About

Hi! Thanks for checking out my blog. My name is Amy. I'm a Technical Writer from Ottawa, Canada, and I love to crochet amigurumi. I discovered the craft as a teenager through a book called Tiny Yarn Animals that I found in a used bookstore. My cousin and I each crocheted an animal. She made a hippo, and I made a pig. He was scraggly and overstuffed, but I was hooked. I continued making toys and following patterns. My favourites were by Ana Paula Rimoli. I then jumped head-first into pattern design, well before I had mastered techniques that make for a professional finish.

I blogged my successes and failures sporadically on Blogger. Posts that are now only accessible on the Wayback Machine featured the cringiest of titles. The Doll of Excruciating and Endless Cuteness, Keep Calm and Love Manatees, and A Whole New World of Amigurumi. It was an exciting time. I opened my Etsy shop in 2012, where I listed my first pattern. I took on several custom orders through Etsy and for friends and family. I loved recreating my favourite characters from books, movies, and TV. One of my earliest designs was Arthur the Aardvark. I also made D.W. and Buster, as well as a very cute Hello Kitty.

Eventually, I moved my blog to Wordpress. I gained some attention in 2013 when I crocheted Chummy from Call the Midwife and the show featured her on their Facebook page. I got permission from Neal Street producers to share the pattern, which is still available as a free Ravlery download. In 2015, I crocheted another character from Call the Midwife, Trixie, and she was featured on the BBC One Show. In 2016, I discovered the surprising niche of 18" doll clothing, and this Crochet Pattern 18" Doll Basic Dress continues to be my bestselling pattern. In 2017, ten of my toy patterns were published in Amigurumi for Beginners, a bookazine by Future Publishing.

I've done a few craft fairs over the years, but they've never really been my thing. I don't like crocheting the same thing more than once, so that makes for a sparse stall. I also spend any money I earn at other stalls almost immediately, so I never break even!

Between work and adulting and exploring new crafts (mainly sewing), Amy's Gurumis has taken a back seat over the last decade. Never abandoned completely, but I haven't blogged in years. My fascination with minimalism took hold during Covid, and unfortunately, that's meant no amigurumi has a long shelf life in my home. Do they spark joy? Not with their imperfections. Do they serve a purpose? Nope. Into a donation bin they go, until I decide I want to focus on the shop again and regret my hasty declutters.

I also started taking everything too seriously. I read time management books and fretted that making stuffed animals might not be the best use of my years left on earth. I stressed about how environmentally unfriendly amigurumi is. All that acrylic and polyester, won't it all be in landfill 100 years from now? But I've never truly lost interest. And at the end of the day, these little crochet creations are so much fun to make and admire. It's the only hobby I've ever stuck with. I think that's because it's relatively quick, allows for so much creativity, and is a tangible, screen-free pastime. Also, nothing you make has to fit your body, so the rate of success is 100% higher than sewing. Every year around Christmastime, I'm inspired to remake all my patterns. I never get very far, but 2026 seems like a good time to try again.

I do feel like a fossil. Things have really changed in the world of amigurumi. The market is so much more saturated, for one thing. But that also means there are many more creators to watch and learn from. Amigurumi toys are now referred to as plushies. It seems that everyone uses blanket yarn. Back in my day, it was all worsted. My yarn of choice was always Bernat Handicrafter Cotton, but these new chenille yarns mean amigurumi can look every bit as professional as store-bought toys. Deluxe sinker eyes are a whole business of their own. The concept of no-sew wasn't around when I started, or at least I wasn't aware of it. I always hated assembling amigurumi, so this is a development I'm really excited about and intrigued by. I made AnnieCarrawayArt's Loaf Cat Crochet Pattern several times last year, and I love Crochet by Genna's No Sew Mini Amigurumi book. I see the magic of crocheting everything in one piece; it's a serious game changer!

I'm now on a mission to modernize my own work to match these new trends and the expectations crocheters have these days from amigurumi designs. I want to convert patterns to low-sew (or no-sew where possible). In some cases I want to remake old patterns using blanket yarn. This is a big task. I plan to document it all on this reincarnation of my blog, which my brother kindly set up for me in Publi. I hope you'll join me. Happy crocheting!