out. The style began less than 15 years ago (2003) and has no practical use, but is loved because of its Cuteness Factor.

Bunny Girl in Amigurumi Crochet

Bunny Girl in Blue is the first Amigurumi animal I created ~ and the one that made me fall in love with the Amigurumi Style of Crochet. I found the pattern originally on the Lion Brand Website.

Golden Bunny Girl Amigurumi Crochet Doll

This is my latest version of an Amigurumi Bunny Girl. Cuteness Indeed!

New to my Crafting Library

Amigurumi Two crochet pattern book cover

Crochet Toys for Me and You and Baby Too.

Needless to say, my crafting library has now been expanded to include a number of patterns and books of Amigurumi. The one featured here, Amigurumi Two! by Ana Paula Rimoli, is filled with over 25 fun, adorable designs to crochet for babies and toddlers. The author designs her own patterns and has two small daughters who are her inspiration for her toy designs - and are also her quality control kids! Ana also has a shop on Etsy and a website where many of her designs and pattern books are featured.

About "Amigurumi Two!"

I have had more fun crocheting cute Amigurumi toys from this book. When I'm not crocheting, it's just a fun crochet pattern book to read. The author (and pattern creator) Ana Paula Rimoli prefaces each pattern with personal notes on why she created this pattern based on a childhood memory or something her little girls like or wanted. This book is more than a crochet pattern book; it's as if a fellow crochet crafter was sitting with you discussing the art of Amigurumi crochet and the fun we have with crochet.

Examples of Patterns from the Book 'Amigurumi Two'

One example from the 'Amigurumi Two' book is called Little Fish and her Daddy.

They are two cute colorful plush tropical fish you could create in the color combinations shown here or in your own color choices.

Amigurumi Tropical Fish available on Etsy

The back of the Amigurumi Two craft book, showing more cuties to crochet including an adorable little plush bumble bee.

Baby Bumblebee in Plush

Author Ana Paula Rimoli

The author of Amigurumi Two!, Ana Paula Rimoli, has written a number of craft books and all her creations are adorable. She currently resides in New Jersey, but is originally from Uruguay. She thanks her neighbor Marta in Montevideo, Uruguay for teaching her how to crochet when she was little, maybe 6 or 7. Ana says "I love love love crocheting and making toys."