The long wait is finally over, and so is all the hard work! The new crochet book from amigurumipatterns.net is out at last.

I’ve been very lucky to have been involved in the proofreading of this one and so I’ve had an in depth look at every page of the book and can confidently say it’s a cracker!

Packed full of unique and imaginative designs, you’d have to be very hard hearted indeed not to let a few ‘ooohs’ and ‘ahhhs’ out as you flick through the pages. Baby animals are cute alright but when they’re teamed up with their matching parents and various essential baby accessories then that cute factor just goes off the scale!

My Papa Penguin and his baby, Pierre, have made it to the front cover. Papa may look a little startled as he is not only not used to the limelight but he’s also a first time dad, and that takes a bit of getting used to as well!

 

Time flies – and sometimes penguins do too! I remember getting Papa and Pierre ready for their air mail journey to the publishers in Belgium – quite a few months ago now. Difficult to believe that all that time has passed and the book is finally finished. There is so much work involved to get everything just right, but it’s so much fun too. Joke does a lovely job of the compilation, layout and graphics so the book is really easy on the eye, and the patterns are a doddle to read.

Of course I had to help Papa and Pierre have a good send off. These penguins love a jolly party. It’s a great excuse for a huddle together and to indulge in some high calorie treats to fatten themselves up ready for the winter months.

What better place to have a party than at the local parent and toddler group. They’re certainly used to the noise and mayhem there!

Here’s a little peek at all of the other happy families created by designers from all over the world and photographed beautifully by Joost.

Below, from left to right, we’ve got: Rosy the T-Rex and her baby boy (Lia Arjano), Mama, Papa and Baby Bear (Tales of Twisted Fibers), and Mom Tilda and baby Earl armadillo (Patchwork Moose).

Dashy the Beagle and his baby boy (Enna Design), Mama Lulu and Baby Bea the sloths (Mevvsan), Maisie mouse and baby Charly (Erinna Lee).

Little Tim the Fawn and his mommy (Stuff the Body), Mama Octa and her baby octopi (Diceberry Designs), and Butterfly Bree and caterpillar Callin (Zabbez).

Mama Frida and baby Lila (Jamaica Y Tamarinda), Papa Penguin and Baby Pierre (me!), and July the Kangaroo and her baby Jumpy (Kamlin Patterns).

Aren’t they sweet? There sure is a great deal of variety in there, and that’s what I love about all of these books from amigurumipatterns.net. There’s so many different styles to choose from. They’re like the amigurumi equivalent of a fancy selection box of chocolates from Harrods! I’ve already made the butterfly by Zabbez as part of the pattern testing phase of the book. I made mine in sparkly midnight hues because I love Blue Morpho butterflies.

Presale is on until the 27th September 2015, so if you want to get ahead of the curve and order your copy right now you can do that here. You’ll also get the PDF version to download immediately so you can get crocheting while you wait for the actual book to arrive in the post.

Here’s a final photo of some of the penguins I made during the design/testing/tweaking processes. Now they’re just awaiting a new home. I’m hoping to attend a few local craft shows this year and I think these little fellas might prove popular in the run up to Christmas.

Not that I really want to be thinking about Christmas quite so early. I have a few ideas for this year’s Halloween collection to finalise yet. Oh where did the summer go!

I do love a cosy autumn though so there’s lots to look forward to in the coming months. I think I may have to start on another cosy blanket as the evenings draw in and the weather starts to cool. Well, the summer may be nearly over but I’m definitely looking forward to starting some brand new crochet projects inspired by the changing of the seasons.