That’s it. It’s time for me to retire from the crocheting game. I’d like to thank everyone for your support over the years, but it’s time to put the hooks down because AI has taken over. I asked ChatGPT to write a crochet pattern for a little amigurumi Totoro to see how it’d turn out. I typed in “write a crochet pattern for a small amigurumi totoro measuring about 3 inches tall,” and I would follow the directions exactly as written, or as exactly as I could to human practicality. For reference, here’s my own 3-inch tall Totoro:
And BEHOLD. THE AI-GENERATED GLORY:
Just look at this thing. LOOK AT IT. It’s amazing.
Y’all, I’ve been doing it all wrong. This is a thing of beauty. The pattern calls for two different shades of colors between the body and the ears, so I followed those directions and wow, it REALLY makes the ears stand out more. (I subbed out any instances of grey yarn for blue for the sake of having a comparison with my own subpar mini-Totoro) Thank you, ChatGPT, for correcting my ways.
The eyes too. They bulge with emotion. There’s so much heaviness in those eyes, you can see a thousand stories in them. Stories that might say “YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT I’VE SEEN ON THE CAT BUS,” but stories nonetheless.
The belly patch on my mini-Totoro was portioned incorrectly. Having a belly patch that swallows up the entirety of Totoro’s body is much more accurate. I’ve been getting it wrong from day one. I’m so sorry, everyone.
And the tail! My Totoro’s big beaver-like tail was too big! Too flat! Lookit this cute little thing. It’s like a worm.
At any rate, if you’d rather go with an inferior pattern written by a sack of organs (read: me), I’ve got my own FREE pocket Totoro pattern available here! Apologies for how crappy the final product is compared to this incredible ChatGPT-generated pattern. I have a lot to learn from our AI overlords.
If you want to try out the AI-generated Totoro super pattern, behold the bot-generated goodness below. Happy hooking!
Here’s a crochet pattern for a small Totoro amigurumi that measures approximately 3 inches tall. This pattern is designed for those with basic crochet knowledge and includes simple techniques like increasing, decreasing, and working in the round. You’ll need to know how to do a magic ring, single crochet, and slip stitch.
Materials:
- Yarn:
- Main color: Light grey (for Totoro’s body)
- Accent color: Dark grey (for Totoro’s belly and ears)
- White (for Totoro’s eyes and belly markings)
- Black (for eyes and whiskers)
- Hook: 2.5 mm (or whichever hook size works for your yarn choice)
- Stuffing: Polyester fiberfill or similar stuffing material
- Notions:
- Yarn needle
- Stitch marker
- Scissors
- Safety eyes (optional, or you can embroider the eyes)
Abbreviations:
- mr = Magic ring
- sc = Single crochet
- inc = Increase (2 sc in the same stitch)
- dec = Decrease (single crochet 2 stitches together)
- sl st = Slip stitch
- ch = Chain
- fo = Fasten off
- st(s) = Stitch(es)
Instructions:
Body (in light grey):
- Start with a magic ring.
- Round 1: 6 sc in magic ring (6)
- Round 2: Inc in each st around (12)
- Round 3: (1 sc, inc) around (18)
- Round 4: (2 sc, inc) around (24)
- Round 5-8: Sc in each st around (24)
- Round 9: (2 sc, dec) around (18)
- Round 10: (1 sc, dec) around (12)
- Round 11: Dec around (6)
- Stuff the body firmly as you go.
- Fasten off and leave a long tail for sewing.
Belly (in white):
- Start with a magic ring.
- Round 1: 6 sc in magic ring (6)
- Round 2: Inc in each st around (12)
- Round 3: (1 sc, inc) around (18)
- Round 4: (2 sc, inc) around (24)
- Round 5: Sc in each st around (24)
- Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.
- Sew the white belly onto the front of the body.
Ears (make 2, in dark grey):
- Start with a magic ring.
- Round 1: 6 sc in magic ring (6)
- Round 2: Inc in each st around (12)
- Round 3: (1 sc, inc) around (18)
- Round 4: (2 sc, inc) around (24)
- Round 5: Sc in each st around (24)
- Round 6-7: Sc in each st around (24)
- Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.
- Fold the ear slightly to create the “pointed” shape and sew to the top of the Totoro’s head.
Eyes (make 2, in white):
- Start with a magic ring.
- Round 1: 6 sc in magic ring (6)
- Round 2: Inc in each st around (12)
- Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.
- Sew the eyes onto the face of Totoro.
Pupils (make 2, in black):
- Start with a magic ring.
- Round 1: 4 sc in magic ring (4)
- Fasten off and leave a tail for sewing.
- Sew these black circles in the center of the white eyes.
Whiskers (make 6, in black):
- Cut 6 small pieces of black yarn about 2 inches long.
- Sew 3 whiskers on each side of Totoro’s face.
Final Assembly:
- Attach the belly to the body with the white side facing forward.
- Position and sew the ears on top of the head.
- Attach the eyes and pupils securely.
- Embroider or sew on the whiskers with black yarn.
- Add a little stuffing to the head if necessary and ensure the body is stuffed tightly.
Optional:
- Embroider a smile: You can use black yarn to embroider a simple smile if desired.
- Add a tail: If you’d like to add a tail, use light grey yarn and chain 6-8, then sc back down the chain, and sew it onto the back of the Totoro.
Final Dimensions:
- Your finished Totoro should measure approximately 3 inches tall and 2.5 inches wide.
Enjoy your adorable mini Totoro! This little guy will be a perfect addition to any collection of amigurumi or a sweet gift for a Studio Ghibli fan.
Oh my god. As much as I hate AI, I do.. guiltily love the patterns it spits out.
Bahahahaha same, SAAAAAAME