I looooooooove knitting and crocheting.  I know it just fuels my reputation as a grandma trapped in a teenager’s body, but whatever.  One downside to these crafts is the lack of patterns that people actually want or use.  Apparently these pattern makers feel Pierrot Hooded Capes, Jean Embellishments, and Old Skool Headbands are super hawt.  (Anyone who spells “skool” with a k is totes hip.  Obvs.)  Sick joke.  I’ve found myself spending $20+ on knitting books with one or two usable patterns.  The rest would either make me feel like a senile old woman or yarn monster.

I knitted a coffee cozee for a friend for Christmas (pictures will be posted later probs) and decided I needed to make another little something.  There’s this trend exploding in Japan’s crafting world called “Amigurumi“.  IIIIIIIIIIIII may or may not have gone through an amigurumi phase and mastered making adorable, pocket-sized lions and tigers and monkeys OHMY.  Roxycraft has patterns for every kind of little crocheted creature you could possibly want.  They have a couple free patterns, my favorite being the Gabu.  Really cute, really easy.  The whole thing took me maybe three hours.  The owner of Roxycraft said you can find the little eyeballs at Jo-Ann’s, but I’ve never seen them at the stores by my house.  For mine I just used some scrap black yarn and a blunt needle to sew some eyes.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with attaching crocheted//knitted pieces to toys, I’d recommend attaching them with yarn and a blunt needle instead of thread.  It’ll match and be a lot sturdier.  Here’s the pattern:

“The Gabu” Crochet Creature Pattern Amigurumi Style Free Pattern!

Materials: Worsted Weight Yarn Size 5.0mm crochet hook 6mm black doll eyes Polyester stuffing material Embroidery Needle Finished Size: Approx: 2.5” tall Abbreviations Used: ch-chain sc-single crochet mm-move stitch marker sc2tog-decrease single crochet two stitches together Directions: Head: With Winter White R1-Ch2, 6sc in 1st chain, mm R2-2sc in each sc around (12scs) mm R3-*2sc in first sc, 1sc in next, repeat from * around, mm R4-*2sc in first sc, 1sc in next 2sc, repeat from * around, mm R5-*2sc in first sc, 1sc in next 3sc, repeat from * around, mm R6 thru 12-sc in each sc around, mm R13-*sc2tog, 1sc in next 3sc, repeat from * around, mm R14-*sc2tog, 1sc in next 2sc, repeat from * around, mm R15-*sc2tog, 1sc in next sc, repeat from * around, mm FO leaving a long tail to close hole, Stuff and attach eyes low on the face, set wide. Antennae: Ch5, hdc 3 times in 2nd ch from hook, slip stitch in next 3 ch, FO Stitch Antennae to the top of the head, widely set. Make millions more and form a Gabu Army!

Here’s the one I made for Alex: