Want to make Amigurumi? Help me make the guide you need!

[Laialda]

*waves* Hello all! So I've just volunteered myself to assist my fellow crafter/stitchers/crochters here on Sprite Stitch to create a how to guide on Amigurumi making, but I need your help to make it the best guide it can be. How can you do this you ask? Simple. Just post your questions here in this thread and I'll make sure to address each of them in my guide.

No question is too simple (we all have to start somewhere) and I've yet to see a technique that even if I've never personally employed it, I don't know how it was done - so feel free to offer up your complex questions as well! More difficult questions will be set aside for the advanced techniques guide of course, but they will be answered. Remeber, only you can help me make sure your questions/problems get addressed!

The only thing I ask is that if there are any pressing questions (i.e. -advice needed on a current project) that they be sent directly to me in a pm so that I may offer you help right away instead of waiting for an answer in a guide update.I'm planning on having the first guide 'Basics of Amigurumi' ready by mid-January, with additions/increasing difficulties to follow over the next few months.

Also, in case you are not familiar with my projects/work and don't want to dig around for my postings, you'll find the bulk of my creations here on my devianart page.

[amneufeld]

1. An itemized list of everything you need to start from scratch
2. Perhaps a video of stitching in progress?
3. A simple first time pattern

[RMDC]

I'm interested in knowing about planning how much yarn you need, and where to find a wide range of colors for cheap.

[katdun]

All of the above! Plus maybe what kind of hooks work the best (sizes, material they're made of, brand) and the type of yarn to get. I am a novice at crochet, I don't know how much difference the material makes in the finished product... Looking forward to learning, though!

[Laialda]

These are all excellent questions/request so far as I would not have thought of at least half of them on my own! I don't own a video camera though so I'll have to see who will film me/let me borrow one before I could fill that request.

With regards to the pattern: Since this is a primarily video game site/forum, I'd like to use a game related pattern. I'm leaning towards using my Katamari for it (as it is very simple), but I know that not everyone knows that game. Would something more universal like a yoshi egg, power up mushroom, chocobo doll, etc. be preferred instead?

[powergirl]

The Yoshi egg idea sounds awesome! I do have a question... would you happen to know how to make your own amigurumi patterns?

[Laialda]

The Yoshi egg idea sounds awesome! I do have a question... would you happen to know how to make your own amigurumi patterns?

Yes I do. It's something I frequently do this for my own dolls and a skill that anyone who wants to create their own ideas should learn how to do.

I don't plan on broaching this topic in the first guide. That one will be more about teaching the basic shapes, (circles, arms, bodies, etc.) and how to adjust them instead. This is mostly due to the fact that if you are trying to create your own patterns, it helps to be comfortable with crochet as a medium and also assumes that you can visualize a design from a concept drawing - not to mention the fact that when creating your own patterns, depending on their complexity, you'll often find you have to take apart and redo sections until you get them just right and that can be discouraging for a beginner.

[RMDC]

Yoshi's egg vote here... and you know you just volunteered yourself for a pattern-making guide too, right?

[katdun]

I definitely want to make a Katamari of my own some day! The one you submitted for the last challenge was amazing! But I'd be happy to learn/practice with whichever pattern that's chosen.

[kuja.girl]

my downfall with crochet is tension. Any tips on this would be appreciated...

I don't own a video camera though so I'll have to see who will film me/let me borrow one before I could fill that request.

You don't have to make a the film - you can just locate good videos on YouTube. Having a pro recommend a video (or videos) would be a great resource. I'm sure there are even some amigurui videos out there, but who knows if they are up to par!