Caleb's Pickachu

You may remember that last year, I made my nephew Caleb an Oshawott for his first birthday. It was my first try at amigurumi, and it turned out well, if I do say so myself. So, for his second birthday, I decided to try a Pikachu. Pikachu has a more complicated body shape, since he's all one contoured piece from his feet to his head, and I had a little more trouble finding a pattern I really liked.

I settled on the Pikachu pattern from Etsy seller getfun for the body, ears, and arms of my Pikachu. However, this pattern uses felt for the tail, feet, and details, and I really wanted my Pika to be all crochet.

So, I used the pattern for the tail, feet, and stripes from the Pikachu pattern by WolfDreamer Off the Hook. I improvised the cheeks and eyes, as they're just circles.

While you can definitely tell that this is Pikachu, I'm not quite as happy with this effort as I was with Oshawott. I'm something of a perfectionist, and I wanted Pika to look just like the cartoon. In the end, Caleb seemed to like it, which is what's really important.

Andy, Caleb, and Pikachu

Gotta Catch 'Em All - Oshawott

My brother Andy has been a fan of Pokemon since it's earliest versions for the Game Boy came out in the 90's. Later, when the cards and cartoons were trendy, I got into it as well. Furthermore, as soon as his son was born, Andy introduced his wife and little boy to the cartoons. So, we're a family of Pokemon Trainers! For his first birthday, I made my nephew this Oshawott plushie.

Shown here with a toy for reference.

I worked from Linda Potts' Oshawott pattern published on her blog WolfDreamer Off the Hook. I used I Love This Yarn! from Hobby Lobby in Turquoise for the body, White for the head and arms, Navy for the ears, feet, and tail, and Black for the eyes. The shell and nose were made from scraps.

This project was SO MUCH FUN! I really want to make some more plushies and Pokemon in particular. I especially want to make a Pikachu for my nephew. I also want to make a soft doll with changeable outfits for my friend's daughter, and a Batman for my spouse, and a... I just need more time to crochet.