If you’re new to knit amigurumi and want to make some cute, long-legged animals for yourself or a little one in your life, Knitted Animal Toys by Louise Crowther is a fun place to start.
The animals are 16 inches tall (excluding ears) and are made from a set of similar body parts. For instance, they may have a plain body or there are a couple of options for different colorwork on the chest and back, as well as different kinds of feet and paws.
The patterns are as follows:
- dog
- cat
- horse
- mouse
- fox
- squirrel
- unicorn
- pig
- raccoon
- hare
- duck
- ram (which has a different body from the others because it is covered in bobbles)
- owl
- elephant
- rhinoceros
- giraffe
- lion
- chimpanzee
- tiger
- zebra
- sloth
- koala
- bear
- hippopotamus
- panda
Some of my favorites are the owl, the lion, the tiger and the zebra, but honestly they’re all pretty cute. The patterns aren’t on Ravelry as of this writing, but you can see many of the animals on the cover or in the book listing on Amazon or on the publisher’s website, linked below.
All of the patterns call for DK weight yarn and are worked flat in pieces, which means more finishing time but makes it easier to stuff the pieces and get all the details look right. Some of the animals have I-cord hair, so you’ll also need double pointed needles for a few projects.
Lots of pictures of each animal are show to highlight the details on their bodies. The pattern for the head, ears and tail of each animal is included with the photos of that pattern; general directions for body types are at the front of the book so they didn’t have to be repeated each time.
At the end of the book are the detailed instruction for assembling the animals, which explains how to sew up the different pieces, how to stuff them and how to combine them to make your animals look just right. There are good photos in this section to help you along, too. Knitting basics such as the long-tail cast on, I-cord, colorwork and seaming techniques are also detailed.
If you’re new to knitting animals, this cute collection is a great place to start. The patterns are relatively small and easy to knit, and if you take your time with the finishing you’re sure to end up with a sweet collection of knit animals.
About the book: 128 pages, paperback, 25 patterns. Published 2023 by David & Charles. Suggested retail price $24.99.
