This is a crochet pattern review of the No-Sew Axolotl designed by Stitch by Fay. 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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I’m currently in the process of moving and the first room that I packed up and moved is my craft room. That being said, my yarn supply at the moment is limited. I left just a few skeins unpacked at my current house, so I have been using the same few skeins to make a variety of stuffed toys for my upcoming markets.
My favorite of the skeins I have to work with are Ella Rae Cuddle yarn in the colors Azalea (light pink) and Flamingo (hot pink). This yarn is super soft and works up like a thick chenille yarn. It’s perfect for tiny plush animals that would be great for key chains.
I have been making a bunch of mini octopi using the Ollie the Octopus pattern I reviewed awhile back, but I’ve learned it’s definitely possible to have too many pink mini octopus key chains, haha. So, to shake things up, I decided to look for a pattern that would allow me to use these beautiful yarn colors and make something other than octopus key chains.
When I found Stitch by Fay’s No-Sew Axolotl pattern, I knew immediately that it would be perfect! Not only does it use exactly the right colors of yarn, but it is super adorable! I had the wonderful opportunity to see a real-life axolotl that was a classroom pet at the school I used to teach at, and I have to say that this pattern looks pretty realistic too! I’m super impressed by how easily the pattern works up, and I can’t wait to make these little cuties on repeat for my upcoming markets!
What Materials Do You Need to Crochet an Axolotl?
- Ella Rae Cuddle in Azalea (light pink) and Flamingo (hot pink)
- G6/4.0 mm Crochet Hook – I used my Clover Amour Ergonomic Hook!
- Yarn Needle
- Small Amount of Stuffing
- Black Felt Eyes or Black Worsted Weight Yarn for Embroidering Eyes
- No-Sew Axolotl, paid crochet pattern by Stitch by Fay via Etsy
Material Notes:
This pattern calls for super bulky weight yarn. I chose to use Ella Rae Cuddle yarn from Yarn Crafts and Coffee in the colorways Azalea (light pink) and Flamingo (hot pink). This yarn is 100% Polyester and is a super velvety plush vegan chenille yarn. It feels very similar to Premier Yarns Parfait Chunky, which is the yarn that the pattern designer used, however, the Ella Rae Cuddle yarn doesn’t seem to break and shed as much as Parfait Chunky does in my experience.
The pattern calls for a 4.5 mm crochet hook. I used my G6/4 mm crochet hook instead and felt it worked well with the yarn. You will also need a yarn needle, scissors, and optional stitch markers when making this pattern.
Just like the real animal, these crocheted axolotls are tiny, so they require a very small amount of yarn and a very small amount of stuffing. The Ella Rae Cuddle yarn is sold in 100 g balls, and I think I could easily make six or more of these axolotls with one ball of light pink yarn.
For the details on the axolotl, I chose to embroider the eyes and mouth both with worsted weight black yarn. I wouldn’t normally chose this option, but I had already packed up my felt and safety eyes, as well as my thinner weight black yarn, so I worked with what I had. I think that they still turned out super cute, but in the future, I would probably go with felt eyes and embroidery floss for the mouth. The pattern recommends using 8 mm black safety eyes.
How Long Does It Take to Crochet an Axolotl?
This is a super quick pattern! I was able to work up a single crochet axolotl in just about 30 minutes.
What Size is a Crocheted Axolotl?
My finished axolotls measured 2.5 inches wide by 3.5 inches long.
Gauge:
Gauge is not provided in this pattern and is not critical for making stuffed toys like this. You mainly want to make sure that your hook size is appropriate for your yarn and that your stitches are tight enough together so that your stuffing doesn’t come out through holes between the stitches.
If you want your axolotls to come out to be the same size as mine, using super bulky weight 6 yarn (Ella Rae Cuddle) and a G6/4 mm crochet hook, a magic circle with 6 single crochets should measure approximately 7/8 inch in diameter.
All About the No-Sew Axolotl:
The No-Sew Axolotl pattern is a really quick and easy pattern that is great for anyone with experience making amigurumi. The directions provided in the pattern are super clear with a lot of pictures provided. To be able to work up this pattern, you will need to be able to work in the round with single crochets, increases, and decreases, as well as be able to follow special stitch instructions to create bobble stitches.
An amazing feature of this pattern is that it is completely no-sew. The body, including the legs, is made all in one piece. The gills are made by placing stitches right onto the finished body, so there is no sewing involved. I sometimes get worried about my placements with no-sew features like this, but the pattern was very clear about where to place each stitch to make sure the gills look just right.
If you are looking for a quick and easy market prep pattern to make on repeat, I highly recommend you try out this pattern! I get so many requests for axolotls at my markets, so I am really excited about how quickly these work up and how easy they are to make!
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