Years ago I attempted crocheting my own amigurumi Pikachu. I wanted it to look just like the character from Pokémon Go but I couldn’t find any patterns like that. So I bought a similar pattern to get me started and planned to modify it into what I wanted. I was able to get the body into the right shape I had in mind, but at the time I had only been crocheting for less than 3 years so I struggled hard then eventually gave up and left the project incomplete for 4 years.
But in those 4 years I kept crocheting other things which slowly improved my skills. And this week I decided to tackle it once again, and finished it in ONE DAY!
I made the first one from Bernat Baby Blanket yarn, but the yarn was way too difficult for me for this project. So I got chenille yarn from Dollar Tree…it took 6 skeins (4 yellow, 1 black, 1 brown), but when they are only $1.25 each, it’s no biggie (and maybe that’s the only option you have anyway if you live in a small town like I do)!
It turned out life-size (if Pikachus were real) which is pretty fun. And I decided I wanted to make it a girl, complete with the heart-shaped tail and a pink flower crown like in the game <3
This was a project I just meant for myself, and as of now I’m not selling the pattern because I think it’s probably too close to the licensed character that I do not have the rights to. But I wanted to share the photos to show my crochet chops!
Here are some tips if you’re going to try something similar:
Plush yarn is HARD to work with. Even advanced crocheters will tell you that. I used stitch markers on every single stitch for the first round and that was the only way I could see what I was doing. Stitch markers are your friend!
If you’re making your own pattern, don’t overthink it. Sometimes less is more, like when I made the patterns for the arms and feet. At first I tried to make paw shapes and it was just completely unnecessary. They are simple, and the same except slightly different in size!
Let others help you! Buying a pattern gave me a great baseline to start from, and I also used a YouTube Tutorial for the flowers.
It’s fun (and satisfying) to make a pattern your own, so GO for it! When I made the pattern, I increased stitches where I wanted more of a curvy shape, like the knees. Sometimes it takes a little trial & error but it’s worth it when it looks just how you want in the end.
What’s your current crochet project? Have you ever attempted creating your very own pattern? Let me know with a comment!
