How can I change the colours in an amigurumi pattern to match my pet?

If you want to customize an amigurumi pattern to match a specific character or pet, I’d advise that you keep it simple and don’t try for a perfect match (see some examples here). Always start by choosing yarn colour(s) that most closely match your pet – that may be all you need to do!

If you want to match your pet’s markings more closely, adapting a pattern to add custom colours can be challenging, but I can offer you some advice to get you started:

• The simplest way to add patches of colour to your amigurumi is by embellishing the finished piece with embroidery, felt, fabric paint, needlefelting, or the method you feel most comfortable with.
• If you’re feeling adventurous, you can get more advanced by adapting the pattern: making one sample in the pattern’s original colours, figuring out which stitches have the wrong colour for what you’re trying to make, and then crocheting a new customized version with your added colour changes as you crochet.

The second option isn’t easy – you’ll have to keep detailed notes, and it may take several attempts to modify the pattern to get the right colours in all the right places. I’d recommend you use embellishments to add additional colour details, unless you’re ready for a challenge.

For more guidance, The Essential Guide to Amigurumi covers all these techniques. It’s packed full of instructions for all aspects of amigurumi, including more abstract topics like embellishing and customizing that you won’t find in any other book!