Guinea Pig?

[Krakovianka]

I have two daughters obsessed with guinea pigs. We have one guinea pig, and I flatly refuse to increase the guinea pig population in my home beyond that. (When I told my oldest daughter she could have a small pet in a cage, I was thinking hamster or gerbil, not something like this, but her heart was so set on it, I caved. Once.)

I would like to make a few crocheted guinea pigs by way of consolation--I saw one or two for sale at etsy, but no patterns. Does anyone know where I could find a pattern for one? Does anyone want to make up a pattern so I can buy it? I'm looking for a more realistic pattern, rather than a "cartoon style" one. The one piggie on sale at etsy was crocheted with eyelash yarn in realistic colors and was soooo cute, I might have to buy him anyway.

I've never made an amigurumi in my life, but I'm willing to try if I can find a pattern for this.

(P.S. My younger daughter interrupted me while I was writing this to show me her latest drawing...of a guinea pig. They are obsessed, I tell you...)

[Ladycrochat]

One of our villagers has a pattern for an itty-bitty hamster......the pattern is for size 10 thread and a size 7 hook....
http://www.crochetville.org/forum/showthread.php?t=53468
You could make it larger, with eyelash yarn (perhaps 1 strand of eyelash yarn held with 1 strand of regular yarn or 2 strands of eyelash yarn.....experiment) Use a larger hook and call it a guinea pig!

[Cinnaminn]

I had a page bookmarked to a crocheted pattern for a guinea pig but unfortunately the link no longer seems to be working. :(

Here's a link to a free pattern for a knitted guinea pig which I know was the inspiration for the crocheted version one that the person made:
http://www.sullivans.net/90346.cfm

HTH!

[Cinnaminn]

BTW, I forgot to say that if you have 1 guinea pig already, another one the same sex shouldn't be too much of a problem - it's when you add one of the opposite sex, that the problem(s) begin. *LOL*

IMO, from my own personal experience, guinea pigs are better than hamsters or gerbils because if they get loose in the house, they are much easier to find! *L*

If you don't knit, maybe you can adapt the knitted pattern that I posted the link for to a crocheted version. It is a cute pattern - I have one that I started making but haven't finished it up yet.

[cupcake]

Krakovianla I have a wombat pattern listed on etsy. If you pm me your email I would be happy to give you a copy.

I think you could use it to get a guinea pig. You might need to change the ears. Both are squat little critters and the body shape seems similar.

Maybe use a fluffy yarn and add a tail

What do people think?

http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/195/rocktr5.th.jpg (http://img167.imageshack.us/my.php?image=rocktr5.jpg)
http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/6379/wombatswd4.th.jpg (http://img242.imageshack.us/my.php?image=wombatswd4.jpg)
http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/2124/babypl3.th.jpg (http://img147.imageshack.us/my.php?image=babypl3.jpg)

[Empress Busy Bee]

Here's what I posted in another thread asking for guinea pigs. Maybe it can help some, too.


Not a pattern but maybe you can do what she did and alter a pattern:

http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=90317.0

Only pig I can find to alter:

http://www.angelfire.com/on/aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh/polly.html

Maybe a hedghog, it's knitted but maybe you can figure it out from this:

http://cache.lionbrand.com/patterns/50855.html

Here's a list of toys that maybe you can find something else to alter:

http://www.crochetpatterncentral.com/directory/toys.php


:)

[Krakovianka]

Thanks for all the help! With my lack of experience doing amigurumi, the thought of altering a pattern isn't too appealing. Cupcake, thank you for your very generous offer. (I must add in passing that I found your bookmark pattern months ago, before I joined C'ville. I made up a bunch in lovely colors, but gave them all away. I have to make one for myself sometime. Thank you for that wonderful pattern, too!) Your wombat is cute, but he doesn't look like a guinea pig to me. Something about the shape of the face...the feet I would leave off. I've already figured that little thread feet would be just right on a yarn guinea pig--their feet are like hamster feet, and invisible under their bodies.

But, that gave me the idea to go looking for rats, hedgehogs, and other things that might more closely resemble guinea pigs. Still no joy. In a final, desperate attempt to figure something out, I went back to the knitting pattern (best-looking critters I've seen, closest to the real thing), and attempted to "follow the numbers" with crochet. Within a few rounds, the face began to resemble the face of a guinea pig! Yay! :cheer I think I can do this. Fortunately, there is no hurry (I'm thinking about Christmas), so I can take my time. Next time I'm at the LYS (next week!), I'm going to look for good guinea pig yarn...

Thanks again for all your help and suggestions.

If the amigurumi world can make food, imaginary things like unicorns and dragons, and "poo," for goodness' sake, WHY hasn't anyone made a guinea pig?????

[MithraGoddess]

well you could work his body in a tube pattern and work a second tube pattern for his head and then do a flat row for his ears. for his body you can start out with rounds start with ch2, sl st to first ch, sc 6, then increase from there so you get a cylinder,
they're round. i think it may work. i dont know. just throwing something out to help
:)
Mithra

[planetjune]

If the amigurumi world can make food, imaginary things like unicorns and dragons, and "poo," for goodness' sake, WHY hasn't anyone made a guinea pig?????

:lol I agree - a guinea pig is on my list of patterns to design. My first pet was a guinea pig, and she (despite only being 6 weeks old) was already pregnant when I bought her, so I ended up with a little menagerie of them! Many fond memories :)

[Krakovianka]

I don't suppose you plan on having the design finished and ready for sale within the next 2 months or so, June?

:::wishful thinking:::

Thank goodness my daughter knew how to tell girl and boy guinea pigs apart and we got a boy...

[planetjune]

2 months? Hmm, I think I could probably manage that! I am working on some doggies right now, but I'll put guinea pig next on my list if you like :)

[Peggy85225]

2 months? Hmm, I think I could probably manage that! I am working on some doggies right now, but I'll put guinea pig next on my list if you like :)
:cheer You are amazing! Such talent you have. :cheer

[planetjune]

:cheer You are amazing! Such talent you have. :cheer

Awww thanks! :blush I'll keep designing as long as people keep wanting my patterns!

[jmigs0]

There is a person named handsewn on etsy.com she is selling the pattern and the guinea pigs.. But it looks kind of easy to make ????:think I'm going to try it,but if you find a good one, please share with me where you found it I'm looking to.......thanks