Check out my interview with the author, take a peek inside, and then enter to win your own copy, right here on Moogly!
Disclaimer: I was given a copy of this book for review; all opinions are my own. This post includes affiliate links.
Amigurumi Critters Review
A Bit About the Author:
is Amy’s first book, which debuted on June 17, 2025!
“Amy Ting is a Korean-Taiwanese crochet designer based in the Bay Area, California. With a background in elementary education, teaching and building community are two passions of hers. Amy’s amigurumi creations have resonated with a wide audience, but especially so with the Asian-American population. To name a few of her crocheted food designs, her boba (a milk tea with tapioca pearls), baozi (fluffy steamed bun stuffed with savory pork and chives), and kimbap (a mix of rice, seasoned beef, and veggies wrapped in seaweed) are fan favorites. Amy hopes for those viewing her work to feel empowered through representation and inspired to take on new challenges.” (via Amazon.com) You can see more of her work at CuriousPapaya.com!
An Interview with Amy Ting, Author of Amigurumi Critters:
I was lucky enough to get to send Amy some questions about her book, and her process, and how she thinks about crochet!
Moogly: You’ve built such an adorable brand with Curious Papaya! Can you tell us how your crochet journey began and how it led to the creation of your first book?
Amy Ting: Thank you! I first picked up a hook in 2018 (so that makes it 7 years now – hard to believe)! Initially, it was meant to be a hobby I could look forward to destress after work. Little did I know, it would soon become my lifelong passion and full-time business.
I dreamt of creating my own crochet book early on and spent the next few years developing a distinct style. When the opportunity to create “Amigurumi Critters” came up, I was sold.
Moogly: I saw that your background is in teaching – how has that experience shaped the way you approach designing patterns and writing instructions?
Amy Ting: My background is in elementary education and I mainly worked with the intermediate grades (power to you fellow teacher/crocheters!). My love for teaching has impacted my design process in every way. Helping my students gain confidence in accomplishing hard things makes me feel like a proud mama! Seeing them reach that “aha” moment in the middle of learning a new skill is so rewarding, and I hope that the folks who try out my patterns experience this too.
Much like writing a lesson plan, clarity and reproducibility in my patterns are top priorities. Of course, adding in tips and tricks is a bonus too! People of all ages learn best when they’re having fun – don’t you think?
Moogly: Can you share one or two favorite designs from the book and what inspired them?
Amy Ting: I’ll put the spotlight on my Capybara pattern! I loved designing his chubby, stout figure. The best part about him is that his yuzu (the little citrus fruit on his head) is magnetic and can be taken on and off. It’s a fun little addition that makes him special.
My capybara design was inspired by my trip to Japan where capybara spas and cafes are all the rage. They are so relaxed and docile – wish I could enjoy their life, ha! A fun fact is that the capybara’s body pattern is also used in Poppy the Pig and Perry the Pug’s patterns.
Moogly: You mention that the book is geared toward intermediate and advanced crocheters. What makes these patterns more complex, and what skills will readers strengthen as they work through them?
Amy Ting: Yesss! I personally felt that there was already a good amount of beginner-oriented tutorials on the market and so I sought to fill the gap of “what’s next”. Though “no-sew” patterns are certainly trending right now with the rise of chenille yarn, I firmly believe that certain details in a design are only achievable with sewing.
This might be a bit controversial but I’ll say it anyway. Wanting immediate, effortless results is posing a huge problem today. Sure, it has its time and place (if only the laundry would magically fold itself, ugh) – but I’d like to nurture the idea of enjoying the process!
Techniques such as shaping body parts (such as the ears on the Finnegan the Fox or creating the eye indentations on Dara the Dolphin) are introduced in the intermediate patterns. These techniques are introduced in bite sized pieces so as to not overwhelm anyone – but of course, improving any skill requires time and practice! And of course, there are still plenty of beginner-friendly patterns in the book (such as Gertrude the Grumpy Chick, Joey the Mallard Duck, and Koa the Koala).
Moogly: Many people are intimidated by shaping and assembly in amigurumi. What tips do you have for someone new to amigurumi?
Amy Ting: One tip I have is… to follow the stitch count and sewing placement guidelines to a tee. Though there’s room for modifications, messing with the numbers is not the place to do it (eek). On my introduction page in the book, I liken making amigurumi to baking. Don’t be surprised if your creation comes out a little wonky if you substitute your sugar for salt. It won’t lose any points for being adorable but… you know what I’m saying.
Moogly: What role has the online maker community played in your journey?
Amy Ting: Absolutely everything. I think that the fiber arts community here on Instagram is truly a unique one. I’m thankful for the friends I’ve met along the way (I probably speak to them more than some friends in real life), and I feel even more motivated to create from the community’s enthusiasm and support.
As with anything online, it’s not always rainbows and butterflies. It can get ugly sometimes with pattern theft or with people instigating drama. However, the pros far outweigh the cons and I choose to surround myself with individuals I look up to and am inspired by.
Moogly: What advice would you give to aspiring designers who want to turn their crochet passion into a business or brand?
Amy Ting: I would say… creating your own website or dropping everything to go “full time” are not the only markers of success, so don’t rush into it. Starting off on well-established websites such as Ribblr or Etsy brings in invaluable traffic if you want to sell patterns.
Growing a “business” and growing an “online presence” are two completely different things. If your only goal is to monetize, chances are, you may burn out and lose your passion in creating.
There’s no one right way to do things – but personally speaking, I started off my IG page to simply share my joy in creating and to connect with others. Doing those two things have not changed since my account had 1 follower til today. I’ll never get sick of chatting with everyone who comments or dm’s me.
Moogly: If you could bring one of your critters to life as a real pet, which one would you choose?
Amy Ting: Oh my goodness, I love this question! Hmm, I’d have to say Gertrude the Grumpy Chick! She’s obviously very important to me (and is even the mascot and logo for curiouspapaya). Gertrude originally debuted in a fun crochet-along some friends and I hosted together back in 2021. I never expected for her to gain the world-wide attention she did with hundreds of people making her.
Gertrude embodies a spunky, hot-tempered personality. Her spicy self isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but she doesn’t give one chicken butt about that – she will always unashamedly be herself. Gertrude is the friend who’s always rooting for you and who is that “YES YOU CAN” voice you need in life.
Moogly: For anyone picking up Amigurumi Critters for the first time, what do you hope they feel or experience when they finish their first creation?
Amy Ting: I’ve said this before but I’ll say it again because it’s true – I hope that people feel JOY. Creating something from my book goes beyond just having a physical plushie. It’s the accomplishment of persevering through something that was challenging and coming out on top!
Thank you SO MUCH to Amy for sharing all of your amazing thoughts and expertise with us! And congratulations on your book!
My Peek Inside Amigurumi Critters
While Amigurumi Critters starts off with introductory sections on tools and techniques, these are geared towards those who know how to crochet already and are interested in adding amigurumi to their skill set. So you’ll see tutorials on the whip stitch, emroidering, and working in a spiral – but not on how to single crochet or weave in ends. After that, it’s straight into the patterns!
The patterns themselves are written in the abbreviated “amigurumi style” crochet notation, rather than standard instructions. But there are also lots of helpful step bu step photos, with great tips sprinkled throughout. I would definitely recommend this book for someone who has the basics of crochet down, and is motivated to learn amigurumi next!
Get your own copy of Amigurumi Critters today!
Purchase your own copy of this book on Amazon, or ask for it at your local bookseller!
The Amigurumi CrittersGiveaway
The Amigurumi CrittersGiveaway is open in the US only. The giveaway ends September 2, 2025, at 12:15am Central US time. To enter, use the Rafflecopter form below. Only the email option is mandatory – all other tasks are optional, for bonus entries only.
One winner will receive a paperback copy of Amigurumi Critters courtesy of Cider Mill Press. They will be notified by email.
If the form below does not load properly for you (aka, it looks like a bunch of words), please CLICK HERE to enter the giveaway!
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