One of the current popular crochet styles is Amigurumi. Amigurumi is a Japanese style of crochet used for making small stuffed animals. While I have been impressed with the wide range of and creativity of these patterns I only recently tried my hand at the craft. I have a few books on the topic in the shop including Cuddly Crochet, Crochet Softies, and Amigurumi Toy Box. Thanwa, the woman who worked for me last year, is expecting her first baby any day now. I decided to make a critter for her as a shower gift. Fortunately she chose the theme of jungle animals for the baby’s room with an emphasis on giraffes. Crochet Softies includes a pattern for a giraffe, so that is what I made. Pictured below is the finished example. I am now working on the snail in the same book.
One truth I have unfortunately come to terms with in recent weeks is that I really am not a crochet fan anymore. Mind you, I learned to crochet before I was 10 years old. I struggled to learn to knit well into my 20’s before I finally gave up. When I moved here to the Sierras I finally endeavored to tackle the craft again, with success this time, and the rest is history. I enjoy knitting so much more that I find crochet far less fulfilling. That being said, crochet is a more adaptable technique for the shaping required to make these wonderful stuffed toys. I am also making a knitted monster from the book Knitted Monsters. When I am finished making Angus I will have to revisit the topic of knit versus crochet when making animals and toys.
Mischief and Mayhem with Beads and Yarn 