Crochet Donut Buddies: 50 easy amigurumi patterns for collectible crochet toys

by Rachel Zain

Overview

Meet the Crochet Donut Buddies, the cutest collectible toys for kids. Just like real donuts, it's impossible to stop at just one!

Ring toys are well established in the early years market as excellent for developing grip and gross motor skills. And what kid (or adult for that matter) doesn't love a donut or three?! These easy crochet patterns will allow you to make over 50 handmade toys that young kids will love to play with and collect. Whether it's grouping animals by colour, habitat or characteristics, learning to count, or sensory stimulation, these sweet crochet toys will deliver hours of fun for little ones, sprinkled all over with love.

Author Rachel Zain, founder of Oodles of Crochet, developed these patterns for her non-verbal autistic son. Using easy crochet techniques and standard materials, you too can make a menagerie of toys that will delight kids of all ages and abilities. 

Learn all the techniques for the basic crochet donut, and then discover over 50 ways to transform your donuts into adorable animals and other cute characters. The book includes patterns for farm animals, safari animals, sea creatures, seasonal and holiday designs and more. Each donut measures around 5in diameter, making them perfect for little hands to grip, and you can add squeakers, rattles, crinkles and bells to create extra-special sensory toys. Alternatively you can play with hook size and yarn gauge to supersize your donuts into pillows or shrink them into keychains.

All the stitches needed to make the donuts are included, as well as some fun ideas for different games you can play with your donut characters, including storytelling, role play, counting and sorting games and more.

This incredible collection will provide easy crochet toy patterns for all the kids in your life and have you hooked for years. Luckily this donut addiction is entirely 'holesome' (please donut judge the puns, they're a-glazing!) allowing you to count the memories, not the calories!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781446308882
Publisher:	David & Charles
Publication date:	03/08/2022
Pages:	128
Sales rank:	370,911
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 10.90(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Rachel Zain is an up-and-coming crochet designer who has developed her range of Donut Buddies through her love of making crochet toys for her two children. Her brand Oodles of Crochet is gaining popularity online for her fun and easy designs that kids adore. She is regularly featured in Happily Hooked Magazine and lives in Birmingham, UK.

Table of Contents

WELCOME 4 HOW TO USE THIS BOOK 5 TOOLS AND MATERIALS 6 BASIC DONUT PATTERN 8 Elephant 12 Bunny 14 Owl 16 Horse 18 Alien 20 Goat 22 Sun 24 Hippo 26 Tiger 28 Chicken 30 Zebra 32 Chameleon 34 Turtle 38 Sheep 40 Triceratops 42 Duck 44 Cow 46 Fox 48 Teddy Bear 50 Giraffe 52 Sunflower 54 Crab 56 Jellyfish 58 Unicorn 60 Red Panda 62 Snowman 64 Dog 66 Snail 68 Reindeer 70 Cat 72 Moose 74 Frog 76 Spider 78 Stegosaurus 80 Star 82 Rhino 84 Pig 86 Turkey 88 Ladybug 90 Koala 92 Pumpkin 94 Fish 96 Hedgehog 98 Octopus 100 Llama 102 Hamster 104 Penguin 106 Highland Cow 108 Toucan 110 Snake 112 ACCESSORIES 114 MAKING COLLECTIONS 116 PLAYING DONUT GAMES 117 CROCHET TECHNIQUES 118 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 126 ABOUT THE AUTHOR 126 INDEX 127

Preface

Hi! Welcome to my Donut Buddy Crochet Book. My name is Rachel, and I’m so excited for you to be here with me! I am a British crochet pattern designer born in England. My love of crochet started when I was just eight years old. I used to watch my grandmother knitting and crocheting in her favourite chair, which I found fascinating - how someone could simply take a “stick” and yarn and create such beautiful things was beyond me! It wasn’t until she saw me watching with such interest when she gifted me my own hook and some yarn that I truly fell in love with it. I still have that hook 25 years later, as it reminds me of where my crochet journey started. Fast forward 15 years from when I first picked up that hook to when my crochet journey really began. I had just given birth to my first son, and I really wanted to make him some Amigurumi toys, just as my nan had made for me when I was small - this is where my love of Amigurumi came from. So I picked up my hook and yarn and created my first Amigurumi bunny. I fell in love all over again. I decided Amigurumi was for me, so in 2019 I opened my Instagram page and Etsy store Oodles of Crochet, and when my second son was born, I designed Donut Buddies! Fun, cute, kawaii character donuts designed specifically for smaller babies and children. Many crochet artists have made them - mothers, fathers, grandparents and more, both beginner and advanced, for their families and loved ones. There are 50 Donut Buddy patterns to dive into, each with their very own skill level, so it doesn’t matter if you are a beginner ‘Amigurumist’ or an advanced crocheter; there is something for everyone to try. The great thing is you can mix and match colours and styles to create your own unique variations! Donut Buddies are perfect for imaginative play with your baby. Head off on a secret safari around the home, play Donut Buddy tea party, and group the animals into sets or colours for a great learning experience! You can use a smaller hook and yarn weight to create baby-friendly holiday decorations and nursery decor or use a larger hook and yarn weight for snuggly plush child- friendly home decor. This book is my way of spreading the joy and happiness of my Donut Buddy Amigurumi work; I always say that the best part about these Donuts is that they are calorie-free! So have fun creating these cute buddies. I have a feeling you’re going to love them as much as I do. Happy crocheting.