"Do you wanna go penguin sledding with me?"
I've never seen a children's show so involved with the deeper themes of life, yet were presented in a safe and positive environment to explore. On top of that, I've never seen any show in general that explores so much Buddhist and Asian culture without accidentally being offensive. The creators were very careful and thoughtful, which is one of the biggest reasons why I love Avatar. But the world-building apart from that was just amazing. Oh, and the cute little pentapuses don't hurt, either. : )
Who's your favorite? You know, the great thing about whenever people get excited for shows/movies are that at some point, favorite characters get CROCHETED!
Surprisingly, my search for crocheted A:TLA has come up much shorter than I expected for such a great show -- I'm guessing because back in its heyday, crochet wasn't as big of a deal as it is these days.
Who knows? Maybe you'll be inspired to make your own Avatar creations! There's always room for more. Let's check out some yarny fanart of this amazing animated series (minor spoilers up ahead!) to help inspire you.
I didn't need to do much research to know that Aang's character is heavily influenced by the Buddhist monastery. But in this show, he's not a young monk, he's an Air Nomad. He is fun-loving, carefree, and he is my favorite character!
If you're a beginner crocheter and you love Aang just as much as I do, you're in luck. I found a step-by-step video to crochet your very own Aang!
this is a free Aang pattern from pkpieces!
Katara is the female lead of the show, and she is both strong and compassionate -- a great role model for young children everywhere. I personally didn't like her all that much, since she could get emotional at times. But considering that her element is water, it only makes sense that her emotional side takes over often. And not being afraid to show your tears is a sign of strength, not weakness. I think this crocheted Katara really captured her sweetness quite well. And the limbs are adjustable! Perfect for waterbending.
Unlike his waterbending sister, Sokka has no bending abilities. He's just a regular Joe in the group, but aspires to be a great warrior just like his father. With his trusty boomerang, wit, and a way of getting into lots of self-caused pain, Sokka is a crucial member of Team Avatar. In fact, he coined the phrase "Team Avatar!" I really like how in this crocheted Sokka, the maker made the shaved part of his head a different color.
Toph... like "tough," get it? Ha!
You wouldn't know a thing about Toph Beifong even if you sat and had an intimate dinner with her. She's doesn't easily open up to anyone. But her discipline and, well, groundedness is what makes her such a powerful earthbender. It's nothing but cold hard grit and toughness when it comes to this little lady. She let's the earthbending speak for her. And she's always barefoot because of it! Look at those little crochet toes!
I gotta admit, I wanted to hate Prince Zuko so bad -- but I found myself caring for him so much more than his bad attitude. A powerful firebender himself, Zuko's closest travel companion is his Uncle Iroh, who is beloved in his own right. As ignorant and spoiled as he is, Zuko is just misunderstood, and his uncle understands that. We travel with the pair on their transformative journeys.
My favorite line from Zuko? "Get out of the bison's mouth, Sokka. We have a real problem here."
Apart from the main characters, Avatar fans can be fond of other folks that aren't a part of Team Avatar. Everyone here is so fleshed out, and that's one of the reasons why A:TLA is so satisfying to watch.
Allow me to drop a few names to jog your memory (or... pique your curiosity if you haven't watched it, yet). The Kyoshi warriors, Suki, Azula, Ty Lee, Mai, June the bounty hunter, Avatar Roku, King Bumi, King Kuei and his bear, Jet, Princess Yue, Avatar Kyoshi, and perhaps even... Firelord Ozai? Personally, I think Azula is something to live up to, haha. I know, I know... but hear me out. She's so bad-A! No one can deal critical damage to her! She's always ten steps ahead!
I wish I was able to find more crochet goodies for these characters, but it seems like my searches are coming up short in this area! I hope with the Netflix revival, we'll see more members soon! : )
Avatar isn't Avatar without it's creatures. And luckily, this world has TONS of interesting creatures. However, the mainstay of the series are Appa and Momo. Go and make your life more interesting by adding "flying bisons" to your imaginary creature encyclopedia. It will sit nicely right inbetween "baby yoda" and "boggart." You won't regret it.
One of the best things about watching this show is watching the characters, setting, and dialogue come to life. The makers of this show have done a very good job combining these elements to create memorable scenes that kids (and adults) will chuckle at for years to come. So even a seemingly random bunch of crochet cabbages becomes a great Avatar reference!
It's really no wonder that A:TLA has become a world of its own in real life. I really like those beanies and cosplay hoodies. Wouldn't they be great worn together? And I tried so hard to find Sokka's cactus juice as crochet, but hey, at least I found a cross-stitch project for it!
So go watch Avatar: The Last Airbender if you haven't already, and I'm sure the inspiration will hit you faster than Azula's lightning. Then, immerse yourself in the peaceful city of Ba Sing Se, as you sip a cup of tea from the Jasmine Dragon, while you crochet your very own Appa. Or drink some cactus juice if that's more of your jam. (I heard it's the quenchiest!)
Happy making, folks!
(all images are provided with the appropriate source links)
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