I’ve never
been able to resist tiny things – as a child I was always delighted with tiny
toys and anything made in miniature. So, it's natural that I sometimes like to make really small amigurumi animals. It is possible to make a tiny version of
any crochet toy by using thin crochet thread instead of yarn and a much smaller
hook, but that can be very fiddly and hard on the eyes, especially if you have
to sew incredibly small parts together.
However, I’ve designed these tiny cats and dogs to be made all-in-one, using normal sized
yarn and hooks, with the legs, ears and tails worked as you go along. There is
minimal sewing needed, just embroidering the features and sewing up the hole at
the end, which makes them pretty quick and easy to complete.
I first came up with a mini dachshund years ago, when I was making little toys for my sons' school bazaar. Using popcorn stitches for the legs was perfect for these dogs, so when I decided to try some different breeds of dog I went for others which have short legs, like Jack Russell terriers and corgis, or ones that are often a little tubby, like pugs and French bulldogs.
Having made these dogs, I then wondered if the same technique would work for cats. Since they're a bit smaller than the dogs I used increases and decreases in the right places to make their legs seem more proportional to their bodies.
So, my new pattern has all the details to make cats in various colours and fur patterns, and five different breeds of dog. It also tells you how to make most of the dogs with little sweaters.
These mini pets range in size from 2.25" - 3.5" long (6 - 9cm), and fit easily in your hand (even small ones!) which makes them perfect
for little gifts. Make a pet for a doll, or turn one into a keychain. Or
crochet all the different breeds and organise a pet show!
You can buy this pattern now from Etsy, Ravelry or LoveCrochet.
Very cute cats and dogs! Would like to make these to go with knit dolls.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I think they'd go perfectly with knit/crochet dolls.
ReplyDeleteSo cute, I have a friend who fosters amd rescues Dachshunds. Recently she lost a precious one that she adopted, I'm gonna try and make a mini Maggie for her.
ReplyDeleteI love this! I will have to get rid of a dog soon and am very upset about it. Now I can make a mini version of to always remember her by! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI'm really sorry to hear that, but glad that the pattern will mean you can have a mini version.
ReplyDelete