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If you’ve been around the amigurumi scene for a hot minute, you probably recognize the whimsical aesthetic of Yan Schenkel, the designer behind Animal Friends of Pica Pau and Animal Friends of Pica Pau 2.

It’s no secret how much I love these patterns. I borrowed Animal Friends of Pica Pau three times from the library before I finally bought it, and pre-ordered “Animal Friends of Pica Pau 2” when it was first announced. But then. The waiting!

A stuffed turtle, tiger, koala and sloth lay atop a copy of Animal Friends of Pica Pau 2.

AFPP2 released in May 2020 during the covid-19 pandemic so I had to wait about eight weeks from first notification of shipping to receiving the book. My first shipment resulted in only the package arriving, and no book! But all was forgiven when I finally got to hold this book in my hands.

Like the original, AFPP2 contains 20 original patterns and is filled with beautiful photos of the finished products as well as instructions and techniques. The inclusion of basic amigurumi techniques and stitches make this book perfect for beginners. Owners of the original may find this introductory section repetitive but there are some new stitches included for character clothes, as well as an explanation of the yarn over/yarn under technique and how that technique changes the look of your project. I found this to be incredibly helpful and a welcome inclusion since it wasn’t addressed in the first book.

I’ve made four of the characters out of the book so far: Logan Koala, Darwin Turtle, Otis Sloth, and Nira Tigress. Each turned out exactly as expected, and I learned several new techniques to put into practice. Pom poms for ears? Genius!

I went into more detail on Darwin Turtle here, when I wrote about using hand-dyed wool yarn for amigurumi.

Nira the Tigress is my most recent make from the book, but I took some liberties with her clothing and stripes. I gave her some overalls instead of a dress, and had a lot of fun improvising.

An amigurumi tiger sits next to yarn.

The construction of the animals themselves is fairly similar to the first book, but the clothing is where this book shines. Overalls, cowls, rompers, boots, dresses! I’m sure you’ll learn something new and maybe find an appreciation for garments or accessories. I know I have! Go check it out if you haven’t already!

An amigurumi tiger in overalls sits next to yarn.
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