Handmade Friends

Between the holidays and the endless roster of birthday parties to attend, we have alot of kids' gifts to give throughout the year. I am always searching for crafty ideas that will satisfy the gamut of recipients, from infant to 8-year olds, both boys and girls.

A few months ago, I found Amigurumi crochet patterns of the cutest stuffed toys on Etsy (Amigurumi is the Japanese art of knitting or crocheting small stuffed animals). They were irresistible, so I bought a few patterns and and got to work figuring out how to stitch these fun little friends.

I am, by no stretch of the imagination, a seasoned crocheter. My crocheting experience before this endeavor included scarves, blankets, and any other item that is rectangular. So, crocheting these adorable 3-dimensional objects was an intimidating prospect. I soon learned I had nothing to fear. The patterns were very well written, with clear instructions and pictures to accompany me through the steps. Before long, I had a pile of Juggling Chickens, Horses, and BlueBirds to give.

Nuts About Crochet, and FreshStitches are two shops I have purchased patterns from, so I can attest to their great customer service, and easy-to-follow patterns. Amigurumi Kingdom and Amy Gaines also have some precious patterns. I am thinking Amy Gaines' Matryoshka Roly-Poly Dolls are going to be my next project. Wish me luck!

To learn more about Amigurumi click here. Watch a tutorial video here. I also found some free patterns (score!).