Amigurumi Product Testing

I spent small pockets of time over the last few days coming up with different panda bear amigurumi designs. My first efforts resulted in this:



The eyes are "X"ed out to signal my displeasure with the end product, although it has grown on me a little since then. I think of it affectionately as my unbalanced zombie alien. And it has helped me determine that I don't want the panda design to turn out so bottom heavy.

I also learned that I don't like making limbs. I have always had difficultly with amigurumi limbs and am never satisfied with the way they look. -_- I agonized over what techniques I could use to achieve a tolerable "limb effect" and began to think that maybe I am just not meant to craft when it occurred to me...amigurumi don't need limbs at all.

I did briefly ponder the possible disturbance a limbless doll could cause, but it made artistic sense. Pandas were driven to near extinction by poaching encouraged by the desirability of their pelts. A limbless panda could represent that unfortunate past and spare me the tedium of limb construction in one fell swoop!

My next attempt resulted in this:



Ultimately I will use safety eyes for future amigurumi, but this panda ended up all-yarn because I am going to give this to a friend's toddler niece and is still in the phase where everything she comes into contact with is subject to being gummed on.

I like the proportions much better on this one, and it stands firmly on its own unlike the poor zombie alien. The ears just might need to be shortened a touch, to avoid confusion with being a mouse.

Feedback?