Crochet is a difficult craft, but making micro crochet toys is downright tough as tough can be! So, what NansyOops – she goes by that name – does on such a micro-scale appears an impossible feat. Micro crocheting or knitting small, stuffed yarn creatures is basically a Japanese art called Amigurumi.
Amigurumi requires a variety of tools that comprise a crochet hook, embroidery floss, sewing thread, beading needle, toothpick, scissors, glass toy eyes, and oil pastels. With the help of these, NansyOops creates such cute and adorable tiny animals, like foxes, bears, raccoons, koalas, lion, cubs, and many more. She keeps her creations tiny by using embroidery floss, instead of yarn.
What NansyOops creates is not easy, one needs to possess crocheting expertise of at least an intermediate level. Says she on etsy.com, “My patterns are intended for crafters who already have at least basic experience in crocheting stuffed toys.” She suggests to those who’ve never before crocheted an Amigurumi to make themselves familiar with it through YouTube videos. This will give them a fair idea of not only the basic crocheting vocabulary but also the technique commonly used in crocheted stuffed toys.
NansyOops has uploaded her PDF tutorials that require familiarity with crocheting craft to understand and implement. Each pattern that she offers contains a detailed list of all materials required for specific toys. Unfortunately, she has not produced any video tutorials for beginners but is set to do so in the future.
Although NansyOops micro toys require embroidery floss and small size steel crochet hooks, her advice to beginners is to work with a thicker yarn and bigger crochet needle. Of course, its end product will not be micro and will require more stuffing. By and by, the beginners can make smaller toys by progressively using thinner yarns and matching smaller hooks. They can begin with hook size 1.5mm and progress to 1mm, 0.75mm, 0.6mm and finally 0.5mm for her micro-series toys.
NansyOops craft may be difficult, but her loveable creatures are attracting people in droves. On her Instagram page alone, she has a following of over 62,000 fans and counting.
Amigurumi crochet patterns: Instagram | Facebook | Etsy Store
