The Hook Brings You Back

Hobbes & Hearts: A Valentine Version

2012-02-12T17:26:00.000-08:00

My daughter saw Hobbes and instantly needed one. Since my oldest got his Hobbes for his December birthday I thought, "Okay, I can make one for your March birthday." March was TOO far away. She saw her brother being pounced on by his Hobbes and he wouldn't share. She needed one NOW.

I admit I was anxious to try another Hobbes to solidify the adjustments I made to this Sugar n' Cream pattern. So I figured I could satisfy both of our interests in making a new one sooner than later.

"But wait, Mommy!"
"Yes?"
"I want a VALENTINE'S Hobbes!"

Of course you do, sweetie. How could I resist?

He was so much fun to make. I added little felt hearts to the pads of the feet, one to the tummy, and made the nose heart-shaped. As I mentioned a few days ago, I think I'm starting to like Valentine's Day more!

Of course Valentine's Hobbes needed a scarf, too:

Using 5 hdc rows for as long as I needed the scarf to be and cutting out a couple matching felt hearts, this little scarf became a perfect accessory for V-Day Hobbes. And we all know that Hobbes isn't above dressing up in scarves that match the season...

My daughter actually gets into the fact that she's pretty much the Suzie of the family and enjoys out smarting the brothers. For all she goes through with Calvin's taunting, she normally gets the last word. So just to send you off with one more...

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hobbes: Crochet!

2012-02-10T10:19:00.000-08:00

I am thrilled when I see my kids reading comic books. Perhaps some would gawk at this, but I embrace it. Of course, the comic of choice in our household is Calvin & Hobbes. If any comic could build a big vocabulary, that one would! I love that they laugh along side the famous duo even if they don't fully understand it. "What does 'nuances' mean?" "What's 'mayhem'?" "Why is Calvin's mom mad?" They then bring the comic to life as they reenact certain recurring events including G.R.O.S.S. meetings and Calvinball. But without a Hobbes, they have not been able to reenact the reunion of Calvin & Hobbes after a long day apart.

My oldest adores Hobbes. For Halloween we sprayed his hair yellow, found a red shirt with black stripes and he was Calvin. But he needed a Hobbes to complete the ensemble. However, Bill Watterson never allowed his characters to be licensed for plushies (or anything else for that matter) so finding a Hobbes look a like was a challenge. We were able to find a cute Hobbes substitute for the costume at a Goodwill that year, but ever since, my eyes have been scanning the web for crochet patterns. In my searching I came across several great Hobbes projects folks had crafted:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/amigurumiphotos/4450655872/

http://www.cuteamigurumi.com/2009/06/29/hobbes-andno-calvin/

Of course Hobbes doesn't look like an active tiger all the time. To moms and dads he's just a stuffed animal:

http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=334522.0

http://www.amiamour.com/2010/08/hobbes-your-imaginary-friend/

http://sukigirl74.blogspot.com/2011/03/free-hobbes-crochet-pattern.html

I noticed that so much of what makes Hobbes great is in the details of his face, which each fiber artist interpets themselves. This gave me the idea to look at some generic toy tiger patterns that I could then adapt. I decided to start small and my first Hobbes was inspired by this Sugar n' Cream pattern:

http://www.sugarncream.com/pattern.php?PID=4772&cps=21191

I liked the full amigurumi style of this little guy, and the color scheme (doing brown & orange instead of black and orange) but he needed some major adjustments on body shape, tail length and facial features to really become Hobbes. The end result?

Calvin & Hobbes love the snow so much, you often see Hobbes wearing a scarf:

A quick work up of 5 hdc across to the proper scarf length gave Hobbes an accessory for the winter weather:

If enough folks are interested in the specific changes I made to the toy tiger pattern from Sugar n' Cream, I'll try to post it soon. For now enjoy a last C&H comic strip and come back this weekend for

Hobbes & Hearts: The Valentine Version ^-^

Valentine's Day Bunting: Crochet!

2012-01-28T21:17:00.000-08:00

Valentine's day was never my favorite holiday. Sure, as a kid, it's great to pass out valentine cards and any holiday that produced free candy was always welcome, but as an adult I never got into the "let's buy expensive gifts for one another" idea and over time my cynical views of consumerism and sappy Halmark commercials embedded itself so deeply that up till now as I tried to be a fun, creative mom to three kids, I shied away from the so called "holiday."

This year, however, my old calloused heart is softening to the spirit of Valentine's day. With the help of Pinterest I have found not only cute, reasonable priced (aka free) things to do around this heart-filled holiday, but also realized just how special it is when someone intentionally writes down, in their own hand, how special you are to them. I saw this great idea to have each member of your family hand write a "Valentine" to each other member of the family. Not just to sign your name on a preprinted "BE MINE" Valentine card, but actually take the time to think of the person, what they like about them, and then write it down in your own script. My kids need this. In a time when they are coming up against many hard decisions and difficult people, they need to know that their family, their brother and sister, their mom and dad think they are a wonderful and important part of their family.

With this on my heart, I thought some small decorations in the realm of hearts would be appropriate to set the mood. But I couldn't just do any ol' heart thing. It had to be unique. I tried to do pink and red and white...but this just made me sit back and sigh. It just wasn't the look I wanted. If I was going to put forth effort in this endeavor, I was going to LIKE the color scheme. Here's what I came up with (thanks to Pinterest helping me discover this fun pattern from Julia Crossland):

mmmmmm....red & teal!

Lots of HEARTS!

Bunting Love

YAY! I'm beginning to like Valentine's Day!

I had such fun crocheting these as I watched our recorded Australian Open match between Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer (although it was hard to see Rog continue to hit it into the net!! ARG!). As I said, I tried to do pink and red and white, but I just needed my red and teal combo so I broke from the Valentine norm and made it my own. If you see the cute "LOVE IS" print from I Corinthians, you should head on over here to grab the free printable.

I hope your hearts are softened to Valentine's Day as mine has been! And if you need a little softening, grab some soft yarn in your favorite colors and make a heart garland of your very own this year - it'll be sure to help!

Goodie Bag Giveaway Link!

2012-01-19T08:27:00.000-08:00

Twinkie Chan is a crochet goddess. She inspired me from day one of my crocheting career when I was perusing amazon for crochet pattern books that did not include frail white doilies or chunky afghans. Once my eyes caught glimpse of her colorful wonderful food-iness, I was a goner.

Whether you know her awesome hooking skills or not, now's a great time to go visit because Twinkie Chan is having a fabulous give away right now! Go check it out TODAY as one lucky person will be randomly selected Jan 20th.

http://www.twinkiechan.com/blog/2012/01/13/lil-giveway

I want that cherry zipper pull SO BAD!

Etsy Sale!

2012-01-04T00:14:00.000-08:00

In honour of the birthday of the late great Dr. Suess (and the inspiration for my Cat in the Hat mini hat clip) I am having a store wide sale at my Etsy store through March, 2, 2012!

^-^ **~** Enjoy a 20% discount on any mini hat clip! **~** ^-^

I'm sure I'm not alone when I mention that my kids' elementary school has a big Dr. Seuss "to do" in the month of March with tall striped hats and a green eggs and ham breakfast. Big and little girls alike would look absolutely adorable wearing a pint sized version of the Cat's famous Hat! I will be happy to take orders through mid February on orders that need to arrive by Dr. Suess' birthday (March 2nd).

My youngest is a big fan of the amazing Dr. Suess and has opened my eyes to more of his books than I even knew existed! While I grew up memorizing rhymes from Yertle the Turtle, Cat in the Hat and the tongue bewitching Fox in Socks, my sweet boy has grown up reciting lines from Hop on Pop, Horton Hatches the Egg and What Was I Scared Of?

And so to sign this post off, some wisdom from the man himself:

"Today you are you, that is truer than true

There is no one alive who is youer than YOU!"

Discount code: drsuess2012
works only at
http://www.etsy.com/shop/karilandia

Replacing the Blades

2011-12-29T09:39:00.000-08:00

I live in Vancouver, Washington just across the river from Portland, Oregon. I normally just say I'm from Portland because although people don't seem to confuse Portland, OR for Portland, Maine, they will assume I'm from Canada. Folks living in Vancouver, WA are blessed to live where the evergreen trees sink their roots into the soggy soils of the Pacific Northwest. The grass is almost always green. The Columbia River is full of rushing water. You see, it rains a lot.

Because we Vancouver-ites are well versed in rainy days, we are those who own several umbrellas, rain boots and buy Rain-X (although, we are also the most likely to be found in the rain without umbrellas because we learned long ago that unlike the Wicked Witch of the West we won't melt if caught in the rain).

This exposition brings me to my point: It was a rainy day in Vancouver yesterday. Not unlike other days, except that my wonderful husband and I were planning a drive to Portland and found ourselves in a car with horrible wiper blades. We stopped by Napa and picked up some replacement blades.

I was wary because I'd heard how difficult they can be to replace, but our need outweighed our lack of expertise and we bought them. Once the old blades were off and we were examining the directions to reattach the new blades, I saw something that boosted my confidence in this endeavor:

Oh, yeah, I got this one.

W.I.P. (after Christmas version 1.0)

2011-12-27T22:57:00.000-08:00

Christmas has come and gone. What a blur it was at times! I found myself fairly busy finishing up presents as well as keeping up with the Marcel requests through Etsy. You could hardly find me without a crochet hook in my hand! It was quite a learning experience and I do need time to process and reflect on how I dealt with the holiday rush. But when Christmas finally arrived, I was able to put away my crazy crochet filled head and enjoy celebrating Jesus' birthday with my friends and family. It was a wonderful 3 days of Christmas eve (also the day my first born celebrated his first double digit birthday), Christmas day, and Christmas day-off Monday ^-^ There was glorious food, way too many presents, and a viewing of The Christmas Story. Classic.

In the holiday rush, (and I kick myself as I realize this), I forgot to capture on digital camera my crocheted creations. I made 10 scarves (two of them from this cute v-stitch pattern), 2 cowls (based on this convertible cowl pattern I found), and an ipad cover in a glorious red with the red angry bird's face sewn on in felt pieces (based on this ipad cover pattern). I also made one Hobbes the tiger. He lives in our home, so his photos and story will go into its own post at a later date. In the midst of all this gifting I whipped up 6 Marcel the Shells as well!

But even with all I DID accomplish, I am still mid project for at least 4 things! So without further ado, here's my W.I.P Wednesday pictures! The project are all now patiently waiting for me in my large new tote I got for Christmas ^_^

A first attempt at a double yarn project!
Hoping the Oregon Duck's fan in our family will like it come his birthday ^_^

Isn't it just obnoxious when you run out of yarn?
And then don't you just *HATE* it when the store ran out of the color??!
This is a soft red yarn from Deborah Norville's Serenity line and is working
up great for this cowl, but I just one more skein!

I am nearly done with this open lace style scarf.
I based it on Mary Poppins' scarf, but in a peacock
blue instead of coral. It should be finished with fringe
if it ever gets done!

The awesome large tote that now holds my W.I.P.'s!
Thanks, Babe!

And last I want to leave you with one of my favorite gifts of the 2011 year: A bird feeder! Yes, this bird feeder is going to be put out this spring, but with a unique purpose: as bird nest fodder for all the young birdie families in our yard. I saw this adorable idea on pinterest from fiberfarm.com and got this cutest bird feeder to stuff my yarn scraps in. I just think it will be so much fun to have the birdies build their nests with soft, colorful threads! It's like yarn bombing in disguise!

My bird feeder full of yarn scraps to be put out on the first day of spring!

Happy New Year to all!

~kari

Karilandia: my etsy store is OPEN!!

2011-12-07T09:05:00.001-08:00

Hello blog world. Have you all been as busy this season as I have? If so I hope it's the happiest type of busy ^_^

I can't believe I haven't officially announced the news: I have opened my etsy site!! I think because of my type A personality, I've been waiting to get my etsy button up and put some more items up at the store so it doesn't look so bare and so I kept putting it off. Well, I will just have to let go of that and for better or worse let the world know that you can check my store Karilandia from Kariland here.

In all honesty, I had created a few little things and had my drafts up on etsy for a long time but wavered on committing until I had some lovely people contact me about my Marcel the Shell plushie. I was flattered it was an item I could provide a unique take on, since as far as I know no Marcel plushies have been manufactured. So I've made four Marcels in the last 2 weeks and decided the most legit way for buyers to purchase my items is through etsy. All my Marcels have been purchased, but I'm sure I'll make more after Christmas and let them live in karilandia for a while. So that's the story of karilandia opening!

I will also admit that I was absolutely gleeful when I received my first happy feedback! I love my little creations and hope everyone else will too! Currently these silly hats live in karilandia:

photo curtesy of Tim Denison Photography

photo curtesy of Tim Denison Photography-
isn't he great?

They are mini hats from some of my favorite characters/movies/books attached to a clip for just a touch of silliness or a statement of your state of mind for the day. I invite you to visit kariland, look around and come back often. I will be able to add some more items in the next month o^o

As for now...Christmas presents await for the making. I have so much lovely yarn, I'm swimming in velvety reds, pine greens, chocolately browns, and loving it!

Merry Christmas to all!

Your Favorite Team Colors Scarf: Crochet!

2011-11-10T10:56:00.001-08:00

I love personal gifts. That's why homemade stuff is the best! I would much rather receive something my children made than a trinket from the store. Hoping that other folks feel the same, I definitely push homemade stuff on them - teehee! Even teachers. I figure one can only have so many apple shaped pencil sharpeners ^_^ So this year I thought I'd get the inside scoop on what my kids' teachers are into and see if we can't make them something unique this year. However, I had to stop and wonder what I could possibly make for my son's male teacher that he may actually use?

As I mentioned, I'm sort of into scarves this year, so I asked my son to figure out what his teacher's favorite sports team is. Well, he did his homework and reported back that the Bears where top on his teacher's list of favorite sports teams. The Chicago bears have great colors: Orange, White and a dusty Midnight Blue. Here's what I came up with:

Colors aren't showing true, but you get the idea!

I am a sucker for sacrificing yarn types for color. Now, this can turn out poorly if the weight is so dissimilar, but in this case, it was close enough! I grabbed a Sugar n' Cream in Indigo (100% cotton) because the color was spot on. I used Orange and White Red Heart Super Saver Yarn. Now, to be sure the stripes are a touch wider than the length of the blue, but honestly, I cannot find a good orange color in any other yarn type (let me know if you know of one!).

I used the hdc stitch throughout, which is my favorite stitch right now and edged the ends with the reverse single crochet or "crab stitch" (check out the tutorial here)

You can see the crab stitch better here

What I like about the crab stitch is that it is a decorative edging, but not a girly one. It sort of creates a corrugated tube when it is worked up. I rather like it!

So go forth and make scarves in whatever team colors you like! Personalize them with their favorite team colors, kids' school colors, or alma mater colors. Use the crab stitch edging and give them to the men in your life ^_^

A Cute V-Stitch Scarf

2011-11-07T11:18:00.000-08:00

Last Christmas I received a lovely red crocheted scarf that went with practically everything. Thus, I wore it all the time and fell in love with it! The stitch was not a lace stitch, nor was it tightly crocheted, so I set out to figure out just what technique the yarn artist used. After a bit of research I found that it was a V-stitch. It's the perfect stitch for a scarf with some heft for warmth, but loose enough to be soft and wrapped snuggly around one's neck.

I knew I wanted to do scarves this year for Christmas so I came up with my own version using the V-stitch. It works up quickly, and I really think it turned out cute. So without further ado:

A Cute V-Stitch Scarf:

Hook G
WW yarn (I used Deborah Norville Everyday soft worsted in Chocolate Brown)

**Technique used for the V-stitch: (dc, ch 2, dc) all in one stitch**

Ch 24
R1) start 3rd stitch from hook 22 hdc, ch 2 & turn (22)
R2) 22 hdc, ch 2 & turn (22)
R3) 22 hdc, ch 3 & turn (22)
R4) sk 1 hdc, V-stitch, *sk 2 hdc, V-stitch* repeat 5 more times, sk 1 hdc, dc, ch 3 & turn (7 ch-2 spaces)
R5) V-stitch in ea ch-2 space across, then sk las dc, dc into top of turning ch, ch 3 & turn (7 ch-2 spaces)
R6) repeat R5
R7) repeat R5
R8) *hdc, hdc, hdc into ch-2 space* repeat 6 more times, hdc into top of turning ch, ch 2 & turn (22)
R9) 22 hdc, ch 2 & turn (22)
R10) 22 hdc, ch 3 & turn (22)

Repeat R4 - R10 until desired length of scarf is achieved.
I repeated the pattern a total of 12 times and end added the fringe to the bottom of both ends.

I used 3 lengths of yarn per ch-space for this scarf

How to add the fringe:
On both ends of scarf, attach yarn and do the following:
FRINGE BASE ROW: Ch 3, sk 1 hdc, sc, *ch 2, sk 1 hdc, sc* repeat across row (you should have 11 ch-2 spaces)
Cut equal lengths of yarn and follow this picture tutorial for adding the tassels or fringe through the ch-2 spaces you created.

I liked the look of the dividing up the v-stitch section with the hdc
Sort gives it a "patchwork" look ^_^

Candy Corn Scarf: Crochet!

2011-10-25T17:56:00.000-07:00

I love candy corns. While it is true that there have been years where I go a little candy corn crazy and get utterly sick of them, each fall I still look forward to the sweet treats (it normally takes a good long year for that particular craving to return - thus I shun all Valentine's or Easter candy corns ^_^) To borrow a Bugs Bunny quote: "Why do I like [candy corn] so much? They don't have much meat on them...but I love them! I LOVE 'EM I LOVE 'EM I LOVE 'EM! LUNCH TIME!!!!"

But more than their goodie value, I think they are just so darn CUTE!! I love the color combination. I love the rounded triangular shape. I love that they are tiny. If you hop onto my pinterest page here you will see that I have a board devoted entirely to the Candy Corn!

So of course I needed a crochet version! Inspired by Twinkie Chan's food scarves, I crafted this one up to share with you all:

The Candy Corn Scarf:

Hook G
WW white yarn
WW orange yarn
WW yellow yarn

These are worked in rows - be sure to ch 1 at the end of each row

Begin with WHITE: (leave a long tail)
Ch 3
R1) 3 sc (3)
R2) 2 sc in first st, sc, 2 sc in last st (5)
R3) sc, sc, 2 sc in next st, sc, sc (6)
R4) sc, 2 sc in next st, sc, sc, 2 sc in next st, sc (8)

Change over to ORANGE:
R5) 8 sc (8)
R6) 8 sc (8)
R7) 2 sc in first st, 6 sc, 2 sc in last st (10)
R8) 10 sc (10)
R9) 10 sc (10)
R10) 2 sc in first st, 8 sc, 2 sc in last st (12)

Change to YELLOW:
R11) 12 sc (12)
R12) 2 sc in first st, 10 sc, 2 sc in next st (14)
R13) 14 sc (14)
R14) 14 sc (14)
R15) sc2tog, 4 sc, sc2tog, 4 sc, sc2tog (11)

F.O. and weave in ends

I made 11 candy corns and fastened them together tip to bottom until you have a scarf.
Length can be adjusted by adding or subtracting corns.

The best thing about this scarf is it won't give you a stomach ache ^_^

The Pumpkin Bomb

2011-10-24T16:10:00.000-07:00

I came down stairs this morning to see that my 7 year old daughter has, indeed, taken after her mother:

pumpkin yarn bomb

I'm so proud ^_^

Bulky Boucle Scarf

2011-10-17T21:03:00.000-07:00

I love the yarn store. I am literally like a child in a candy shop. Well, I'm more like the child in a candy shop that looks over all the candy options, but only ever ends up buying the same ol' plain cookies and cream that she always does. But you see, it is so fun to go and touch all the soft varieties of yarn and dreaming up things to make with the crazy variegated colors. However, after spending WAY TOO LONG on this, I do always end up heading back to that one familiar section that holds all the 100% cottons or acrylics for my plushies. Well, this summer I broke out of my "usual" purchase and actually purchased an über soft boucle with lovely teal and brown color changing threads. I had absolutely nothing in mind for it. I just bought it and stuffed it into my yarn stash at home. It's been looking at me for several weeks now. I figured with Christmas coming up, a super soft scarf would come in handy. Plus, I was excited to see how the colors worked up.

Well, let me tell you something. Working with bulky boucle was a hard transition! My cottons and acrylics are normally so clean and easy to look at, but this boucle, PHEEEEEW! It was like crocheting blind! The foundation row was torture to add on to and even then, my hdc were blindly inserted hoping I was catching the stitch at the right point. I had to count EVERY SINGLE row because I never knew if I was missing a stitch or not. This was not your relaxing in front of a favorite movie while crocheting sort of project. There was too much for me to concentrate on.

In one regard, it is a rather forgiving yarn because I know I wasn't always even (sometimes redoing the row to try and space the stitches out and sometimes not) and it's really hard to tell the ones that seemed spot on vs. the ones I was just too tired to count for.

But now that I'm done, I can back away and be grateful that it turned out as well as it did. I finished it off with some "fringe,"tried it on and sure enough, it will be a great neck warmer for someone!

Look at that texture!!!

Next,I am trying a Paton's Lace yarn with sequins that jumped into my basket at the yarn shop. It, too, is super soft and the peacock color is gorgeous, but it is pretty fuzzy and thin (a sport weight). I'll definitely post pictures when I finish that one and let you all know what it's like working with a yarn infused with sequins!

~kari ^_^

Show & Tell Bunting

2011-10-02T23:08:00.000-07:00

Warning: Another non-crochet post ^_^

Early this summer our family set goals and made room most days to work towards accomplishing them. For the kids it was goals of reading enough to earn prizes through the library's summer reading program, and learning a new skill (magic tricks, how to ride a 2 wheel bike, bake a special cookie, etc) and we had our oldest set a goal to write, produce & shoot an original movie idea. For the adults we worked on new piano songs, caught up on scrapbooking, and set photography goals. These goals, once met, deserved to be celebrated! For the past 2 years we've put together an official Show & Tell night for the grandparents. Having a caring audience who doesn't mind oooooh-ing and aaaah-ing over both small and big achievements is so great for the kids' confidence. It's also a wonderful chance to look back and realize just how much we DID accomplish.

This year's Show & Tell had to be a bit later in the year than normal for scheduling reasons. So, this last weekend we pulled out all our projects, dusted them off a bit and got to show them off! Feeling a bit artsy this year, I decided to make a bunting style banner for the occasion and just thought I'd share it with you all:

Using various scraps of paper I had accumulated in my years of scrapbooking, I was able to create this using my new favorite color combination: reds & aquas. I also had a fun teal & brown yarn that I used to string it up with.

It definitely made it feel like a party! Well, that and Simon's awesome homemade pretzels - yummy!

Toy Hammock: Crochet!

2011-09-26T19:52:00.000-07:00

My darling daughter loves all things snuggly. Unlike her mother who, as a child, had only a few very dear stuffed animals. Certainly not even close to the horde my little 7 year old has amassed. And it's so easy to indulge the dear when all she wants in the world is one more dragon, pony, bird, fishy, snake (yes, snakes)...

AND I like to crochet things for her...

So needless to say after seven years of collecting and being absolutely unable to give up any of those dear plushies to Goodwill, there is nary a place for her in bed for all the sleeping buddies she has.

Something needed to be done. Thankfully, I crochet. Thankfully, I found this great pattern by Candance from Crafty Concoction. Because I used a very large, unmarked, plastic hook (I THINK it's a P) I had to make some adjustments. I needed to decrease 2 "squares" each row and then added my own edging with some yellow flowers so it looked a bit like a meadow for her plushies to live in :)

The Meadow: before inhabitants

The meadow: piled high with its denizens

So now there is at least a bit more room for the princess to lay her head at night :)

DON'T PANIC: crochet!

2011-09-25T16:31:00.000-07:00

When we got an iPad with a cracked screen I quickly learned just how delicate this sleek technology was. It took nothing more than the accidental slip of the hand and the tablet computer is no longer the sleek or even functional tool you no doubt have learned you cannot live without.

Thankfully, our cracked screen was replaced and once again it was restored to it's original glory. But I wasn't about to let the fact that we'd need to wait a while for a "proper" Apple $75 cover to arrive let me worry about the mean time. I was going to MAKE something that would at least cushion a fall, if (*gasp*) one occurred, in that mean time. Using a simple single crochet and working in the round here's what I came up with (I didn't write down the exact pattern, but a "guideline" is below):

I found that using a G hook and some red heart yarn worked great.
Ch 22 and work back onto fc with sc for a total of 21 st.
Start the round by continuing to sc on side of fc
Add 2 sc into 1sc at each of the four corners
Do this for 2 rounds.
Then sc around until long enough to cover iPad

I found matching buttons and sewed them on.
To make the button hole: ch 2 and sk 2 sc
before continuing on with the round.

Sew on cut felt pieces with matching thread

DON'T PANIC!

If you know Douglas Adam's Hitchhicker's Guide to the Galaxy you remember that the tool used to help the protagonist on his journey to find the answer to life the universe and everything is much like our modern day iPad. So of course I had to add this appropriate appliqué :P

After trying to explain to my kids the marvels of Adam's books and the funny green guy that is featured on the book covers, my darling daughter presented me with her own version, which I find quite dear, indeed:

She's awesome.

Sweet Peas in a Pod: Crochet!

2011-09-02T22:28:00.000-07:00

Two Sweet Peas in a Pod

These sweet peas were adapted from Ana Paula Rimoli's adorable 3 Peas in a Pod. I wanted to make something quite a bit smaller so instead of WW yarn I went with a lovely shade of green in a super soft crochet thread 10. Using a crochet hook size 5 (aka size teeny tiny) I made two peas and thought my hands were going to fall off. So I decided to make one a boy and one a girl and put them in their own little pod. They fit snuggly right inside and pop out easily.

The kids love to play with play food and there's just something special about food with eyes :) I have a special place in my crochet heart for these two...

She-Pea boldly leaves the safety of the pod

He-Pea ventures out as well...

Look at the flower in my "hair"!

Just a handful

(^_^ ^_^)

Lunch Bags made from Capri-sun Pouches (not a crochet project - gasp!)

2011-08-31T10:13:00.000-07:00

Our family made goals for the summer. We wanted to stay busy in productive, fun ways during the long summer days and I longed for fewer "I'm bored" comments from my three kids during these months! Not to mention the feeling of pride when we look back and see what we've accomplished! We adopted a loose schedule that we personalized and set up a specific time during the day to work on our "goals." The kids made lists of their goals including reading enough to get prizes for the library's reading program, making a movie, baking cookies, learn favorite songs on the piano, etc. I found myself making a list alongside them which included several crochet projects, updating the scrapbook, and having the kids drink capri suns at lunch. Here's why:

14 capri suns per bag x 3 bags = a full summer of drinking capri suns (roaring waters only have 30 calories, so that's mostly what I purchased, even though the "juicy" ones are more colorful)

I found the idea and pattern for these lunch bags here and thought they were pretty darn cute for a reduce/reuse/recycle project. Not to mention they actually needed new lunch bags for the school year. It's pretty great to get something useful for very little extra cost than the drink pouches (which we used for picnic lunches throughout the summer anyway).

Now that the project is complete (yay for reaching a goal!) I laugh to see that I have trained the kids to not throw away their little drink pouches when cleaning up their lunchtime mess...anyone need a pouch? :)

Lil' Apple Pot

2011-08-15T15:31:00.000-07:00

It is mid-August, the time of year the mommies and daddies are thinking back-to-school thoughts while the kiddies are treasuring the precious few days they have left of summer vacation. I admit that the seeds of school-y thoughts have indeed drifted down and found purchase in my mind and I can practically smell the chalk and erasers from the classrooms of my youth (does the same nostalgia come from dry erase boards?). I can nearly feel the weight of a backpack full of books and my new supplies up on my shoulders and almost taste the crisp morning air as I wait for the big yellow school bus. As I these thoughts continue to grow roots I find my eyes are drawn towards all things with primary colors: folders in glossy red, rulers painted yellow, and notebooks in brilliant blue! What a great time of year!

It is in this vein that I post my adaptation of Ana Paula's Amigurumi Apple Pattern.
I call it: Lil' Apple Pot...

A fun little pot for rainbows of coloring crayons!

Also, a perfect home for our Lil' Garden Friend...

I think Lil' Caterpillar and Lil' Apple Pot might just sneak her way into a backpack

on the first day of school ^_^

Flowers in her hair

2011-08-04T11:49:00.000-07:00

I finally grew my hair out long enough to donate it to Locks of Love! It was so great to ship off my 10 inches of hair knowing it'll go to a great cause. Last time I was able to donate I got a cute little bob and all was well. This time, however, either the length requirement got longer, or my hair didn't grow as much as I thought it had because a cute little bob wasn't in the cards for me. I got a pixie cut. My awesome hair dresser let me know that it would look great on me and that I would be in good company since at the time Emma Watson debuted her recent pixie cut. So it was off with my hair!

It was a shocking first moment for my family to see mommy with such a drastic change. I got comments like "Mommy Bieber" and "Man Mom." I wasn't thrilled with the comments, but endured it as my friends supported my efforts and said I looked great. However, it wasn't like it was going to grow back in a week, or even a month, so I decided to whip up some hair doodads for a feminine touch.

double flower barrette with button center

blue is a staple in my wardrobe

the kids' school colors for when I sport my spirit wear

Next I'm going to be bolder and make some that are quite a bit bigger and splashier! For now a simple touch of color will do :)

A Garden Friend

2011-08-03T09:47:00.000-07:00

I found this lil' caterpillar crawling through our garden this morning...

crawling around...

chomping on lettuce...

stopping to smell the flowers...

grabbing a cool drink from the watering can...

helping to water the grass...

Peek-A-Boo!

Lil' Caterpillar from Ana Paula Rimoli's book Amigurumi Two!

Marcel the Shell (with shoes on): Crochet Version!

2011-08-02T09:30:00.000-07:00

Yep. the Eyes Have It

If you've been following along and read my W.I.P. on Marcel (check out this post with the "before" pictures here) then you'll be pleased to know that I finally decided and went with the googley eye! I am sure there could be many different versions of crochet Marcel, but here's just ONE of the ways you could go about getting your very own

Marcel the Shell (with Shoes on): Crochet Version!

You will need:
E hook
G hook
WW soft brown yarn
WW white yarn
WW pink yarn
WW seaweed green yarn
1" googley eye
Brown & white felt
yarn needle/embroidery needle

SHELL:
Using soft brown yarn and Hook Size E
Begin by working in the round...
Magic Circle (6)
R1: *sc 1, 2 sc in next st* around (9)
R2: dhc around (9)
R3: 2 sc in ea st around in front loops only (18)
R4: dhc around (18)
R5: *sc 5, 2 sc in next st* around in front loops only (21)
R6: dhc around (21)
R7: *sc 5, dec 1* around in front loops only (18)
R8: *2dhc in next st* 8 times, *1dhc, 2dhc in next st* 5 times (31)
R9: dhc around (31)
R10: dhc around (31)
R11: dhc around (31)
R12: dhc around (31)
R13: sc around in front loops only (31)
R14: *5 sc, dec 1* around (24)
here you will start working in rows and shaping the googley eye hole...
R15: dhc 18, ch 10, sl st to first dhc of this row (you should sk 6 st when you do this)
R16: 1 sc into next st and sc across chain row, 1 sc into next st, turn, ch 1
R17: sc across chain row, 1 sc into next st, turn, ch 1
R18: sc across chain row, 1 sc into next st, turn, ch 1
R19: sc across chain row, 2 sc down shell side, turn, ch 1
R20: sc across chain row decreasing twice evenly, 1 sc down shell side, turn, ch 1
R21: sc across chain row decreasing once in the middle, 2 sc down shell side, turn (do not ch 1)
R22: sc across chain row decreasing once, 1 sc on side of shell
Connect chain row to the shell by matching stitches between the two rows
(you may need to sc2tog once or twice)

front of shell

back of shell

SHOES (make 2):
Start using White and have Pink at the ready, Hook Size E
Work in rows...
Ch 5
R1: sc across (4), turn, ch 2
R2: sc across (5), turn, ch 2
R3: sc across (6), turn, ch 1
R4-R7: sc across, (6), turn, ch 1

Start working in the round...
R8: sl st around (23)
R9: sl st in front loops only (23) sl st into first st on this round. F.O.
Starting 1/2 way on one of the longest sides of shoes, attach pink
R10: 10 sc, drop pink and join white , 13 sc (23)
R11: (p/u pink) 1 sc, dec, 4 sc, dec, 1 sc, ( p/u white ) 2 sc, dec, 2 sc, dec, 2 sc, dec, 1 sc (18)
R12: (p/u pink), dec four times, (cut pink and leave tail inside shoe, p/u white ), 2 sc, dec, 2 sc, dec, 2 sc (12)
R13: 12 sc (12)
F.O. & Stuff

EYE CUP:
Using Green and Hook size G
Working in the round...
Magic Circle (6)
R1: 2 sc in each st around (12)
R2: 12 dhc around (12)
F.O. tightly to cup the circle.
Glue 1" googley eye into the eye cup.

ASSEMBLY:

Stuff Shell firmly through eye hole, adjusting firmness with the shape of the shell

Using a good embroidery thread or matching yarn, sew shoes onto the underside of shell

Using a good embroidery thread or matching yarn, sew green eye cup in the hole of the shell

Cut out Dark Brown and Off-White felt in the shape of Marcel's mouth/teeth and sew in place on shell

ALLEN:
Grab a few yarn scraps and tie together with embroidery thread to give Marcel a doggie :)

"My one regret in life is that I will never have a dog, but sometimes
I take a hair and tie it to a piece of lint and drag it around"
~Marcel the Shell (with shoes on)

Boy Robot

2011-07-24T18:42:00.000-07:00

Here is     Boy Robot      from Ana Paula Rimoli's book Amigurumi Two! It is full of adorable patterns for babies and this, in fact, is going to be given to a baby, so that's handy :)

He worked up really easily and after a few go's at the face, I settled on a button eye with felt sewed on behind for a cute robot-ish look.

Another great thing about     Boy Robot      is that I was able to use several yarn remnants from other projects:

The Blue I used on Yoshi and Sonic
The Lime I used on the Ben-10 Omnitrix
The Orange I used on Elmo's nose and Yoshi's spikes
The Grey I used on the Ben-10 Omintrix and a
Sherlock Holmes hat (which I haven't posted about yet...)

I guess those 4 colors are great colors to have on hand!

Get it...crochet...on hand...yarn is on your hand when you crochet...ahem....

Bad joke, I know, but it is high time I started with the bad puns on here ;)

Boy Robot    is about 14 inches "standing" up.

W.I.P: Marcel the Shell

2011-07-20T15:24:00.000-07:00

I was just recently introduced to Marcel the Shell with Shoes On - I know, I know...have I been hiding in a hole? How could I just now be meeting the little dog loving, dorito hang gliding shell? Nevertheless, the kids and I are smitten with the viral video that stars a little guy with one googly eye and a shell for a head. And, apparently, Marcel will also be appearing in his very own picture book (check out the article here). No doubt this will be a must read in our household when it is published.

My sister-in-law asked if I could make a crochet plushie of Marcel. This challenge has been fun and I am now in the middle of attempting to perfect little Marcel. Here's what I've got so far:

Work In Progress!!

I feel pretty good about my initial go on Marcel and how the shell shape turned out, but I am trying to figure out some of the details: Is a large googly eye preferred over a crochet one? Should I redo the shoes? Do I use felt for the mouth or try to embroider one (since it's so tiny) - these are things I must soon decide!

Stay tuned to see the final product and for my very own unique crochet pattern to Marcel the Shell with Shoes On.

As you wait, drop me a line and let me know what would you do to finish Marcel the Shell :)

Happy Crafting!

ilomilo crocheted minis

2011-07-14T20:32:00.000-07:00

ilomilo is an absolutely adorable puzzle game the kids have found a demo for on the xbox. The world is winsome. The music is delightful. The main characters are altogether sweet. Even the purpose of the game - two best friends trying to find each other because they are happiest together - is endearing!

Awwwwwwwwww! Just look at them...ADORABLE!!!!!

My children kindly requested a plushy version of ilo and milo and, well, they were too just too darn cute not to try. Here is my mini version, about 3 inches high (not including antenna)

Hook sizes G & E
ww yarn in blue or red, and cream
brown or black pipe cleaner
cream felt
cream embroidery thread
embroidery needle
yarn needle
fiber fill

ilomilo BODY - Hook G, red or blue yarn

Magic Circle 6
R1: 2 sc in ea st (12)
R2: *sc, 2 sc in next st* around (18)
R3 - R12: sc around (18 ea)
F.O. and leave a long tail

Make face out of felt, use markers to make eyes. Sew onto ilomilo body.

make one eye slightly bigger than the other

Insert pipe cleaner up through body and through magic circle middle. After pulling through as much length out the top as you'd need to give him a cute curly, trim the pipe cleaner so you will have an inch more length out the bottom.

Using the yarn needle, pull the yarn from the side you F.O. to the opposite side and through a stitch. Use this as a podium for the pipe cleaner to wrap around.

Stuff with fiber fill. Try to put 1/2 the stuffing behind and in front of the pipe cleaner so it stays near the middle. Whip stitch closed.

ilo milo ARMS & LEGS - Hook E with cream yarn
make 4

Magic Circle 5
R1: sc around (5)
R2: sc around (5)
F.O. with tail

Using a yarn needle, sew onto body and weave in.

Of course, you cannot make one without the other so here they are...together again:


ilo is red, milo is blue

Elmo (tickle at your own risk)

2011-07-12T21:55:00.000-07:00

A couple Wednesdays ago I flashed a pair of red legs at my blogger readers wondering if they could guess who I was going to attach them to. I got one reader (thanks, Mom) to respond to me in person with a correct guess: ELMO!

Our adorable neighbor girl is turning 2 and needed an Elmo, so she shall have an Elmo!

Elmo is ready to be tickled and squeezed and loved (and hopefully dragged all around the house).

My favorite part of Elmo is his big orange nose and his slightly cross-eyed gaze. It just makes me smile. And isn't that precisely Elmo's sole purpose: to make you smile ☺☺☺☺☺☺☺
Either that or completely annoy you with his laugh, I suppose. Heheh.

Elmo did a quick bit of online research and did find this very scientific correlation chart he'd like to share with you:

........☑    ☐     ☐      ☐      ☐     ☐      ☐     ☐
........☑    ☑     ☐      ☐      ☐     ☐      ☐     ☐
........☑    ☑     ☐      ☑      ☐     ☐      ☐     ☐
........☑    ☑     ☐      ☑      ☑     ☐      ☐     ☐
........☑    ☑   ☐    ☑    ☑ ☑    ☐     ☐
........☑    ☑ ☐      ☑      ☑ ☑    ☑     ☐
Age: 1     5      10     15     20     25     30     35+

Each ☑ is equal to one "I love Elmo" unit.

Note that at the tender ages of 1 - 5 the love for Elmo is high. As age increases, there seems to be a direct correlation to the decline of Elmo love. This makes sense because as you get older, you have heard Elmo laugh so many times you think that you'll go bonkers if you hear it one more time. The only reason you have any "I love Elmo" units at all for Sesame Street's most famous character is that you have little ones, or know little ones, who are crazy about him. During this time you endure that manical laugh on their behalf. But by the time your kids are outside of the 1-5 range, adults over 35 find that they have no love lost for the furry red monster.

The only exception is the 6-14 range who think they are altogether too cool for "baby shows."

The resurgance of Elmo love units at 15 matches up with the inexplicible desire to wear pig tails, string a binkie around the neck, and carry a bottle full of kool-aid. Again, this is a mystery. But what about the ages 14 and 15 isn't a mystery? Look that one up, Mr. Elmo.

Elmo, doing some online research

This Elmo pattern was created by A Crochet Ninja and can be found here. I thought it was a really great pattern, clear and well written. I only reduced the rows for the black mouth to match the number of stitches I had at my mouth gap. You can find Cookie Monster there, too (which I may have to make for my husband one day...)

Goomba: A Lesson in wrong side/right side amigurumi

2011-07-07T08:02:00.000-07:00

Early in my amigurumi pursuit, I was unclear as to what side of the worked up yarn was correct for the outside of my projects. I would start my circle and notice that the yarn would naturally curl into a bowl. Figuring this was the correct way, I continued around, working on top of my stitches in a counterclockwise manner. It was awkward since you are taught to work rows right to left. Things got a lot easier when I realized I had not only been working my projects the hard way, but also finishing them off inside out!

It was only after already crocheting several projects that I finally decided to see what would happen if I pushed my little "bowl" inside out so that I could crochet in a clockwise manner. This project was Goomba from wolfdreamer. I had already made his head the way I had made all my previous amigurumi. The result is a stitch that I perceive as looking "flat":

The wrong side has a blocky look and there is less of a sheen to it.

The proper way to work your amigurumi is to push the bowl "inside out" after a few rounds so that you are working around the circumference in a clockwise manner. The result definitely has a different look:

Working the right side up gives a more supple and uniform material.

This is the body and feet section of my Goomba and I realize it is harder to compare the two sides this way. I encourage you to do what I did and check out nerdigurumi's tutorial on youtube here. Not only does she thoroughly explain wrong vs right side but her side-by-side visuals will clearly illustrate the differences between them.

I finished up Mr. Goomba and gave him more secure felt features by sewing them on rather than using sticky backed felt. Now his teeth and eyebrows won't go missing again :)

Here's my 1/2 wrong side 1/2 right side Goomba :)

Baby Beanies and Working in the Round

2011-07-02T11:15:00.000-07:00

I have recently found reason to crochet a couple of beanies for baby-sized heads. There are over a hundred free beanie patterns out there and I spent a great deal of time sorting through them. I found two patterns that I thought I'd share here for those who are looking for cute, classic styles.

These two patterns are easy to follow and, as you can judge from the picture, simple, classic styles that can be easily adapted for your own style/color/ideas. The basic baby-sized beanie to the left is found on the video tutorial here and the green one with ear flaps on the right is written out here.

Working in the round is the method for both of these beanies, as well as amigurumi. Although in beanies you find more variety in stitch type, whereas in amigurumi proper it is the single crochet across the board. For both beanies and amigurumi you can achieve working in the round two different ways:
1) Continuous Rounds or
2) Joining Rounds

To determine whether you'd rather work in continuous rounds or joining rounds it is helpful to know the pros and cons:

CONTINUOUS ROUNDS: Continuous rounds simply means you circle up on top of each round without breaking (imagine a soft serve ice cream swirl).When working continuous rounds, you need to pay closer attention to stitch count since the start of each row will look no different from the middle of the row. This "burden" can be eased by using a row marker. Whether you purchase plastic ones from the store, or simply use a piece of contrasting color yarn at the start of the row it's purpose is the same: to serve as a visible marker for each row's beginning so you don't have to count.

Plastic markers or a contrasting yarn color help "mark" each row

If you are using different colors in a single pattern a continuous round will produce a "jump" as seen in the blue and tan hat.

I consider this to be the back of the hat and it doesn't bother me

In general, continuous rows have a very fluid look to them with no ridges or gaps, which I find to be a "pro" that outweighs the "con" of the color change issue.

JOINING ROUNDS: When working with joining rounds, each round is its own concentric circle (think of stacking rings on top of each other, like the children's toy). The round ends with a slip st into the first st of the round and then 1 or more chains are made to add height to start the next round, depending on which stitch you are using. I find the biggest "con" for joining rounds is a slight gap between rounds that goes out in a diagonal from top to bottom.

The "pro" to this is that counting rows isn't necessary as the gap created makes it easy to see when to end the round.

As I shared earlier, I personally prefer working in continuous rounds in spite of what some may think is a pattern flaw. And certainly when working with one color it's not an issue at all.

I hope that helps clarify your options for working in the round. If you encounter a pattern that does continuous rows and you prefer joining, you can easily adapt it by joining the last st with a sl st into the first st and starting the next concentric circle with as many chains as matches the height of the stitch you are using (1 ch for a sc, 2 ch for a hdc, 3 ch for a dc, etc). If you prefer continuous rounds and the pattern suggests joining, simply skip the sl st and any additional chains and continue working on top each round.

I love the braids off the ear flaps!

W.I.P.

2011-06-29T11:34:00.000-07:00

Work in Progress Wednesday: a day to show off what project I'm in the middle of :)

I thought I'd just let you guess at what I'm making now. Here's a hint:

Who has fuzzy red legs? Hmmmm?

☺Now that I think of it, that is sort of a trick question☺

I need to have this project done soon (in a week or two) and I'll post the completed project (and thus answer the "who") then!

Happy Crafting!

~kari

Sonic the Hedgehog

2011-06-16T08:23:00.000-07:00

One thing that amazes me about my three children is just how different they are from each other. They may share the same squinty eyes, freckles and long piano playing fingers but their preference in food, say, just highlights my point. For instance, my first born loves spicy meat: pepperoni, sausage and tacos. My girl has a sweet tooth and would prefer hot tea (cream & sugar, please) with graham crackers. My youngest would eat peanut butter and honey sandwiches morning, noon and night.

I love to find that their differences show up in their play as well. My eldest is fairly well-rounded: he loves riding his bike, writing stories, playing sports and video games. My girl is a bit more focused: it's all about animals with her, but any and all animals will do. My youngest, however, is even more singular. When he likes something, it is utterly and completely exclusive. He has gone through a few phases in his life. First there were cars. This phase started with chubby cars his little fingers could maneuver and grew to the smaller hot wheels and finally the Disney Pixar Cars.

Then came Mario. Oh, Super Mario! With his dazzling invincibility star and awesome fire power, this character bordered on obsession with him. The games were just the first of it. Soon after he was dressing like Super Mario, overalls, mustache, gloves and all. Then it was the figurines and plushies that thankfully coincided with the retail Mario craze so many things were purchased at birthday and holiday times. But his focused fixation changed this past year.

It's not Mario anymore. It's Sonic. Move over Nintendo, Sega is taking over. But, alas, I have found that either we are ahead of the craze or the Sonic thing is just not going to make as big a splash with retail. What's a Mom to do when birthdays are coming and there is nary a Sonic to be found? Peruse the web and land on Wolfdreamer's website, of course! She is amazing. If you haven't happened upon her website, you must stop everything and go here now. The woman is a magician with amigurumi. The things she has created from scratch and put up for free almost single-handedly inspired my blog. She is a perfectionist and her capabilities seemingly have no end. Just check out her pattern list. It is nothing short of incredible. It is in her wealth of creativity I have often found solace to my restless hook hand when I need a character to crochet. It is here I found Sonic the Hedgehog.

Crocheting the pieces was simple enough with her easy to follow patterns. Putting the 24 seperate pieces together was what took the majority of my time and energy. I followed her tips and made sure to pin first. Then there was the repositioning and repining and looking at it for days at a time until I couldn't stand it any longer and finally decided to start stitching. I was quite pleased with the end result! My only tiny addition were the buckles for his shoes that are chain stitches sewed onto the shoes in a rectangular shape over the white stripe.

My baby got his Sonic on his birthday and his face let me know that I had done well. He now sleeps with his store bought Mario plushie and his mommy-made Sonic, one in each arm reminiscent of Andy with Woody and Buzz. I wonder what the two rivals do when he's off to school and they are left on his pillow?

You got it ace, let's race!

International Yarn Bombing Day Has Arrived!

2011-06-11T10:43:00.000-07:00

1 a.m.
Director Park

I feel like a ninja, dressed all in black save my signature fingerless gloves. Five bombs in hand. And a hook. I'm ready.

trying to figure out the best way to quickly secure the bomb

Tim drives me up to the park and I jump out having spotted the 5 lamp posts that would be the lucky recipients of my flowers. No sooner do I figure out how to attach the bomb than Tim warns that I have a police coming straight for us. Confident that I can persuade the officer that all is on the up and up, I continue my work. "What's going on here, guys?" he asks accusingly. I look up and see that it's a night security patrolman. I explain we are decorating for the Grand Floral Rose Parade and Tim clarifies: "It's called yarn bombing," he says. And to smooth it over he adds "It's just crochet, I guess it's the new thing to do." Mr. Patrolman nods and walks away, leaving us under his watchful eye from across the plaza to dress the other 4 light poles. A few drunken people walk by making a lot of noise, but no one else approaches us.

the tag

It's funny how I had things planned this all out in my head and how different I ended up reacting! I had made the joining strip too long on purpose, figuring if I had measured incorrectly it's easier and quicker to undo rows than to make them. In my perfect vision I would calmly undo the rows and then fasten it up, however, in the heat of the moment I just wanted to be in and out of there as fast as possible so I just left the extra in a bunch near the back. I only hope they were secure enough on the smooth lamp posts to endure the night to be seen today.

working as fast as I could

We drove away after taking a few pictures and I said a quiet goodbye to the roses I know I'll never see again. I just hope they were secure enough to endure the night and not slide down the poles.

final result

First Ever International Yarn Bombing Day: Whoo-Hoo!

Yoshi

2011-06-05T16:02:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago, I was commissioned to make a dark blue Yoshi. I ☺adore☺ Yoshi. Those of you who grew up playing Super Mario Bros, as I did, will likely understand. The faithful little riding buddy to our hero plumber, Mario, Yoshi was a great addition to the series. He makes the cutest noises during game play. I can't help but smile when he gulps down the Yoshi fruit. I love how on all the Yoshi levels the trees dance. His hovering power is rather useful and seeing his little legs run in the air makes me happy. He's just a great character!

I set out to accomplish this challenge with eyes wide open - it was to be my first multi-pieced character (as opposed to the one-piece amigurumi style). Most of Yoshi is amigurumi, but with over a dozen pieces to connect it felt a bit like a jigsaw puzzle where the right location for each pieces kept evading me. But I preserved and after several days of looking at him at different angles with pieces pinned, adjusting and looking some more, readjusting and looking some more, I finally made the plunge and sewed him together. I was pleased with the end result. It was, indeed, a labor of love and I couldn't give him away with stealing a few hugs and quality time with Yoshi all assembled. Also a photo shoot was necessary.

Most of Yoshi came from an amazing pattern from robotrish. If you need to make a Yoshi, check out the pattern here. I made a few adjustments according to what I preferred Yoshi to look like. You are welcome to use them if you like them, but you have to hit up robotrish's website for her entire pattern.

Using the same hook size you started with...

Tummy/Lower mouth (white)

I liked the look of horizontal stripes down Yoshi's tummy, so this part is done in short rows. Be sure to ch 1 at the end of your rows (unless otherwise noted as the first few rows), turn, and start your next row in the second ch from hook

Ch 4
R1: sc across (3), ch 2
R2: sc across (4), ch2
R3: sc across (5), ch 3
R4: sc across (7), ch 3
R5: sc across (9), ch 2
R6: sc across (10), ch 2
R7: sc across (11)
R8-R17: sc across (11)
R18: sc across (11), ch 2
R19: sc across (12), ch 2
R20: sc across (13)
R21: sc across (13), ch 2
R22: sc across (14), ch 2
R23: sc across (15)
R24: sc2tog, 10 sc, sc2tog (12)
R25: sc across (12)
R26: sc2tog8 sc, sc2tog (10)

I love his big nose!

R27: sc across (10)
R28: sc2tog, 6 sc, sc2tog (8)
R29: sc across (8)
R30: sl st, 6 sc, sl st (8)
sl st all the way around
F.O. and weave ends
Assembly tip: Attach securely to body piece leaving the bottom "lip" of mouth loose like he's gonna gobble up a yoshi tree fruit. Use rose colored chalk to color in the inside of the mouth for his tongue.

Check Spots - make 2 (white)

I preferred flat cheeks that were slightly larger around. This section is done in the round.

Magic Circle (6)
Rnd 1: 2 sc in each st (12)
Rnd 2: *sc, 2 sc in next st* around (18)
Rnd 3: *2 sc, 2 sc in next st* five times only (20)
F.O. and weave ends

Assembly tip: Match up "flat side" of circle to mouth/tummy strip and sew on.

Boots - make 2 (start with light brown)

I wanted a two-toned shoe and chose a rounder shape over the fold over boot. This is done in the round.

Magic Circle (6)

Rnd 1: 2 sc in each st (12)

Rnd 2: *sc, 2 sc in next st* around (18)

Rnd 3: sc around (18)

**Change to darker brown color**

Rnd 4: sc back loops only around (18)

Rnd 5: *2 sc, 2 sc in next st* four times, 6 sc (22)

Rnd 6: *3 sc, 2 sc in next st* four times, 6 sc (26)

Assembly tip: Insert small cardboard circle to make the bottom of shoe "flat"

Rnd 7: 26 sc (26)

Rnd 8: 3 sc, sc2tog, *sc, sc2tog* around (18)

Rnd 9: 3 sc, sc2tog, *sc, sc2tog* around (12)

F.O. and weave ends

Assembly tip: match up 12 st of boot to the 12 leg st and crochet together with dark brown

Saddle

Following robotrish's pattern up to R3 then my changes made it a slightly larger saddle...

R3: (still using red yarn) ch 1 and sc in same st as sl st, sc around adding 22 in the middle of rows and around edges. F.O.
R4: (switch to white yarn) sc around front posts tightly (creates a bit of texture and bump in saddle. F.O.

Finish Yoshi following robotrish's assembly directions and you'll have an☺adorable☺ Yoshi of your very own!

photos courtesy of www.timdenison.com

Sitting down this Yoshi measure about 11" in height.

Ben 10: the OMNITRIX

2011-05-31T09:00:00.000-07:00

My first born has rediscovered his love of the Ben 10 cartoon (NOT Ben 10: Alien Force, but the original, he's quick to point out). A few years back in Colorado, his bestie and he often pretended they were Fourarms or Diamondhead or XLR8 or Upgrade or...whatever the other six are. And then he got his very own Omnitrix. It was very cool. It had a dot matrix screen with games that he would play and made all sorts of sounds. But somewhere in the move, the watch got lost. We did a little research online and for a pretty penny he could once again own an Omnitrix like the one he had.

After the discovery that purchasing a new omnitrix was out of his budget he posed a question to me: "Could you make me a crocheted one, Mom?" I thought of how the watch was all sleek and electric and I reminded him that even if I could make one, it wouldn't be as "cool" as the original. He thought about that and decided that even though it wouldn't make sounds or move, it would be worth it. I told him I'd think it though.

Always eager for a new challenge, I took this one on in secret, just in case it didn't work out. I thought that the watch band would be simple enough, but creating the watch face may be tricky. After a few prototypes, I settled on a style I thought would work best.

I had the 2 pieces figured out but I wanted to make it really "work." Ben twists the watch face and then slams down on it to make him change into an alien. I know crochet isn't known for it's movable parts, but I thought a low tech version of a rotating face could be easily achieved by adding two small risers under the face and threading some matching yarn through the face, risers, and onto the underside of the band (not too tightly).

I admit, I was pleased with the results.

But would my boy think it was okay? ☺Yes, yes he did!☺

The side-by-side comparison

You can see that I should have made the watch band thicker. I did adjust this in the next two I made because, of course, sister and brother needed one, too (the pattern I'll post below has the thicker band)

So here it is: Ben 10's Crocheted Omnitrix

WW yarn in Lime, grey, black, white
Size F Hook
Embroidery needle, thread
1-Large Black Button, 1-lime or yellow bead, 4-lime or yellow sequins

Watch Band (in Black)
Unless otherwise noted, always ch 1 before the turn at the end of a row and insert into second ch from hook upon starting a new row
Ch 7
R1: 6 sc, ch 2
R2: 7 sc, ch 2
R3: 8 sc
R4 - R30: 8 sc **this part can be adjusted smaller/bigger to fit wrist by adding or subtracting rows**
Beginning large button hole...
R31: 4 sc, ch 1, turn
R32: 4 sc, ch 1, turn
R33: 4 sc, ch 1, turn
R34: 4 sc, ch 1, turn
R35: 4 sc, F.O.
Go back to R30 and attach black yarn onto short side and work up as a matching side...
R31: 4 sc, ch 1, turn
R32: 4 sc, ch 1, turn
R33: 4 sc, ch 1, turn
R34: 4 sc, ch 1, turn
R35: 4 sc

(Optional reinforce button hole row: sl st 10 up and down inside of button hole, F.O.)

Attach black yarn to start R36 and connect R35 halves as the top of a button hole...
R36: 8 sc
R37: 8 sc, turn with no ch 1
R38: 6 sc, sl st into last st
sl st around perimeter of watch

In WHITE
Top stitch into the fp of first st of each row and F.O.
Top stitch into the fb of last st of each row and F.O.
This should make 2 parallel white lines up and down the length of the watch band

Omnitrix Watch Face (start with Lime)
I will indicate each ch and row turn on this section just for added clarification This section starts with the lime hourglass shape
Ch 7, turn
R1: sc across (6), ch 1, turn
R2: sk first st, sc across (6), turn
R3: sk first st, sc across (5), turn
R4: sk first st, sc across (4), turn
R5: sk first st, sc across (3), turn
R6: sk first st, sc across (2), turn
R7: sk first st, sc across (1), ch 2, turn
R8: (insert into second ch from hook) 1 sc, ch 2, turn
R9: (insert into second ch from hook) 2 sc, ch 2, turn
R10: (insert into second ch from hook) 3 sc, ch 2, turn
R11: (insert into second ch from hook) 4 sc, ch 2, turn
R12: (insert into second ch from hook) 5 sc, ch 2, turn
R13: (insert into second ch from hook) 6 sc, ch 1, turn
R14: (insert into second ch from hook) 6 sl st
Draw up grey yarn through the lime loop left on hook. Turn hourglass on it's side and begin working evenly into the row sides
greyR1: sk first row, 9 sc (four down one side, one at the thinnest point of the hourglass and four up the other side), sk last row, ch 1
greyR2: sk first st, sc, dc, htr, tr, htr, dc, sc, sk last st, sl st into that first grey connecting st
Repeat these two rows on the other side of the hourglass, stretching it to take a circular shape as you go
blackRnd1: Attach black anywhere on the circumference and sc evenly around.

Highlight hourglass by using needle and yarn to outline the hourglass with black yarn.

Add 4 sequins at 12 o'clock, 3 o'clock, 6 o'clock and 9 o'clock with sewing thread and needle.

Risers (make 2 in black)
Magic Circle (6)
Rnd 1: 2 sc in ea st (12)
Rnd 2: *2 sc in next st, sc* around (18)
F.O. and leave long tail of yarn

Whip stitch together and secure to the middle of watch. With a piece of lime yarn, thread the omnitrix face through the center of the hourglass, down through the risers and watch band and gently secure on the underside of band. The tension on this shouldn't be too tight so the face can be turned for "realistic" play :)

Once the face is attached, sew the bead onto the band just under the edge of the omnitrix (at 6 o'clock). When the watch is on a wrist, it will show.

Add the large black button to the side of watch opposite the button hole. The yarn will stretch a bit, so make it nice and snug to start with.

Action Shot

Pink Flower

2011-05-27T10:12:00.000-07:00

My little Ballerina had her first recital this spring! She was the most graceful one in her class. No, I'm not biased. Well, okay, a little. But she *was* a perfect vision in pink that night!

I thought my tiny dancer needed to feel like a ballerina from head to toe. Leotard...pink! Tutu...pink! Toes...painted pink! But she needed a little pink to adorn her lovely ballerina bun.

photography courtesy of www.timdenison.com

I have never before worked with crochet 10 thread (and the itty bitty crochet hook that goes with). I think I dried out my contacts for not blinking as I worked on this, but it was worth it! We pinned the flower atop her bun with bobby pins and it actually stayed on for the entire recital :)

Kari's Ponderings...Next year when all 3 kiddos are in full day school I'm thinking I may have the time to bust out some more of these darling hair frou frous for my future etsy store. I think they could appeal to little girls and big girls alike! I know I like to mix fancy with the everyday when I dress so I have sported the frou frou in my hair with a sage button-up, pair a jeans and my gold flats. I think they'd be well received on a handmade site. What crocheted items would you be tempted to buy on etsy?

Boo Gets a Promotion

2011-05-24T10:09:00.000-07:00

Of all the Super Mario Bros characters, my daughter seems to have a special place in her heart for the villans. My daughter is sweet as can be and adores animals, so the thought of a mean old plumber attacking turtle-esque creatures seemed inhumane (even if the dragon-y Bowser did capture the princess...she simply has more compassion for the animals than the spoiled princesses of the world). She also was attached to the flying Boos. These round ghosties are quite shy and if you look at them they will cover their eyes and stay put. But turn your back on them for one moment and they'll quickly sneak up on you! They may not be an animal, but really, they are kind of ☺adorable☺.

So for Christmas she got a Boo. Using wolfdreamer's clever pattern, I made him in a super soft acrylic white yarn and he was squishy and snuggly. I had used sticky backed felt for the eyes and the mouth was sort of a disaster of red yarn I tried to fashion into a mouth.

Boo as he was first made

At first he got played with often, but it wasn't long before the eyes would fall off and even though I'd stick some new ones on they too would fall off and eventually he got played with less and less. Yesterday I found Boo stuffed into a corner of the bed, forgotten, eyes missing and I thought to myself ...
Boo needs a promotion.

My first improvement was to give Boo some proper eyes. I have found that sticky-backed felt is NOT a great invention for a toy that actually gets played with. So I busted out the normal black and white felt and sewed on some eyes that should stay put.

Next, I dealt with his mouth. I make no exaggeration when I say I am not a perfectionist when it comes to embroidery. My hand stitching always turns out for the best if it's on the underside of something you'll never see. Now, I can get the job done, but...it's not pretty. Thus Boo's first mouth. So, it was back to the felt pack to make this better. I didn't even bother with taking out the red yarn, but rather cut out the mouth and teeth and secured them to hide my first attempt. I decided to not make the extra long tongue, and instead sewed the teeth onto Boos old mouth and left the red part of the mouth to hang down in a tongue-like fashion.

Now Boo had had to put up with a lot, so I made his promotion complete when I introduced him into royalty with a proper crown. Small diamond shaped blue felt was sewn on as jewels and....

King Boo

his transformation is complete! He's a lot more "put together" (as a king should be) and should be able to withstand some more love and play from his adoring playmate!

Chain Chomp Hat

2011-05-22T11:05:00.000-07:00

I had a brilliant idea to crochet something Super Mario Bros related for each of my children this Christmas. There are some GREAT patterns and inspiration out there but I was still fairly green at this crochet thing and the amazing patterns like wolfdreamer's Mario and Luigi seemed a bit out of my league. So after much deliberation I settled on the Chain Chomp Hat for my eldest. I figured it could get double use as a toy and keep his ears warm through the winter.

My inspiration for this project was based entirely on fashiondiva's creation at Cut Out + Keep found here. I dug around for cute & easy crocheted beanie and decided to follow this pattern but kept the rounds going amigurumi style instead of joining as suggested.

*4 dc into one st, sk, sl st, sk* repeat for scalloping

To the beanie pattern I added a scallop edging in white for teeth front and back. I fastened white sc chains made into loops as eyes.

back of hat has teeth, too

Grey sc chains made into loops attached at the tippy top are his chain (gotta have one broken chain at the end to show that he's OFF HIS CHAIN - WATCH OUT!)

It turned out a bit big for a 9-year-old head but did get some use and perhaps his brains will grow into it in the coming years.

Thanks to my ☺adorable☺ model you can see just how large it turned out with a G hook and WW yarn.

I'll post the my other Nintendo Super Mario Bros crocheted projects soon!

International Yarn Bombing Day - June 11th

2011-05-19T13:22:00.000-07:00

Calling all Fiber Artists!! Want to be a part of history and contribute to the first ever International Yarn Bombing Day on June 11th? You know you wanna! Check out YarnBombing to get more information on yarn bomb sites being planned near you (or designate one for your city!).

I am happy to report that there is an approved site for June 11th in my neck of the woods:
☺ Portland, OR ☺. Check it...

Celebrate Intl' Yarn Bombing Day Sat, June 11 by yarn bombing Director Park in Portland, OR (www.DirectorPark.org). It's Rose Festival's Grand Floral Parade day so floral patterns encouraged. Recommended fixtures include silver pillars (40.5" circum, 22" high), light posts in park (16" circum), bike racks (4.75" circum), white pillars (40.5 " circum). Please, no tree yarn bombs. This is an approved site.

~Taken from the International Yarn Bombing Day facebook page

I am in love with the idea of beautifying our area with spontaneous yarn as previously mentioned here so as soon as I saw this my mind began racing with just what I could contribute! I'm already starting to whip up some ❁roses❁ to adorn a lucky light post. But I don't want to spoil the surprise, so here's just a GLIMPSE.

Yarn Bombing in Bainbridge

2011-05-18T19:41:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite recent pastimes (can a pastime be recent? hmmm...) is photo bombing. I have been successful 2 times at sticking my face into a picture not meant to be taken of me. Once was a few years ago in Seattle at a Mariner's game with my co-bomber Laura. The second was at a Dave Matthews Band Concert in 2011 at the Gorge in George, WA. It's definitely a rush when you've committed to the bomb and then walk away as if you did nothing out of the ordinary (and hope that they don't notice until you are out of sight!). I laugh to think of them checking the digital view finder after taking the picture and notice a smiling face they don't know. HAHHAHAHA!

So YARN bombing has a somewhat similar idea behind it: secretly putting some yarn creation up where it isn't expected to be, all in good fun. But in yarn bombing the specific idea is to creatively & secretly beautify an area with yarn or other fiber creations.

On a recent trip to Bainbridge Island in Washington state, I was able to see a yarn bomb first hand. As a crochet nut, I can tell you that I was particularly giddy to see this "sock" adorning a sign post:

How warm and cozy this once cold metal sign post looked on a blustery day in early April! Not only is it fascinating to see such an abnormally long "sock" on a pole, but all the various hues excite my craze with colors.

It may not be such a shock to find out that this sign was on the corner next to a shopping strip in Bainbridge where this lovely store was located:

ChurchMouse Yarns & Teas is as darling inside as it is outside. I wanted to go through and touch EVERYTHING! The projects they had inside were nearly all knitting work and beautifully arranged to, again, play on my love of colors:

photos courtesy of Tim Denison Photography

Vancouver, WA doesn't have a specialty yarn store, but I know that Portland, OR does so I will be visiting those SOON because the warmth and atmosphere that yarn stores have is much more alluring than the rather sterile feel of Michaels and JoAnns. And of course there's no comparison as far as selection goes. The ChurchMouse boasts of having several goodies to fancy a person's love for tea and sure enough there were darling chinas and teas scattered among the fuzzy fibers and soft silks.

So if you ever are in Seattle and looking for a charming, out-of-the-way yarn shop that deserves your patronage, just hop on the 35 minute ferry to Bainbridge Island and go explore this lovely little yarn shop (you'll know you are close when you see the sign post cozy :)

Apples & Teacher Appreciation Banner

2011-05-16T17:52:00.000-07:00

I am in charge of our teacher/staff appreciation Potato Bar Lunch at my kiddos' elementary school this week. I thought I'd decorate the teacher's lounge with a cute banner of some sort. Looking for inspiration, I stumbled upon this adorable website How Does She? with free printables for special occasions such as....teacher appreciation! I printed and trimmed up the banner letters and lay them out...

After a few moments of staring at the mini banner (they are sitting on a 12x12 piece of paper for size comparison) inspiration did, in fact, hit: I needed to string them together with yarn and punctuate it with crocheted apple slices!

So after a bit more searching I found a pattern for the type of apple slices I wanted and adapted it to fit my mini banner. You can locate the original pattern from lion brand yarn here. Below are my modifications:

G hook
White, Red, Black & Green WW yarns

Worked in the round

Apple Slices (using White)

Magic Circle (6)
Rnd 1: 2 sc around (12)
Rnd 2: *sc, 2 sc in next st* around (18)
Rnd 3: *sc 2, 2 sc in next st* around (24)
Rnd 4: *sc 3, 2 sc in next st* around (30)
Rnd 5: *sc 4, 2 sc in next st* around (36)
Change to Red
Rnd 6: *sc 5, 2 sc in next st* around (42)
F.O. and weave in ends

Embroider black seeds and fold in half and whip stitch together with red yarn.
The rest of the pattern is according to the lion brand website.

I really wanted to crochet into the paper banner and after a trial run I used this method:

Using a small hole punch, punch 2 holes in each banner letter (or banner apple).

Using an E sized hook, I inserted the hook into the left hole front to back and gently pulled through a loop.

yo and sl st

Ch 4

With yarn on hook, insert hook into right hole front to back.

yo and sl st

Ch 5

Take next banner letter and repeat this process, gently using the sl st to pull the yarn through each hole, chain 4 while on the banner and chain 5 when connecting banner letters.

I chained an equal amount on either side of the banner and attached the apples. The end result made me smile! I can't wait to see it all hung up in the teacher's lounge, adorably proclaiming our appreciation of Walnut Grove Elementary's awesome staff!

Skateboard for your Puffle

2011-05-16T08:40:00.000-07:00

After making the black puffles for my kids, they hinted that skateboarding is what makes their new pets the most happy. They also just happened to mention that as good puffle owners, they needed to provide said entertainment for them. I obliged.

This simple pattern will take you 15 minutes at most and is worked in rows. Note that you will always start the new row in the second ch from hook unless otherwise noted.

G Hook
WW yarn
4 large plastic beads (for the wheels)

Ch 22
Row 1: 21 sc, ch 2, turn
Row 2: 22 sc, ch 2, turn
Row 3: 23 sc, ch 1, turn
Row 4: 23 sc, ch 1, turn
Row 5: 23 sc, ch 1 turn
Row 6: sctog2, 19 sc, sctog2, ch 1, turn
Row 7: 19 sc, sctog2, ch 1 turn
Row 8: sl st 20 across
Continue to sl st around the rest of the circumference (8 sl st on short side, 21 sl st on foundation ch, 9 sl st on short side)
Sl st into last ch of Row 7
F.O. & Weave ends

The board should be slightly concave after the sl st "oval" is complete. Find the bottom of board and position the 4 bead "wheels" using yarn or embroidery thread to secure them to skateboard. Weave ends.

Voila! One perfect fitting skateboard for the puffle pattern I posted!

Variation: Don't put beads on and you have a snowboard ;)

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-05-15T15:57:00.000-07:00

Nom-Nom....

Puffles love cookies! And what child's tea party is complete without a batch of these cute, crumb-free munchies? They are super quick & easy and guilt-free with 0 calories :)

As with all amigurumi, these cookies are worked in rounds

G Hook
A small amount of tan yarn (cookie rounds)
A tiny amount of darker brown (chips)
Yarn Needle

Cookie (make 2)
Magic Circle (5)
Rnd 1: 2 sc in each st around (10)
Rnd 2: *sc 1, 2 sc in next st* 5 times (15)
Rnd 3: *sc 2, 2 sc in next st* 5 times (20)
Rnd 4: *sc 3, 2 sc in next st* 5 times (25)
Rnd 5: sc 25

Use darker brown and make chips on one (or both) sides.
Place both cookies with wrong sides together and whip stitch the edges together. No stuffing necessary.

P.S. I felt the need for rainbow chips for this batch! I love variety. Perhaps I'll make frosted cookies one day soon...

Bowling Pins

2011-05-13T12:47:00.000-07:00

As promised, an accessory for your Puffle!

This 5" pin is the perfect size for your puffle to bowl over. You can also make a whole set of 10, use a small ball and try to bowl a strike!

As with all amigurumi, this bowling pin is worked in rounds

G Hook
WW yarn in 2 colors (main color & stripe)
Small weights (I use flat marbles)
Fiber Fill Stuffing

Bowling Pin (Start with main color)
Magic Circle (6)
Rnd 1: 2 sc in each st around (12)
Rnd 2: *sc, 2 sc in next st* around (18)
Rnd 3: *sc 2, 2 sc in next st* around (24)
Rnd 4: *sc 3, 2 sc in next st* around (30)
Rnd 5 - Rnd 9: sc 30 (30 ea)
Rnd 10: *sc 3, invdec* around (24)
Rnd 11: *sc 2, invdec* around (18)
Rnd 12: sc 18 (18)
Rnd 13: *sc, invdec* around (12)
*** put in weights and begin stuffing, continue stuffing firmly as you go***

Change to Stripe Color, leaving Main Color string hanging behind for the next 4 rows
Rnd 14: sc 12 (12)
Rnd 15: sc 12 (12)
Rnd 16: sc 12 (12)
Rnd 17: sc 12 (12)

Cut off a tail of Stripe Color and pick up Main Color for the duration
Rnd 18: *sc 2, 2 sc in next st* around (16)
Rnd 19: *sc 3, 2 sc in next st* around (20)
Rnd 20: sc 20 (20)
Rnd 21: *sc 3, invdec* around (15)
Rnd 22: *sc 3, invdec* around (12)
Rnd 23: invdec around (6)
Gently pull closed
F.O. and weave in ends

Puffle!

2011-05-13T12:40:00.000-07:00

From Disney's Club Penguin come these fun-loving, adorable little pets! They are a bit lopsided and in need of a flat surface so starting at the bottom of the puffle is a small rectangle base. The amigurumi rounds after that are irregular at times. Just be sure to count and you'll have this cute, little 3" puffle in your hands in no time!

Yarn: WW yarn in any color for puffle body (Main Color)
         White WW yarn for eyes
         Matching fancy fur yarn for hair
         Black WW yarn for outlining eyes and detailing the mouth

H Hook

Notions: Embroidery thread (I used silver for the pupils)
               Yarn Needle
               Fiber Fill
               Small weights (I used flat marbles)

PUFFLE BODY (use Main Color)
**note for rows 1-3: After you chain 1, turn the row and sc in the second chain from the hook**
Ch 7
Row 1: sc 6, ch 1
Row 2: sc 6, ch 1
Row 3: sc 6, ch 1
Row 4: sc 6

Begin working in the round on short side of rectangle as shown:

Key for Illustration 1:
o = ch 1
x = 1 sc
follow arrows around 3 sides of the rectangle

Written explanation for Illustration 1:
1st short side: ch 1, sc 3, ch 1
1st long side: sc 6 (on back stitches of foundation chain)
2nd short side: ch 1, sc 3, ch 1

This brings us back to the first stitch of Row 4 (the BOLD X in illustration 1).
Continue working in the round (total number stitches per round found in parenthesis):

Rnd 1: *sc 1, 2 sc in next st* 11 times (33)
Rnd 2: sc 33
Rnd 3: sc 33
Rnd 4: sc 33
Rnd 5: sc 33
Rnd 6: sc 33
Rnd 7: sc 33
Rnd 8: *sc 1, invdec* 11 times (22)
Rnd 9: *sc 2, invdec* 6 times, sc 2 (17)
Rnd 10: *sc 2, invdec* 4 times, sc 1 (13)
***Put weights in bottom and begin stuffing firmly. Continue stuffing as you go.***
Rnd 11: sc 13, sc 1 or 2 more (to make the platform parallel with the rectangle bottom)
Rnd 12: sl st together to form a platform for the hair to attach to as shown by illustration 2
F.O. and weave in ends

Illustration 2 shows how you sl st 2 tog with 13, 3 tog with 12, etc. to make the "Platform"

HAIR (Fancy fur)
This part is very much free form. Attach fur string onto the platform and here's what I did:
loose dc
1 sc three or four rows down away from platform (down the "scalp")
loose dc
1 sc back on platform
loose dc
1 sc three or four rows down away from platform (down the "scalp")
loose dc
1 sc back on platform
Repeat around circumference of head and when you are satisfied with the amount of hair
F.O. and weave in ends
Change to Main Color
Attach to one side of platform
ch 6, attach on platform
ch 6, attach on platform **do this a total of 4 times around the front and 5 times around the back, connecting the first and last stitches with a sl st**
Because it's worsted weight yarn, you can make it stand up in little arcs around puffle's head. This creates the cartoon feel of puffle's hair, almost like it's the outline for the fancy fur to fill in.

EYES (make 2, in white)

Magic Circle (5)

Round 1: 2 sc in next st around (10)

F.O. and weave in ends

To finish eyes:

Using embroidery needle & thread, satin stitch the pupils in desired color
Pin eyes in place, overlap slightly making sure not to make them perfectly round
Using yarn needle sew on with white yarn
Outline the OUTSIDE ONLY of eyes in black yarn

Using yarn needle sew on other details in black yarn (mouth, optional eyebrows, etc)
Each Puffle has it's own personality and expression so have fun making yours unique!

ALTERNATE IDEAS FOR HAIR / DARK COLORS

I wanted to note that when I made black puffles there was the extra challenge of how or if to highlight the eyes and mouth. Black puffle is known for being the "strong, silent type" and is shown wearing a sneaky smile on his face and squinty eyes. I decided to outline the eyes by making a foundation chain long enough to circle the eyes after I'd pinned them in place. I then sewed the chain onto the eyes and puffle body at the same time. The goal was to make the eyes a bit smaller. As you can see one turned out more "squinty" than the other). Even though it's black on black it still gives some definition and texture to the eyes in person. I chose white for the boys mouths and pink for eyelashes and mouth on the girls. There was a request for a flower for her hair, too...cute right?

I didn't have any black fancy fur so I did latch hook style knots with short strips of yarn all across the platform and scalp. I didn't have the latch hook tool, but a crochet hook works well enough for this short project. The kids like that they can play with the hair and style it a bit :)

No sooner were the puffles in my kids' hands than I started having requests for proper puffle accessories so be sure to check back in the coming weeks for amigurumi bowling pins, skateboards & cookies!

Welcome!

2011-05-09T15:02:00.000-07:00

Welcome to The Hook Brings You Back! For the past 2 years I've enjoyed crocheting scarves, bags, gloves and hats. I got absolutely hooked, however, on amigurumi style stuffed animals & characters. I enjoy the challenge of making the characters look as much like the original as possible. My kids are my hardest critics and I feel a sense of accomplishment when they give their nod of approval.

Before I held a hook, the thought of crochet conjured images of potholders, delicate white doilies, and circles of gossiping grannies sipping earl grey. I'm pleased to announce that I couldn't have been more wrong! With clever sites like Nerdigurumi and Ravelry just a click away, it's easy to see that crochet isn't just for granny anymore. From crocheted slouchy hats, to Twinkie Chan's irresistible scarves , and colorful totes to crocheted play food there are just so many fun, hip things to make!

I will use this blog to
☝ Post and Boast about crochet projects finished or otherwise
☝☝ Share my own patterns for you to enjoy and use
☝☝☝ Give my thoughts on yarn-related books, sites, and any other crocheted thing I'm hooked on

So I invite you to join me and be inspired to create beautiful & colorful, playful & funky, soft & snuggly crocheted things! And if you are new to crochet, don't be afraid to just give it a try. But be forewarned: The hook will bring you back...

photo by Tim Denison Photography

☺Kari☺