It Does the Heart Good

I gave the coco-dot jacket to the little neighbor girl and she loved it! It was way too big for her but she looked so cute in it anyway. After the fact of course, I wished I would have asked her mom for her measurements or had her try it on as I was making the jacket so I knew what size to make next, but I did not. I wanted it to be a surprise and a birthday gift and I did not want to spoil the surprise by asking for sizes. The nice thing though is that the jacket seems to be too big all the way around, not just in width or length. Hopefully, this will help as she grows into the jacket’s size. Hopefully, she will get plenty of wear from the jacket as she grows. Her mom was excited about the jacket and said not to worry about the size because she is growing like a weed and it will fit soon enough. I now know better what size to sew for her so I am excited to try some other little girl patterns I have collected over the years.

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I also gave her the mixed up monkey that I crocheted awhile back. When I handed her the monkey, she completely forgot about the jacket. The monkey was a big hit with her! She immediately gave it several big hugs and would not let go of it. A couple of days later, her mom said she insists on sleeping with the monkey and will not go to bed without it.

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It does my heart good to see my sewing and crocheting labors loved and enjoyed so much. It sparks my creative mind and gets me excited to sew and crochet more great things in the future.

Sarah B

This is Sarah B. The B, of course, is for brachiosaurus. She is my latest completed amigurumi project.

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Sarah’s pattern is from an old book my sister gave me. It was published back before the term amigurumi became popular. This book contains the pattern for 4 dinosaurs, with each patten having a larger adult version and an smaller baby version. I decided to make the adult brachiosaurus first.

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When I first read the pattern, I thought to myself “No, way. This pattern is too weird.” But I decided to make some changes to the pattern and give it a try. The pattern called for two hooks with the main hook being a size K. I don’t know if I even own a size K hook, no less used one to make any amigurumi. Wouldn’t a larger hook make larger holes in the crocheting for the stuffing to come out of? To fix this, the pattern called for two strands of yarn to be used at a time. I have never done this before either. If I followed the pattern, it said that my brachiosaurus would be 27 inches long. What?!? That is over 2 foot long. I want a brachiosaurus, not a monsterasaurus. Plus I only had one skein of yarn in the color I wanted to use. About ready to fold up the pattern and say forget it, I decided to use a size H hook with 1 strand of yarn and see what I got. If I did not like the results, I would just abort the project.

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So I got started with one of the feet, my H hook, and a single strand of yarn. I followed the pattern and got the cutest little foot, so I crocheted on. I followed the pattern and made 4 feet, the tail and the body. I continued to follow the pattern through the head to the neck. At the crook of the neck, the pattern calls for the rows to be half hdc and half slip stitches. I had a really hard time crocheting this part. Although I followed the pattern, if I make another brachiosaurus, I will modify this part of the pattern to make it easier to crochet. At first I was not sure how to crochet the head bumps and thought about just leaving them off, but I gave the pattern a try and they turned out to be very simple to crochet.

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The eye lids were not that easy. The second hook the pattern called for was to make the eye lids. Since I had used a size H hook for the pattern, I got out my F hook for the eye lids. I followed the pattern and got an eye lid that was too short to curve around both eyes but too long for one eye. I undid this eye lid and made a shorter one to fit around just one eye. I did not like the height of this eye lid so, I started again, and just slip stitched across instead of sc. I liked the results in the height but length was still wrong. The next try was the charm. I got the length and the height I liked, so I made a second one the same way.

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Unfortunately, one of the biggest challenges in making this brachiosaurus was the yarn. Well, to be fair, not the yarn but its dark blue color. I had difficulty seeing the stitches and had to turn on extra lights while crocheting and sewing. Certainly not the pattern or yarns fault, but disappointing to me none the less.

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As mentioned on another post, the sewing together of this brachiosaurus was made much easier with pins, so the sewing together was not the dreaded chore it has been previously. I did spend some extra time on the details. I tried several different looks, head bumps no eye lids, eye lids no head bumps. I finally decided on both head bumps and eye lids. I embroidered her mouth and nose with black yarn as the pattern called for with the dark blue yarn but you could not even see what I had stitched. So I dug through the yarn stash and found this nice gold yarn to match the eyes and the end result is much better.

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As I crochet an amigurumi, it takes on a personally all its own, sometimes quickly in the crocheting and sometimes not until the very end. From the first foot to the finally eye lid, this dinosaur turned out so cute and took on a feminine quality almost immediately. I struggled with this a little. Dinosaurs are boys, not girls, but Sarah is all girl and I have just fallen in love with her. I do not have a place to put her so I must find her a home, but I will have a more difficult time parting with her than some of the other amigurumi’s I have made.

Mixed Up Monkey

I found this monkey pattern on Ravelry.com and fell in love with it. I printed out the pattern and it quickly made its way to the top of my to do list.

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Excited about crocheting this monkey, I went to the yarn stash but could not find the correct brown colored yarn that I had pictured in my mind for this monkey. Flustered, I checked out the local places I have to buy yarn but I really did not find what I was looking for. Then I ran across this variegated yarn and decided it would work ok. I was not thrilled about it, but it was better than anything else I had found. For the accents, I picked the cheap tan brown yarn I had used to make Calli the bear,  a while back. I did remember that I really did not like this yarn as it has no stretch, but decided to use it anyway. Boy, I could not have picked two different acting yarns. The variegated Vanna’s Choice yarn stretched quite a bit as I crocheted, and the cheap tan yarn did not give at all. In fact, the variegated yarn gave too much. When I stuffed the monkey, the variegated yarn showed larger holes in the crocheting than I like.

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As far as the pattern goes, it is very well written. I had no problems following the instructions, and the body parts turned out just like the picture showed. I did make one modification to the pattern. Row 1 started with 8 sc in the ring. I knew this was going to make a large hole at the start of each body part, as I learned from Blue, the giraffe. So, I made the first row 4 sc in the ring and row two 8 sc, increasing each body part by one row. I am pleased with the end results using this technique and will try to remember this lesson on other amigurumi’s I make later.

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I think I overstuffed this monkey though. As I crocheted the body parts, I pictured this monkey being a rag doll monkey, his body hanging in a floppy lump as he is carried by his arm. I stuffed the body and the head firmly but only stuffed the arms and legs at the base. I got the effect I was looking for from the arms and legs but the body and head is too full to hang flopply as I had envisioned.

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As usual, I was not happy with the results as I sewed the parts together, partly because of the stuffing problem, but as he reached completion, he turned out as cute as could be. His ears made all the difference. When I attached the ears, he took on his own personality and his cuteness really popped. I want to make another monkey though and see if I can get the rag doll look I was going for. This monkey’s pattern came with a banana pattern. I have not tried it yet but I will. He needs a banana. He also needs a name and a home. Any suggestions?

Frank

Well, you can’t have a bride without a groom, so my next project, of course, had to be Frankenstein.

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His pattern was from the same website as the bride’s pattern. I used the same Jiffy yarn for the skin. The challenge to Frank was his hair. The pattern did a good job of making his head square and the hair matched that closely, but the fit of my hair on his head did not go as smoothly as I think it should have. My best guess as to why is the Jiffy yarn. Because the Jiffy yard is a little thicker than the Red Heart I used to make his hair, his hair seemed a little short and tight on his head. If I was making him again with the Jiffy yarn, I would make the hair longer and wider to accommodate this. Even with this, I am pleased with the look of his hair on his head.

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I did get a chance to try my stuffing theory on Frank and, yes, it did work better. I stitched a few more rows before I started to stuff Frank’s body. It did not make the stuffing any more difficult and I like the look of the closer stitches better.

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As before the sewing of the detail stitches was the best part of the construction. When it came to stitching his mouth, the husband said that Frank is a monster and to give him a frown. I said he was frowning because he was getting married.

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If I make either Frank or his bride again, I think I will use the pipe cleaner technique that I created for Domo-kun in their arms. That way I can pose their arms out in front of them like you see in the monster movies.

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I am pleased with the final results of Frank and he looks very handsome by his bride.

A June Bride

I am not quite sure where the desire to be a June bride comes from, but I have created my own June bride. Well, technically she is the Bride of Frankenstein and I have had a great time crocheting her.

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I found her pattern for sale on line and just had to buy it, as well as an additional $38 dollars in patterns. Oops! I fell in love with this amigurumi author’s monsters and creatures. I was not very wise with my purchase though. What would have happened if I did not like the way the patterns were written or they involved a technique I couldn’t figure out? I should have just purchased one pattern to make sure it worked for me before I bought more, but luckily the patterns are fairly basic and are written very well.

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The first thing I had to do was find the right color of yarn for her skin. I finally found the color I wanted at Hobby Lobby but the yarn is Jiffy from Lion Brand Yarn which is bumpy and fuzzy. I decided to give it a try even though it wasn’t just good old Red Heart 4-ply yarn. The Jiffy yarn worked up great with most of the fuzzy parts going to the inside. This was a little disappointing because I was picturing some fuzz to the monsters skin, but it looks fine without the fuzz. This yarn is a little bit thicker than I am used to but it did not seem to distort the size of the head, arms or legs.

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The crocheting went smoothly. I followed the pattern closely and the only thing I would change is when to stuff the body. If I make the pattern again, I will go ahead and stitch a couple of more rows before I start to stuff the body. I think that will give me a smoother, closer stitch on the bottom. Her hair accents were a bit of a challenge. I tried to follow the pattern but I am not sure I did exactly. At the end I was just making it up as I went.  Although my hair accent is a little different than the picture on the pattern, I like how it turned out and the way it looks in her hair.

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My favorite part of the construction was sewing the detail stitches on. There were no instructions and so I just stitched whatever looked good. It was fun to decided when you want a stitch to go up or down or diagonal. The choice was mine and I am pleased with the results.

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All in all, the Bride of Frankenstein was great fun to make. I am very excited to start on my next monster pattern.

No Longer a Toy

When I decided to make the penguin a hat and scarf, I did not know what a job that was going to be. I picked the color forest green to make the hat and scarf. The hat crocheted up quickly and easily, but I was not happy with the end result. The scarf was not as easy. I followed the directions from the pattern, but did not like how wide the scarf was turning out, so I decided to half the count. As I crocheted, I was not happy with this either, so I decided that a color change might help, but that turned in to a disaster. A 3 stitch row was too small for a color change. There was no where to hide the knots or the loose ends. I had a mess. I tried several different methods of changing yarns. I read tutorials on the internet, and watched videos on YouTube to try and make the color change work, but to no avail. It was time for me to go to work, so a little flustered, I left my failed attempts laying on the sewing room table.

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When I got home from work, the husband had heard my frustration, and had stopped at lunch and bought me a skein of variegated yarn. He had picked out the color called cherry chip. He thought this would make a great hat and scarf. Excited about the color, I quickly crocheted a new hat for the penguin. This time, though, I crocheted 4 extra rounds at the bottom of the hat, 3 the same size as the last row, and decreased by a couple of stitches on the last row. I then folded the 4 rows up so that it looked more like a stocking cap. This gave the hat the finishing touch that the first hat did not have, changing it from a clown’s hat to a stocking cap.

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Next came the crocheting of the scarf. With the yarn changing colors for me, I chained the length I wanted for the scarf and then single crocheted 3 rows. The scarf turn out beautifully. I then put the fringe on each end to complete the scarf. The husband had chosen the color well. The cherry chip yarn made a wonderful hat and scarf for the penguin. In fact, I like the colors so much, I am going to go buy more cherry chip variegated yarn and make me something to wear with it.

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The only problem now to me is that the hat and the scarf changed the penguin from a toy into a decoration. Without the hat and scarf, I could see a child playing with the penguin. Now, with the hat and scarf, I see the penguin sitting on someone’s desk. So, now what do I do with him? He was on his way to one of the nieces or nephews or maybe even the neighbor girl, but now whose desk should he sit on?  So, the penguin is still in need of a home. Does anyone want to provided  a home for a penguin with a new hat and scarf?

The Penguin That Flew

I know penguins can’t really fly, but this one sure did. This penguin’s parts were crocheted during our layover on the trip back from Disney World. I only had black yarn with me, but I was able to crochet all of the black parts which made it quick to finish up the remaining white and yellow pieces when we got home.

The pattern for this penguin came from Lion Brand Yarn’s web site. It is one of their free designs. The pattern was very easy to follow and written well, but I am sure yet if I like it or not because this penguin ended up with such a fat body. Maybe I am just so use to all the ninja I had been making, and because their bodies were smaller than their heads on most of them. I did change the construction of the penguin just slightly from what the pattern said. I only stuffed his wings a little and sewed them flat to his body rather than stuffing them fully as the pattern instructed and sewing them so they stood out from the body. I do like the fact that this penguin can stand by himself. I did like that about the design.

This pattern also came with the the instructions for a hat and scarf for the penguin. I have not decided if I want to make them for him yet.

I have named this penguin Tubby and I have placed him on my sewing table for now. Tubby does not have a home yet, but I will need to find him one soon. I have too many things on my sewing table as is. But I will tell you, the more I stare at him the cuter he becomes and I have decided to make him a hat and a scarf now.

Made from England

Not in but from England. This teddy bear is constructed from the yarn and eyes that I transported half way around the world a year ago this last November.

I chose a pattern from the free patterns on the Lion Brand Yarn Company’s web site. The pattern’s picture was of a white Christmas teddy bear. I did not want a Christmas bear so I did not make him a scarf. This is the first time I have crocheted with suede yarn. I enjoyed working with the yarn. It crocheted very smoothly with no splitting of the yarn’s threads. I did have to be careful when making knots or undoing stitches not to pull the fuzzy part off the yarn, leaving me with a just a thread. The eyes and nose were simple to put on making the face no problem to put together. The pattern did not call for a mouth so I didn’t add one. I have not decided if that is the right decision or not.  He may get a mouth yet. Sewing this teddy bear’s parts together went smoothly as well, but is still not my favorite part of the construction. The black suede yarn was nice though. It hid a lot of the constructions stitches. All in all, this teddy bear stitched up rather quickly and easily.

I don’t know what to think about this teddy bear now that he is complete. He is not as soft as I expected him to be compared to the yarn. (He is certainly softer than any other amigurumi I have made.) Compared to the picture on the pattern, he did not turn out correctly at all. I don’t know if it is the difference between the yarns used or the black and white colors, or just me. I have sat him on my sewing table so I can stare at him and see if he will grow on me, like the snowman did, but he has not. This is the only thing that makes me like him because he is somewhat of a misfit in my opinion and who doesn’t love a misfit.

So, Mr Teddy is looking for a good home. Does anyone want to provide him with one?

One Fat Walrus

“Do Not Overstuff!” I have read this a million times in patterns, both sewing and crocheting but never really understood what they were talking about until I overstuffed this little walrus. In an attempt to make sewing of the pieces of an amigurumi together easier for me, I tried assembling this walrus before I stuffed him. The pattern says to stuff the body, then stuff the other parts and sew them to the body. I did the opposite. I stuffed the tusks and sewed them to the unstuffed muzzle. I then stuffed the muzzle and sewed it to the unstuffed body. It did not make the sewing any easier and when I was done I could see that I have overstuffed the tusks and the muzzle. Especially the muzzle. It did not make placement of the pieces any easier and I missed not having the stuffing help secure my stitches. Lesson learned. I will from now on follow the patterns for stuffing amigurumi. Even with the extra pudding, Wally, as he has quickly became named, is as cute as can be. And, I didn’t think anything could be cuter than the seal, but I think Wally is. He makes me smile.

Follow Up #2 – Amigurumi Pattern Books

I have recently finished the seal from the Easy Crochet Critter book. It was a fun pattern to do, but took some counting and concentrating to complete. His body is all one piece with a bump for his head and the turn from neck to body. At least that meant less pieces to sew together in the end which was nice for a change.

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I am also not sure I like how the bottom stitched together. You crocheted two stitches together at both the first and last of each row on the body which left a hole (Maybe my tensions are just too tight and that is why I got the holes.)

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Regardless, I think the seal turned out adorable. I spent quite a bit of time on his nose. I wanted it to turn out just right, and I feel that I need to be paying more attention to the details of my amigurumi projects in the future.

The seal has a new home he will be going to soon, but in the meanwhile, he has been doing some “horsing” around with the alligator and  the tiny bear.

Enjoy.