Crocheted Cuddly Animals

With the Holiday Fair season approaching I was determined to crochet critters that would entice potential customers to
take a second look, pick one up, and purchase on impulse.  I have many attractive dolls and animals in my inventory, but I am looking for the wow factor.  What kind of doll or animal will call out to a child, mom, or grandparent? What kind f creature is easy to replicate?  The bodies are easy, it is the face that will draw a potential customer in . At present I am focused on teddy bears, cats, and bunnies?  However, I will probably elaborate on the basic pattern to make an appealing dog.

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An 8 to 10 inch animal fits into a backpack or diaper bag.  It is easy for a toddler to tuck under his or her arm as he or she walks around the house.  Children and toddlers form attachment to the animals and frequently want to take them to sleep. They are small enough not to present a health hazard.  If I want to keep a stock of animals for sale, I have to keep them away from my granddaughter.  She is quick to hug one and adopt it as one of her "babies."

Although I have  worked with a few body types, for this holiday season I am sticking to patterns where I legs and body are crocheted into one piece. Then I attach the head.   I have experimented with several head types, and I find that a slightly bigger head makes a better cuddler. i like to change colors in the middle of the body. so that the bear, cat, or bunny appears to be wearing a shirt.  Sometimes I crochet the arms in the same color as the shirt.  At others times, I crochet the arms the same color as the body and head. A bow or flower fixed at the neck hides some of the stitches used for attaching the head.

For a 7 inch animal, like the teddy below, I refer to :  https://amigurumi.today/free-crochet-animal-patterns/?nonamp=1.  I substitute a G hook (4.00mm) for the 2-3 and use worsted weight yarn. The pattern shows rabbits, cats, teddy bears.  There is also a scarf to wrap around the neck for accessorize the stuffie.

For a slightly larger and huskier 8-10 inch animal, I refer to A Soft Kitty Amigurumi from Amigurumi Toys.(https://amigurum.com/2017/10/soft-kitty-amigurumi-pattern.html)  I substituted worsted yarn that I had on hand for the plush yarn pictured.The face and crocheted tail shows that this kitty is ready to purr.

The PlushBunny in Dress Amigurumi by Amigurumi Toys can be found on Pinterest.an orange dress. It features a blush bunny in a orange dress. The floppy ears and crocheted features should delight any child.  The legs of this bunny are made separately and sewn to the body,  The feet in the contrasting orange are slightly larger than my other bunnies so that it looks like the rabbit is wearing shoes.    This doll is made with worsted yarn with a G (4mm) hook and measures 10 inches.

The design for the green and white bunny pictured above came  an article I published in the spring.  The link for the East Bunny Amigurumi by Craft Passion is :http//www.craftpassion.com/easter-bunny-amigurumi/2/

The Friendly Halloween Teddy Bear was extended by starting with 7 stitches for the magic circle for each leg instead of the 6 stitches in the smaller versions. I also added another round to the crown circle for the head before continuing with my big head critter. I added a few rows to the body and to the arms and legs as well.  There is no specific pattern for this teddy as I filled in as I went along.

I am really engaged with these amigurumi and can could continue making animals and writing without end.After working on figures and faces for some time now, I have finally found a few that work for me.  Please let me know which animal is your favorite.  I would love to see your interpretations of these patterns.