Safari Amigurumi: Dendennis Crochet Animals Conquer Gründl

When you put it that way, it sounds pretty impressive, thank you. I like inspiring my followers with fun and unique craft designs. Mainly crocheted - and for a few years now also with knitted fashion.

I am a Dutch male crocheter and knitter with a part-time job as a graphic designer. I live in Amsterdam with my wife and my 6-year-old son. I also have a wonderful adult daughter who is 23 years old.

From 2006, I ran a successful advertising agency with 6 employees - we had many national and international clients. But every creative process took place behind a computer, and to relax I watched television. In 2012, I started crocheting because I realized that relaxing in front of the television was not providing enough relaxation. Everywhere I looked, there were screens: at work, at home, and even while traveling on my phone. I had to change something in my life and wanted to be creative with my hands again.

Haha, that is a good question. Around 2012 / 2013, you could only find patterns for bears or rabbits, mostly for newborn babies. And I wanted something more. I wanted to tell stories with my designs and bring them to life - just like in Toy Story.

Usually I start with my sketchbook and think up funny names or stories. When my sketches are finished, I go to my yarn stash and choose the right materials and colors. Then I simply start crocheting. The only problem is that I can only decide whether my design is perfect once it is finished, meaning once it is stuffed and so on. And if I am not satisfied, I simply crochet a second version. It depends on the complexity how long it takes. Sometimes I can be finished after several evenings. And sometimes it takes 4 or 5 attempts and 2 or 3 weeks.

Names and stories come to me during a walk in nature or when I go to a museum or restaurant and listen to and observe other people. I really enjoy simply sitting on a terrace and watching people pass by.

I think it must be around 400. Wow, that is really a lot. Over 10 years, that is about 3 - 4 amigurumi per month.

It depends. I think I crochet and/or knit 3 to 4 hours a day. Writing the patterns, taking photos, and being active on social media etc. also take a lot of time.

For me, crocheting is like Zen. And even 15 minutes of crocheting can bring a smile to the rest of the day.

I always crochet a thin thread into the first stitch to count my rounds. That way I never lose my stitch count.

Haha, that is an interesting question. I always say it was a rabbit that I crocheted in 2012. In 2010, I had already tried to crochet a carrot - but never managed it.

Well, if it is about likes and reach on social media, it is definitely my giant amigurumi. That post went viral. But I think I am mainly known for my Mini-Me. In all my books, there is a pattern for an amigurumi Dendennis, with different outfits in each book.

Gründl Cotton Quick uni is a very beautiful yarn and easy to crochet. Perfect for amigurumi.

South Africa is my favorite country. I have already been there 4 times. I love traveling with my family - we really love the national parks there.

Well, the counter is already at 15 now! Four knitting books together with Mr. Knitbear from Belgium and eleven crochet books. Unfortunately, only three of them have been translated into German. It is hard to say what my USP might be. What makes me unique, I think, is that I keep challenging myself with different shapes and styles. That there is not just one single body in 20 different versions. And I try to find humor in every character.

These books are about my amigurumi Dendennis, who experiences an adventure in each book. And in every book, he comes into contact with different friends. It is really fun to leaf through these books.

It brings a smile to my face every time to see all the hard work after all those months. And almost always, many events, signing sessions, and so on follow. I really enjoy that.

I like looking for techniques that can easily be combined with others. Recently I discovered the Cricut brand. And I simply love all the possibilities it offers - from making T-shirts and stickers to creating cards and decorations. I hope I find more time to explore all the possibilities.

At the moment, I mainly focus on crocheting and knitting. And I hope I can soon start drawing more.

I hope I find more time to work on my Etsy and Ravelry accounts and add many more individual PDF patterns of my designs in additional languages.

Hahaha, that is the big question, isn’t it? And yes... it still helps me relax. Not always, but most of the time it does.

Keep on crafting!

Thank you very much, dear Dennis, for this wonderful insight into your creative everyday life. And a huge thank you for your wonderful crochet patterns. We are already very much looking forward to more creative handmade adventures from you.
We can hardly wait to discover your safari animals crocheted in many versions by the Gründl community. A little piece of Africa and safari for every home.