Spirit Animals – Easy patterns for your favorite mascots! | Book Review
Title: Spirit Animals – Easy patterns for your favorite mascots
Designs by: Jessica Boyer
Publisher: Leisure Arts, Inc., 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4647-3359-8
Photographer: Jason Masters
I am very excited to share this month’s review book with you! For my fellow amigurumi lovers out there – this pick is for you!
Spirit Animals includes a collection of 11-crochet animal patterns.
The patterns are presented in an easy-to-understand written format using U.S. Crochet Terminology.
The instructions include clear and detailed color photographs which will be very helpful during the assembly process. Close-up photographs have also been included to ensure the smaller details are easy to see and replicate.
As an added bonus, video-tutorials are available and are linked directly in the digital copy of the pattern. Each part of the pattern which includes a video-tutorial will be marked with an orange colored video camera icon and the name of the technique being demonstrated. Simply click on the icon, or technique and you will be taken to the tutorial.
The difficulty level of all the patterns is listed as Easy+. General Instructions with diagrams are included at the end of the publication for abbreviations, symbols and different crochet and assembly techniques.
Additional supplies you will need include worsted weight yarn, 12-mm safety eyes for all projects (except the Cardinal which requires 6-mm), polyester fiberfill and a 4-mm crochet hook (G). The Cardinal also requires a 3.5 mm (E) crochet hook.
The yarn used for the samples was Red Heart Super Saver in various colors. Two of the projects also need Lion Brand Fun Fur (the Lion and the Tiger).
The animal patterns included are:
- Bear (5.5 inches tall and 9.5 inches long)
- Bulldog (5.5 inches tall and 7.5 inches long)
- Cardinal (3.5 inches tall)
- Wild Cats (5.5 inches tall by 9.5 inches long excluding tails) – includes Panther, Cougar, Tiger and Lion
- Birds of Prey (7.5 inches tall) – includes Eagle, Hawk and Falcon
- Wolf (6.5 inches tall and 8.5 inches long)
I have a number of ‘favorites’ in this book – but if I need to pick just one it is the Bear. Darla’s favorite is the Wolf (she is 6 years old) and Drew’s favorite (he is 4 years old) is a toss-up between the Tiger and the Lion.
This Giveaway is open worldwide where allowed by law.
Start Date: November 3, 2015, 12:00 am ET
End Date: November 10, 2015, 11:59 pm ET
Please note: In order to be eligible to receive your copy of the eBook you will need to have (or be willing to create) a free account with Leisure Arts dot com. You can set it up here: Create A Free Leisure Arts Account. Click on “My Account” (top right corner) and then “My Account” from the drop-down menu and then a pop-up screen will open and you click “Need to Register”.
Extra entries can be gained by leaving a detailed comment on any of my blog posts. Here are a few to choose from to get you started:
If you would like to purchase your own copy of Spirit Animals – Easy patterns for your favorite mascots! it is available at Leisure Arts, Inc.
I’d like to thank Leisure Arts, Inc. for providing me with a review copy of Spirit Animals – Easy patterns for your favorite mascots! and for the giveaway copy for my readers!
All images are used with permission from Leisure Arts, Inc. For more information about Leisure Arts, Inc. visit their website, Facebook or Twitter!
Thanks for the review. Gorgeous and detailed.
I am just getting into making animals, and am becoming addicted. This looks like the perfect book for me to get started with.
the animals are so detailed and beautiful I should really get this book
Wow amazing book such detail you’ve given us on how it’s all been set out.
It’s great that you’ve told us the size of the finished items too along with the different photo angles, it’s just really just great!
Thanks a bunch!
Love to give it a try!
I love this book! Can’t wait to get a copy! Thank you for your review
Love these!
This is so strange. I came to comment on one of your reviews, I read your review, absolutely Love the book, and then searched where to comment at. I’ve been here about 4 times, to your current blog page, back to thestitchinmommy, and all around again, and this time, here it is, clear as day!
So, the book,Spirit Animals! Oh, my gosh! They are so detailed! There are muscle bulges where there should be, feet are anatomically correct, and even eye lids! I don’t think I’ve ever seen such perfect details on amigurumi. And from the pictures you show, I do believe every intricate detail is well explained! This is definitely on my Christmas list! Thank you!
I love the panther and the tiger! 🙂
I love the tiger in this book.
There is awesome detail on all of these animals. They would be a lot of fun to make!
I LOVE this book! I’d love to have it. (maybe I’ll do some hinting)
I would love to make all these animals!
Thanks for the review, these patterns look wonderful, and it’s nice to know they use US terminology, I have a hard time with the US/UK changes.
I love the bear pattern. I can’t wait to get started on it!
I like how the patterns show the product standing up. I usually see amigurumi items w/ the legs facing front.
I really love all the animals in this book. It is on my wish list.
All the animals look lovely but the tiger one is my most favourite 🙂
Love these amis. Very different from the standard.
Oh how I’ve wanted to create Amiguramis!!! I keep looking at them and even have purchased a pattern or two, but haven’t gotten up the courage to try it yet lol!
As a semi-beginner, I have much to learn… Thank you for all the work you do to bring us fun and interesting patterns.
Hugs!
Lori
Very cute animal designs.
I love the animals included in this book!!
Love the variety of animals available in this book as well as the video tutorials available.
Love the detail put into these adorable animals!
Wow! This book is an amazing concept of nature and creatures great and small! Cannot wait to see it out soon ! Thanks
OOoooh love the wolf and the tiger ! I am pretty sure my 2yo daughter would love them too !
hi! just stopping by to say that I love this book! I’ve already put it on my wishlist so my hubby knows what I want for Christmass 😀
These are all awesome books that would be fun to have. The Spirit Animals look so real. Thank you for your giveaway and for the chance to win!
Hugs
Sharon
I absolutely love Spirit Animals each animal looks so life-like and I have been enjoying making amigurumi goods this book would make a great addition to my collection.
I’m like the 4 year old Drew as my favorite is either the lion or the tiger. I love that they don’t look cartoonish. Will be great additions to a crochet zoo!
When will we know who won this? It`s been 7 days since the giveaway finished.
I’m already love with crochet mascots! I’ve started crocheting some, but it will be so much work to do this perfectly 😉
Looks like an awesome book with lots of great patterns that would be fun to crochet!
I love your patterns and have been a fan for a while. This book looks spectacular and can’t wait to get my hands on it to create these lovely creatures.
thanks for sharing
Love this book. Will have to look for it.
I love this book. The spirit animals are more realistic looking than most. I love doing animals but really like doilies. Would you ever consider doing areview of Steller Beauties?
I would love to see you review Honoring Our Veterans!
Oh I would love to win this. I would make every one of them, starting with the red bird. Thanks!
Would love to see you review honoring our veterans book.
I would love to see a review of Urban Edge Crochet.
Would Love to know about “More Rag Animals to Crochet”. Could I use Bulky Yarn instead to crochet these animals, have seen the book before, but don’t want to use rag material unless nothing else works.
Such great animals, I love them all and I do Love to crochet amigurumis, doll, animals!!!
Such a fun collection! These all look fun to make.
couldnt find link to other articles so i will do it here. PLEASE!!!…could you do video tutes on youtube on all the stitches you teach but more than just the one row…like a couple and really show where to join, also do in rounds. not everything stitch we do is in rows and is is so frustrating trying to get the joins right in the rounds (need up close and slow, lol :D) ESPECIALLY full and complete, not just rows, but in the round and join in the foundation single, hdc, dc crochet stitch! PLEASE!!! i love doing this but get so frazzled trying to join them…all the vids on yt show a few stitches or maybe a row, but not in the round and how and where to join them. (ok i correct myself, i have found one, but it is totally confusing and not clear on the joining).
this last part of this post would be SO VERY MUCH APPRECIATED!!!!!! 🙂 thanks in advance and thanks for all you share and teach us!!
(just a tip from newbie crocheter: please remember if you can what it was like when you first started out not knowing what you are doing. i know in other crafts that i am far more experienced in, sometimes we take the ‘little’ steps as not necessary to share thinking that others will just get in or figure it out or just know. they are sometimes the most important part of a tutorial. and for those who are not able ambulatory or have no contact with other people, for whatever the reason, youtube, facebook, blogs, etc might be the only human interaction and learning they have available. (because of health and severe depression, i have not left my house for the last almost 2 years except a handful of times and that was to walk to get some food at the corner convenient store, which i cant do anymore do to my health now. and i can only dream about being able to buy yarn. right now i have had a couple of people who were generous enough to donate few to me, most without labels, so i have no idea what they are. but still so very much appreciative and grateful!!! 🙂 i did win one giveaway and got some Vanna’s glamour metallic which was pretty, but terribly inconsistent in the width of the strands; going from thick to thin every few feet. but was so happy and excited to have won!!! and got new yarn, which i have since used, lol :D!!!)
thanks again and i have almost all your patterns, lol, just waiting for the day when i do get YARNNNNNNNNN to make everything !!! i feel like there is so many things i want to make but will never be enough time in what will be left of my life!! i am obsessed lol, even dreaming of crocheting! sick and crazy i know, lol 😀
cindy
not sure about the next book as this one was fabulous!!! LOVE love LOVE these!!! 🙂
Heeeeeey! I am entering the giveaway for eBook: Spirit Animals, so I am letting you know here too. It is a great book, I hope I am the one to get it. My friend`s son would like a tiger, and there is a pattern in this book for one, and it is sooooooo cute. Thanks for the chance.
I would like you to review MORE PROJECTS FROM YOUR SCRAP BAG.
Quick itty bitties is the one I would like to see reviewed. I have wanted to make these but want to know how easy the patterns are to follow.
Those animals are gorgeous. My daughter-in-law loves Eagles. This is a must have.
I always love a good book
I have to have these patterns. Why? Because I am a Michigander and our mascots are Lions and Tigers. Oh and I love cardinals!!
Looks like a great book. I think my favorite is the tiger. Haven’t seen too many of them around. Thanks for reviewing what looks to be my next acquistion for my library!
Cool book I love the lion and tiger too. I love all the details of the animals