amigurumi Maggie & Maui
I’ve avoided making any ‘small white fluffy dog’ designs to date, but now I have a fluffy white dog of my own I just had to give it a go and make an amigurumi version of my sweet Maggie, who’s (mostly) a mix of miniature poodle, maltese and bichon frise.
One of the problems with designing patterns for long-haired dogs is that they can look quite different depending on how their fur is clipped – for show, for practicality, or something in between. And lots of the small dogs I know are mixed breeds, so they may not look exactly like a specific breed archetype anyway… It’s a challenge to make a pattern that will please people, so I thought starting with my own pup as the model will at least make me happy 😉
To make my ami-Maggie, I started with the closest parts from several of my existing AmiDogs designs, and then made a few tweaks to get a closer match to my little maltipoochon. I used mainly off-white yarn, with light brown for the ears, as Maggie is a little apricot-coloured in places, and not bright white anywhere! And here’s the result:
Aww! I debated brushing ami-Maggie all over to give her a fluffier look, but in the end I decided that the fluffy ears were enough to make her mini-me look like her. Do you agree? (I might still brush the top of her head a bit too…)
You’ve probably guessed what’s coming next, huh? I adore both my babies, and I couldn’t just make an ami-Maggie without making an ami-Maui to complete the set!
To make my ami-Maui, I used my AmiCats Tabby pattern, with only basic modifications to make Maui’s white chin and unstriped tail.
Maui doesn’t have very defined tabby stripes, so I chose two similar heathered shades of taupe/brown (Lion Brand Heartland in Mammoth Cave and Sequioa) to give an impression of mottled tabby colours without modifying the pattern, and I think that was pretty effective.
My amigurumi versions of my babies aren’t perfect matches for their real-life counterparts, but even at a glance there’s no doubt who they represent, and I just love them!
Crochet your own Cats & Dogs!
If you’re looking for cat or dog crochet patterns, look no further than my AmiCats and AmiDogs collections. With 8 cat and 24 dog designs, I have a wide selection for you to choose from:
So many options! And you can mix and match parts from different patterns to make a closer match to a specific dog or cat.
I know I still have some gaps in my design collection though – do you have a little fluffy dog that you’d like to recreate in crochet? Let me know! Leave me a comment below with the breed of your dog and what you think of my ami-Maggie, and/or email me (june@planetjune.com) with a pic of your baby! If there’s enough interest, I may be inspired to create some more AmiDogs patterns in future…
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Sara Branch said
I love your versions of your babies! I’ve been commissioned many times to make memorials of pets. In fact I bought my first AmiDog pattern to make a miniature Scottish Terrier for my great aunt. I love to mix and match pieces for just the right look for a memorial pet. My aunt wanted a match for her black lab/German Shepherd mix and I was able to combine the patterns to make a perfect Sadie for her. I most often am asked for a blocky headed/pittie type dog as they’re the most popular rescue breed in my area.
June said
Ooh, interesting, Sara! That’s definitely a gap in my collection – I’ll add it to my list of ideas…
Katy said
Those turned out beautifully! Both your fur-babies are beautiful!
I recently made an “homage” to our cats, they both passed away a few years ago. One was a chubby black manx with a stubby corkscrew tail. I used your Himalayan pattern for him and customized a tail with a pipe cleaner in it to make it “twisty”. The other cat actully looked a lot like your Maui, gray tabby with green eyes. Of course I used your tabby pattern, but customized the colors as he was darker with very subtle stripes. I actually used three colors of gray to get a more gradual color transition. I have also used some of your Ami-Dogs patterns to make a custom “natual” Doberman (ears and tail left natural), so I added Labrador ears and tail. The person I made it for was happy with the result! I haven’t tried brushing any of Ami’s yet, but I think I’ll try it when I make a copy of my mom’s British Shorthair, who despite the name, is quite fluffy!
I love all your patterns and I’m working on acquiring them all!
June said
Your customizations all sound fantastic, Katy! The doberman mods you made sound exactly like what I would have done in your place. And I’m always so touched whenever anyone uses my patterns to make memories of their beloved furbabies who have passed – that really tugs at my heartstrings…
Katy said
:slight_smile:
.: petrOlly :. said
Aww, they look so adorable and like their real-life counterparts! I like how your patterns can be mixed to match the envisioned project. And you did a superb job, as always 🙂
June said
Thank you! Yes, I love seeing how people mix and match my AmiDogs patterns to make all kinds of other breeds (and mixed breeds like Maggie, of course). I’m glad I made the decision all those years ago that my dogs should all be about the same scale – it gives so many more options for customizing.
Ruth Lister said
I love your AmiCat and Dog collections June. I love making amigurumi. I have just made your Border Collie for our neighbour who gave birth to a darling little boy 2 weeks ago. They have a beautiful young Border Collie, so she was thrilled with her AmiDog.
I also made a posy of your Carnation pattern for our elderly 90 year old neighbour whose husband (also 90) passed away this week. She can’t tolerate fresh flowers indoors, so I thought I’d make a posy for her. She loves her carnations.
Thank you so much for your lovely patterns. They are well written and illustrated and so easy to follow. :blush:
June said
Thank you, Ruth, and that was such a lovely idea to crochet a posy for your neighbour. I love crocheted flowers vs fresh cut flowers – I always think it’s such a shame that fresh flowers wilt in a few days, but your carnation bouquet will stay ‘fresh’ to bring cheer to your neighbour for years to come 🙂
Michelle said
I will never like making small fluffy animals of any kind. lol You did a fantastic job with your Maggie and Maui. I can tell who they are supposed to be at a glance and it looks like their counterparts gave them a seal of approval too! Or would that be a bark and meow of approval?
June said
Haha, yes! I wonder why you don’t like making small fluffy animals though? They are so cute, and it’s easy to make them fluffy by brushing them after you’ve crocheted them with a regular yarn…
Michelle said
It probably has to do with the few times I have actually tried brushing my amis. I brushed so vigorously that I tore open the stitches and didn’t even know it. I thought the stuffing was the yarn!
June said
Ahh, yes, you need a much gentler touch if you’re brushing a piece that’s already been stuffed. Hmmm, you’ve just given me the idea for a new tutorial!