Exploring the Art of Amigurumi | Podcast Episode #68

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Amigurumi is one of the most expressive forms of crochet.

Whether you’re an amigurumi pro or have no idea what the word means, you’re in for a real treat today. You’re probably thinking, “Brittany, you’re crazy. All forms of crochet are expressive and artsy” and you’re right. But there’s something pretty great about being able to look at a physical, 3D object and replicate it with yarn. Some of the most expressive people I know are amigurumi artists.

Special Guest

You may know Lauren from her viral crochet chemistry set and she’s on the show to share some of her infinite amigurumi wisdom. In this “brainstorming session” of all things amigurumi we explore some of the most frequently asked questions and we share our experiences with one another and with YOU!

Episode Transcript

Brittany:
Welcome to episode number 68 of the BHooked podcast. Thank you so much for joining me today. It’s a real pleasure to share yet another amigurumi expert here with you today on the show.

My guest and I today took a slightly different approach to our chat, and it’s very much a brainstorming session where we go back and forth and we really just talk about different questions, different issues, different topics that come up related to amigurumi. In the effort to improve your current skills, maybe you can learn from some of our mistakes through this conversation, and you can definitely learn from Lauren’s experience here.

Well, Lauren from A Menagerie of Stitches will be joining us today. We’re celebrating the launch of her brand new book, Whimsical Stitches, and she shares all the goods, guys. She is an amigurumi pro. I know I learned a ton from her here today, and I know you will too.

Before we get into any of that, though, I have to share just a little bit of my personal experience here with something that has really brought a lot of joy to my life month after month. That is the concept of a subscription box or subscription service where I have a project delivered to me every single month. And at first, I was a little bit skeptical about this. I don’t really like paying over and over for a particular thing unless I know that it’s going to be great.

However, after experiencing it firsthand, I can say that it is absolutely worth every single penny. I’ve mentioned before how as a designer, sometimes it can be a little bit difficult to really relax and just enjoy your craft because you’re always in work mode. You’re always in design mode. And so I’ve really had to teach myself how to turn that side of me off when I just want to enjoy knitting and crochet for what it is, relaxing.

That’s what the subscription service had done for me. And specifically, the one I’ve been working with here recently is Annie’s, Annie’s Hook and Needle Kit Club. I received the Sedona shawl in my kit, and I have been working with this beautiful yarn. It has the most gorgeous colors, pinks and greens and purples and colors I wouldn’t have even thought to put together myself. And it uses a really subtle ripple pattern. It’s a very relaxing stitch, a very easy pattern, something that I can really just sit down and enjoy what I’m doing, be in the moment and enjoy my craft.

Well, last week, I uploaded a review of Annie’s Hook and Needle Club, and I encourage you to check that out. If this is something that sounds exciting to you, if this is something you feel like you need in your life, just go to BeHookedCrochet.com slash hook and needle. That’s where you can find that review. I’ll also link to it in the show notes page, which for this week is BeHookedCrochet.com slash session 068. That’s really the main… link that you need to memorize here. The show notes will have everything that you need from this episode. So you can just visit that page and then click where you want to go to see these things.

Well, the thing I really love about Annie’s Hook and Needle Club is that they have a 100% guarantee. To me, that tells me that the customer is very important to Annie’s. And that’s important to me because their customers potentially are you, my listeners, and I want to make sure that I only align myself with companies who have your best interest in mind.

And so far, Annie’s has shown me nothing but amazing customer service, and I feel very comfortable recommending the Hook & Needle Club to you. What I would love for you to do right now is visit annieskitclubs.com slash be hooked. That’s where you can find all of the information about the hook and needle club, the price, the money back guarantee. You can even see some of the projects that you’ll receive.

Head over there. You can join today. You’ll save 50% on that first initial order and you’ll be letting Annie’s know that you found that service through today’s show. So that link, one more time, is annieskitclubs.com slash bhooked, B-H-O-O-K-E-D. I hope you’re as excited about that as I am when you find that service, and I hope you feel some of the benefits that I feel from that as well.

And I know you’re excited about today’s show. So without further ado, I would love to introduce to you Lauren, one of the kindest souls on the planet. She runs A Menagerie of Stitches. And some of you may know her from that very popular chemistry crochet set that went viral a couple of years ago. That’s when I first learned who she was, and I’m thrilled to have her on the show today. Lauren, hi. Welcome to the Be Hooked podcast.

Hi,

Lauren: 5:40
Brittany. Thank you so much for having me.

Brittany: 5:42
It is an absolute pleasure because I… Absolutely love what you do. Thank you. I have to start off with a little story actually. I come from a science background and I was working at a lab and my co-workers knew how much of like a crochet nut I am and they were really big into Instagram. It was really when Instagram had like a big boom.

Lauren: 6:08
Yeah.

Brittany: 6:08
And one of my co-workers, she brought up a photo of yours, of your chemistry set. And she was like, Brittany, oh my God, I love this. Can you make this for me? And of course I chuckled. I’m like, that is super cool. It’s really creative and it’s cute. But if you’re a crocheter, everybody asks you to make things for them. So I was like, man, I really wish I could. How about I teach you how to crochet so that you can make something like this? So that’s when I learned who you were. And now two years later, it’s so awesome to have you on the show.

Lauren: 6:42
Well, thank you. Yeah, that chemistry set is… It’s pretty well known.

Brittany: 6:48
It is. I think it probably went viral if I had to guess. I learned who you were because of this project. Those were things too, where I was like, I put out this scarf that was made with wool and acrylic in like July. And I’m like, nobody’s going to do this, right? Because it’s hot. But that was one of those pieces. That was the hairpin lace infinity scarf that people just freaked out over. And I was doing it in the summer just because I was filling up my weekends. My husband was out of town and I had some free time and I learned this new technique. But I had no idea that that was going to be the project. And honestly, I don’t, I still to this day can’t pinpoint why that took off like it did. Do you have any idea why yours did?

Lauren: 7:59
Um, I really don’t. It was, I honestly just had posted the photo. So if you want to hear like backstory of it, I was working at a science and nature museum. And I, we were having a, like an art show. And so the theme had to be science and nature. So I came up with this brilliant idea of Oh, I work at a science museum. Let’s do something chemistry. So I spent a month making all of this stuff and I just put it there in the lobby of the museum.

And then later on, I posted it on my Instagram and people were reposting it. And then it pretty much went onto Facebook and I’m not on Facebook, but it blew up over there and it was just shares after shares and people just flocking to it. And I, I mean, I didn’t know there was that many chemists out there, but apparently there are. Yeah,

Brittany: 8:58
and I think that group of people, and I definitely put myself into that category still, even though I’m not actively doing that type of work anymore. When we find something that we can really relate to, it’s really hard not to share that thing, you know?

Lauren: 9:17
Yeah. So it was just… Oh, go on.

Brittany: 9:20
Sorry. When was that? Like what, what year?

Lauren: 9:23
So that was, I want to say it was 2016 because I think the art show was in like February. And so I posted it. And then a couple of days later, I pretty much, it went viral. It was everywhere. Oh

Brittany: 9:37
man, that’s crazy. I’d love to learn the journey of how you got to that point. Like when did you start crocheting?

Lauren: 9:44
So I actually started crocheting in 2009. My grandma actually bought me a book about amigurumi and then she bought me my yarn and hooks and I just started from there. And the funny thing is my grandma was into arts and crafts. Like, we always went to Michael’s to get stuff to paint or anything else. But she did not crochet, so I had to teach myself how to crochet.

So I just went to YouTube and my book that she got me, and I pretty much taught myself how to crochet. And I just kind of went from there. I did, like, start with scarves, but those were horrible.

Brittany: 10:26
That’s what I was just going to ask. So you started… Like some of the first things that you made or like you pretty much gravitated towards amigurumi like in the very early stages of your learning?

Lauren: 10:38
I did. And I did start with a couple scarves just so I actually figured out how to do the stitches. But then I just was looking at this book of amigurumi and kind of just started to research how to make them and went from there.

Brittany: 10:53
Yeah, see, I find that really fascinating because amigurumi, it seems so difficult for people to hear that somebody can do that as a complete beginner and it be one of the first projects. That’s a testament to how easy it really can be. I mean, of course, they can get complex, but it’s it can be super easy too. What was like your first amigurumi project? Do you remember?

Lauren: 11:19
I definitely Oh, yeah. I think it was like these little octopus stuffed animals. I think that’s what it was. But I also made like a bird mobile that was in one of the books I was going through. And it’s so funny because I gave it to my grandma and every time I go back home, it’s still hanging there and it’s my first project. So it’s not that great. And I’m just like, oh,

Brittany: 11:44
embarrassing. But it’s so cool that you still have that because you have something to go back and look at and say like, wow, I’ve come really far. So when did it become more for you? I assume that you were kind of doing this as a hobby on the side.

Lauren: 11:59
Yeah. So pretty much after that, I just started crocheting and doing crocheting work and whatever but it wasn’t until like 2015 where I finally like said okay I need to open up an Etsy shop I need to start designing more and selling more stuff so that’s pretty much how I just got into selling all my stuff and then that’s when I hopped onto Instagram as well so just kind of worked from there and then now here I am. I just have my Etsy shop.

Brittany: 12:32
Yeah, it’s so cool. Are you still doing it part time or have you?

Lauren: 12:36
Oh, no, full time now.

Brittany: 12:37
Nice. That’s awesome. Congrats.

Lauren: 12:39
Thank you. Yeah, I’ve been full time since 2016, right after the chemistry set took off. I was overwhelmed with customers and I couldn’t keep up with my other job, so I had to quit. But it was so great. I was like, I can crochet all day now.

Brittany: 12:56
Yeah, and you have the perfect excuse to do it. So in your shop, are you selling patterns too or just the finished projects?

Lauren: 13:03
I do sell patterns. I only have a few just because… they do take a lot of time to make and I was just doing finished items and then I got a lot of people asking me for patterns last year and I just said okay let’s just dive into the pattern world then. I already know how to make a pattern because I make all my own so it was just transferring what was on my paper into like a digital format.

Brittany: 13:31
Yeah and that’s that’s cool too. I mean it’s definitely really cool when you can make that connection where you’re like, I love doing this and this is a facet of what I’m doing. But like you recognize that it’s really not something that you’re like super passionate about. Your passion lies within making the items that are going to bring a smile to somebody’s face. Exactly. I love how you found your niche there.

Lauren: 14:00
Yeah, it’s definitely, I love making stuff. I do overwhelm myself sometimes with the amount of things that I have to make, but it’s fun. I love doing it.

Brittany: 14:09
Yeah. So what is, what is overwhelm for you? I, I’m kind of feeling, I’ll be honest, I’m feeling a little bit of overwhelm right now too. I have a lot of projects. I have like three or four, maybe four, I think on my hook and on my needles right now where I’m just like, oh, I need to like crochet and knit all day. But of course I’ve got all of these other things that I’m doing too. So I’m curious to learn like what your limit is or like where your overwhelm phase is.

Lauren: 14:38
I actually, I think it’s mostly when I have just a ton of different projects that are not finished. Like right now I have a basket that has maybe like six or seven different things that need to be finished and they’re like not even halfway done, but I was just making all of these things. Because with amigurumi, I can just sit there and make a certain shape over and over for, say, I’m making a flower. I’ll make all of these and set them aside and then do the next thing. But then it gets to the point where I have all of these petals or different shapes. Oh, yeah.

Brittany: 15:17
I can see where that could definitely be the case. I think I can relate to that right now, too. It’s not the project itself, because I’m excited about each one of them, but I think seeing the pieces to each one of those all spread out, I’m like, whoa. Then it kind of becomes… not really an issue, but you’re just like, wow, okay, I got to buckle down and do this. But I think it’s cool that you do kind of work in batches because I found that not necessarily from a crochet standpoint, but when I’m doing like my regular work, if I do the same thing over and over and I’m not having to like switch or like turn my brain from one direction to another, like to go from one task to a completely different task, I find that I’m more productive. So do you think that you save yourself some time by doing that?

Lauren: 16:10
Sometimes. It depends on what the item is that I’m making because if it’s a very intricate one, then I have all of these pieces for like say four different items and it just becomes one of those things where I would rather assemble it and get it done so I can see the finished product rather than four separate projects that need to be finished.

Brittany: 16:31
Yeah. Well, from your experience too, since we know that you’ve crocheted other things besides amigurumi, do you think that… amigurumi is faster? I know, I mean, obviously the scale comes into play there too, but generally speaking, do you think somebody can finish an amigurumi project faster or do you think it takes longer because they’re focusing in on more details?

Lauren: 16:55
I know for me, it depends on what the item is, but if there’s a lot of detail, I want the detail to be perfect. So it will take me a little bit longer. And that’s when I have to kind of break it down and tell myself, Lauren, it doesn’t need to have this many details, just cut it back a little. But I definitely think if you’re adding a lot more detail to things, it will take a little bit longer because you’re trying to get it perfect.

But I know that with just normally little things I can knock those out within like an hour but I do get distracted very easily so…

Brittany: 17:33
Yeah so do you think that, well obviously it probably takes more time when you’re designing your own because you’re making tweaks and stuff along the way, you’re trying to draw on those inspirations. Do you think for somebody who wants to make their first piece, do you think they should try to go solo or do you think that they should follow a pattern?

Lauren: 17:53
If it’s their first time making amigurumi, a pattern is great because it does help you with the different shapes. But if you’re trying to design your own, it’s super easy once you know the basic shapes of amigurumi because you can make anything. If it’s like a little ball, it can be turned into tons of different things. So it just depends on what you want to make. And if you get those certain shapes down, you can create anything.

Brittany: 18:23
Yeah, I love that. Can you share what some of those shapes might be? Like where can people focus that attention to maybe learn these shapes?

Lauren: 18:32
I do a lot of crocheted food. So a lot of it can be round little balls and you can make a tomato out of it. You can make an onion, a blueberry. It just depends on what you’re kind of looking for. But it’s so easy to just… add a different detail like the tomato has a different top and the blueberry has a different top. You use different colors so your outcome for the same shape is totally different if you use a different color yarn.

Brittany: 19:01
Yeah yeah another shape that comes to mind for me is like a tube kind of too where you start with a round and like you can make that into legs and arms for pretty much anything.

Lauren: 19:13
And I know that with a lot of my designs, I will look back at other patterns that I’ve written, and I’ll see, oh, that’s the shape that I’m looking for, and I’ll base it off of that, but I’ll tweak it a little bit if I need to. Say, for instance, I made a pear, and I had to shape it a little bit differently than I would, say, like a little eggplant that I made. So it’s just like one row is a little bit different, but it gives you a completely different shape.

Brittany: 19:42
Mm-hmm. So it sounds like you just need to learn a couple of different techniques and you’re pretty good to go to make whatever you want. Yeah. So what about… I’m trying to think of like other shapes. Oh, the other one that comes to mind is like a cone shape. So… that would be where you would use a technique you would still use like you’re still working in rounds but your increases are different they’re not fully spread out like they are when you’re doing a round yes they’re um you’re just doing like two increases on opposite sides are there any um any resources you can think of like where you learned these these like techniques and You said you learned on YouTube. So did you find some videos there?

Lauren: 20:32
The stuff I found on YouTube was mostly just like little teddy bears and kind of like the rounder shapes. But for different things, I go to Pinterest. There are so many different resources on there that you can find how to do different shapes. And I know that if you type in like amigurumi shapes, it’ll give you all these different things of the resources of how to do a certain shape. And what stitches you need to do for different shapes that you want to do.

Brittany: 21:01
Yeah, yeah. Okay, that’s a good tip. What about your creative process? And let’s relate it to somebody who may be reading a pattern. So in the days where you were following those pattern books, were you drawn to a certain type because you knew that you had a… not really a limitation, but you knew that you had a certain skill level at that point. Was there a way that you were able to look at a photo from a pattern book and say like, yeah, I can make that? Or did you have to find out the hard way?

Lauren: 21:36
I think both because starting out, you don’t really know that much. And so it’s like a recipe. You’re trying to figure out what the steps are. And definitely, I would look at pictures and say, okay, that looks super easy. I think I can do that. So I would just dive into that one. With some of the more difficult projects, I would attempt them and I would just set it aside and never finish it. But it just depends. I mean, looking at something that could be difficult, I always like it as a challenge. I want to try and see if I can accomplish that. So it’s definitely both. Like you can do either. Yeah.

Brittany: 22:19
So are you able to pinpoint some of these projects that back then you kind of deemed as like maybe a little too challenging? Is it like the creature type or is it the amount of elements or the amount of detail?

Lauren: 22:32
I’m not that great with animals. There’s just so many, like you have to get the details just right. But I think with the ones I was making back then, there was a lion that I made and it had a mane. And it was kind of like scalloped edges, like a scalloped edge for the mane. And I could not figure it out. So there is one of those.

The color changes I was not very good at when I first started. So those were the little details that I could not figure out. But I think it’s just a matter of, you know… seeing something and just saying, okay, you can do this.

Brittany: 23:12
Yeah, and just trying. I mean, really, that’s probably the only way of knowing what your personal limitations are at that point. And it’s good that you were able to recognize that just because you couldn’t do it then didn’t mean you were never going to be able to do it. So I’m sure that you went back and maybe tried them again or you tried a different project that incorporated those same techniques that maybe scared you off in the first place.

Lauren: 23:36
Mm-hmm. Definitely.

Brittany: 23:38
So I’m thinking of stitches too. A lot of people know amigurumi as being like pretty much the single crochet. There are ways that you can play with that one stitch to make it look different. Can you share some of those?

Lauren: 23:53
Oh, I know I do a lot of single crochet, but I also incorporate like a double crochet and a triple crochet into the flat pieces that I make, especially like a leaf for, I want to say like for like a lemon. Yeah. I’ll do that in a flat piece, but it won’t be single crochet. So I’ll actually incorporate double crochet and all kinds of different like half double crochet. I’ll do all of those in a leaf because it gives you the dimensions of the shape of a leaf.

Brittany: 24:27
Yeah, I think that’s cool. And some of the other things that I’m thinking of too are, I’ve seen a lot of projects where people, they work their single crochet in the back loop only. And that kind of makes it look like it has a lined or almost like a striping kind of effect. And I’ve seen where people… They work it, and I’m not sure because I’ve not physically watched somebody make it in this way, but I’ve seen it where the finished piece, you’re looking at the back side of the single crochet. And what I would like to really figure out is if they’re working in the round so that they’re kind of working it backwards in the way that we normally would, or if they’re making the piece and then they’re flipping it inside out. But that gives another different cool texture too.

Lauren: 25:12
Yeah, because I’ve never flipped. I think… maybe when I first started out I had it wrong but I kind of, I just know that that’s the right way, like the right side — it’s not the right side, it can be any side. But yeah, yeah, I just — I have seen where people do it in the front loops or the back loops and that’s really cool. I do incorporate that sometimes into my designs depending on what shape I’m trying to get. So I will make it so that it has the little edges because if you do it in like the back loop or the front loop it gives you an edge and then you can work up from there.

Brittany: 25:47
Yeah, yeah, it probably would be good for color changes too to give you some definition from one color to the next depending on the design.

Lauren: 25:55
Yeah.

Brittany: 25:57
Another thing I know people tend to, I don’t know, kind of like fear is decreases and having the holes because it’s easy to increase. And a lot of times we don’t have like little gaps in the work when we increase, but when we decrease, that’s a big struggle for a lot of people. Do you have any tips too? Cause like your pieces always, I’ve never really seen any like major holes, like where you can see the stuffing or the filling on the inside. So I feel like you’ve probably figured that out. Can you share a tip about that?

Lauren: 26:30
Um, invisible decrease is your best friend so—

Brittany: 26:34
Is that different than the single crochet two together or—

Lauren: 26:37
Yes, so for an invisible decrease you go through the front loops of the next two stitches and then you yarn over and pull through so it becomes one stitch if that makes sense, if I said it right.

Brittany: 26:52
Yeah, so I’m trying to like walk through it in my head. So you’re sort of doing a single crochet two together, but instead of using the full stitch, you’re using the front loops of those two stitches.

Lauren: 27:04
And when you insert the hook into the next, like the front loop of the stitch, you don’t want to yarn over. You just want to loop it through the, or insert it into the next stitch as well. And then you yarn over.

Brittany: 27:17
Gotcha. I think we can visualize that.

Lauren: 27:20
It definitely helps with making your piece not have holes. And overstuffing can also cause the stitches to pull apart so you can see the stuffing. And I know I am guilty of that. I just like things to be a little firm when I’m making them. But yeah, invisible decrease will help you out a lot when you are trying to close up your piece so that you don’t have the stuffing to show.

Brittany: 27:46
That’s a great tip. Oh, color jogs. Those are another thing that comes to mind when I think of like some troubleshooting or like some pain points for people. Whenever you’re working in the round, you’re working in a spiral. So that means when you come back around to the end of that round, then you’re like one row higher. So if you change colors there, you’re going to have a visible what they call color jog. It looks like a staircase. Is there a tip or a technique that you use to avoid that?

Lauren: 28:16
So I actually learned this from Stephanie from All About Ami. She does, when you’re changing the color, you want to insert the hook and yarn over with the new color, but you want to do a slip stitch in the next stitch so that your jog isn’t as noticeable. I do a slip stitch every time I, if I change a color, I’ll do a slip stitch with the next color and then just crochet around with the new color.

Brittany: 28:43
Cool. So we don’t work that last stitch fully. So we leave those two loops on there. We yarn over and pull through with the new color, but then instead of doing a single crochet, you do a slip stitch. Is that right? Yep. Awesome. Okay. Are there any other tips that you can think of?

Lauren: 29:03
Not that I can think of.

Brittany: 29:04
I think it’s pretty basic, right? I think Amigurumi is… one of the most creative forms of crochet, especially from a design perspective, because you can go, you can go in any direction that you want. Like for me, I tend to create a little bit more, I guess, realistic than like character style. And that’s just, that’s what my eye sees when, when I plan these things. But I’ve seen so many creative people who just, they take, the weirdest shapes, and they turn it into like an elephant. And I’m like, how would you even have thought about that?

Lauren: 29:44
Yeah, it’s crazy.

Brittany: 29:45
Yeah. If somebody hasn’t tried amigurumi, I would definitely encourage people to do so. Why do you think that it’s such a cool craft? What drew you to it in the first place?

Lauren: 29:58
I think just because there’s so many endless possibilities. You can do anything with just a certain color. And I really love cute things that have faces. So I will make a ton of food that has a face. I just think it’s really cute to have that sitting in like a little bowl on your table. So it’s definitely what drew me in was just the fun aspect of it. Cause it’s not, you don’t have to take it seriously.

Brittany: 30:28
Yeah, and if it doesn’t look exactly realistic or exactly like you envisioned it, it doesn’t really matter because nobody sees what you saw when you were creating that. They just see this cute, cool little project.

Lauren: 30:43
Yeah.

Brittany: 30:44
There’s not a lot of ways that you can really go completely wrong with Amigurumi.

Lauren: 30:50
So diving in and trying, that’s probably the biggest tip. You just got to try. Because I know that I struggle sometimes. Even now, trying to design certain things, I struggle and I frog a lot. So I rip out yarn all the time. Sometimes I get so frustrated, I don’t even finish it or rip it out. I just toss it because I don’t want to see it or deal with it. But you just have to dive in. There’s really no harm. And if you mess up, you can just rip out your yarn and use it over again.

Brittany: 31:18
Well, knowing that you frog a lot. Have you found a certain type of yarn that you like to use because you know that it has the right texture and feel for a softie, but it also is strong in that you can frog it? I—

Lauren: 31:35
Use a ton of different brands, but I do acrylic mostly. Michaels has their Loops and Thread Impeccable, and that yarn is my favorite it comes in tons of different colors it’s softer on my hands than say like Red Heart um the Super Saver the bundles so I use Michael’s brand. I also do a lot of Vanna’s Choice. That’s great yarn and people always ask me why do you spend that much on your yarn but I don’t, I buy it when it’s on sale because I also use Red Heart Soft. So those work beautifully, the colors are so rich. So if I’m looking for something specific, I will go to them. But I also use Caron Simply Soft for a lot of different things.

Brittany: 32:20
Yeah. Do you find any problems with like pilling or, you know, like rubbing or fuzzing?

Lauren: 32:28
No, it just depends on if it what color it is. Like the other day I was using black and I was getting fuzz all over the table so I could see it. And it’s just one of, okay, we’re going to clean that up, you know. But white is also one of those colors that it does shed a little bit. And you can see the fibers every once in a while. Yeah.

Brittany: 32:51
And I think when you know your yarn too, you can use some of its qualities differently to like enhance the design. So if you are making an animal and actually Stephanie is another, like, she’s freaking amazing. She really is. I’m thinking of her, of her little dog that she released. It’s been in the last couple of months or so.

Lauren: 33:13
Is it the one that is all fuzzy?

Brittany: 33:15
Yeah. Yes. Honestly, I’m not sure which yarn she used. I’ll have to go back and look. And I definitely will link to this pattern here in the show notes page so people can check it out. But she just crocheted this dog like she normally would. But she used one of those slicker brushes like you would actually use on your dog or your cat to make the yarn fuzz. And so it makes the dog look like he has hair. And then her husband is very much into her craft as well.

Lauren: 33:41
Oh, it’s amazing.

Brittany: 33:42
Yeah, it’s so much fun and he was able to like color the dog so that it looks more realistic and I think that’s one of the great things about amigurumi like you’re only limited by your imagination.

Lauren: 33:55
Exactly I feel like I say that a lot with crochet but it’s true.

Brittany: 34:00
What about any other like extra pieces? I’m thinking you mentioned faces and so that’s a big thing that comes to mind too is like eyes and nose. Do you like to use the like the safety eyes and the safety nose or do you tend to use felt or embroidery to make—

Lauren: 34:19
I use safety eyes all the time unless I’ve… I haven’t actually had to unless like a customer will ask me to replace eyes with felt. I had one customer want me to remove the eyes and not add anything to them. And that’s always fun to do something a little bit different because then I’m like, oh, it’s not like a little character anymore. But safety eyes, I use a lot of those. I mean, a lot. I do use felt, but I only use felt for… like details. So I will use pink for little cheeks or, um, depending on what color it is, I’ll use it for like a little felt belly on a teddy bear or a bunny. And then I use embroidery floss for, um, for the mouth.

Brittany: 35:07
Okay. So because it’s nice and thin too, so you can probably get a better—

Lauren: 35:12
And you can also, depending on how big the item is, um, like right now I’m doing a bunch of minis and so I will split the, uh, the thread in half so that it’s a little bit thinner. But normally I will just use all six strands and get a nice bold smile. But also with embroidery floss, if you use a very small hook, you can crochet little cheeks, which I have done. Oh, that sounds tough. It is a little tough, but it turns out really well, I think. It just gives it a little bit more dimension on the face rather than just a little pink cheek of felt.

Brittany: 35:49
Yeah, it’s just like next level stuff, I think, at that point. If you can get your fingers to work with something that small, the result’s going to be pretty incredible. What about for the felt? Do you glue that on or do you sew it in place?

Lauren: 36:02
Depends on what it is. Usually, I will sew it in place with pink thread. I’ll just do that. If it’s super small, I will just hot glue it onto it.

Brittany: 36:12
Okay. What about– oh, I’m thinking, too, of facial elements, too. I’ve been known to use blush, like, from my makeup kit to put cheeks on creatures. Is that something that you’ve tried or that you would recommend?

Lauren: 36:26
I don’t think I made that up. I’ve never tried it, but I see a lot of people doing it, and I’ve always wanted to try it. But my stuff just– it’s either too dark of a color of yarn that the blush wouldn’t show up.

Brittany: 36:39
Mm-hmm.

Lauren: 36:40
So I just have never tried it, but I definitely want to. It’s on my to-do list eventually.

Brittany: 36:44
Yeah, I used it for a bear and I think it was, I actually did two different colors. One was like a gray and one was a really light tan and I used blush on it. And not that the toys that I make get any use. I mean, they pretty much just sit here in the studio and make me happy.

Lauren:
Mine too. But the blush is still there. It hasn’t faded or anything like that. So I feel like if your project is for the purpose of just sitting there and making somebody happy, that it’s probably an okay option for you.

Lauren: 37:19
Think so too. Even if you were to wash it, like if somebody was to give the Amigurumi to a child and it has the blush on it and they wash it and whatever, I’m pretty sure that you can just reapply it.

Brittany: 37:30
Yeah, that totally makes sense. I’ll be honest. I have been known to, because I know these aren’t going to be given to a child and I know that they’re only going to just be sort of an ornament here in the studio. I’ve used rice as like a, instead of using those crafting beads where you put it like in the bottom of the body and like the bottom of the feet and hands to add a little bit of weight to it. If I don’t have those crafting beads, like rice works really well. And I think I, there’s no way I could wash some of those.

Lauren: 38:09
Actually, when I first opened up my shop, I was making these little cacti, and I put beans in them. And then I thought about it, and I said, we can’t sell it if it has beans in it. Because if somebody gets it wet, then I don’t want something to happen. But I use some cardboard sometimes, depending on the item.

So for instance, I made a succulent planter and in the bottom of the crocheted pot I put a piece of cardboard so it would have more of a sturdier base. I do use pipe cleaners every once in a while but I think those would be fine if you were to get them wet. But cardboard specifically probably wouldn’t be the best. But I do use those plastic beads and I will actually sew a little like bean bag and I’ll stick them in there and then put that in the bottom of the item.

Brittany: 39:06
Oh, yeah, that’s a good tip because my mind instantly went to, well, what if those little beads, they come through because I mean, yeah, there are holes, even though they may not be visible holes. I guess if you had enough use with that, they could potentially fall through. Good tip.

What about sewing pieces together? I know for me that is a big struggle. And no matter how hard I try to get the head on straight, it’s always a little bit crooked.

Lauren: 39:34
Same here. I use straight pins, just like little sewing pins with the little ball on the end. And I will attach all of the limbs or pieces before I sew. And I will leave them on while I’m sewing and then pull out the pin as I get to that spot. So that way it stays in place while I sew it onto it.

Brittany: 39:58
Are you using a darning needle and like the same kind of yarn or are you using like a thread and maybe an actual needle that you would sew with?

Lauren: 40:07
I do use a darning needle and then I use the same color yarn for whatever I crocheted.

Brittany: 40:14
Yeah. I always think that’s a good idea, too, because even if you try really hard, you’re going to likely see the stitches.

Lauren: 40:23
And it’s best if it’s the same color.

Brittany: 40:25
Exactly. What about all of the little ends? I know that’s a question that comes up over and over. For me, I feel like… I don’t know if I’m doing it the right way or just the way that works for me is to… Sometimes I’ll run it underneath a couple of rows of stitches so I know that I’m getting like a nice secure thing. And this is usually after I’ve tied a knot, if I can. And then I kind of just poke it through and cut it and let the end just be hidden inside that element. Is that what—

Lauren: 40:55
You do? I’m pretty sure we do the same thing. So when I’m done stitching it on, I will stick it through and I’ll put it in the needle, like have it poke out in a different spot on the item. And then I will tie that in a knot and then I snip it. But I use a smaller crochet hook and I’ll insert that into a different hole and I will pull that knot through and kind of hide it, if that makes sense. I think we do the same thing.

Brittany: 41:23
Yeah, it sounds like it. And it sounds like, you know, you’ve had experience with washing too. It’s comforting to know that that is a technique that works and we don’t have to worry about the wash making the whole thing come undone. Yeah. Good stuff. So many good tips here.

I would love to learn more about your book. Can you tell me, like, first of all, how did that conversation even start?

Lauren: 41:49
Last year, I had just moved to Chattanooga. And my shop was still on vacation mode, so I wasn’t doing anything. And I get this email out of the blue from a publisher. And I honestly, and I told her this too, and we all laugh about it, but I thought it was a junk email. Just the way that it was written, it was like, oh, okay, I don’t know if this is real. Like, what is this?

But at the end, she had written a personal note, and so I knew that it was real. And she was just asking if I would be interested in ever working on a project with them about, like, a book. And I was just in shock. I’m just going to reply to this and see what it’s about.

So I replied and we set up a conference call and they were like, we want to make a book. My publishers actually specialize in adult coloring books, but they wanted to get away from that a little bit and try and bring in a few more craft books.

So yeah, crocheting. They were like, hey, we want to work with you. And I said, oh, okay. So they said, let’s make a book of your patterns and all kinds of stuff. And I just said, okay, yeah, let’s make a book.

It was definitely not something I was searching for and I’m so grateful that they came to me to write a book because it has been a dream of mine. But you know, those dreams are like in the distance—I can see them but it’s not like in reach right now. So I said yes and last year spent three months working on all the patterns for the book, did all the design for it with my designer and my editor, all kinds of stuff. And yeah, that’s so crazy.

Brittany: 43:56
I find that it’s… As long as you just consistently work hard and do what you want to do. There’s actually a quote for this that I really love. It says, “The harder you work, the luckier you become.” And I believe that so much. And it sounds like that was the case for you. I mean, you’re just doing what you love. And then one day, bam, here we go.

Lauren: 44:17
Something, yeah, fell right into my lap. And so it was definitely… it’s fun. The book is amazing. I mean, at least I think so. I love it. It’s like my baby. I imagine.

Brittany: 44:29
I have written, I’ll say about 75 to 80% of a book. Now, it’s not a pattern book. So there was a lot more writing involved. And hopefully that book will be published in the near future. But I know how much work goes into it.

Writing a book—and when you’re doing a pattern book I imagine it’s even more—because not only are you creating those designs but you have to, you probably have to make everything first, you have to get it tech edited, you have to coordinate with so many other people, probably the designer of the book and so—

Lauren: 45:06
And he was a guy and he didn’t know crochet.

Brittany:
Oh, no.

Lauren:
I love him because he did an amazing job on my book. But it was a struggle trying to tell somebody who doesn’t know crochet, like, this is what this pattern is. Yeah. So it was definitely, it was a lot of work.

It paid off because when I first got my advanced copy, I cried. It just looked so good. Yeah, lots of hard work went into it. And I hope people see that when they get their hands on a copy.

Brittany: 45:36
Yeah, I’m sure they will. How many patterns are in there?

Lauren: 45:40
It says 25 on the back, but if you add it all up because there’s different little bonuses inside, there’s like 30.

Brittany: 45:48
Oh, cool. Is there a particular theme or is it just a hodgepodge of like awesome things?

Lauren: 45:54
It’s broken down into five sections. So my favorite is the bakery and the market because I love the food.

Brittany: 46:02
Yeah.

Lauren: 46:04
But there’s also a garden section, an aquarium section and a farm section. So you have about five or six patterns for each section.

Brittany: 46:14
Oh, that’s fun. Are they projects that people can make pretty quickly or is it going to be kind of like you buy the book and you’re going to have something to do for a year?

Lauren: 46:24
The patterns do range. The market section has a lot of easier patterns because there’s blueberries, strawberries, so those are really quick little things you can make. Some of the more detailed things in the garden section, there’s a succulent planter and that has a lot of elements, so it’s something that you would be working on for a couple days depending on what your schedule is, but there’s easy and some more intricate patterns that are in the book.

Brittany: 46:54
That’s what I was going to ask it. Like what level is it good for? And do you, do you maybe take somebody from more of a beginner or entry level and kind of work them through these patterns so that they they’re learning as well as making something cool?

Lauren: 47:10
Yes. I did make some of the patterns that it was easier for people who didn’t really know how to crochet or weren’t as experienced with it. In the beginning of the book though, there’s like the whole section with what materials you use and all kinds of things. There’s also a whole section that I made of the different stitches and there’s pictures to go along with it. So it will walk you step-by-step of how to do a single crochet or how to do an invisible decrease. So there’s a lot of different tips in there that will help a beginner learn.

Brittany: 47:40
That’s cool. So is it one of those books that you work from cover to cover, or is there a different order that you would suggest people follow?

Lauren: 47:49
I say pick whatever you want because there’s really no– you don’t really have to work from the front cover and then go on just because it’s broken into the different sections. So if you wanted to make a food item, you would just go to the back of the book. But I feel like you could just open it up and kind of pick out your favorite and go from there.

Brittany: 48:12
So the big question is where can people get a hold of a copy?

Lauren: 48:18
You can get it at Amazon right now. But also Barnes & Noble and Joann’s will be having it, so you can check it out there.

Brittany: 48:26
Awesome.

Lauren: 48:27
Oh, and the name of it.

Brittany: 48:30
Yeah, I was just about to say, what’s the name? I forgot to ask.

Lauren: 48:32
It’s called Whimsical Stitches.

Brittany: 48:34
Nice,

Lauren: 48:35
It’s a fun little title.

Brittany: 48:36
Yeah, it is, it is. Can you shed some light on like where that came about?

Lauren: 48:41
Well, my publishers helped me because I’m very indecisive when it comes to trying to figure out things.

Brittany: 48:50
Oh, me too.

Lauren: 48:53
So we brainstormed and we had a bunch of different ideas and we just thought like these patterns are whimsical. They’re fun. Let’s just kind of go off of that word and kind of branch out. So it’s called Whimsical Stitches, and then underneath it says A Modern Maker’s Book of Amigurumi Crochet.

Brittany: 49:15
Well, I’m excited to get a copy. I’m going to have to pick it up now. I like to buy on Amazon. That’s kind of my thing. And it’s already available there, so that’s even better. And I’ll link to it in the show notes too. I want people to have the opportunity to not have to memorize anything. They can just go over to the show notes page for this episode and they can find it right there on Amazon. So that’s a big win. Thank you so much. It has been such a pleasure chatting with you and connecting with you. And gosh, you’ve given us so many good tips today.

Lauren: 49:47
Well, thank you so much for having me. I really enjoyed myself.

Brittany: 49:50
Yeah, it’s been so fun. And the last thing I want to do before we go is share your Instagram handle because you have one of the cutest accounts I think that’s in my homepage or in my home feed.

Lauren: 50:01
So my Instagram is A Menagerie of Stitches and it’s spelled A-M-E-N-A-G-E-R-I-E of Stitches.

Brittany: 50:13
Awesome.

Lauren: 50:15
A lot of people get the little menagerie…

Brittany: 50:17
Yeah. And I think if you just start typing in Instagram, if you just get the @ handle A-M-E-N part, you’ll probably see it come up in search and then you don’t have to type the rest.

Lauren: 50:28
It’s always funny because when somebody is looking for it, I just say, just look for the icon with the yarn ball. It’s my little logo. It’s little yarn guy.

Brittany: 50:36
Awesome. Easy enough. And your Etsy shop too, because you’re, are you still selling things through there? If maybe somebody has like a birthday or something coming up and they just don’t have time to make something.

Lauren: 50:48
I do sell on Etsy still. I usually do restocks. So I will put a bunch of stuff in the shop and make it, and go from there. But if you ever wanted a custom order, you can always reach out to me as well. I’m always accepting anything that comes my way. And my Etsy is the same, A Menagerie of Stitches.

Brittany: 51:06
Awesome. Okay. Well, Lauren, thank you so much.

Lauren: 51:09
Great.

Brittany: 51:10
Thank you so much too. All right, I hope you enjoyed that episode with Lauren from A Menagerie of Stitches, brand new author of Whimsical Stitches. Congratulations on that, Lauren. Thank you so much once again for coming on the show and sharing your wisdom with us today.

If you have any questions whatsoever about some of the topics we covered, then head over to the show notes page, bhookedcrochet.com/session068. You can leave your question in the comment section, and I will do my best to answer and reply to every single question.

You can also leave your comments if you have a tip or a strategy or something that you have learned through amigurumi that has helped you. And by sharing that, maybe you can help somebody else in the process.

Now before we wrap things up for today, I want to encourage you to check out Annie’s Hook and Needle Club if you’re looking for a way to just unwind and enjoy your craft, not have to worry about finding your own pattern or finding the right yarn for the project.

When you’re a member of Annie’s Hook and Needle Club, you’ll have a project delivered to you every single month and it includes everything that you need to complete that project. Not only are you getting a crochet version, but you’re also getting a knit version. So if you enjoy both crafts, the hardest thing you’ll have to do is decide whether or not you want to knit or crochet your project.

You get all of the yarn right there included and a booklet that includes the pattern. It’s very portable. That’s what I’ve found. My Hook and Needle Club project that I’m working on this month is the Sedona Shawl. I have it in my project bag and it goes with me everywhere I go.

To be a member of the Hook and Needle Club, you’ll pay $19.99 plus shipping and handling on a regular monthly basis. However, when you sign up for your first kit, you’ll receive 50% off plus a free gift, which is their amazing stitch guide that you can’t get anywhere else.

So if you want to sign up today and become a member of the Hook and Needle Club, all you have to do is go to annieskitclubs.com/behooked.

I appreciate you so much for taking action on that. And I hope you have a wonderful weekend. I will see you next week with yet another amigurumi expert, somebody that we all know and love very much. She’s a return guest on the show. And that’s all I’m going to tease you with this week. So you want to join in, same time, same place. I’ll see you then. Bye for now.