Katalin Galusz - Crochet Your Own Kawaii Animal Cuties: Includes 12 Adorable Patterns and Materials to Make a Shiba Puppy and Sloth

Exact gauge is not important in these projects, as long as you work tightly enough to create a firm fabric that doesnt show gaps when the toy is stuffed. To achieve this, use a hook size smaller than recommended on the yarns label. The original projects use an E-4 (3.5 mm) with worsted weight yarn, but this is only a guideline; feel free to experiment to find what best suits your yarn choice and crocheting style.

Use a split ring marker to keep track of the beginning of rounds or to mark specific stitches for orientation. If you dont have plastic markers, you can improvise with safety pins or paper clips.

Polyester fiberfill is easily available and economical and makes resilient, washable toys. Be sure to stuff pieces firmly, as stuffing will settle over time. A pair of tweezers can be used to push stuffing through small openings.

Blunt tapestry or yarn needles are recommended for sewing knit and crochet pieces, but for amigurumi a chenille needle, which is a large embroidery needle with a sharp point, can be useful to pierce through the yarn for a neat join. A smaller embroidery needle is useful for creating fine details like mouths, or when working close to safety eyes. Craft pins are helpful for holding pieces together while you sew them together.

Embroidery floss is made of six loosely twisted, thin cotton strands. Always start by separating the individual strands, even if using all six. This will produce flatter, smoother stitches.

Embroidery thread is a single strand that works well for crochet and comes in a wider range of colors than most crochet threads. Size 8 pearl cotton embroidery thread can be substituted for size 20 crochet thread.

The eye sizes in this book are appropriate for worsted weight yarn; if you use a different yarn weight, you will need to adjust the eye size accordingly. The instruction for eye placement refers to the distance between the eye stems/centers of the eyes, which remains constant regardless of yarn weight and eye size. For perfectly placed safety eyes, stuff the head and use pins to find the right position. Stick the eyes in place, then remove the fiberfill stuffing and attach the washers. Push the washer onto the eye stem with the bulge pointing away from the eye.

Glue-on eyes can be used when the area is too small for the stems and washers of safety eyes to fit. In addition, a wire cutter can be used to clip the stems of safety eyes close to the washer to facilitate fit in a tight space. Please note that small plastic parts are considered a choking hazard for babies and small children. When making toys for a young recipient, use embroidery to create the eyes.

Chenille stems or pipe cleaners are used for amigurumi projects because the bristles help to integrate wire and yarn, and they are fairly soft so unlikely to cause injuries. Still, they are best avoided in toys for childreneven the best quality wire will tire and break after too much bending, and the resulting sharp ends might be dangerous.