Papaya the Christmas Penguin CAL!

I’m hosting a free amigurumi crochet along this November to help us all get ready for Christmas and I hope that you will join us! Throughout the month we will work on my newest pattern, Papaya the Christmas Penguin, and encourage each other along the way! We will be working on this pattern in four segments which will be released every Friday, so that by the end of the month we will all have a completed penguin amigurumi, ready for gifting or decor before December 1st!

Papaya the Christmas Penguin is a confident beginner pattern, and each segment will take no more than a few hours, so you will have plenty of time throughout the week to work on it as well as ask any questions that you might have.

Each week, I will provide written instructions as well as video tutorials specifically geared towards beginners, so as long as you can make a ball, you will be able to make this pattern! No matter your favorite learning method, I will have resources available to support you.

I’m also running a giveaway at the end of the month to thank all of you for participating! You just have to post your finished creation in the Facebook group or on Instagram with the hashtag #FrostyAmiCAL and you will be automatically entered to win a bundle of goodies from Clover USA as well as a free pattern of your choice from me.

How do I participate?

This CAL will be a structured event, with a segment of the pattern released every week on my blog (click here for part one, two, three and four). It will officially begin on November 4th with the first part of the pattern, but once each segment is released you will always be able to access it, so don’t worry if you miss a week or start late. Scroll down for the pattern release schedule — it’s a good idea to bookmark this page for later so you can always check back!

The main hub for the CAL will be the Little World of Whimsy Facebook Group where those who use my patterns can share and help each other. In this Facebook group, you’ll be able to post updates and WIP shots of your projects, ask questions, and cheer for the other makers participating. It’s a great place to house the CAL because everyone can post, comment, and share in one place. On Instagram, you can use and follow the hashtag #FrostyAmiCAL to post your updates and search for others doing the same. Throughout the month of November I’ll be offering support when I can in the Facebook group and commenting on your photos on Instagram.

Where can I get a printable copy of the pattern?

This pattern will be viewable on my blog as it is released, for free. If you wish to print out the pattern, printable versions can be purchased for a small fee from my Etsy shop here, and you can access the entire pattern now!

How do I share my amigurumi project?

One of my absolute favorite parts of hosting a crochet along is seeing all of your projects and the different ways that you customize them. Share your projects with me on social media by tagging me @littleworldofwhimsy or using the hashtag #FrostyAmiCAL in your posts. You can also join The Little World of Whimsy Crochet Community on Facebook and share your projects there, chat with other participants and see their work as well.

Tutorials that will help you be ready for the CAL:

What materials do I need to get ready?

I’m glad you asked! Here’s the full list of materials that you’ll need. I’ll link to the exact yarn that I used, as well as some substitutes that I think would work well. If you ever want more details or personal recommendations of my favorite supplies, check out my recommended supplies list here — it has all the information you could ever want!

Yarn
  • (1 skein each) Hobbii Amigo Yarn (Sport Weight) in Delicate Rose, White, Egg Yolk, and Christmas Red
    • I ordered this yarn from hobbii.com, and it is an extremely inexpensive acrylic yarn that arrives fairly quickly from Denmark, where the company is based.
    • Using this yarn, my finished product was 4 inches tall
  • Sub #1: (1 skein each) WeCrochet Brava Sport (Sport Weight) in Blush, White, Canary, and Red
    • This yarn is from WeCrochet, my favorite online yarn shop based in the US. This yarn can be ordered online for a fairly inexpensive price as well。
    • Although this yarn is labeled sport weight, it runs closer to a worsted weight, so your finished product will be slightly larger than my sample.
  • If you prefer not to order online or to be able to see your yarn in person, feel free to go to your local Michael’s, Joann’s, Hobby Lobby, Daiso etc. and pick out four skeins of yarn in pink, white, dark yellow, and red.
Crochet Hook
  • We’ll be using a 3.25mm hook (my favorite hook is the Clover Amour, but you can use whatever works best for you)
  • If you’re using a different weight of yarn than the one I’m using, always remember to size down your hook 1.0mm from what the yarn label says to avoid gaps (read my blog post here about choosing crochet hooks)!
Notions

Pattern Release Schedule

Week 1: Body

Week 2: Flippers and Belly

Week 3: Beak and accessories

Week 4: Putting it all together

FAQs

What is a CAL and why participate?

A “crochet along,” aka CAL, is virtual eventwhere a group of people all work on the same project together, sharing their progress along the way while encouraging and supporting each other.

I chose to do this CAL to create a space and time for everyone to connect over the same project as a way of fostering community. I love that the Little World of Whimsy Facebook group has become a place for everyone to share and support each other when working on Little World of Whimsy projects. It’s really hard (er, impossible) for me to be able to offer one-on-one help to everyone who needs it, so I started that group as a way for you all to help each other so you’d still feel supported. I figured I could amplify that by hosting a CAL since everyone could work together on the same things and help and encourage each other.

How do I sign up?

There’s nowhere to officially sign up for this CAL, you can just participate as each section of the pattern drops and pop into the Facebook group or browse the IG hashtag (#FrostyAmiCAL) as you wish as we work on this project together over the course of the month.

Is this pattern beginner friendly? What if I need help?

This pattern is a confident beginner pattern. While I have had some complete beginners complete these projects, you will need some foundational amigurumi skills.

If you have trouble with any particular step, you can reach out to me personally by tagging me on FB or IG at @LittleWorldofWhimsy, but also every technique used in these patterns is just a Youtube or Google search away if you’re not familiar with them. The great thing about participating in a CAL is that there will be many others working on the same project at the same time, so if you run into trouble you can reach out to the group in the Facebook group and ask for help and clarification. If you’ve worked out a tricky bit and see someone else struggling with the same issue, pay it forward and explain how you solved it. I will also be popping into the Facebook group throughout the month to offer support.

If you have more FAQs, ask me at littleworldofwhimsy@gmail.com or on Facebook and I will update this list as I go!