Amigurumi Cacti | Great Stocking Stuffers for Xmas!

Greetings fellow Crochetists/Cactorians :)

I just wanted to share with you my awesome discovery at the Kalamunda Markets this month!
I made a set of amigurumi cacti to sell at our stall (where we usually sell real cacti and succulents) and they were a huge hit! Completely sold out!

Many jokes flew around the place about how these cacti are guaranteed 'unkillable' (until one customer said "I have 3 children. I wouldn't say guaranteed un-killable if I were you!") .

Then one customer mentioned how these would make great stocking stuffers for Christmas. What a great idea! They are easy to make, they look great, and are so much cheaper (and healthier) than filling stockings to the brim with chocolate!

So I know what everyone in my family is getting this Christmas!

Cute Little Flower Pattern

I am having so much fun making cute little cacti amigurumi. And it's all so easy!
The only trouble I'm have at the moment is not being able to find how to make small flowers to put on top of my cacti.

So instead I persevered on my own, and I played around with hdc stitches, and I finally came up with this:


And here is the pattern if you would like to make one yourself:

I used 8 ply yarn (which I pulled apart to create 3 ply piece) and a 2.5mm hook.

1. Make double loop.
2. [Ch2, 5hdc in 2^nd chain from hook. Slst in double loop.] Repeat 5 times for 5 petals.
3. Fasten off. Close up double loop.

Now that I think of it, I will try to post up some tutorials on how to do some basic stitches and loops, for those who are just starting out.

Experimenting with Cotton

Up until now, I have been using a nylon/acrylic blend of yarn at 8ply thick. I love that the colours are so vibrant compared to real wool and it the way it makes my projects far neater, but I’m still finding it fuzzes up like wool all too easily. I’m really after a nice clean, fuzz free finish - so I decided to go buy some 3 ply crochet cotton. It’s a little more expensive than the yarn I have been buying previously, so I hope it’s worth the price tag.

Also, because of the thinner ply, I’m hoping that my projects will turn out smaller and hence a lot cuter!

I made another cactus with the cotton. Only this time I used my own design and not a pattern, and here are the results:

It turned out so little! It was the perfect size to fit into a 4cm terracotta pot that I purchased from Fickle Prickles, an online store for cacti and succulents.

I used a smaller hook this time, a 2.5mm hook (I have previously been using 3.5mm).

I really want to find some key ring chains, so I can make some key ring charms out of this cotton!

Discovering Amigurumi

I discovered the funkiest thing whilst browsing the internet the other day!

In truth I was looking up something completely irrelevant to the subject, when I magically stumbled across this photo:

And I thought, that is soooo awesome! I wanna make one!

The art form is called Amigurumi, and it derives from Japan. The name is a mix of Japanese words, Ami, meaning crocheted or knitted, and nuigurumi, meaning stuffed doll. It seems the art of Amigurumi has been well practiced all over the world for many years, but here in Australia it seems to have yet to take off. Hopefully that will all change soon!

Anyway, I followed the link from the photo and it led to a blog by Ana Paula, who, funnily enough, posted the crochet pattern for this cute little cactus fellow for free.

Here it is - http://amigurumipatterns.blogspot.com/2007/11/thank-you-little-cactus.html

Well, by the next day, I had wrangled my way to the nearest craft store, bought some yarn and a hook and set to work. IT WAS SO EASY! Within an hour or two, and with hardly any previous crocheting knowledge, I had created my first Amigurumi cactus:

I did have to look up how to do some basic stitches on the internet first, and with some handy hints from my mum (who crocheted liked a madman back in the day!) the process was all in all, very simple. I added some pom-pom balls for flowers on the top there, and I decided to not put a face on this one either (my decision had nothing to do with the fact my craft store didn't have any eyes for sale... really...) .

I can’t wait to see what other patterns I can find. I think I have found my new obsession, and I love it!!!