I am so excited! I love showing off a great book to you… and there are so many goodies! Keep reading to grab a FREE download of the Chinstrap Penguin by Philip Ha (aka Sir Purl Grey) AND enter to win a digital copy of the book, The Crochet Wildlife Guide.
The Crochet Wildlife Guide
You may have heard me say this before on the blog, but I get a lot of amigurumi books across my desk and for many of them, I say, ‘oh, ok. This has some cute patterns.’ And it ends there.
And I’ll admit it, my books are among them.
Much of the bare-bones nature of many books you see is completely driven by the publisher’s desire to save money. Cute illustrations? You have to pay an illustrator for those. Step-by-step detailed instructions? Nope. That takes too many pages. Fancy shaping techniques? Oh, no. That doesn’t appeal to a wide-enough audience.
For a crocheter who wants extra information either because they’re a beginner (and need the help and explanations) or are adventurous and want to try something new (hence, needing explanations of new and complicated stitches), this formula can be very frustrating.
Needless to say, when a book comes to me that breaks the mold, I jump out of my chair with glee!
The Crochet Wildlife Guide is a self-published book by Philip Ha and Jeff Wiehler, and the book is filled with creative crochet ideas and an artist’s touch. I was impressed by the coverage of basic crochet techniques as well as detailed instructions and illustrations for each animal.
Each project contains a diagram (as shown above) that allows you to see each piece and how they are put together. These photos are often what takes a good pattern and makes it amazing and easy-to-follow. (It’s why I include step-by-step photos in all of my individual patterns… no matter how many words you have, sometimes, you just need a photo!)
I was also enchanted by the darling illustrations in the book (including this table of contents).
The patterns included in the book walk the line perfectly between wildlife-realism and kawaii cuteness. Amigurumi like the red panda on the cover, have little details so the animal is instantly identifiable and unique, but not fussy and still cute with wide appeal.
The book also includes a table of the skills required for each pattern. This is such a great idea… you can identify the project that’s just right for you!
Throughout the book, the authors emphasize places where you can become your own designer, by highlighting small changes you can make or pointing out the design techniques used to create a particular shape.
The photography, with animals photographed in nature, is lovely as well.
The book is available for purchase in digital or print form, from The Crochet Wildlife Guide website or from Amazon.
FREE Chinstrap Penguin Pattern
Phillip and Jeffrey have given us a pattern that didn’t make the book for FREE so that you can get started on some crochet cuteness right away!
Click here to download the pattern: Penguin pattern by SirPurlGrey
Happy stitching!
This looks so cute! Amy (dot) Kittel (at) Gmail (dot) Com
I’d love to win!
Love to crochet these lovely creatures
So cute! Ajsaccio@gmail.com
Sounds like a great book! thanks for the giveaway.
These patterns look so cute! I’d love to have a copy of this book. ramhist[at]gmail.com
What a great giveaway, just in time for the holidays!
I love it! eliza422@gmail.com
What a fun book ! Mwaters3@carolina.rr.com
This books looks like great fun!
It looks like a very complete book with all the explanations and images, i am sure this will be great for improving my crochet learning. Hope to win it!
So adorable!!! odieslove@gmail.com
Wow – this looks like I could make these cuties! knitter5319@yahoo.com
Looks like a great assortment of cute animals!
Those animals were great and thank you for the giveaway,
Would love to win this book. I am always making critters and dolls for the grand kids!
Adorable! melissa.oswald@att.net
Oh my goodness, this is so sweet 🙂 I would love to win this! yvonne_williamson@yahoo.com
So adorable anaporras19@gmail.com
I needa make all of these cutiest. Uglee.sts@gmail.com
I would love this!! Blueskyecrafts@yahoo.com
The patterns look great!!!
That book looks amazing! ravynja@gmail.com
This sounds like an awesome book! Need to have it!
Oh My Goodness….the cuteness!!! sheshelala77@gmail.com
This book looks really amazing. I’ve made a decent amount of amigurumi and I still struggle with placement at times and can become easily frustrated. cythereamorte@gmail.com
Cute book!!! Thank you so much for the giveaway:)
Hagoodbrad@aol.com
The flying squirrel is adorable!
Absolutely adorable!! vickicline13@gmail.com
What a beautiful book. So cute and includes endangered animals. I will try the free
pattern. Thank you very much.
Yes please! Wow carlymcgl@hotmail.com
How adorable. 🙂
Love this!
Looks so cute and great instructions.
I love the uniqueness of the patterns! Thanks for doing a giveaway!
Super cute!
maholzhauer@gmail.com
I love the fact that there is a scientific name listed for the creatures! So cool if I don’t win I just might have to purchase the book for that fact alone 🙂 and also the patterns are adorable
How Sweet! Love, love, love the red panda! nursesmiles03@yahoo.com
Oh awesome amazing I love animals, such a great way to enjoy them. I make them , display grandkids I am sure will have dibs on them. Thanks for chance to win!
I adore your precious little critters – all of them! This looks like a fun book. Thank You for the opportunity to win one.
This looks absolutely amazing
Oh my goodness, I’m really excited for this giveaway! I just learned how to do amigurumi and my career is in parks, how great would it be to crochet up some little friends for nature programs!
Awesome!
Oh my gosh, these are so cool!
Adorable Bat! Would love to do them all.
I really like the educational information and illustrations that accompany the patterns. Not only enjoyable to make but also a fun way to teach children about animals.
Would love to win this! Such cute designs and it with all the illustrations and step by step photos it will be a pleasure to make these characters. jbherb1@bigpond.com
We are talking cute and adorability here! My goodness the animals are waiting to be made for a home. A wonderful idea too along with a book available even a free one. d6425@hotmail.com
Thank you for this great give away, what a way to educate the children about the wildlife and to be able to make them to give as pressies for the kiddies
Thank you again
Uniquely adorable! Shastagirl94@yahoo.com
I really, really want to win! lol I’m fairly new to crochet and still learning. My grandkids would love these. mvicknair62@gmail.com
Those are all so cute!!! All of your patterns are, though. Thank you for offering a giveaway!
So cute. Makes you want to start right away.
Such cute and adorable critters! Wish I could afford the book but as a grandmother on social sercuity, I can’t but thanks for the free pattern, I look forward to making it.
So cute. Ahamlyn81@bigpond.com
Sounds wonderful!
This looks absolutely adorable! I’ve added it to my crochet book wish list, in case I don’t win. 😉
These patterns are so adorable!!!
I would love to enter! 😀
doviecaba@gmail.com
Ooooo would LOVE to add these patterns to my to do list!! BnCCraftBoutique@gmail.com
What an adorable book, count me in for entry 🙂
Super cute!! sweetewinks@yahoo.com
OOPPSS!! sweetiewinks@yahoo.com
This looks adorable and like something I could do! Janeenmk@yahoo.com
I love the inspiration for many more animals around the world. Thank you for such a great giveaway
forgot my email address purplep19@hotmail.com
Such very cute critters would love to win! christineg1046@gmail.com
I’m excited to see the owl pattern! I do love owls ???????? steph.rice22@gmail.com
These animals are so cute, hope I win a copy of the book so I can use the money for yarn, instead!
Adorable cuties!! Thanks for the giveaway!
Adorable !!! Very creative and interesting book. I want to win this! ccremonesi@gmail.com
Beautiful! debbroomfield@hotmail.com
Really neat book with some really cute animals in it. Fun.
I love when you share Books with us. I end up buying them as soon as the contest is over. I really like this one and how they break everything down.. Good Luck Everyone
Great commentary would love to win the book very cute
Designs are cute.
So cute! Thanks for the free pattern and giveaway 🙂
beckymmoe at live dot com
This looks like a great book, I would love it in my collection. denrldamooreis@rogers.com
Sorry my email is deneldamooreis@rogers.com
So cute!
FeralKittenGrrl@gmail.com
Looks like a fabulous book, I would love to win. Thanks so much for the free pattern and the opportunity to win a free copy of this wonderful book! meowzie92@gmail.com
Love the idea of adapting the pattern – also wonderful to see independent authors publishing
Would love to win this. It looks great!
Super cute animals
Hi!
These amis look so cute!!
Thank You for sharing <3
How cute … yeztal@gmail.com
It looks like it would be a great source of projects for the children in my life
Looks like a great book
Adorable!
Flying squirrels! This book is adorbs!!!!!!!! If I don’t win, I’m buying!!! Thank you for the free pattern. Xox
Ooops my email is dee_annad@msn.com
These are adorable! The book look awesome ❤️
These animals are so cute. I love the penguin. gtts936@hotmail.com
Adorable!! quistist@web.de
And thanks for the free pattern ❤️
Such an amazing book filled with majestic wild life cuties, I’d love to make them all. Thank you for this giveaway. Thank you for the penguin pattern, super cute.
Thanks for sharing your gift of crochet and the opportunity to win your book too.
Always looking for those extra bits of information.
na_037@hotmail.com
Adorable! and Thank you for the free pattern. hellen@thavinci.za.net
This book looks WONDERFUL! I love to learn about animals around the world.I’m looking forward to using the patterns to make some cute creatures.
I love that flying squirrel! Thanks for the chance to win.
I’d love adding this to my library!
Lady_ryukage@yahoo.com
Super cute! hellen@thavinci.za.net
Adorable! Thank you for the giveaway. Stella
anyarecept@gmail.com
what a great looking book, lots of fun patterns would love a copy to make for grandkids and my little niece. X djpeters468@hotmail.com
Delightful little animals! A simply “must have”!
Christmas inspiration in a beautiful book. I know exactly who’s getting that adorable bat. Thank you for the give away. Off to download Mr “Cutie-Putie” Penguin XXX
These little critters look so AWESOME, can’t wait to make me and some very near and dear little ones, a couple sets!!!
Stac, you’re still amazing! I learned how to make my first Amigurumi from you and am still having so much fun with them! I ordered this wild animals book. Thanks for telling us about it!
Oh yes please, it looks fab! quietwatercraft@gmail.com
Stunning and oh so cute. n_misty@hotmail.com
This book and the instructions look amazing. I would love to be the winner.
Love this book! Thanks for sharing it.
Love amigurumi. Such cute animals. I know my grandchildren would love for me to make these for them. thanks for the opportunity to win this book! pbjones80@hotmail.com
The flying squirrel won my heart! I’d love a copy of this book. What a generous giveaway. Thanks for the opportunity to win the book. Mkbhel6@att.net
So cute! So inspirational! Now I want to make a flying squirrel. j.heldebrant@gmail.com
I absolutely love wildlife! Very cute!
Love it! The axolotl is so adorable. I can totally see making that in bulky yarn for a giant toy. 🙂
Ellyol@zoho.com
This book looks great! Thanks for the giveaway. Email is sarah.m.lawson (at) gmail.com
So cute!
I love your site and this book looks very fun
I love amigurumi and this book looks so cute! I am definitely going to check out more of Philip’s work.Thank you so much for sharing!
What a great collection. Love that they’ve included factual information on the animals, as well.
these are too cute. would love to win book karen_m1@charter.net
thank you
Cute penguin patter. The book looks very interesting.
Thank you for this fun opportunity!
Just started amiguri crocheting last year for the grandkids and absolutely love all the animals. Would love to win the wildlife book.
That book looks so cute, I would to try all of them! musicallu@aol.com
Very cute! Fingers crossed!
Oh my goodness! These patterns are ADORABLE!
I am just beginning amigurumi. I was told the book was easy to follow and had tips. The creatures are cute and loveable. Would love to try them.
Very cute & educational
I love it!!! Cuteness overload! ;-D
I love the flying squirrel – and the red panda – and the bat ! shirleeclaire@aol.com
Oh this book looks so wonderful! Would love to crochet these cuties! peggyhoeben@gmail.com
Awesome , soooo cute
Crochetjo@hotmail.com
Oh my god they are sooooo cute.my list of animals to crochet just got longer.
What a great way to learn animals from around the world. I hope there’s an Australian one. juanitaotto@hotmail.com
Thank you for the sir pearl grey pattern, please enter me for The Crochet Wildlife Guide.
I’d love to make all of these for my grandchildren!
This does look like an amazing book. Thanks for the chance.
debby236 at hotmail dot com
Wow these patterns look so exciting! 😀 I’m blown away by them & thank you for the opportunity to enter to win them! 🙂 I’m also desperate to make the penguin as I have a great friend who loves penguins & she’ll be ‘flipping & flapping’ with delight if I make her this one for Christmas!!!
I love the red panda and blue bird. This seems like an amazing book with adorable animals. I would love to crochet them for charity for little children in hospital with a life threatening disease. Thanks for giving the chance to win this book.
m.rekers at bitofcolor dot com
Have a great day, Margaret
What a lovely book with oh so cute little critters. Appreciate the chance to win it! marionbeading@yahoo.com
Amazing. Would love it
Oh a Panda I know a granddaughter who would love it 🙂
Congrats! You’re the winner! You’ll get emailed details, soon!
I think this would be excellent! kialynne.maree at gmail dot com
yes please 🙂 wanna win this
Flying squirrel for my grandson. Thank you for the Penguin pattern.
This would be so fun to win!
lorikallio@gmail.com
There are not many books out there to actually teach specific techniques and shaping for amigurumi…It’s great to know such a book is in the market now! Saraamic82@yahoo.com
These are so adorable and your instructions look fantastic! I’ve only made clothing and a few blankets. I’m going to have to give it a go.
i love all the cute animals in his book ,they look amazing . i would really love to win a copy .THANKYOU
Wow, this would keep anyone busy for a long time!
I’d love to see all of the patterns included in this book 🙂
Always looking for new Ami books! sfleming@prndevices.com
These patterns are adorable! Perfect size for the charity items I make.
This book looks so clever and cute. I love that the habitats are mapped. I’m always looking for new shaping techniques, so that sounds exciting, too. Thanks for the penguin pattern! It’s sad that the little guy was a publishing orphan, but I’m happy to adopt him!
Oh my,what an intriguing book.Hope I win.Keeping my fingers and toes crossed.
What a great variety of animals. I like the diagrams with the tips.
Beginner – would love to have a chance to try this!!
What an adorable style! I didn’t even know I needed a flying squirrel amigurumi pattern before now, but wow do I ever! 🙂
Oh my cuteness overload! After this comment I am headed over to the penguin pattern right now. Thank you.
This book looks awesome! So cool! blady627@aol.com
That red panda is adorable!
It would be awesome to add this book full of cute patterns to my collection! ????
rishona18@yahoo.com
Ahhhh..super cute book!!!!! (love the penguin pattern!)
My email is: flynza@hotmail.com
I can’t wait to get this book! Love the penguin I will definitely be making him.
edifabio@bellsouth.net
These are so cute! I love that red panda 🙂
I love these! lisay625@gmail.com
Wow! I love amigurumi books!!! And this one looks fantastic! marinadessotti@gmail.com
Wow how awesome your wee creatures are just brilliant love to see more 😀
I have this book and it is amazing! The best part is he makes Pokemon inspired by these patterns and will talk to you about what has been done!
I love your amigurumi designs, especially the red panda! 😄