AMIGURUMI CRITTERS
25 IMAGINATIVE CROCHET DESIGNS FOR ALL SKILL LEVELS
BY AMY TING OF @CURIOUSPAPAYA
INTRODUCTION
Hello!
Perhaps one of the cute animals on the cover caught your eye or maybe you’ve been actively following my journey as a designer from the beginning. However you got here, it’s my great pleasure to put this book into your hands.
From a young age I’ve loved creating with my hands and heart. From friendship bracelets to Perler beads to pottery, the process of making art was always meaningful to me.
When I eventually stumbled upon amigurumi back in 2018, I immediately became hooked. The term amigurumi means “the Japanese art of crocheting small plushies.”
I was an elementary school teacher for a number of years before I decided to pursue crochet designing full-time. One commonality between the two professions is that I get to help others learn, and that brings me so much joy! You can think of the patterns in this book as being like recipes in a baking book—the steps I’ve recorded will guide you in recreating any of the cute plushies pictured.
I’m a naturally curious person (you can probably imagine the trouble I got into as a kid) and I remember always being the person who wanted to know the why behind everything!
Just the other week, I was baking cupcakes with my daughter (the kind that come pre-mixed in a box because I’m definitely not gifted in the baking realm), and the instructions read, “Mix all of the dry ingredients first and then add the wet ingredients.” I couldn’t help but think, Well, why? Won’t they all end up in the same bowl anyway? What would happen if you didn’t?
That’s exactly the reason I’ve added little tips and blurbs to help my readers gain a better understanding about what the techniques I’ve embedded will establish. My hope is that you’ll not only walk away with an adorable plushie that you made with your own two hands but that you’ll also grow in your confidence and skills in amigurumi making.
Happy crocheting, friends!
Amy
TOOLS
It seems like there are endless yarn and hook options to choose from! Just as painters choose specific brushes for the type of art they want to make, crocheters do the same when choosing hooks and yarn. Below are some things to consider when making your selection and also my personal preferences. Of course, the best way to figure out what’s best for you is to try out different kinds.
HOOKS
The two most common kinds of “grips” (how we hold the crochet hook) are called the pencil grip and the knife grip. The right grip for you is the one that’s most comfortable! I personally like the knife grip because it gives you more control and puts less pressure on your wrist when working into the tight stitches we use while making amigurumi. The knife grip also makes ergonomic sense if you tend to yarn under as I do (see more on that term on page 15).
Any movement repeated for long periods of time is bound to put strain on your joints. If you want to save yourself from pain, choose a hook with an ergonomic handle. Because I use the knife grip, I prefer a longer handle, and so Clover Amour Hooks are my go-to. They’re very well made with a strong aluminum shaft. The yarn also glides without much resistance, making it easier on your hands.
When making amigurumi, we want to create tight stitches so that there are no gaps for the stuffing to peek through. This is different from crocheting garments where drape created by looser stitches is desired.
Many amigurumi artists have experienced “yarn burn” (where you grip the yarn so tightly that the fibers rub your skin raw) as well as snapping their hooks. My friend, though you’re welcome to do what you’re most comfortable with, let’s work smarter, not harder! You may have heard of sizing down two hook sizes below the recommended size, which you can find on the back of your yarn labels. However, if you’re still noticing big gaps in your work, size down again! Over time, the consistency in your tension will improve—and again, a bit of experimentation to figure out what works best for you is completely welcomed.
CROCHET
HOOK SIZE CHART (US & UK)
DARNING NEEDLES
The animals in this book are about 4–5 inches (10–13 cm) tall on average, making their stitches quite small. Having the right needle is crucial for sewing. I really like Clover’s darning needles because they’re made of metal. Their pointy tips allow for precise sewing and they don’t bend when maneuvering between tight stitches.
With no-sew patterns on the rise lately, I feel that there’s been an overall negative outlook when it comes to sewing. However, I’ll gladly defend my post—sewing is just as important to making amigurumi as the actual crocheting itself. I get it—sometimes, we just want the satisfaction of the completed plushie and so sewing feels tedious. However, I believe that sewing is like any skill that needs to be practiced and honed. The more you practice, the better you’ll become. With that being said, this book does contain a couple of patterns with minimal sewing (Axolotl and Sea Star) but I also think that certain looks in amigurumi can only be achieved with sewing. So, invest in a strong metal hook and you’re good to go!
SEWING PINS
Sewing pins allow you to position the body parts symmetrically. Don’t skip using them! I also find it helpful to mark the line of symmetry down the body so that I can count an even number of stitches when determining where to place each part.
STITCH MARKERS
Using stitch markers is essential when keeping track of your rounds. When you’re first starting out, reattaching the stitch marker at the beginning of each new round is a step you don’t want to miss. I have found that cutting a long strand of a contrast color yarn and wrapping it back and forth after each new round has also worked for me and is easy to pull out at the end.
INTERMEDIATE-BEGINNER +
These patterns involve the basic stitches, such as single crochet, increases, and invisible decreases, and use techniques such as making a magic circle. They involve basic sewing to attach pieces.
INTERMEDIATE
These patterns are a step up from the Intermediate-Beginner + level and involve other types of stitches, such as half double crochet and double crochet stitches. They may involve colorwork or crocheting with embroidery thread.
EXPERIENCED
These patterns involve more complex techniques (such as crocheting in an oval spiral or working into chain spaces). There may be heavier sewing involved and you will need to pay close attention to positioning and assembling pieces. In all, your intuition (artist’s judgment) is needed to create a pattern of this level.
TECHNIQUES
MAGIC CIRCLE
A magic circle is used in almost all amigurumi patterns. It’s also called a “magic loop” or “magic ring.” This allows the start of your amigurumi to have no holes or gaps in the center. You can watch my tutorial for beginners on my YouTube channel @curiouspapaya.
1 With your nondominant palm facing you, position the yarn tail so that the shorter end is pointing downward.
2 Wrap the yarn around your index and middle fingers and form an “X.” Hold the X down with your thumb.
3 With your hook, go under the loop and behind the two fingers. Then grab the yarn. Pull it through the same loop.
4 Reposition your grip so that your thumb and middle finger are pressing down on the circle. Yarn over and pull through the loop around your hook, similar to how you would “chain 1.”
5 Pull on the shorter yarn tail to tighten the magic circle a bit. This will make it more comfortable to hold on to when adding single crochet stitches into the circle.
Video tutorials playlist
INVISIBLE FINISH
To create a neater finish on open edges for certain pieces (such as Gertrude the Grumpy Chick’s beak), we will use the invisible finish technique.
Since we are working in a spiral, there is a noticeable jog for each time the round builds on itself.
1 Rather than fastening off by making a slip stitch in the next stitch over, cut the yarn and pull it up from the current stitch.
2 Thread the yarn tail with the needle and skip the next stitch. Weave from the front to the back, going under both loops.
3 Weave back out where you came from through the back loop only.
4 Pull tightly and your faux stitch has been made! skip
height difference
faux stitch created
SPECIAL STITCHES
bo: bobble stitch—Yarn over, insert hook into stitch, yarn over, draw loop back through stitch, yarn over, and pull through 2 loops. Repeat this 3 more times until you have 5 loops on your hook. Yarn over and pull through all 5 loops.
SPsc: spike stitch—Yarn over for this special stitch instead of yarning under. To make a spike stitch, insert the hook into the stitch of the round below. Pull up the loop to the height of the current round you are on and make a single crochet stitch as you normally would.
GERTRUDE THE GRUMPY CHICK
DIFFICULTY
Meet Gertrude the Grumpy Chick! She’s full of spunk and is an avid gardener. Originally designed for a crochet-along back in 2021, Gertrude quickly won the hearts of many and became the beloved mascot of curiouspapaya. Find free accessories for her on curiouspapaya.com!
MATERIALS
• Yarn: Hobbii Friends Cotton 8/8
◊ 1 skein of Sunflower (24) yellow – 26 g
◊ 1 skein of Orange (30) – 2 g
◊ 1 skein of White (01) – 11 g
◊ 1 skein of Beige (05) – 11 g
• DMC 6-Strand Cotton Embroidery Thread
◊ Black (310)
• 2.75 mm and 3.50 mm hook
• Two 8 mm safety eyes
• Stuffing
• Scissors
• Yarn needle
• Stitch markers
• Sewing pins
• Optional: blush and a cotton swab
TECHNIQUES
• Magic circle (see page 12)
• Invisible finish (see page 18)
• Closing up a piece (see page 21)
NOTES
This pattern is worked in a continuous spiral.
The hat’s brim will be worked in a joined rnd and the “ch 2” at the beginning counts as the first st.
Warning: It is super important to double strand the hat or it will come out too small. Do not skip this step! To do this, simply hold 2 strands of yarn at the same time and crochet as you normally would.
The 3.5 mm hook is only for the hat. Everything else will use the 2.75 mm hook.
Measurements: 3.5 in. x 3 in. [~9 cm x ~8 cm] if using the prescribed materials.
HAT
Double strand White and Beige yarn with a 3.5 mm hook
Rnd 1: make a magic circle and (sc) x6 [6]
Rnd 2: (inc) x6 [12]
Rnd 3: (sc, inc) x6 [18]
Rnd 4: (sc, inc, sc) x6 [24]
Rnd 5: (3 sc, inc) x6 [30]
Rnds 6–8 (3 rnds total): sc all around [30]
*Note: You will create the brim in the next rnd. Increasing all around will create a wavy texture.
Rnd 9: (flo) – sc into the first st, ch 2 (this will count as your first dc), dc into the same st, (dc-inc) x29, slst into the first st to join the rnd [60]
Use the invisible finish and leave a short tail to weave in.
