We might be Knitting Fever, but crochet makes us shiver in delight!

And nothing is as delightful as the crocheted amigurumi monsters designed exclusively for us by Stacey Trock at FreshStitches!

Amigurumi is a style of crocheted (or knit) stuffed animals from Japan with an emphasis on cute. You’ve probably seen them before, and have maybe even made a few, but this is a whole new batch to play with.

It's a monstrous surprise!

Stacey has designed 10 brand new monster patterns for us using Ella Rae Classic Wool yarn. (You can also use Ella Rae Superwash Classic.)

In order to avoid overwhelming you with the cuteness, we’ll be releasing two patterns each week from now until Halloween.

Meet Alfo

Alfo, the monster, by Stacey Trock

Your first, fierce new friend is Alfo! A ten-inch tall googly-eye monster ready to shout his love from the mountain tops. Or maybe the back of a dark cave, you decide where Alfo lives.

Download the pattern here. You’ll need the main color, small amounts of two contrasting colors, and plastic eyes (if desired).

Alfo is made with basic shapes, which makes him a good building block for the other monsters.

Stacey’s patterns are very well written with clear instructions and pictures of the various steps to let you know you’re on the right track.

You can add Alfo to your Ravelry queue here.

Meet Bixi

Bixi, the monster, by Stacey Trock

The second monster looking to creep into your heart is Bixi! This 5.5 inch-tall bundle of monstrous delight has its arms flung wide in welcome.

Download the Bixi pattern here. You’ll notice Bixi uses a few more colors than Alfo. One of the nice things about the series of monsters is you’ll be able to mix and match the yarn colors you buy across the projects.

For instance, since Classic Wool comes in 220 yard balls one ball of white will probably be more than enough to make all the eyes you’ll need.

Another fun thing about making monsters is that you don’t have to be limited in your color choices. Monsters come in all colors so you can let your imagination run wild!

You can add Bixi to your Ravelry queue here.

Crochet Along

Ready to welcome one of these monsters into your heart? Download the free patterns, then head to your local yarn store to get your supplies.

To celebrate the new designs we are hosting a Crochet Along (CAL) on the Ella Rae Facebook page. You can tweet about it as well. Let’s make a hashtag! #KFIMonsterCAL

This will be a great opportunity to share you progress, see other people’s monsters, and ask any questions you might have. We look forward to seeing pictures of your monsters, so share away!

While Stacey’s patterns are very clearly written, you never know when your brain might refuse to cooperate causing you to need a little help.

In addition to the CAL it might be handy to know that Stacey has a number of resources on her blog to help you along. There are videos, blog posts, and other handy tips.

And, if you’re really serious about your crocheted monsters, you might want to check out Stacey’s Craftsy class about designing your own. While the class is about designing a monster, she covers how to make the various shapes used in the new patterns so you can stitch with confidence.

Prizes!

I almost forgot the best part! As though CALs aren’t fun enough–we’ll have prizes as well! (Void where prohibited. US Residents)

This week, to celebrate the start of the Crochet Along, we’ll select a few lucky fans to receive a ball of Ella Rae Classic Wool that you can use to get your monster menagerie started.

To enter leave a comment on this blog post telling me which color Classic Wool you’d use for your first monster. Classic Wool is available in over 100 colors, so it might be a tough choice. (Updated: Sept 28–This giveaway is now closed.)

Updated! Kick off winners: Saunya H, Andrea G., Kiakiali, Laura O, and Kadieare the lucky fans the random number generator selected.

Andrea, Kiakiali, and Kadie–I’ve sent you emails with instructions for claiming your prize. Saunya and Laura–please use the “message” button on our Facebook page to get in touch with me.

There will be another prize awarded at the end of the CAL. The deadline to enter this second giveaway is Halloween. To enter make one (or more!) of our 10 monsters then post a picture of your monster on the Ella Rae Facebook Page having an adventure. Maybe it will be somewhere scary, or funny, or just having fun. Use your imagination! Our favorite ones will win the prize. To be eligible to win the majority of your monster has to be made using a yarn KFI represents.

Now go find those crochet hooks and start chaining!