Amigarumi .... hard to say easy to do.

I love to crochet.  Amigarumi is the Japanese art of crocheting small, cute things.

You need to know how to crochet and once you have that down, the next step is to picture something small and cute and then go for it.  There are patterns you can find in books and online but I like to go with my imagination, adding and reducing stitches to get to the shape I picture in my head.

I started with owls.  They are basically a crochet tube, increased at the bottom and reduced at the top.  Sometimes they have "ears" and they always have big eyes - crocheted separately with buttons in the middle.  Sometimes they have beaks but usually they don't.  All these guys have found new homes with friends where they can impart their owly wisdom on nice girls.

Sometimes I am inspired by a friends new pet.  I have made a budgie for my friend Margot and a pug for my friend Louarna.  Tallulah Porkchop is a gorgeous little black pug.  Too cute for words and perfect to model this.  Her ears and tail were crocheted separately and sewn on along with her button eyes.  Her nose and mouth were chainstitched.  And now she lives with the family of the real Tallulah Porkchop!!

And with Easter fast approaching, I thought I'd show you this cute bunny.  He is a simple tube with smaller tubes for his ears which have been stitched on.  His face is a little crocheted disk which has been stitched on along with eyes, nose and whiskers.

Each of these critters has been filled with toyfill or wadding available from craft shops.  They are not perfect but that is the beauty of the handmade!  If you'd like to learn Amigarumi, the best place is Youtube as there are some fantastic tutorials available or check out this adorable Free Amigarumi Blog  for some wonderful inspiration.

Happy Cute Crocheting!

x Miss G