Amigurumi Knits: Patterns for 20 Cute Mini Knits [Paperback]

Hansi Singh (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2009

Amigurumi is the Japanese art of knitting or crocheting small stuffed animals and anthropomorphic creatures. Typically they are kooky little animals but they can also be inanimate objects, like vegetables, that are given faces and limbs.

This book will have 20 designs, including animals and inanimate objects. A knitting basics section will provide instructions for all the techniques needed to make the projects.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Hansi Singh (Seattle, WA) began designing knit amigurumi creatures as playmates for her infant son. Hansigurumi, a shop she opened on Etsy for selling her amigurumi patterns, caught the attention (and needles!) of knitters in the US and abroad, and became an overnight success. Hailed "an amazing up and coming crafter" by CRAFT magazine.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Creative Publishing international (April 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1589234359
• ISBN-13: 978-1589234352
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 0.6 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (58 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #202,028 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #65 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Crafts & Hobbies > Toys & Models > Stuffed Animals

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

68 of 72 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Great Book but Some Pattern Directions are Unclear May 8, 2009

By Hravnulf

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

An amazing book of very complicated knitting patterns that use advanced techniques like short-rows. I can't imagine how a designer can visualize the complex 3 dimensional shaping done here via the short rows!

I am an advanced knitter and decided to take on the Jackalope pattern which has this complicated body shaping. I knit stuffed critters all the time including comparable patterns which also use short row shaping. The directions here were unclear in several places. First a note prior to row 35 that indicates that the openings for the legs will be knitted holes done by a series of bind offs followed by a series of cast ons. However, the actual directions for these pattern rows (35, 36) do not contain any bind offs. Instead, the stiches are left live on a holder and picked up later when you knit the leg separately. As written the directions for creating these openings seems to be in error with very comfusing turns for the cast on rows for the upper side of the openings.

This is a shame because if anything, this book has more detailed directions than most do with almost every individual row explicitly written out. (Which I really appreciate.) The directions for casting on and turning in the rows for these openings just doesn't make any sense to me. I did figure out how to get the openings correctly in place by using the loop cast on and knitting straight accross the row without the turning.

Later, when I finally got to the end of the first leg after picking up on the opening it was upside down with the pad for the foot ending up on the top instead of the bottom. Very explicit comments for these areas of the pattern would really improve it. There seems to be no comments at all about how knitting the second leg might be different due to the right/left orrientation.

I really like the projects in this book but it is rather ominous that the first pattern I tried had these problems. I was not able to find an errata page for the book or for the Jackalope pattern. I did find errata for other projects that are included in the book and I hope that the book contains the corrected versions of those patterns. (One of the other reviews indicates that many of the patterns were/are available for individual purchase.)

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible Detail in the Patterns April 30, 2009

By Heather

Format:Paperback

This book has incredible, detailed patterns. As others have said, it is not for the uninitiated, but is wonderfully challenging for those who are beyond scarves & hats.

If you want a quick gauge as to whether or not this is the book for you, the author has a free jellyfish pattern available on Craftzine (Hansigurumi Juvenile Sea Nettle).

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow! I Am Awed by These Knitted Critters July 27, 2009

By Phyllis Staff TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I've knitted for years, but I've never knitted anything quite as unusual as these imaginative critters. Here's my take on this book:

PROS:

1. I have never seen such imagination at work. And when I think of the difficulty of putting these imaginative designs into patterns that ordinary knitters can follow, I am truly in awe of Hansi's skills.

2. There's plenty to learn in these patterns that even an experienced knitter will find helpful and challenging as well.

3. Hansi has included an excellent explanation of stitches and techniques in the front of the book. By all means, read this part before you begin.

CONS:
1. Hansi knits Continental style, so not all stitches will work for American style knitters. Because I'm not going to learn another style of knitting, I had to adjust certain increases to suit my knitting style.

2. Although these are marvelously detailed patterns, certain instructions are a bit too brief. I've had to learn to decode her particular style of instructions.

In all, a terrific book! These knit animals are suitable for a variety of ages and will entertain the knitter while producing adorable results (see my red anglerfish in images).

By the way, Hansi has a new pattern for chameleons. I haven't tried it yet, but it looks challenging.

Highly recommended!