Super Cute: 25 Amigurumi Animals
by Annie Obaachan
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Book Summary Information
Author: Annie ObaachanEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2009-10-01
ISBN: 0764142976
Number of pages: 144
Publisher: Barron's Educational Series
Book Reviews of Super Cute: 25 Amigurumi Animals
Book Review: Super Cute
Summary: 4 Stars
My teenaged son gave me this book for Christmas, because he knew I didn't have anything similar and he thought I might enjoy this. He was right. It's been fun reading through all the patterns and completing my first project, the gray kitty on the cover. I look forward to making other creatures from the book. However, as other reviewers have noted, there are challenges doing some of the book's projects. A beginning crocheter might become frustrated. More experienced crocheters, like myself, can probably overcome the challenges and have fun.
WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THE BOOK:
1) There is a nice introduction to making amigurumi animals, which I found helpful as a newbie to this craft.
2) The animals are very clever and look fun to make. (Love the rat & turtle.)
3) There is a great variety of animal types... pets, bugs, ocean creatures, wild animals.
4) The photography is very clear and shows great stitch definition. My only issue is that sometimes crucial parts of the animals are obscured by the scenery or by the angle of the photo.
SOME CHALLENGES I SAW IN THE BOOK (This list is long, but really, I do like the book!):
1) The written instructions do not mention joining rounds, but the charts show the slip stitch & chain symbols, suggesting joined rounds. (See my update below)
2) Conversely, the charts don't always tell you how many rounds to do. Often there is just a partial chart to get you started, but then you have to consult the instructions for the number of rounds or finished length of the element.
3) The starting ring of sc is not counted as a round.
4) Single crochet is the most common stitch used throughout the book, however, a couple of the special stitches do not seem clearly described. I can figure these out, but this may be a challenge for some beginning crocheters.
5) The patterns tell you to sew the parts together as shown in the photos, but sometimes you can't see crucial parts of the animal, like the back end.
6) Some of the written instructions are very brief and assume familiarity with crochet. An example is "Make 50 ch. Sc to end." It is implied that you will turn after completing the beginning chain and single crochet back along the chains.
7) Lastly, there are crocheted items (such as a mushroom, leaf or tree branch) in some of the photos that are just there as scenery, but there's no information on how to make these. I know it's a book of amigurumi animals, but if there is an amigurumi mushroom in the photo, it would be nice to have the pattern.
So did I enjoy making my first project? Yes, very much. Will I make more? Yes, definitely. Do I recommend the book? Yes, with the caveats noted above.
In case you are interested, I've posted a photo of the cat I made in the photo gallery.
1/29/10 - Since I mentioned above that the written instructions and charts were not in agreement about joining rounds or not, I'm editing my review to report that I've now tried it both ways. My first project (a cat) has joined rounds and my second project (a snail) does not. Both approaches work, but the latter results in a smoother look. Use of stitch markers is needed to mark the beginning of a round.
Summary of Super Cute: 25 Amigurumi Animals
Amigurumi is the popular new Japanese crochet technique for making cloth toys--and Super Cute shows needlecrafters how to master it! Using the Japanese double ring technique, readers learn how to create 25 quirky and cuddly tiny toy animals out of crochet yarn. The only rules amigurumi crafters must follow is to make their creations small--roughly four to six inches long--and, of course, cute. Super Cute shows basic techniques for assembling amigurumi animals with instructive text, diagrams, and step-by-step color photos. The book's 25 imaginative animal designs include:Each instruction unit specifies needed yarns, tools, and various extra materials, such as plastic eyes, colored embroidery threads, buttons, and ribbons. Filled with diagrams and photos.
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