Sometimes I imagine the following:

I am stranded on a desert island for the rest of eternity; I have access to endless yarn and hooks (as well as a pair of jeans that fit and don’t make me cry) but only three books.

What are they?

One book that always makes my desert island list is my copy of The Adventurous Crocheter, seen here lounging on my yoga blanket:

If I had to pack my bags and leave tonight for this crochet nirvana, the second book I would reach for is my nearly brand new copy of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Amigurumi by June Gilbank.

I bought it about a week ago while my youngest son was busy with one of his choir practices, and I was busy waiting.

At the time, it seemed that it was simply an impulse purchase. I was bored, and I had a couple of hours of waiting ahead of me. I didn’t think that I really needed the book, but I bought it anyway.

I spent most of today running errands or cooking, but there were some stolen moments when I turned my attentions to an amigurumi parrot made from this pattern at Lion Brand Yarn’s website. The parrot was supposed to be part of a birthday celebration, and I needed him to come to life by 5:00 so I could get a picture while there was still daylight.

One aspect of making amigurumi and other stuffed crochet objects I have struggled with, is stuffing them so that they don’t look lumpy. While I can’t claim to be an expert, I can say that after reading Ms. Gilbank’s suggestions as to the best way to do it, I have, without a doubt, improved, and I think the improvement is apparent in this photo:

I did manage to finish the parrot just as the sun was about to dip below the horizon. Here he is with wings, and feet:

This was definitely a worthwhile purchase, and I am looking forward to reading the book in its entirety.