Creative Ways to Work with Chenille Yarn

Chenille yarn is wonderfully suited for cuddly toys because it’s delightfully soft. I like using fine chenille yarn, so the little animals don’t turn out too big. But you can also make my patterns with thick chenille yarn; then the animals will simply turn out correspondingly larger.



A mole naturally has velvety soft fur. So of course it’s perfect to crochet Mole Poldi with chenille. With thin chenille yarn (e.g., approx. 20 g Bohème Velvet by GoHandmade in black (yardage 190 m / 50 g) and Katia Velvet Fine in pink (yardage 160 m / 50 g)), he will be about 12–13 cm tall.



Although hedgehogs are very prickly, my Hedgehog Ingo is wonderfully cuddly and soft. For the body, I used the fine chenille yarn Bohème Velvet by GoHandmade again, and for the spines the eyelash yarn Brazilia by Schachenmayr (yardage 90 m / 50 g). So nothing prickles at all!



And here’s another cuddly toy for the very little ones: Cuddly Kitten Mauzi is crocheted with three different yarns: head, paws, and tail from chenille, and the body in stripes from cotton yarn and plush yarn. This mix of materials creates a very special feel that encourages babies to explore their cuddly toy by touch. Mauzi’s body is not stuffed, so the baby can grasp it well, just like a comforter cloth. And of course the face is embroidered on.