Pattern Review: Highland Cows and Woolly Mammoth by Leisure Arts

Namaste friends,

I hope you are having an amazing day.

I know many of you are frantically crafting, crocheting, knitting, or sewing to get those handmade gifts to the recipients.

Amigurumi is a popular choice for gifting, and in this post, I am sharing my review of two unique amigurumi patterns.

The patterns are 

1. Highland Cows Amigurumi

2. Woolly Mammoth Amigurumi

Thanks to Leisure Arts for providing me free copies of these digital patterns for my honest review. All opinions here are my own. 

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you.

Title:           Highland Cow Amigurumi

Publisher:   Leisure Arts, Inc. 2024

SKU:          811020

Yarn:          Medium weight

Hook:         4 mm

Skill level:   Intermediate

This digital pattern is for adorable Highland Cows found in Scotland!

Now I had to Google them as we mainly have Desi and Jersey cows in India.

And they are so cute!!

The shaggy hair may look daunting, but the beauty of this pattern is that it includes detailed instructions for all body parts, such as legs, belly, ears, and horns as well as attaching the hair.

A wonderful thing about this pattern, something that I have come across for the first time, is that right at the beginning there is a QR code and when you scan it, you get access to a series of video tutorials required to make the cows. A video icon in the patterns shows you which techniques/stitches are demonstrated.

There are photos of all the important steps in the pattern.

The cows are shown in two different colours, brown and tan,  and they are super adorable with those cute horns and innocent faces.

If like me, you have fallen in love with these cows then here is one more book you will enjoy. It is the Highland Cows Crochet book. In this book, the cows adorn a pillow, blankets and there's even a pudgie.

Title:           Woolly Mammoth Amigurumi

Publisher:   Leisure Arts, Inc. 2024

SKU:          811022

Yarn:          Medium weight

Hook:         4 mm

Skill level:   Intermediate

This is a digital pattern for a Mammoth, a species of extinct elephant.

It would be a wonderful addition to a science project or an exhibit about extinct animals.

The pattern has all the details mentioned above.

Yes, it is much more hairy than the cows but there are detailed instructions on how and where to attach the hair. 

You can check out these two and many more gorgeous crochet patterns on leisurearts.com.

I have a wonderful surprise for you, use the code

SHAREASALE15 to get 15% off all digital books and patterns, and

SHAREASALE10 to get 10% off of anything on the website.

All images are used with permission from Leisure Arts, Inc. 

Happy crafting and Happy Holidays! 

Crochet Geometry - Book Review

(This post contains affiliate links*)

Namaste friends. Have you ever thought of taking your crochet skills a step further? Something more than doilies, afghans and bags? 

For a long time now I have been wanting to crochet a garment that would actually fit me and not look awkward. So when the magic words "Sizes Small to 5X" jumped at me from the front cover of Crochet Geometry* my interest was piqued! A quick preview online and I was certain that I have to grab this book.

Firstly, the garments are modelled by regular women! Yes, women in all shapes and sizes. Now there are tons of patterns online both free and paid, but the fact that they were always displayed on models who had just walked out of Victoria's Secret runway was a big deterrent. How the garment would look on a regular person was a mystery especially since I am a size mumble mumble...haha. 

Next, the garments are in gorgeous colours, No greys and beiges. Also there is lacework as well as solid patterns. I was "hooked"! (oh, when are crocheters going to stop using this cliche...lol) 

Why Geometry? The author Shannon Mullett-Bowlsby takes basic geometric shapes - circles, squares and rectangles and manipulates them to produce gorgeous garments with a lovely drape and elegant fit. Does that mean these patterns are for experienced crocheters? Of course not, this is where your expertise with mandalas, scarves and granny squares will be taken to the next level. 

There are projects for all skill levels - Easy, Intermediate and Experienced.

The book has 15 patterns in four categories: Shrugs, Cardigans, Pullovers and Wraps. 

The yarns used are Super-fine to Medium, making the patterns ideal for Indian climate.

Each pattern explores a different texture and with charts for every special stitch pattern, one is spoilt for choice. My "favourite" project changes every time I open the book. 

The superb photography by Jason Mullett-Bowlsby which make the garments "pop out" of the pages, doesn't make it any easier to choose :) I often refer to this wonderful article about natural light photography by Jason.

{All images belong to Shibaguyz Photography and used with permission}

Crochet Geometry is a must-have addition to any serious crocheter's library.

The book is available on Amazon.in* (that's where I bought it) and of course it is also on Amazon.com*.

Check out all the patterns and read more about the Shibaguyz duo HERE. 

Right now I am busy swatching (my biggest learning from the book), but there should be a Ta-dah post sooner than later, hopefully :)

Note: This is NOT a sponsored post and I have not received any compensation for writing it. I purchased the book and loved it, and all the comments/opinion shared above are mine. This post does contain affiliate links*, check full DISCLOSURE.

Halloween Decor with Craftsy

Jillibean Soup Halloween Kit

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Disclaimer: All links in this post are affiliate links.  Thank you very much for supporting my blog by shopping at Craftsy through my affiliate links. Happy Crafting.