This is a crochet pattern review of the Mama Made Minis Knotted Loveys book written by Alyson Dratch and Lindsay McNutt of Mama Made Minis. Review done by Candace of T&C Crafters for EyeLoveKnots.
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It’s me, Candace with T&C Crafters.
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Back in 2021, I found an absolutely adorable pattern for a knotted lovey dinosaur that I knew I had to make for my dinosaur-loving son! I made and reviewed the Tinysaurus pattern by Mama Made Minis, and I fell in love with the concept of knotted loveys! Flash forward to last fall! When the amazing duo of Alyson and Lindsay from Mama Made Minis published their pattern book of 16 different knotted loveys, I knew I needed to get it! In fact, I pre-ordered it and it arrived right around my birthday, which was absolutely perfect.
When it comes to crochet pattern books, this is definitely one of the best I have seen! This book is full-color, has tons of photos and clear directions for each design, and contains information about anything and everything you may need help with while making! Not to mention, this book contains SIXTEEN absolutely adorable patterns that make great gifts for baby showers or little ones. If you are market-prepping, creating to sell online, or just looking for the perfect gift for all your expecting friends, you need to buy Mama Made Minis Knotted Loveys: 16 Heirloom Amigurumi Crochet Patterns!
What Supplies Do You Need to Make Knotted Loveys?
- Super Bulky Weight (6) Yarn – I used Bernat Blanket and Bernat Baby Blanket
- 7mm and L11/8 mm Crochet Hooks – I love using Clover Amour Ergonomic Crochet Hooks!
- 14 mm Plastic Safety Eyes OR 15 mm Felt Eyes
- Yarn Needle – I recommend using a steel needle.
- Polyester Fiberfil
- Scissors
- Stitch Markers (Optional)
- Mama Made Minis Knotted Loveys: 16 Heirloom Amigurumi Crochet Patterns, Crochet Pattern Book via Amazon
Material Notes:
The knotted loveys in this book are designed using Premier Basix Chenille super bulky weight (6) yarn. I opted to use Bernat Blanket yarn and Bernat Baby Blanket yarn for my knotted loveys, and I achieved a similar finished size as the designers. In the book, the designers note that you can substitute pretty much any type of yarn for these projects – it just may change the size of your finished project. They go on to share information about how the finished size will change and what hook sizes and safety eye sizes you should use for each different weight of yarn. There are even pictures showing the size comparison for each of the different weights!
The patterns call for a 7 mm and L11/8 mm crochet hook. I typically use my K10.5/6.5 mm crochet hook when I work with super bulky weight yarn, so I used that hook and a 7 mm hook instead. If you want more of a drape in the body of your toys, you will want to go with the suggested hook sizes instead. Whichever size hook you choose, I suggest using Clover Amour hooks – they are so wonderful to work with!
The original pattern for these loveys call for safety eyes, but I opted to use felt eyes instead. Since I used the suggested yarn weight, I went with 15 mm black felt eyes in place of the 14 mm safety eyes. To attach the felt eyes, I just used some hot glue and my glue gun. The book also shares details on how to embroider eyes instead of using safety eyes. There are clear written directions with photos provided for this process at the beginning of the book.
Since these knotted loveys are left with the bodies unstuffed, you do not need a lot of stuffing to make them. Only the heads and some of the details (such as the bunny tail) need stuffing. There is a good amount of sewing involved when it comes to attaching some of the body parts. It is helpful to have a steel yarn needle to sew on the pieces and embroider the embellishments, especially when you are working with bulky yarn. You may also want to have some stitch markers on hand when working in the round, especially when making the legs of the knotted loveys.
How Long Does It Take to Make Knotted Loveys?
Each of these knotted loveys took approximately 4 to 6 hours to make. Some of the loveys are more detailed than others, including special stitches and color changes, which is why the time varies.
How Big are the Knotted Loveys?
My finished Lettie Lamb measured approximately 16 inches long and 8 inches wide.
My finished Rye Rabbit measured approximately 20 inches long from the top of the ears to the feet and 8 inches wide.
Gauge:
When making the head and some of the other pieces of the knotted loveys, I used a K10.5/6.5mm hook with blanket yarn. A magic circle with 6 single crochets measured approximately 1 1/4 inches in diameter.
When making the body of the knotted loveys, I used a 7mm hook with blanket yarn. A magic circle with 6 single crochets measured approximately 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
Gauge is not critical in this type of project. You mainly just want to make sure that there are not gaps between stitches so that the stuffing does not come through in the parts of the lovey that are stuffed. If you notice gaps, you will want to go down a hook size. For the body and other unstuffed pieces, you can actually increase your hook size if you want your piece to have more drape with larger gaps between the stitches.
What Is Included in the Mama Made Minis Knotted Loveys Crochet Pattern Book?
In this book, you will find a plethora of information on how to create the most adorable, crocheted knotted loveys. In addition to the individual patterns, there is an extensive amount of information included on how to precisely make each stitch, attach parts, and embroider details. Here is a snapshot of what you can find in Mama Made Minis Knotted Loveys:
- Tips and Information for Making the Knotted Loveys
- Material Lists
- Alternate Yarn Suggestions with Finished Sizes and Hook/Eye Adjustments
- Abbreviations and Special Stitches with Tutorials for Each Stitch
- Assembly and Finishing Instructions with Tons of Photos
- Fantasy-Themed Knotted Loveys
- Dash Dino
- Dusty Dragon
- Una Unicorn
- Yves Yeti
- Farm-Themed Knotted Loveys
- CeeCee Chick
- Cope Cow
- Goldie Goose
- Lettie Lamb (Pictured)
- Wild Animal-Themed Knotted Loveys
- Ezra Elephant
- Hendrix Hippo
- Max Monkey
- Penny Panda Bear
- Woodland-Themed Knotted Loveys
- Flora Fawn
- Forest Fox
- Rye Rabbit (Pictured)
- Tessa Toad
Making the Knotted Loveys
So far, I have worked up two of the knotted loveys in this book and am more than halfway through a third. My first finished knotted lovey was Lettie Lamb.
Lettie Lamb Knotted Lovey
Farm animals are always one of my best-sellers at markets, which is why I chose to take on Lettie Lamb as my first pattern from this book. I also chose this design because while there are color changes in the pattern, they didn’t seem as intimidating as some of the other designs.
Just like all of the patterns in the book, the pieces of the lovey are presented in the order that you should follow while making them. Some parts of the pattern are no-sew, so you need to make sure you have certain pieces made to crochet into the next piece. For the lamb, the ears are crocheted right onto the head, so it is important to have them made before starting the head, and to be sure to keep track of which ear goes on which side since they are made differently.
One tactic I thought was really neat about some of these patterns is that the head doesn’t always start from the front when you are making it. For example, with this lamb, you will actually crochet the white part of the head first and work your way from the back to the front. Special (but super easy) stitches are used to make the textured look of the lamb’s head. I also appreciated that the color change from white to gray gets perfectly hidden in the construction of the lamb. This is just one example of the time and precision that the designers put into making these patterns.
The bodies for all of the loveys are crocheted right onto the head. There are a lot of pictures included on how to do this and make sure that your spacing and shaping are correct. I found the body to be my favorite part of the lovey to crochet because it moved so quickly with larger stitches and a larger hook. The legs are crocheted right onto the body. Detailed instructions help you make sure you place the legs in the correct spots. I would recommend using a stitch marker when working on the legs, even if you typically don’t use one – it really helps!
After the body is done, it’s time to add all the additional pieces. For the lamb, you will need to attach the arms and an adorable little tail to the back. Finally, you just have a little bit of embroidery to do to get the facial features just right! I absolutely love how Lettie Lamb turned out, and if she sells, I will definitely be making more to re-stock!
Rye Rabbit Knotted Lovey
I chose to make Rye Rabbit next because I thought that a cute rabbit lovey would be a great heirloom piece for a nursery. Rabbits seem to be classic stuffed animals, and Rye Rabbit really fits the bill for the perfect life-long cuddly friend. I really liked that the rabbit was made in almost all one color.
The making and construction of the rabbit is really similar to the lamb. Like the lamb, the ears need to be made first so they can be crocheted onto the head. Unlike the lamb, the rabbit’s head is made from the front to the back.
The body and additional pieces are made similarly to the lamb with no major differences. The main difference is that the rabbit’s tail is made more like a ball and stuffed rather than a flat piece like the lamb. I found this second design really easy after having finished the lamb.
Once you have tried out one of the patterns in this book, the rest are really easy to follow. Even if you are relatively new to crocheting, I still recommend you try out some of these adorable patterns. The pictures and instructions really help clarify the directions throughout the patterns, making the whole book accessible for most crocheters.
I really hope you try out one or more of the patterns from this super adorable book! If you do, be sure to share with use which knotted lovey you made, what you thought, and some pictures of your finished knotted lovey!
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