Futurama and amigurumi go together like… like mac and cheese… like Sheldon and Leonard… like a rose tatt and advanced calculus, baby!
Just take a look at some of these (free) original crochet patterns by crafty Futurama fans, and see how long you can resist grabbing a hook and yarn to make your own!
Bender Bending RodrÃguez – Amigurumi Bending Unit 22
Futurama’s cranky robot Bender is not an easy character to capture in crochet — appropriately enough — but this free Bender amigurumi pattern from Stitch is well worth the challenge.
It would be fun to use a metallic silver yarn for Bender, rather than just a light grey. Bender’s pattern calls for DK weight yarn, however, so you might have to look around a bit to find the metallic in that weight — depending on where you live. My local yarn stores tend to have the fancy-pants novelty yarns in a slightly heavier weight, more in the crafts yarn category. You may have better luck in The Big City, or online.
Are You More of a Nibbler?
Nibbler fans,
how about Alicia’s life-sized Nibbler? — he’s complete with cape, shoes, and diaper!
Or get a cute free crochet pattern for Futurama’s Nibbler, courtesy of the lovely and talented Amber of Cthulu Crochet.
Or try the version by Elizabeth Jarvis, whose skill with the hook is much to be envied: Nibbler, Guardian of the Bum Fodder, will cosy up to your spare toilet paper roll and keep it safe from… I dunno, whatever uses up all your t.p. when you’re not looking, leaving you pawing desperately at the empty cardboard roll with your knickers around your knees…
But I digress.
Paging Dr. Zoidberg!
Paging Dr. Zoidberg!
But if semi-inept lobster-inspired aliens such as, oh, say, Zoidberg, are more your speed — no problem. We can always count on one of the clever crocheters of Craftster to come through.
Tracy (who blogs at Mostly Nerdy Crochet) has your Zoidberg amigurumi pattern right here and also here, with more photos here to enjoy.
As far as I can see, Tracy’s is the only free Zoidberg crochet pattern out there at the moment — but again, if you’ve got one or have spotted one somewhere else, please let us all know in the comments. Meanwhile, I’ll keep an eye peeled — you never know what will turn up in the needlecraft forums.
And would you like a side of Brain Slugs with that?
Brain slugs are not only strangely appealing, but they’re an excellent choice of project for the crochet beginner — or for the experienced crochet artiste who just wants a little WIP to pull out to work on during those interminable family holiday gatherings, come to that.
Tracy has posted a free pattern for a “grapefruit-sized” Brain Slug, with a PDF you can grab to print out.
Could you size up your Brain Slug to make a baby hat?
A conversation-starting tea cosy?
A golf club cover, or several?
Dare you to wear a Brain Slug to work! :)
Turanga Leela…???
Still looking.
Drop a comment if you’ve got a Turanga Leela pattern to share, eh?
p.s.
New to the mysteries of crochet?
Among the many goodies over at HookAndNeedles.com (really, if you’re at all craft-inclined, you need to go spend some time there!), Alicia offers some of the better video tutorials I’ve seen on learning how to to crochet. Check out her Amigurumi Tutorials. You’ll want to be sure you’ve got a good grip on making a magic ring (a.k.a. “magic circle” or magic loop as some call it) — the starting point of most of these projects). Alicia’s tutorials are nice high-quality videos, shot close-up and clear and well-lighted, so even if you’ve never picked up a crochet hook before, you can follow along and be making your own Futurama amigurumi in no time!