The amigurumi population at my house declined this past weekend. With the visit of four grandchildren, one mine and three may partner's, several of the ami were adopted. After offering ami to the kids, it was clear Great Grandma, my partner's mother, wanted an ami of her own. So, among the adoptees were a yellow duck for baby, a baby octopus for the five-year old grandson, an owl for one of the seven-year-old girls and a lizard for the other. Great Grandma got a little white duck. My grown daughter grabbed a mini hippo.

So, I'm crocheting like mad again. I made a small penguin after the kids left and the dishes were done. I'm now in the middle of making a bigger penguin.

I've been asked if I'd be willng to make the ami for sale. So far, I've declined. Why? I work full time and don't want the obligations. Also, so far, I've been hard-pressed to keep up with the demand for ami I'm willing to give as gifts. There has been no shortage of adoptive parents--ranging from age one to age ninety. I've given away the following:

• 2 hedgehogs
  
• 1 pig
  
• 2 octopuses (octopi?)
  
• 1 koala
  
• 1 mini hippo
  
• 1 giant frog
  
• 1 alien
  
• 1 lizard
  
• 2 baby ducks
  
• 1 owl
  
• 1 Siamese pussycat
  
• 1 bear
  

I recently bought a pattern for an Asian style dragon--a project that will require more than a couple of nights--but I'm looking forward to working on it.

So, I'll keep crocheting with the assurance that my ami will find friendly homes!

Creation of an Ami Nut

My daughter and granddaughter created a bit of a monster on Christmas Day last year, when they gave me a book on “amigurumi,” which translates to “cute little animals” in English. They gave it to me with ulterior motives. My granddaughter wants to learn to crochet small yarn critters. My daughter does not and has never crocheted.

Somewhere in the dark distant past I crocheted. I crocheted baby afghans, baby booties, baby sweaters, and baby caps. Iowa winter evenings were a perfect time to crochet, and many of my friends were in their child-bearing years. The benefits of crocheting were threefold: the activity filled otherwise boring winter evenings, the yarn kept my hands and, in some cases, my lap warm, and I ended up with very personal baby gifts for my friends.

As I thumbed through the gift amigurumi book with its photos of bears, dogs, cats, frogs, and other creatures. I reviewed the abbreviations used in crochet instructions. I studied the technique. Finally, I went shopping and bought some yarn and crochet hooks. I started with a pattern for a bear, but quickly decided that it should become a Siamese cat instead of a bear. Instead of crocheting little round ears, I cut triangular ears from felt and sewed them to the creature’s head. When the cat was finished, I was marginally satisfied, but decided I could do better. I was quickly learning that I had to crochet tightly to keep the fiber fill stuffing from showing through the animal’s “skin.”

My next project was a hedgehog. I was very pleased with the outcome. He had a cream snout, brown feet, and lovely copper-colored bristles all over his body. He was coveted by almost everyone who saw him, but he ended up in the hands of one of my co-workers who is a special fan of hedgehogs.

Next, I did an octopus and then a frog. The frog was small, so I decided to make a larger one. I chose a bigger crochet hook and larger gauge yarn. As I began to crochet the rounds that were to make up the head, I realized that the piece was approaching the size of a luncheon plate. Oops! Now I realized that only a slight increase in hook and yarn size could produce a much bigger animal. When I finished the big frog, he was about eighteen inches tall—towering over his smaller froggy friend who had to stretch to reach six inches in height.

A sane person would have stopped at this point, however, I’ve gone on to produce another octopus, a fish of my own design, a rabbit, 3 koala bears, a small bear and a tiny bear, 2 ducks, and a vacant-eyed looking bunny. A few days ago, a colleague gave me some variegated yarn in shades of green, blue and violet. I took one look and realized it should be become a lizard. Lacking directions for a lizard, I started the project, improvising as I went. I now have a lovely lizard, but I’m still trying to figure out how to make and attach an appropriate tongue to the little guy.

Why has this activity so captured my imagination? First, I love being able to produce handmade toys. I’ve had no trouble giving any of them away—in fact it is mostly adults who ask to adopt them. Second, the act of crocheting is very relaxing. It takes my mind to a very different place than the one I occupy when I’m at work. My work is not particularly taxing—I’m a technical writer and web master, but interpersonal aspects of my workplace are difficult. The ability to leave the difficulties behind and go to another place has been helpful to me both psychologically and physically.

Will I continue crocheting “cute little animals” as they are called in Japanese? As long as I continue to work in the same place and until my right thumb gives out completely from repetitive stress, I guess I’ll keep crocheting. Maybe I’ll even consider crocheting something useful or practical.