Amigurumi

We have fallen in love with amigurumi, the popular Japanese art of crocheting or knitting tiny stuffed animals. This new craze also includes making inanimate objects such as food and geometric shapes that seem to be endowed with human personality. The animals, and even the food, are typically extremely cute. Technically, the crocheted pieces are usually made by working around and around in spirals. A small sized hook or needle is used, making a very tight fabric, so that stuffing won't escape. With the proliferation of amigurumi on the internet, our design team has been inspired do some of our own knit and crocheted creatures for you to download and make in our Berroco yarns.

When Norah knit her dodecahedron, Celestine, in Ultra®Alpaca Light for the top of our Christmas tree, we were all amused by the cuteness factor. We thought that it would make an adorable child's toy. It had such character. I suggested we make some in our self patterning Berroco Sox™. The results, Celestine Crochet and Celestine Sox, turned out to be spectacular. Today's free patterns also include our Humphrey Comfort®DK bear patterns crocheted by an amigurumi designer Norah met on Ravelry. I crocheted a little creature with crossed eyes in Comfort®DK and named it Stanley. The adorable Bluebird, knit in Comfort™, was designed by another Ravelry friend. We rounded out our sextet with Bunny, for Easter. She's complete with a pocket for Easter treats. There is no end to the fun in store when you discover the delight of creating these creatures that come magically equipped with their own unique personalities.

Amy from cyberspace wrote:  "When you design, which comes first, the sketch or the swatch?"

Amy,  this is an excellent question. I can say from experience, if there is time, I prefer to swatch before sketching. Good sized swatches allow us to work out shaping issues, pattern repeats, proportions and finishing details that will give us an excellent forecast of the finished piece. You can plan your adornments, like buttons, zippers, hardware, ribbons, beads etc with a certainty that cannot be achieved with a sketch and small reeling of yarn.

All the best,