Mini Amigurumi Birds

Sarah Abbondio is a Danish/Swiss designer who has been interested in creating things since she was very little. She trained as a design engineer and has been working as a independent designer and product developer for several Danish brands. Her interest in crochet started when her daughter was born and she wanted to create a unique toy for her. Sarah taught herself to crochet and it has been her primary hobby ever since. Sarah lives in Denmark. Find her on Instagram @sarahabbondio

YARN SUB - Aug 2022In some ways, I found making my bird—I chose the puffin—easier than any crochet pattern I'd tried before. There are no charts to worry about and I found the pattern instructions straightforward to follow. All but one of the nine separate pieces started with an adjustable ring, for which there are simple instructions in the book. After that, it's pretty much just single crochet (double crochet in UK terminology) worked in the round.Increasing and decreasing according to the pattern instructions allows you to make all the different shapes required.So am I an amigurumi convert? Yes. I found the process addictive. Each piece of my puffin was so small that it only took 15 minutes or so to get another one done. And I've already had three requests from family and friends for puffin keyrings!What about the book? Would I recommend Mini Amigurumi Birds? Yes, if you have basic crochet experience. For a start, the book is very reasonably priced for 25 different bird patterns. Even after one bird I feel like I've had my money's worth. I found the patterns and technique instructions well-written and easy to understand. However, I don't think this would be the right book for someone who's never done any crochet before. The descriptions of the techniques are short and there aren't many accompanying pictures. There's also not much background information on things like yarn and hooks. While this is fine for a lapsed crocheter who just needs some reminders, I think a complete beginner would appreciate more in-depth support. Having said that, I think you'd only need to learn a few basics from YouTube and then you could move onto this book without a problem.

• Materials and tools 8Pattern notes 9Crochet techniques 10Projects: Cockatoo 12, Macaw 14, Toucan 15, Hummingbird 17, Peacock 20, Ostrich 22, Emu 23, Flamingo 24, Penguin 26, Rockhopper penguin 27, Puffin 28, Kingfisher 30, Blackbird 31, Robin 32, Bluetit 33, Seagull 36, Stork 37, Owl 38, Pigeon 39, Swan 40, Eagle 42, Duck 43, Bat 44, Hen 45, Chick 46, Egg 47