fo: crochet baby squirtle

Pattern - Baby Squirtle
Yarn - various stash
Ravelry project page - here

I think to date this baby Squirtle has to be my favourite finished amigurumi! Last month I decided I would crochet at least one Pokemon, and I ended up working on 3 (a massive Magikarp is currently in the making - watch this space!) and when I came across Evelyn's designs I knew I had to make one!

They are all so adorable and full of life in the detail in their eyes, but B was helping me decide which one to make and he is a big Squirtle/Wartortle/Blastoise fan, and considering I knew I had the colours to hand baby Squirtle was the obvious choice.

The actual pattern istelf can be found on Evelyn's Deviant Art and is very easy to follow. I particularly adored the tiny details in the pattern which defined the nose better, and the optional 'puff' stitches used for fingers and toes. I included these as they weren't a difficult stitch at all and the detailing is one reason that these designs really stood out for me!

I used a 3.5mm hook instead of 3.75mm (which I don't even seem to own - the horror!) and DK weight yarn - or so I thought. The shell came out much larger than it looked like it should judging by the pictures on Ravelry and I was very worried that Squirtle was going to be a failure. But fear not! Once the pieces were sewn together and the details stitched on he turned out perfectly. 

  The real beauty is in the eyes though, don't you think? Evelyn needle-felts her eyes which I have only just learnt/attempted to learn over the last couple of weeks or so (Squirtle was completed in the last week of April so as to complete my monthly challenge). I took at the very least an hour constructing the eyes from 4 layers of felt, sewing them and positioning them as it was clear these would make or break this little guy! Once they were sewn into place I did attempt some felting with a large needle (not an actual felting needle though) in order to soften the appearance and make them look like Evelyn's. I don't know if you can tell but for me it made all the difference, bringing the layers together and just adding that extra something.  I hope you like Squirtle as much as I do, and perhaps you should try and make one of these baby Pokemon yourself! I have my eye on making Eevee next, and then ALL the Eeveelutions!