tal Edition igi O SIXTH EDITION AAMAAA A A AAMAAAAS AAAALAASA AAAMAALAAS vVV VV VV AAAAAAAA 4 “A44Aaaaaada VV VV VV VV VV AAAAAAAA AMAMAAAMAAA AAMAALAAS AAMAMAA 4 AAAAAAAAAAS VVIVIVVIVIIS AAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAA A AAAMAALAA SA AAMAALAAS AAAAAAA ds AALALAAS AAAAAAAA TV VV VV VV VV TV VV VV VV TV VV VV VV VV VV VV VV VV VV MAAAAAAAS AAMALAA A AAMAAAAAS AAMAAL A 4 MAAAAAMAAAAAS VT VVVVVV VV | A A A A) Ad TVVVTVVVVVv Vy -e SOFT TOYS «- Amigurumi is the Japanese art of crocheting small, stuffed creatures made of yarn. Literally speaking, ‘ami’ means ‘knitted’ or crocheted’ and ‘nuigurumi’ means stuffed doll’ It has become vastly popular over the last decade, with people able to sell finished products for over £100! More often than not, you will come across adorable translations of your favourite characters, or cartoon versions of real-life animals that make them even cuter than you could possibly imagine. Then, of course, there's the other end of the spectrum, with people taking inanimate objects and giving them same treatment. Really, the possibilities are endless, and it’s super simple, worked mostly in double crochets in the round. With over 30 projects to choose from, there's enough in here to keep you busy for a long time. So pick up your hook, select your yarn and get crocheting! Creake Crochet -*¢ SOFT TOYS °- Future PLC Quay House, The Ambury, Bath, BA] 1UA Editorial Editor Jen Neal Designer Claire Evison Compiled by Katharine Marsh & Phil Martin Technical Editors Donna Jones, Lynne Rowe Craft Designers Lucy Collin, Katrina Evans, Kati Galusz, Mevlinn Gusick, Amy Kember, Anneris Kondratas, Mari-Liis Lille, Sarah Sloyer, Jasmin Wang Senior Art Editor Andy Downes Head of Art & Design Greg Whitaker Editorial Director Jon White Photography James Sheppard All copyrights and trademarks are recognised and respected Advertising Media packs are available on request Commercial Director Clare Dove International Head of Print Licensing Rachel Shaw [email protected] www.futurecontenthub.com Circulation Head of Newstrade Tim Mathers Production Head of Production Mark Constance Production Project Manager Matthew Eglinton Advertising Production Manager Joanne Crosby Digital Editions Controller Jason Hudson Production Managers Keely Miller, Nola Cokely, Vivienne Calvert, Fran Twentyman Printed by William Gibbons, 26 Planetary Road, Willenhall, West Midlands, WV13 3XT Distributed by Marketforce, 5 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London, E14 SHU Wwww.marketforce.co.uk Tel: 0203 787 9001 Create with Crochet: Soft Toys Sixth Edition (HOB4236) © 2022 Future Publishing Limited Previously called Create with Crochet: Amigurumi We are committed to only using magazine paper which is derived from responsibly managed, certified forestry and chlorine-free manufacture. The paper in this bookazine was sourced and produced from sustainable managed forests, conforming to strict environmental and socioeconomic standards. The paper holds full FSC or PEFC certification and accreditation. Allcontents © 2022 Future Publishing Limited or published under licence. Alll rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be used, stored, transmitted or reproduced in any way without the prior written permission of the publisher. Future Publishing Limited (company number 2008885) is registered in England and Wales. Registered office: Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BAI UA. All information contained in this publication is for information only and is, as far as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press. Future cannot accept any responsibility for errors or inaccuracies in such information. You are advised to contact manufacturers and retailers directly with regard to the price of products/ervices referred to in this publication. Apps and websites mentioned in this publication are not under our control, We are not responsible for their contents or any other changes or updates to them. This magazine is fully independent and not affiliated in any way with the companies mentioned herein. F U T U R E Connectors. Creators. Experience Makers. Future plc is a public Chief executive Zillah Byng-Thorne company quoted on the Non-executive chairman Richard Huntingford London Stock Exchange Chief financial officer Penny Ladkin-Brand (symbol: FUTR) wwwfutureple.com Tel +44 (0)1225 442 244 For press freedom with responsibility Widely Recycled : Contents Yarns Amigurumi kit bag Read a pattern Foundation chain Working the chain Work subsequent rows Yarn over Slip stitch Double crochet Treble crochet Half treble crochet Double treble crochet 6 Create with Crochet Starting in the round a Increasing Decreasing Working in the round Amigurumi tension K Fixing mistakes | Fastening off Join anew yarn Joining amigurumi Reading a stitch pattern Throughout this book, all crochet patterns and tutorials use UK rather than US terminology. For notes on converting between UK and US terms, head to page 14. There’s also a handy list of [ I I ; common abbreviations on page 158 for your guidance. Little dress-up doll tok tok Baby sloth kkk Prairie bunny took Tiny princess totok Rob the raptor tok Happy horse » O.0.0.4 Rachel doll » O84 Tiny luck elephant kk Proud lion Kak Magical unicorn kk Yeti & Bigfoot kak Chubby baby tow Stegosaurus kk T-rex kkk These star ratings indicate difficulty Triceratops level, so pick a pattern based on nk your ability: Little bunny Cute turtle lelalal Ik Pearl the dolphin Teddy bear baal ond Frog, snail & log tow Jumbo doll » ee... 4 Baby guinea pigs kkk Flemish lop bunny tok Football captain kkk Giant mouse kk Cup of bear took Halloween rat took Wedding dolls tok Chubby Santa & elf tow Glossary Abbreviations Special stitches Create with Crochet 7 : Getting started Get to grips with the basics 10 Yarns 32 Starting in the round 12 Amigurumi kit bag 36 Increasing 14 Reada pattern 38 Decreasing 16 Foundation chain 40 Working in the round 20 Work subsequent rows 43 Amigurumi tension 22 Yarn over 44 Fixing mistakes 23 Slip stitch 45 Fastening off 24 Double crochet 46 Joinanewyarn 26 = Treble crochet 48 Joining amigurumi 28 Half treble crochet 52 Reading astitch pattern 30 Double treble crochet “A crochet hook can feel a bit unnatural in your hand at first, but you'll soon get used to the way it feels” 8 Create with Crochet AS aR TS ME pine ne cepe poe Create with Crochet 9 7 Getting started From chunky wool to 4-ply acrylic, there is a wide variety of yarns with which you can crochet 0 begin crocheting, all you need are two essential pieces of equipment: a crochet hook and a ball of yarn. The yarn that you decide to use will play a part in determining which hook you will work with, so let's start by looking at the many types of yarn available to you. Yarns are made with a wide variety of fibres; most are natural, some are synthetic, and others blend different fibres together. All yarns have different textures and properties, and will affect the look and feel of your finished project. For example, wool is stretchy and tough, alpaca is soft and luxurious, while natural and synthetic blends are durable with other enhanced properties. When choosing a yarn you also need to consider its thickness, usually called its weight. Different weights affect the appearance of your project and the number of stitches needed. When learning to crochet, it’s a good idea to start with a medium- weight yarn that feels comfortable in your hand and is smooth but not too slippery. A yarn described as worsted, Aran or 10-ply in wool or a wool blend is ideal. Wool Wool is very warm and tough, which makes it great for winter wear. It can be fine and soft or rough and scratchy, but will soften with washing. It’s mostly affordable, durable and a good choice for the new crocheter. Mohair Mohair is a silk-like fibre that comes from the Angora goat. It's a yarn that dyes particularly well and is commonly blended with other fibres. It makes for fantastic winter garments as it is warm and durable. 10 Create with Crochet Alpaca With long and fine fibres, alpaca yarn can sometimes be hairy looking, but it is one of the warmest and most luxurious wools out there. It is also incredibly soft, and comes in varieties such as baby and royal, which are even softer. Cotton This natural vegetable fibre is typically less elastic than wool, and is known for its robustness and washability. Cotton has a lovely stitch definition when crocheted, and is good for homewares and bags. However, it can be a bit hard on the hands. Acrylic Made from polyacrylonitrile, acrylic yarn is both affordable and washable. This synthetic yarn is very soft to the touch and comes in a wide variety of colours and textures. Acrylic is commonly blended with other yarns in order to add durability. Natural and synthetic blends Blending natural and man- made fibres often creates yarns hat are stronger and more versatile. It can also enhance heir appearance, making hem shinier or more vibrant. Blended yarns are often washable, making them great for garments for children.