Editorial: Spring = Amigurumi
It's rare that I get obsessed with something. Well, it's rare for an obsession to last longer than a few days. My current obsession is going on six months. I think this might be when some people just start calling it a habit.
In the last year I did a huge amount of crocheting for work, to deadline. I ended up knitting in my free time. The last thing I wanted to do was pick up a hook when I didn't have to. Then I discovered amigurumi -- crocheted dolls in the most adorable and funky Japanese crafty fashion. Small, quick, instantly gratifying. Infinite possibilities. I wrote about it in my first Knit.1 column, and I bugged Crochet me designers about it. Really, I pretty much talk about it to anyone who will listen.
So you can imagine how jacked up I am about this issue's Amigurumi Special Feature. It's comprehensive, yo. There's tips, tutorials, photos, and a few patterns. Rock.
I think you'll enjoy the rest of our spring issue, too. We've got a how-to on crocheting button covers, Annette explores loops, and Anne tells us about going custom. Spring's all about fun accessories, frolicking, swatching, and... shrugging.
Our pilot* of the comments feature was a huge success; they're open throughout this issue and will soon be open site-wide. Share away!
Just to keep you on your toes, we're not publishing everything just yet. We've got a couple things up our sleeves just to keep you guessing. We admit it - we like toying with you.
Cheers,
PS When computer geeks invite people to play with their products to catch bugs, they call it beta testing. Once, before I became a computer geek, I was a grad student. When we tested new research study designs, we called it pilot testing. That I've been thinking of the comments as being piloted and not beta tested tells me I'm not quite as hardcore a computer geek as I once thought.
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Your spring issue is wonderful. And it has such helpful basic crochet. It feels fresh and new.
Thank you.
Kim: Thanks so much for such a fun issue - Amigurumi are indeed wonderfully addictive :D I actually learned how to crochet just so I could start making amigurumi and now I design my own :D what fun!
I first saw the amigurumi in the Knit.1 magazine and was trying to crochet up a frog just like the one that is in here. Using no patterns and just free-handing the whole thing it turned out to become a cute turtle. Long story short, thanks for showing a frog so I can get it right this time.
I love Crochet Me! This is the first time I've visited the site, and I love everything and want to make it all right now. Thanks!
WOW - this is my first issue and I am hooked (hahahaha). How can I get into read your previous issues. I want to see it all !!!
hello iam egyption i like crochet very mutch and iam enjoying of this website veeeeeeeeeery muth now and ihope you will send e.mail for me thanks
I just read your article in Knit.1 and I was thrilled! I've been knitting for a long time and just learned to crochet recently, so imagine my excitment when I saw that there was an amazing online mag for crocheting! With a whole feature on amigurumi as well! I love the magazine, keep up the great work!
^_^
Thanks so much, missjulie!
Hi Kim,
I just wanted to tell you your book, Teach Yourself Visually Crocheting is GREAT. I have been Crocheting for about 13 years (not counting what I made when I was four years old-this was when I first learned to crochet. Anyway, I am taking the certification course for teaching crochet. I am doing my 1st 15 hours student teaching with my special education class during our lunch break. I have been using your book with my students. It has made such a difference. The pictures are great. I have students who can not read.
Sincerely,
Lynn Grainger
Hi Lynn - Thank you so much for your comment. I'm thrilled to know your students are benefiting from the book. Good luck with your certification!
Cheers,
Kim
Dear Kim. I am making the bamboo scarf on page 262 of teach yourself visually crocheting. I am just checking that the directions to chain 18 to start are correct as it doesn't seem big enough. Thanks for your help. I hadn't crocheted for the last 30 years and your book is a wonderful way to get back into it! Pam
Hi Pam - Thanks for your comment! I sent you an email with an answer to your question. Essentially, the scarf is a triangle, and you increase in every row until you've reached the desired size.
Cheers,
Kim
Hi, Kim - I am hooked on Amigurumi, too! That's how I found you. I just recently picked crochet back up just because of my obsession with all things Japanese. I bought a couple of Japanese craft books on eBay that included a few Amigurumi and that was all she wrote! I am having a hard time, thought, with my decreasing stiches becoming too big and leaving large holes when I stuff my creatures. Do you have any tips? Or do I just need to apply the "Carnegie Hall rule" (practice, practice, practice)? LOL
Anyway, love the mag and so glad I found it!
Rita
Hi Rita - Thanks for your comments!
Practice definitely helps. You shouldn't be getting big holes when you decrease, though they might show up a little bigger than the spaces between the rest of your stitches. When you decrease, are you working two stitches together, or are you skipping a stitch? Working two stitches together is a more subtle way of decreasing because skipping a stitch will leave a more noticeable gap. It could also be that you're using slightly too large a hook; you could try going down a size or two to tighten up all of your stitches.
Good luck!
Cheers,
Kim