Hart - Crochet taxidermy: 30 quirky animal projects, from mouse to moose

To my loving husband, Matt, who has stood by me and helped guide me through all my hopes and dreams

When my husband and I moved from Columbus, Ohio, to Austin, Texas, in 2008, it was in hopes of starting over again, fresh. Like many places across the country at the time, businesses in Ohio were shutting down and unemployment was on the rise. As was true for many college graduates, I couldnt find a job in my field of photography, so I was working for a large insurance company. The BFA I had worked so hard for wasnt being put to good use in my beige cubicle. So we decided that it was time for us to make a big change in our lives. My husband sent out rsums, and to our great delight, he landed a job at his first interview, a position in Austin. We packed up what belongings we could fit into a tiny U-Haul and took off two weeks later with our puppy, Lucy, on our new adventure.

It was here in Austin that I taught myself to crochet. After our move, I began my own job hunt and managed to trade my beige cubicle in Ohio for a gray one at a call center in Texas. In between calls, I picked up a beginners crochet book and instantly fell in love with my newfound hobby. I never thought that Id be making a full-time career out of it nor writing this very book youre reading. In fact, it was merely something fun to do with my fellow coworkers, but it soon it became my passion.

After crocheting some small toys using the Japanese technique of amigurumi, I slowly discovered that I could make and create my own little critters. I began to design some unique, fun plushy toys and started selling them down on South Congress, the wonderful section in the heart of Austin filled with boutiques and eateries. I was delighted to find that people adored my little toys as much as I loved to create them. It was in that setting that I discovered a whole new world of handmade. I was surrounded by people just like me: people filled with the same passion and desire to make and create. Coming from Columbus, Id somehow missed the whole handmade boat that was sweeping much of the country. DIY was our generations answer to our dwindling economy, as we discovered ways of hand-making quality goods by ourselves and for ourselves, without having to rely on or spend a whole lot of money at large chain stores. I had unwittingly landed in a hot spot of DIY, and I am grateful that I did.

The woodland creatures in the first section of the book are the first crocheted taxidermy heads I created, and theyre near and dear to my heart. My whole taxidermy line was, in fact, the result of a happy accident. In between making my amigurumi critters to sell, I would often make a little something for myself. I had been working on my own design for a faux fox scarf, and although I had a great base scarf, the fox head didnt look quite right after I attached it. My husband suggested that I mount the fox head on a plaque to hang on our wall. I thought the idea was incredibly, oddly adorable and rushed out to my local craft store to buy a wooden plaque. I stained the plaque, and together we figured out how to mount it and proudly hung a crocheted faux fox head in our living room for all to see.

All our friends and neighbors thought Mr. Fox was too cute and clever for me not to make and sell, so I slowly started to create more designs and patterns and introduced my woodland creatures to Austin. People were oddly struck by my little creations. They made them smile and then laugh, and the critters were a big success. I soon began selling them on Etsy and in local boutiques throughout Austin, launched my lifestyle blog Nothing but a Pigeon, joined forces with the local craft group Austin Craft Riot, and began showing and selling my creatures in both Texas and Ohio. Now, my part-time hobby has become my full-time reality.

I am thrilled to be able to compile the patterns and designs that have brought me so much joy to make and sell over the years and to share them with you so you can make and create them for your very own. Whether youre making them to hang in your childs nursery or creating them as a gift for a friend or family member, these patterns are easy to read and follow. Even a beginner can learn to crochet from this book. Thats exactly how I learned, and Id like to help you do it, too. I hope my book will inspire you to crochet your very own creations to hang on your wall and enjoy. There are no limitations to what you can create.

Youll find a lot of different crochet techniques out there in the world. If you know the basics, then feel free to jump right in and start your first project. If you are a beginner, dont fret. I cover all the stitches in the appendix, so you can flip back and forth as needed. In this chapter, I cover the main crochet techniques that Ive found to be the most useful and incorporate in all my patterns. I also give a bit of advice about yarns, as well as important add-ons, like plastic safety eyes and fiberfill. Finally, I explain how to prep your plaques and mount your little critters.

For most of the critters heads and bodies, you can use any worsted-weight yarn. Look for the symbol for yarn weight (see ) on the yarn band. I use mostly acrylic yarns, but if you prefer to work in nothing but natural fibers, they crochet up beautifully as well. The important thing is to choose a crochet hook size that combines with your yarn to create a dense fabric that completely covers the fiberfill. When I use acrylic yarn (worsted-weight size 4), I find that a size US F/5 (3.75 mm) hook works well, but when I use worsted wool (also size 4), I get better coverage with the next hook size smaller, US E/4 (3.5 mm). The final measurements of your critter may differ from mine due to your choice of yarn and hook and/or your crochet technique.

For me, other requirements are that the yarn is soft and easily slides through my fingers. Its exciting to shop for fun colors that will give just the right amount of believability to each of your taxidermy critters. Youll find suggestions with each of the patterns, but feel free to experiment with your own color choices.

A few of the projects, such as Little Skunk, Lazy Lion, and Krazy Koala, feature specialty yarns for details like the lions mane and the koalas fuzzy-tipped ears. For Cranky Crocs teeth, youll need a lighter-weight yarn, perhaps a DK (see .)