Here is the first of the amigurumi I made over my break.

His name is O-tako, which incorporates one of the Japanese words for octopus. I made him using the Octopode Pandemonium pattern, except I made the legs 14 rounds long rather than 12. I used Vanna's Choice, which is one of the Lion Brand acrylic yarns.

I thought after completing him to add a mouth and eyebrows but then I decided I liked the more ambiguous expression that just having a pair of eyes gives. What is he thinking?

It was very tedious making all those legs but the pattern is not difficult; it would probably be a good "beginner" amigurumi pattern. Probably the biggest challenge is sewing all the legs and the bottom on and getting everything even.

One thing I have noticed - as the other two ami's I made this break were of different fibers (one a rough silk and the other from wool) - is that acrylic tends to give a much harder finish and a much firmer critter. (And of course, depending on the stuffing used, you could toss it in the washer - important if the critter is a child's toy that might get dragged through a sandbox or spit up on).

I do not find acrylic necessarily easier to work with than a firmly spun wool, though - I know some amigurumi makers complain about wool's splittiness but the little duck (to show up here later) that I made using Lamb's Pride was perfectly easy to make. And maybe a bit less hard on the hands than the acrylic.