Mabel Bunny & Co. - by Claire Gelder (Paperback)

About the Book

Who could resist these loveable toys and their babies? De-stress by snuggling up with Mabel Bunny and her friends--oversized crocheted toys, perfect for giant cuddles and little hands. Not just for children, the soft, chunky yarn and floppy limbs will appeal to all, so make them for yourself or give as gifts (if you can bear to part with them). Mabel makes a great reading companion and at over 60cm tall from head to paws, the animals sit comfortably on a shelf or at the end of a bed. As well as fifteen different animals to crochet and love, including a dragon, a polar bear, an octopus and a pig, you can also make mini versions, which are 30-40cm tall. The projects are pitched at beginners to improvers and are suitable for someone who has mastered the basics of crochet. So be inspired, choose a pattern to start and be prepared to fall in love with this collection of adorable toys.

Book Synopsis

Crochet the most adorable animals in cosy, chunky yarn. Fun patterns and handy guides mean the only difficulty will be choosing which animal to crochet, as Mabel and her friends are equally delightful!

Who could resist these loveable toys and their babies? De-stress by snuggling up with Mabel Bunny and her friends - oversized crocheted toys, perfect for giant cuddles and little hands. Not just for children, the soft, chunky yarn and floppy limbs will appeal to all, so make them for yourself or give as gifts (if you can bear to part with them). Mabel makes a great reading companion and at over 60cm tall from head to paws, the animals sit comfortably on a shelf or at the end of a bed.

As well as fifteen different animals to crochet and love, including a dragon, a polar bear, an octopus and a pig, you can also make mini versions, which are 30-40cm tall. The projects are pitched at beginners to improvers and are suitable for someone who has mastered the basics of crochet. So be inspired, choose a pattern to start and be prepared to fall in love with this collection of adorable toys.

Review Quotes

Knitty.com
I am barely a crocheter, but I am wholly smitten with this book. This book answers the question, what happens if you crochet animals with big yarn? The answers is adorable, cuddle-sized, animals.
The critters look like large scale amigurumi, happy, friendly friends. Using chunky yarn and a US 11 hook, you can make any one of the fifteen animals in a night or two. The book opens with a how to on he crochet stitches needed for the animals and techniques on how to assemble your parts.
The animals, a bunny, lamb, dragon, octopus, puppy, and many others range between 25"-27" tall, a perfect armful. The bunny, octopus and koala all have babies that are about half the size, and use the same pattern with smaller yarn and a finer hook. The patterns are very straightforward, and are worked in pieces to be later sewn together. The photography helpfully shows any bits you might like to see up close before making, like toes, ears, tails, and any special stitches. Grab this book, yarn and hook and you'll soon have a flock of animal friends to keep or give away to anyone that needs a snuggle.
- JM, Dec 2019

The Loopy Lamb - September 2020
So what's unique about this amigurumi project book is that the main projects are made with chunky weight yarn and they're all jumbo sized. The toys in this book are 27 1/2″ or 70 cm tall with the patterns for a smaller sized 12″ toy also included with some of the patterns. These toys are the ultimate in cuddle-sized toys. Thankfully they are made with the chunky weight yarn so they won't take you weeks to complete.

About the Author

Claire Gelder loves all things hand-made, hand-woven and hand-crafted. She has been crafting for relaxation and fun for over twenty years.

In 2015, Claire left her career as an NHS Director to launch her new business, Wool Couture, which specializes in knitting, crocheting, weaving and macrame. She quickly got her DIY craft kits on the shelves of retail giant John Lewis and, in 2017, secured two Dragons Den investors to help her pass on her passion of crafting to the next generation. Adding a modern twist to age-old pastimes knitting and crochet, Claire uses giant, chunky yarn and oversized knitting needles made in her own factory.

As well as a successful entrepreneur, Claire is also a firm believer in the therapeutic side of craft, particularly its benefits to mental health and well-being.

Claire lives in Wakefield, UK.