Jennifer Santos - Too Cute Amigurumi: 30 Crochet Patterns for Adorable Animals, Playful Plants, Sweet Treats and More

With this collection of adorable amigurumi dolls at your fingertips, I hope youll soon feel the exact same way. I started my amigurumi journey twelve years ago. The style of my work is inspired by the Japanese notion of kawaii or super cuteand that aesthetic is what Im all about! I love adding cute faces to all my creations, which you will see throughout this book. I also have a huge sweet tooth, which is why so many of my designs are focused on yummy food. I love to play with colors and to use unconventional color palettes. When people ask me what my favorite color is, I always say, Rainbow! I know its not really a color, but I just cant pick one, and its a huge reason why I love to design bright and colorful amigurumis! I cant wait for you to jump into the 30 cheerful designs that await you in these pages.

I want this book to be one you could pick up during your Netflix marathons, a book where the patterns are clear and not too complicated. A book that has quick projects as well as some that might be a little bit more challenging. While writing this book, I made sure it included a little bit of everything, which is why you will find savory foods, sweet treats, ice creams, cacti, animals and more. This book has everythingall with a smiling face! Whether you are an experienced crocheter or new to amigurumi, there are plenty of projects in this book for you! Most of the patterns are beginner-friendly and work up quite quickly. Maybe you are looking to take a break from that blanket or sweater you have been working on for the last few weekswhy not pick up a cute project that you can finish in one evening? If you are a beginner, you will soon notice that most of the patterns only use single crochet and that the shapes are made either by increasing or decreasing the single crochet stitches. Once you get the hang of it, Im sure you will be just as hooked on amigurumi as I am! Before you dive into the patterns, you will also find some useful information for picking out your yarn, how to get the stuffing just the way you want it, embroidering the mouth, a great tip regarding safety eyes (Spoiler alert: It involves fire!) and more useful advice.

It is my hope that the patterns in this book will be pick-me-up projects to brighten your day, an extra dose of cuteness when youre feeling down or just a cute project for you to make to give to your loved ones. Everything is possible with yarn, just let your imagination run wild! And remember, everything is better with sprinkles!

The best thing about amigurumi is that you can use basically any type of yarn youd like! All the projects in this book use Scheepjes Catona yarn in various colors. Scheepjes Catona yarn can be purchased online from yarn.com as well as lovecrafts.com. That being said, if you are having trouble sourcing Scheepjes Catona yarn, feel free to substitute it with any light fingering weight, cotton yarn of your choice. It doesnt really matter what type of yarn you use; I personally prefer mercerized cotton yarn because it gives the stitches more definition. Acrylic yarn is also a good choice, as its budget-friendly and can be found in many stores.

Different types of wool yarn will also work well and will give your creations a fluffier, woolier look. The exact yardage of yarn is not listed for the projects in this book because these items use up little yardage and can be made with less than one skein or hank of each color. This also makes amigurumi the perfect craft for using up leftover yarn, since you often do not need that much yarn for each project.

Gauge is also not critical when making amigurumi, just use a hook that matches you and your yarn. Ive provided a suggested hook size for each project, but dont worry too much about it if you feel a different hook size will give you a better result. When I was first starting to make amigurumi, I noticed that my stitches were not tight enough, so if you are having that problem use a smaller hook size! The projects in this book are made using a US B/1 (2.25-mm) hook, which works well with light fingering weight yarn.

Please note that if you are using a heavier weight yarn, you will need to increase the size of your hook as well. Remember also that the finished size of your creation will be different than the one listed in the patterns if you use a different hook size. I also suggest colors for each pattern in this book, but dont feel like you have to follow my suggestions exactly. One of the most fun things about amigurumi is that you can let your imagination run wild!

My number one tip for adorable amigurumi is to have fun with it! Do not beat yourself up if your project does not come out the way you had initially expected, especially if you are new to making amigurumi. You should have seen my first dolls when I was just starting outthey were not cute. But if you just keep crocheting, you will get the hang of itI promise!

ASSEMBLING

Ill be honest, the thing I like the least about making amigurumi is actually sewing everything together.

That being said, my best tip for you is to take your time when assembling your amigurumi. Match your stitches as best as you can so that you sew into the matching stitches on each piece. You will notice that it often states to leave a yarn tail at the end of each pattern piece, and you can then use those tails to sew the pieces together at the very end of each project. Sometimes when I want a project to look really neat, Ill use sewing thread for assembling the pieces instead of the yarn tails. If you are planning to give a finished doll to small children, make sure to sew the pieces on very tightyou can also go over the stitches one extra time at the end for added security.

CHANGING COLORS

When changing colors, always be sure to do it on the last stitch before your color change.