June Gillbank is an expert in the field of Amigurumi.  The guide she has written includes detailed instructions to create all types of amigurumi – from animals to people! Tips and tricks are also included to make your projects exceptional!

Title: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Amigurumi

Author: June Gillbank

ISBN: 978-1-61564-003-4

Photos provided for use with permission from DK Publishing Limited.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Amigurumi

June Gillbank is an expert in the field of Amigurumi.  The guide she has written includes detailed instructions to create all types of amigurumi – from animals to people! Tips and tricks are also included to make your projects exceptional!

This book includes the following sections and chapters:

 

Part 1: Amigurumi Basics

• Chapter 1- The Hooks and Tools You Need
• Chapter 2- Yarn and Other Materials You Need (i.e. yarn options, stuffing options, eyes and embellishments)
• Chapter 3- A Crochet Primer (i.e. holding your hook and yarn and basic stitches)
• Chapter 4- Taking Hook to Yarn (i.e. magic ring, foundation chain, working in rounds, increases/decreases, fastening off, reading a crochet pattern, reading charts)

Part 2: Bring Your Amigurumi to Life

• Chapter 5- Designing with Basic Shapes (i.e. open and closed shapes, making flat circles, cones, triangles, cylinders, ovals, spheres, circles, open ended tubes and flat ovals)
• Chapter 6- Changing Colors (i.e. getting clean edges for colour changes, dealing with yarn ends, using joined rounds , joined, turned rounds and colour changes to add clothing)
• Chapter 7- Stuffing and Assembly (i.e. smoothness, firmness, closing up a piece, invisible joins, assembling and joining open edges to closed pieces)
• Chapter 8- Strike a Pose with Your Ami (i.e. blocking, wiring, jointed limbs, thread jointing, button jointing, plastic eye jointing, weighted stuffing and plastic canvas)
• Chapter 9- Making Fuzzy Amigurumi (i.e. novelty yarns and brushing techniques)

Part 3: Adding the Finishing Touches

• Chapter 10- The Eyes Have It (i.e. all about eyes – different types, how to attach them, how to paint them, eye alternatives – buttons, beads, felt,embroidery and crochet eyes)
• Chapter 11- Ami Hairstyles (i.e. creating wig caps, crocheted wigs, novelty yarn wings, speciality stitch wigs and embroidered wigs)
• Chapter 12- Embellishing Your Ami (i.e. embroidery, adding appliqués, surface crochet, crocheting into surface crochet, fabric paint, blush, polymer clay, buttons/beads and needle felting)

The final section of the book includes full crochet patterns:

• Hamsters
• Mushroom and Toadstool
• Boy
• Girl

 

Some other items June has created using the techniques outlined in this fabulous book are:

 

 

This book is a fantastic resource to have in your library. You can apply the skills to many different types of projects – beyond amigurumi.

I’m very excited about the release of June’s upcoming book this summer – Idiot’s Guide to Crochet.

I can’t wait to see what tips she shares to help me perfect my crocheting!

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Here are the hamsters I crocheted for Darla and Drew using two of the patterns from the book:)

All images are used with permission from DK Canada Books. For more information about DK Canada Books – visit their website, Facebook or Twitter!