Pattern/Technique: Grey Totoro Amigurumi Pattern by Lucy Collin
Modifications: Left off tail, arms, and embroidery on tummy
Materials: Knitpicks Swish DK in Marble Heather (3 skeins), Coal (1 skein), White (1 skein)
US E (3.5 mm) crochet hook
9mm safety eyes
New skills: n/a
Lessons/Notes: A pretty straightforward project. I don’t love seaming and was running out of grey yarn, so I simplified and left off a bunch of little details like the tummy embroidery and arms/tail, but the finished project is still Totoro, albeit a minimalist version.
Past Lauren didn’t add much stuffing in the main body, so I unpicked the woven-in ends and poked in a bunch more poly fill to make it more rigid. I’m mainly worried about it compacting and getting lumpy/floppy with use, so the extra filling should help prevent that.
I’m really happy with how the nose turned out: I embroidered a bunch of horizontal stitches, making them longer in the middle and slightly shorter at the top/bottom and layering multiple stitches to get a 3D tapered nose.
What I'd do differently: I think I might have ended up with slightly different length ears and slightly off axis placement of the eyes, both of which I’ll chalk up as “proof of hand”.
Care: Hand wash, dry flat
