This was another gift that I made for my relatives in Hong Kong, and I almost loved it enough to want to keep it for myself. One of my cousins has a little girl whose favourite animal is a penguin, so this seemed like the obvious choice. There’s just something about the size and expression of this penguin that won me over from all the penguin patterns out there!

• 1/5 skein of Patons Astra – a DK (3) weight yarn (colour A: Silver Grey Mix)
• 1/10 skein of Estelle Yarns Alpaca Merino Worsted (colour B: Black)
• 1 skein of Loops and Threads Snuggly Wuggly – a DK (3) weight yarn (colour C: White)
• 10g Loops and Threads Classic Fiber Fill
• 2 safety eyes (8.0 mm)
• 3.00 mm hook

Pattern by ChiWei at One Dog Woof

Lately I’ve been seeing this dog-brush technique suggested by a few different makers as a way to make amigurumi “fur” look more realistic, but I haven’t had the chance to try it yet. Sadly, I didn’t have the Scarfie yarn and dog brush on hand, and I didn’t have the time to go purchase it before my Dad’s flight, so the “brushed” look will have to wait. Nevertheless, even without the brush, this penguin is still pretty darn cute.

I didn’t realize that yarn choice can make such a big difference, but seeing how the bouclé version was two inches taller than the Scarfie yarn version made me do a double take! After all, the same hook size was used for both versions, and I had always thought that it was just hook size that largely dictated the size of a finished product, especially since both yarn choices are technically bulky (weight 5) yarns.

I’ve had a couple of friends/family reach out to me after seeing this first penguin about having one of their own, so I foresee more projects with this pattern. I think it would be cute to try using larger eyes next time, just to give the penguin more of a “baby” appearance.

Until next time, happy crafting!