amigurumi

i switched from knitting to crochet a little over a year ago, and i've found it so much easier. this is my first project from last winter:

i gave the dog to my friend reto. here's the pup in action at reto's house:

then i made another one, using the same pattern, but thinner yarn and a smaller hook. the result - a 2/3 size version, and possibly even cuter (the real matching puppy doesn't hurt either):

here's my book of choice. i've collected a bunch of others as well, which i'll add to the blog eventually. i've gotten them on ebay or from friends who took trips to japan (thanks rayme!). the text is all in japanese, but there are clear charts that surprisingly simple. in fact, i still don't know how to read an american style crochet pattern, only these.