Amigurumi Crocheted Toys
Back in the late 1990s, a close friend showed Elizabeth how to do a few simple crochet stitches, but that's about as far as the hobby went in our house for the next two decades. There must be an old saying about being careful what you browse online – you never know what you'll find! In this case, Mom and Elizabeth browsed their way right into the world of Amigurumi patterns. Amigurumi is a Japanese style of very tight crochet for making toys and dolls. This seemed ideal for Elizabeth, because she has the tightest tension when knitting or crocheting that you will ever see. Just perfect for Amigurumi! The clincher came when she found a pattern for an Amigurumi Smurf. All she needed was a little practice, and then she could make it with a perfect smurfy-coloured made-in-Greece-cotton-yarn that we'd saved for years. The rest is history.
Now that she's started this new hobby, Elizabeth just can't seem to stop. She's got all kinds of patterns and ideas, so check back periodically to see the latest additions.
Baby Dragon
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This was Elizabeth's first big crochet project, and the result was one of the most lovable little dragons you've ever seen. She was even able to find two different colors in the same vintage pearly yarn, which gives the whole piece a sparkly look.
Oliver the Cat
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For this cute little fellow, Elizabeth took a pattern for an amigurumi cat and improvised a bit. There's never been a cuter cat than Oliver (our own spoiled cat). So, as a special gift for Mom, Elizabeth made a little crocheted Oliver. He's got the perfect stripedy tail, white tear stripe and golden eyes. His legs and arms are jointed, so this little chap can even sit down on his own.
10" Smurf Doll
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Sometimes the starting point of a hobby is a funny thing. Well, seeing the pattern for this little Amigurumi Smurf was the whole reason that Elizabeth decided to take up this form of crochet (as if she needs one more hobby). After making only two simple projects, she decided she was ready for the Smurf – with totally irresistable results. Both of us have always loved Smurfs. Growing up in the 1990s, we had plenty of plastic Smurf toys as children (most of which are still packed away in hopes of passing them on to our own children one day). With a good pattern and a couple of skeins of a fabulous mercerized Greek-cotton yarn, we've got a much-less-toxic addition to the collection.
Instead of stuffing this piece with Poly Fiberfill, Elizabeth used Bamboo stuffing, giving it a very firm (almost hard) feel. An amazing non-plastic and BPA-free replacement for the old Smurf toys!
24" Smurf Doll
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$115.00 + Shipping
After having so much fun making her cotton smurf, Elizabeth saw this large and amazingly soft chenille yarn – and it just screamed to be made into a BIG Smurf.
This large Smurf is stuffed with Poly Fiberfill, so he's extremely cuddly and soft. Did I say soft? SOFT! This is one of our most popular items, always worth an "ah" or an "ooh" from whomever is holding him. Because of his fun size, he's also quite sturdy and able to stand lots of gentle love. One photo shows both Smurfs together, and the last photo shows Elizabeth giving him a big hug (which gives a pretty nice idea of his size). We think this would be a PERFECT GIFT!