Supersize Crochet Animals: 20 Adorable Amigurumi Sized to Snuggle

By Kristi Simpson

It's time to SUPERSIZE your amigurumi!

Tiny crochet animals are cute, but the larger animals in this book are just the right size for hugs and cuddles. Worked with bulky yarn and larger hooks, these stuffed animals hook up fast, and all of the patterns are easy enough for even a beginner crocheter. Single crochet stitches form most of the pieces. Stitched or crocheted embellishments make each creature unique. Finished pieces range in size from approximately 16 to 30 inches.

You'll love the new friends you crochet, from a soft, fluffy llama or sheep to a frisky puppy, platypus, dinosaur, teddy bear, raccoon, turtle, and more. Make a favorite animal for yourself or a young friend. Once you make one, you'll see how easy and fun they are to crochet, and you'll want to make all 20 supersized amigurumi!

• Language: English
• Publisher: RowmanLittlefield
• Release date: Nov 15, 2022
• ISBN: 9780811771023

Kristi Simpson

Kristi Simpson is a renowned Ravelry designer, Craftsy instructor, and best-selling author of over 40 books. More than 100 of her patterns have been published in books, kits, DVD's, online classes and tutorials, catalogs, online venues, international magazines, and other popular crochet publications, including I Like Knitting, I Like Crochet, Crochet!, Crochet World, Inside Crochet, and Simply Crochet. With a passion for creating, designing, and inspiring crafters with a fresh and modern touch, Kristi works with an array of companies where she offers fun projects, patterns, articles, and instruction to share her love for crochet.

Book preview

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SUPERSIZE

CROCHET ANIMALS

SUPERSIZE

CROCHET ANIMALS

20 Adorable Amigurumi Sized to Snuggle

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KRISTI SIMPSON

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Essex, Connecticut

Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania

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Published by Stackpole Books

An imprint of Globe Pequot, the trade division of

The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.

4501 Forbes Blvd., Ste. 200

Lanham, MD 20706

www.rowman.com

Distributed by NATIONAL BOOK NETWORK

800-462-6420

Copyright © 2022 Kristi Simpson

Photography by Heather Alvarado/Heartstrings Photography

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote passages in a review.

The contents of this book are for personal use only. Patterns herein may be reproduced in limited quantities for such use. Any large-scale commercial reproduction is prohibited without the written consent of the publisher.

We have made every effort to ensure the accuracy and completeness of these instructions. We cannot, however, be responsible for human error, typographical mistakes, or variations in individual work.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information available

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is Available

ISBN 978-0-8117-7100-9 (paper: alk. paper)

ISBN 978-0-8117-7102-3 (electronic)

frn_fig_005 The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.

First Edition

CONTENTS

Cover

Half Title

Title

Copyright

Contents

Introduction

Tips for Crochet Amigurumi Animals

PATTERNS

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Dax the Whale

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Olivia the Owl

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Flora Flamingo

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Pinchy the Crab

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Happy the Platypus

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Chubb-Bee

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Shelby the Sheep

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Denton the Woolly Mammoth

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Floppy the Frog

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Penny the Puppy

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Eddy the Raccoon

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Alton the Tiger

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Flutter the Butterfly

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Gruff the Dragon

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Tucky the Turtle

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Ryno-Dino

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Larry the Llama

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Walter the Bear

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Sweetheart Hippo

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Smiley the Sloth

How to Read the Patterns

Abbreviations

Stitch Guide

Acknowledgments

Cover

Half Title

Title

Copyright

Contents

Introduction

Tips for Crochet Amigurumi Animals

PATTERNS

Dax the Whale

Olivia the Owl

Flora Flamingo

Pinchy the Crab

Happy the Platypus

Chubb-Bee

Shelby the Sheep

Denton the Woolly Mammoth

Floppy the Frog

Penny the Puppy

Eddy the Raccoon

Alton the Tiger

Flutter the Butterfly

Gruff the Dragon

Tucky the Turtle

Ryno-Dino

Larry the Llama

Walter the Bear

Sweetheart Hippo

Smiley the Sloth

How to Read the Patterns

Abbreviations

Stitch Guide

Acknowledgments

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Guide

Cover

Half Title

Title

Copyright

Contents

Start of Content

How to Read the Patterns

Abbreviations

Stitch Guide

Acknowledgments

INTRODUCTION

Amigurumi are cute crocheted stuffed animals or toys for young children. Typically, they are tiny creations, but I have taken the crocheted animal to a new supersize level and designed 20 huge animals for you to crochet just by using super bulky yarn! Seriously, the smallest is 14½ inches tall, and some are up to 19 inches tall! The collection has a creative variety ranging from Larry the Llama to Pinchy the Crab, with lots of options in between! Feel free to flip through and see how adorable some of these animals are . . . and how much the kiddos love ’em!

Crochet amigurumi is not difficult, and it can often be learned within a few days. And when you give a child one of these supersize (kid-size) amigurumi animals, they’ll be asking for one of each before you know it!

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When you look at an amigurumi piece, it can seem intimidating, but it’s actually much easier than you might think. For beginners, it is easy and convenient to follow a pattern, especially with this book! I have prepared a How to Read the Patterns section and a full Stitch Guide with photo tutorials to help guide you through all the stitches and techniques used in this book. If you’re a beginner, I would recommend starting with the Sweetheart Hippo, as it uses only the basic stitches and keeps it simple. You will become familiar with the basic stitches, how to hold your hook, where to insert your hook, how to complete different stitches, and so on.

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One of my favorite things about this book is that since we are using super bulky #6 yarn, the hook is not tiny. You’ll be using a J (6 mm) or K (6.5 mm) hook most of the time. With a larger hook and yarn, you will be able to pull the yarn tighter more easily and see your work well as you complete your stitches. The yarn is easy to work with, and you’ll love seeing the project come together quickly!

If you’re a more advanced crocheter, you now have 20 new supersize amigurumi crochet patterns in your hands! Try Floppy the Frog, Flutter the Butterfly, Dax the Whale, Tucky the Turtle, Alton the Tiger . . . all of them! Who knows, you might learn something new!

Many crocheters love making cute, stuffed crocheted animals and toys for babies and young children, but these special gifts should be made as safe as possible, especially for children under the age of three. Never attach anything to a toddler’s or baby’s toy or doll that can be pulled or chewed off and swallowed. I have used safety eyes on most of the animals, but a simple crocheted round eye, or circle, can be used instead.

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As a general rule, the best yarn for amigurumi is medium-weight #4 yarn. However, this book is for supersize amigurumi. I created this collection with bulky #5 yarn, super bulky #6 yarn, or jumbo #7 yarn. By doing so, your animal will naturally be larger. If you use a medium-weight yarn instead of the super bulky yarn, you will have a mini version of the supersize animals. I had a few made up to show you the difference. If you want to make a mini version of your preferred animal, please keep in mind they are still going to be about 8 to 10 inches tall, not a typical small amigurumi! I would recommend using an F (3.75 mm) crochet hook and medium-weight yarn to make the mini version. Please be advised that the jumbo #7 yarn projects (Llama, Sheep, and Sloth) will not convert to a mini size due to the construction of the textured yarn.

When using super bulky #6 yarn, keep in mind that not all yarn is created equal. Some may be thicker, thinner, and/or spun differently. For instance, Bernat Baby Blanket (used in the Frog) is thicker than Berroco Coco (used in the Turtle and Dino). The Knit Picks (WeCrochet) Tuff Puff is like roving and not spun at all, so the texture is different. Even so, you do not have to have the exact gauge to create each of the animals. The finished size might be different, but the completed project will look great if you use consistent stitching throughout. Gauge is not as important with crochet amigurumi as it is with fit-to-size items like sweaters, slippers, hats, etc.

So, let’s get busy! Find your yarn and have fun making this SUPERSIZE collection!

Best stitches,

Kristi

TIPS FOR CROCHET

MIGURUMI ANIMALS

When you crochet your animals, consider the following tips:

When decreasing, use the invisible single crochet 2 together (sc2tog). Instructions are in each pattern’s Special Stitches section when sc2tog is used. You’ll love how smooth it looks compared to the traditional sc2tog.

If you have