Binging With Crocheted Plushies

Plushies are my new obsession.  While I have not written a blog article since June, I have been incredibly busy crocheting stuffed animals with chenille yarn  and have plunged into the world of amigurumi. I started with the small skeins of Just Chenille from the Dollar Store, but soon progressed to Bernat Velvet for a more lush texture.  While many crochet artists use the blanket weight #6 yarn for larger figures, I prefer the #5 weight with a 5.0mm, H hook to make smaller pieces.  This is my third year making presents for the foster children program, 'R Kids, in New Haven, Connecticut.  While I had made Peace Pals (Comfort Dolls) in the past, I needed a change.  The dolls took from 4 to 6 hours each to execute.  To create 45 dolls, that meant from 180 to 240 hours for the project. I wanted to make colorful and attractive huggables.  At 45 minutes to 2 hours for most of the pieces, I  had a good alternative.  This article will be the first of many as I explore the world of plushies and share my experiences with my readers.

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At this time I have completed about 42 of the smaller pieces that can be donated to this organization.  I have also been drawn to some larger pieces that I will write about in future articles.  There seems be no end to my plushie fascination.  While some of the administrators were concerned that teens would not be drawn to velvet plushies, I have found that the online bloggers have steady crowds of customers who cannot resist the colors and soft texture of the plushies. At at- 3-6 inches, they make ideal desk or shelf buddies.  If you include a claw, you can attach them to backpack. My adult daughter claimed a turtle for her own desk.

My first plushie came from a You Tube post: Mini Octopus Plushy by Crochet by Genna.  The finished octopus was about the size of my fist.  When I started with the Just Chenillle Yarn #5 chunky  at 65 yards, I was able to make an entire octopus. Other materials include #12mm safety eyes, a 5.0 mm crochet hook, blunt tapestry needle, 2 stitch markers, polyfill for stuffing, and a scissor. Genna's directions are clear and easy to follow.  When I needed more time I just paused the video. After the second time, I wrote down the instructions so that I did not have play the video each time I made an octopus. The safety eyes give this delightful creature personality. However, ifI crochet this piece for a child younger than three, I wi llcrohchet the eyes.  Best yet, it is a no-sew pattern and takes less than an hour to crochet..

The second plushie that I attempted also came from You Tube:  The Mary Jay presents Step-by-Step Tutorial on How to Crochet A Smiple Turtle for Beginners:  Quick, Easy, Amigurumi Turtle,  The pattern starts with the crocheting the shell, using a  procedure that is similar to the creation of the octopus. The head, legs, and tail use a contrasting color and are crocheted separately and sewn to the body.  Again, the instructions are clear and easy to follow.  There is a bonus.  When I replayed the video to write this article, I found that  the author had included the url for the written directions, Thank you, Mary!  https://www.themaryjay.com/free-patterns/crochet-turtle-pattern These turlles can be made with realistic colors of green and brown or fanciful tones to make creative, bright  amigurumi.

Please join main taking the amigurujmi plunge.The octopus and the turtle are the first two in my series of plushy creatures. I welcome your feedback and reflections.