Tag: animals

Friend? Friend!

After all those Peeps (quite a few Peeps indeed!), finally I have finished my next big project, the rhino pattern from Kerry Lord’s Edward’s Menagerie. (If you want to buy him as just a PDF or block, this one is Austin the Rhino.) Not much to say about him except that I made a couple modifications to the end of his horn (I could not physically do the final three-stitch decrease to one,) and adlibbing his tail because I didn’t feel like doing the braid.

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Not A Peep Out Of You

While obviously things are *gestures to the world at large* this year, we are still nearing Easter. And that means this adorable free pattern from Whiskers And Wool for Marshmallow Bunnies is making the rounds. Next thing I know, I’m making eight of them for various friends and family. They work up super-fast – I can make one, start to finish, in about an hour, since each side is only two rounds and the ears and it’s only two pieces to sew together. The trickiest part is probably just the finishings – since they’re so small, you want to get their eyes as well-placed as possible, and the ears are tricky to stuff. I actually didn’t stuff my second one’s ears today (the one on the left), and I think it works fine. Round 2’s the most involved actual crocheting, since all the shaping’s there, but it’s got a nice rhythm to it. I’m sure by the time I’m done with these, I’ll have it memorized. The purple was most popular, but I’m also going to be doing them in the other standard Peep colors of pink, yellow, and blue – I’ll keep you posted! (I mean, um, ‘standard completely generic Easter colors unassociated with any classic seasonal candies’. Obviously. Yeah.)

Antarctic Buddy

Well, nothing like social distancing to get you making extra progress on a nice, big project! This guy’s a commission for my aunt, from Amigurumi Parents And Baby Animals (specifically, as you can see, the cover project by Janine Holmes of Moji-Moji Design.) He’s pretty cute, though some of his patternwork (specifically the back of his head, which requires a series of increases, decreases, and slip stitches into slip stitches on the ends of rows) was pretty tricky.My aunt asked for just the Papa Penguin, not the baby as well. While that baby in the stroller is precious, that would be a lot of wirework to transport (since she lives in California and I’m on the east coast) so I am perfectly fine with that. He’s quite a cutie! My next projects are all pretty big, especially since the one I’ve been in progress on since January is another doll I’ve been working on in my spare time. I might give an in-progress shot or two of Noodleman to keep from being too drought-like over here!

Shelly Friend

Finishing up my commissions for the year is this turtle for some friends! Isn’t it cute? Worked up fast once I got my brain in gear, especially since it’s pretty simple shapes. I like the rim – it’s really simple (crocheting the bottom of the shell to the top and then doing a round in front loops only,) but has a neat effect! Still need to work on that limb placement, though. After this… Well, I just got a couple patterns for a certain sci fi sensation, let’s just say that.

Shelly Friend

Finishing up my commissions for the year is this turtle for some friends! Isn’t it cute? Worked up fast once I got my brain in gear, especially since it’s pretty simple shapes. I like the rim – it’s really simple (crocheting the bottom of the shell to the top and then doing a round in front loops only,) but has a neat effect! Still need to work on that limb placement, though. After this… Well, I just got a couple patterns for a certain sci fi sensation, let’s just say that.

Husky, Husky, Whoo-woo-woo!

My mom’s a Bloomsburg alum, I regret nothing.

This one took a WHILE. Back in September, my aunt asked me if I’d do a commission for her, since her sister-in-law had a baby. Sure, said I, and she suggested, and bought for me, this Husky pattern by AuroraGurumi. Which is adorable!Thing I did not check beforehand: Size. Thing I did not fully conceptualize before making the head: Just how BIG a twelve-inch plush toy is. With her permission, I shelved the project in the lead up to the craft shows (back in mid-October,) and started work on it again after them and a last-minute further commission. Still, it is done, and it is CUTE!The nose embroidery comes courtesy, once again, of my mother, since I typically struggle with adjacent stitches like that so she filled in after my original, less-neat attempt. Thank you once again, because it is adorable!

I did the pattern mostly as written, with two exceptions: First, the body parts as written are attached during crocheting the main body in a way I couldn’t quite parse, so I just sewed them on. Second, the arms as written are almost ten rounds longer – and end up much longer than the legs. Since this was intended as a cuddle buddy and less of a hanger-on of things, I decided it would probably be best to shorten them. While I don’t think I’ll be doing any patterns quite this large again anytime soon, it is super-cute and I’m glad how it turned out! (One more outstanding commission for the year and then I’m going to make a couple completely self-indulgent things for a bit. I learned this craft so I would buy fewer toys because I could make them myself, and if I don’t get the chance to I start eyeing the Kingdom Hearts Funko Pops.)

More Giraffe

Well I started off the year with first a stomach bug, then a cold, then nasty allergies from a major home renovation leading to major dust kickup. So crafting’s been a bit on the backburner, but finally I’ve finished something!

It’s another giraffe for the coming cousin. Last scarf will be finished soon. Pattern is the same giraffe from ElenasTimes, and the materials are the same as well. Nice to have something finished finally! And with any luck it can now be shipped and arrive in Seattle before the baby’s born.