Amigurumi Toy Box: Cute Crocheted Friends Paperback – April 19, 2011

This is the third crochet book by Ana Paula Rimoli that I have purchased and it is just as good as the others. I had never even heard of amigurumi until I spotted Ana's first book "Amigurumi World" a few years ago- it was from that book that I learned to crochet, and since then I have made many, many of the toys featured in her two previous books. Who could resist those sweet yarn toys with their smiling faces?!This book (like the previous ones) has a helpful, easy-to-follow "Guidelines" section that shows how to complete the stitches required in the patterns. Most of them require little beyond chain and single crochet stitches as well as the ability to crochet in the round, and most are designed to be quick projects of a couple hours or less. Each one requires only small amounts of yarn and other supplies, so they can often be made with leftovers from previous crafting projects. In addition to yarn, you'll need crochet hooks (patterns use G/6, F/5 and E/4 hooks), scraps of felt, a yarn needle, and either plastic safety eyes or bits of felt to sew on for eyes. These little yarn characters make great (and inexpensive) little homemade gifts; they are so cute and they will be enthusiastically received by anybody you give one to!The patterns are easy to follow and list all steps clearly. Each pattern is accompanied by lovely color photos (often several, showing the completed item from different vantage points) that are super helpful to look at as you make your toys. The patterns all have assembly instructions for joining together the individually crocheted pieces to make the finished project.This book has patterns for the following-Hot Dog Set (a hot dog, bun, ketchup & mustard bottles)Mom & Baby Polar Bear (with hat and fishing pole!)Garden Friends- snake, mouse and birdLittle Bunny & her carrot homeSea Friends- jellyfish, cuttlefish, dolphin, and little narwhalSantiago- a little Boston Terrier (he fits in a crocheted food dish!)Mom & Baby Duck- they even have apple & bear hatsLittle Pig & MomTree Love (a smiley tree with crocheted leaves)Mom & Baby KoalaLittle Strawberry plantLittle kitten & bedPrincess Frog & her water-lily throne (adorable!)Happy Little Sweet Snacks- flan, hot cocoa, and cakeLittle TugboatLittle babies- tiger, lion, bear and elephant (each about 3" tall)Mom & Baby FoxShy Little Unicorn (so cute!)If you already like to crochet and make amigurumi, or if you want to give it a try, this is a great book for you!

I've finished more than half of the animals in this creative book by Ms. Rimoli and I'm simply delighted with her designs. Her patterns are clear and easy to work, and the "critters" are absolutely charming. No fancy yarn or techniques are required; I am using simple worsted weight yarn for all my work and occasionally some felt for accent work. Even my grown children want me to make them crocheted toys for them now after seeing how cute they turn out! I've subsequently purchased Ms. Rimoli's other crochet books and I look forward to delving into those as well. This book is a must buy for any Amigurumi lover.

This book is so much fun! I just finished my first ami from this book: the jellyfish and it turned out SO GOSH DARNED CUTE, I want to make a whole troop of them! The patterns are very easy to follow and I love that she shows pics of the fronts & backs and also the underneath if there is a particular thing that needs to be noted about the pattern, so you can check on your progress to see if you're doing it right. There are basic stitch how-to's/reminders in the back & a glossary of stitches used (in case you don't quite remember or know what the abbreviations stand for), and even an embroidery stitch how-to for things like noses and mouths. The only thing I would have liked to see is a rough estimate of how tall/long each of the finished items are, but it's not a life-threatening issue (and I know it depends on yarn weight/ hook gauge and all that) but a rough estimate would have been a nice little reference bonus. These animals are SO cute and I just can't wait to make more!! (next is the hot cocoa and the fox!!:D) I would recommend this book to EVERYONE, even beginners since the patterns are easy to understand and follow and the time to make them is relatively quick. HAVE FUN!! :)

I really loved the little bunny in this book and that was the reason I purchased it. Now that I have it and I've flipped through it a few times I have to say I love most of the critters. I've made two so far and plan to make more. I made the carrot home for the bunny and it didn't turn out quite right but that's probably on my end. The directions are clear and easy to follow in this book and it's great as long as you have basic knowledge of crochet and plush toy making. There's a tip in here that I never would have thought of and overall I'm really impressed with this book. I plan to get Amigurumi World: Seriously Cute Crochet next and likely her two other books as well.

Amigurumi Toy Box: Cute Crocheted FriendsThis book is amazing. There are so many cute little crocheted animals to make that it is hard to know where to start. The patterns are very easy to follow, and there is so much scope for personalising them by using different colours and/or yarns or threads. If you are a lover of Amigurumi (and I must admit I am an addict), this a book you simply must buy.

I had been searching for this particular book in my local bookstores and couldn't seem to find it. I have the other books and this one did not disappoint. It's great for anyone from the beginning crocheter to the advanced. The patterns are great, the pictures are fantastic, and the writing is easy to understand.

Great book! If you have trouble understanding how the patterns work, this book is very simple and a great way to start. I supplemented with youtube videos that explained the patterns, and now I have no trouble figuring it all out. Very cute projects.

quick projects not a real challenge. Easy to do for a quick project. Very nice Book. Well made. Nice for your crochet collection.