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Does Animal Friends of Pica Pau 2 Live Up to the Hype?

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When Animal Friends of Pica Pau 2 came out this summer, I wasn’t sure that it would live up to all the hype. And there was a lot of hype surrounding its 2020 release. There was chatter all over Instagram about the new book and excitement over the twenty brand new amigurumi patterns.

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When the original Animal Friends of Pica Pau came out in November of 2017 the book was an immediate sensation. The adorable amigurumi toys captured the imaginations of people all over the world.

I began my own crocheted toy journey around that time. When I saw the gorgeous frog on the cover, I was hooked, literally. I couldn’t resist his adorable face and sporty swim trunks.

I distinctly remember looking through each and every pattern and reading their little bios. I oohed and aahed overy every single story and photo.

Each one was so unique. They all had such distinct personalities.

In all, I crocheted fourteen of the twenty designs. Many of them I crocheted multiple times. I even added my own touches like making tuts for the pig and frog.

Check out my tutorial for adding a tutu to any amigurumi toy.

And each one captured my heart. I read the book from cover to cover, like a gripping novel, wondering which delightful creature I would be introduced to next.

Will it Live Up to the Hype?

When Yan Schenkel (the author/designer) announced that she would be releasing Animal Friends of Pica Pau 2 I was sooooooo excited.

I couldn’t wait for a whole new collection of amigurumi patterns to fall in love with. Amigurumi enthusiasts everywhere were all chatting about the soon-to-be-released designs.

But then a doubtful thought creeped into my mind.

How in the world will she create anything quite as wonderful as the original?

There will be enormous external pressure for the book to meet the expectation levels of publishers and the public.

Although I was extremely excited for the book release, I also felt worried for Yan. The stress of living up to the original book’s success must have been enormous. She even shared a little bit about her feelings on her Instagram page.

It’s all the Hype and More

I am happy to report that Animal Friends of Pica Pau 2 lives up to the hype and then some.

Honestly, I am in awe of how Yan Schenkel managed to create twenty new characters that live up to the originals (and in some cases surpass their cuteness).

The patterns are as well written as the original book and the photos are clear and cohesive.

My Favorite New Animal Friends of Pica Pau 2 Toys

There are so many new adorable friends to crochet and I will share a few of my favorites with you.

James Duck

James is one of the amigurumi toys featured on the cover of Animal Friends of Pica Pau 2. The design is untraditional and totally adorable all at the same time.

Pink is not a color I typically associate with ducks, but it is perfect for this golf loving fowl.

His little hat and embroidered tail are just some of the beautiful details that make James so unique.

The colorwork on his hat make it stand out in a big way. And who doesn’t love a big pom pom right on top?

This is my favorite Knitter’s Pride Pom-PomMaker. I have four different sizes and I love being able to easily make gorgeous pom poms every time.

I used Berroco Vintage in Bird’s Egg, Blush, Tide Pool, Sunny and Snowy Day with a Furls Odyssey Crochet Hook Size 3.5mm. The colors work so well together. I wouldn’t have chosen that particular color combination on my own, but I love how good they look on James.

Philip Lobster

Originally, Philip was going to be my first project. I simply cannot get over the cuteness of this aquatic crustacean.

The reason I didn’t start with him, is that I couldn’t decide on the right color red for him. I have several shades of Paintbox Wool Mix Aran in my stash, and I think I’ve finally decided that the Tomato Red color will be perfect.

I have never seen such a cute lobster before and I don’t think I ever will. How cute is Philip????

Satsuki Cat

This little kitty is just precious.

Her oversized blush pink bow is the perfect accessory and her little mouse brown dress is so on trend.

I have a soft spot in my heart for kitties ever since we rescued our little Olive almost a year ago (how can that be???) and I think this is the perfect toy to make just for her.

Little grey kitten snuggled under a granny square blanket.

Olive already has her very own granny square blanket and I am not exaggerating when I tell you that she loves it. She curls up with it on a daily basis like she knows it was made just for her.

Check out my blog post for all the details of Olive’s granny square blanket.

Luisa Elephant

The lovely Luisa is another one of my favorites from the new collection.

I adore elephants and I think they can be a difficult toy to design. Creating the trunk can be tricky, but this one is just perfect.

I love the texture on the pants and I don’t think I’ve ever seen this particular stitch before. It almost looks like a basket weave. The combination of colors and textures creates such a unique toy design.

Agatha Bee

Agatha Bee is another one of my favorites! There were no insect patterns in the first Animal Friends of Pica Pau book, so she is a real treasure.

In her signature style, Yan Schenkel, has created another non-traditional interpretation of the bee and I. Am. Here. For. It.

I mean, come on, the colorwork, the shoes, the pink wings? What’s not to love?

This is one amigurumi toy that I’m going to crochet sooner rather than later.

Sebastian Lion

This magnificent creature is stunning.

From his gorgeous mane to his striped shorts, he is a sight to behold.

I also appreciate the instructions for how to create his mane and will make sure to have enough brown yarn on hand. It looks like it will definitely be a wool guzzler.

Javier Goat

I can’t tell you how long I’ve been looking for a goat pattern that I actually like.

He looks a bit like a Nigerian Dwarf Goat, minus the yellow and navy dungarees. I’ve heard goats do yoga but I don’t think I’ve ever heard of them being super fashionable, but this guy definitely is.

Javier has two adorable horns and a signature goat-tee (see what a did there?) I just know you’re going to love him too.

Final Thoughts

Seriously, I could go on and on about all the different patterns, but I won’t give away all the surprises.

If I haven’t said this before now, go get your copy of Animal Friends of Pica Pau 2 and let me know which one you’re going to make first.

What a wonderful world we live in that we can connect with others who share our same passions and interests. It’s a great time to be alive.

Even though our world is full of challenges at the moment, we are incredibly lucky that we can find people who love to knit and crochet toys.

How amazing is that?

Which is your favorite Animal Friends of Pica Pau 2 character?

Happy Stitching!

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18 Comments

  1. Live each of them and can’t wait to see you bring them to life!! The kitty and the elephant are my faves…and the bee…and I didn’t like goats, but that one is SO CUTE!!❤️

  2. You are so correct about the times we are in and there is so many friends that love to knit and crochet. Thanks to everyone. Especially you Elise for sharing your thoughts and all the knowledge.

  3. Love this book just started making the Racoon . Just looking through the pages does your heart good

  4. I really like the critters in the second book better then the first, even though they are all so unique! As you know, Phillip Lobster just kept whispering to me until I got him all made up. He will have a wonderful life in a beach house on Daufaskie Island with my daughter and granddaughter. I also got the frog made up too as he was calling to me also. Since I have 3 frogs in my backyard fountain, he may want to join them! Now, I keep hearing whispers from James……I’m coming, James, I’m coming……