Cat Mad Crochet

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Disclaimer: The Little Mushroom Guy is an awesome pattern. I am just bad at amigurumi.

This week I learned I am making my last amigurumi project. I have made a few in the past, but it’s not something I make often, nor do I like making them when I do. The limbs are difficult to get right. I invariably put the face on before I sew the head on and then the poor thing ends up looking off at weird angles. The faces I manage to create always look worried and afraid, and, given that I made them, they likely should. The worst thing, for me, about making amigurumi, though, is the tight stitching because I insist on using tiny yarns and even tinier hooks. Granted, the finished fabric looks good, but my hands will complain for days after I finish an amigurumi project.

I got it into my head that I would make Dave, my husband, the Little Mushroom Guy from Critter Stitch. He’s all the rage online right now, and I thought it would make a nice addition to Dave’s mushroom collection. And it will. It really will. It’s just that I don’t want to do amigurumi anymore. I want to make soft garments and some fun things with motifs, but not little creatures that look at me and ask why are not for me: Why have their limbs been put on at weird angles? Why is their face like that? Why do they always have to look to the side? And it hurts my hands. This time, because I used lace weight yarn, it hurt enough that I couldn’t comfortably work on my normal crochet projects.

And here’s the thing. Crochet is my go to stress relief. Right now, I should be crocheting most of the day just to take the edge off, but I couldn’t because my hands hurt. This left me free to doom scroll. I ended up back on Facebook. I need to get back off of there. It’s terrible for my mental health. 

I’m happy to say I am almost done with the mushroom! I have to finish the hat and then make a little inside hat bit, so the hat is removable (not part of the pattern, but an addition Dave has requested), stitch up some spots, and assemble the little monster. I am so close!

Behold my almost doneness! I’m using Malabrigo Lace Weight yarn and a 1.5 mm hook. I used a pale pink yarn for the underside of the mushroom cap and the neck frill.

If all goes well, and my hands don’t hurt too much, I should have this project finished by Valentine’s Day. It is the last amigurumi I shall ever do because I do not enjoy the process. I’m trotting happily back to my soft garments after this. They are sooooo much easier. That is not to say that I don’t appreciate amigurumi. I do. There are so many cute patterns I would like to make, but every time I try, it’s just frustrating. I never feel that way about sweaters and other garments, so I will just stick with what brings me joy and not make anymore amigurumi. Dave is feeling honored that he will get my last amigurumi project, so I’m going out on a win.

Despite my complaints, I do recommend Critter Stitch’s Little Mushroom Guy pattern. It’s well done and produces a really cute little mushroom. Just don’t work it in lace weight yarn like I did unless you are good at tiny yarn stuff and have young hands and eyes. As of writing this, apparently there is some drama with the pattern. The seller has a false copyright strike against them on Etsy, and, as seems usual, Etsy is being its normal utterly non-helpful self. I noticed when I went to get the link that there are a lot of knock-offs floating around, don’t get those. Go instead to Critter Stitch’s website and get the pattern there. You can find it at Critter Stitch. Go there. Buy the pattern. Support the original artist.

You can learn more about what is happening with Critter Stitch’s pattern on Reddit (https://www.reddit.com/r/Amigurumi/s/eNSjJUCEsn) and on her Instagram.

Best of luck Critter Stitch!