Happy Halloween everyone!
Every year, I tried to convince my husband to dress up. He's not a fan. So when I saw these crochet brain slugs from Louie's Loops, I knew I had to make them because they'll be an easy and tolerable costume for a Futurama fan.
Thanks for sharing the pattern, Louie's Loops.
Is any part of your costume crocheted? Do share in the comments.
Stitch and Unwind has pointed out a useful video and instructions on how to find the two yarn ends of your skein on allfreeknitting.com. Take a look. (Another great tip they mentioned in the video is to pull both ends of a clump of tangled yarn to unwind it)
Just want to share some great inexpensive ways to store yarn:
Cornflower Blue Studio makes use of clothespins to keep bits of left over yarn organized. You never know when you'll need just a bit of a colour. Also make great decorations for your house I think.
In Home Made Simple, they turn mason jars into yarn dispenser. Great when you're doing a project that carries colours and you need to keep everything separate. (Check out their other suggestions to repurpose jars)
I've been slacking off on my posting. Just got back to work and it's been tiring, but I'm still crocheting along to keep me in zen mode.
Never thought I would make anything Hello Kitty, since I've always been more of a Little Twin Stars girl, but my first hat is a Hello Kitty one, using the free pattern shared by Crochet in Color (thanks!) and it always feels good to be able to do something for your friends. Don't you agree?
Anyway, I would love some advice on how you determine the size and when to stop increasing. My first attempt, even though it seemed to be measured right, was way too big, so big that it fits me, even though I was aiming for a toddler hat. Now I'm waiting to hear if my second attempt fits or not. Crossing my fingers.
Here are some other free Hello Kitty crochet hat patterns I found: Inspirednest.ca • Crochet Creative Creations
It's that time of the year again. Back to school. I remember those days, and the most exciting thing is always getting school supplies. Is that what you'll be doing this weekend?
A set of crayons for art classes.
Now that you've mastered the single crochet, let's go back and learn the magic ring, the preferred way of starting an amigurumi round. Also called: adjustable ring, magic loop Good to know: You can substitute the initial "Ch 2. __ sc in 2nd chain from hook" instruction with the magic ring, doing the designated number of single crochets in the ring. Tutorial: Check out my previous post.
8. Increase Abbreviation: inc How to: If you know how to do a single crochet, you know how to increase. Instead of working one single crochet into a stitch, you do more than one, which will increase the overall width (in rows) or circumference (in rounds).
Sometimes the pattern will just say "2 stitches in the next stitch", instead of "increase", and that's exactly what this is. Purpose: Increasing (and decreasing) helps shape your amigurumi. Good to know:
• Usually you will space out your increases evenly across the round. In patterns, for example, you'll see:
*1 sc in the next 2 st, inc* repeat 2 times
We'll look at deciphering patterns later, but the above basically means:
Stitch 1: 1 single crochet
Stitch 2: 1 single crochet
Stitch 3: 2 single crochets in the same stitch (= increase)
Stitch 4: 1 single crochet
Stitch 5: 1 single crochet
Stitch 6: 2 single crochets in the same stitch (= increase)
In your previous round, you have 6 stitches, and in this round, you'll have 8 stitches because of the increase.
• It's important to keep your increases gradual and incremental. If you increase too drastically right away, you'll end up having a bunched up look.
• Increases are easy to do, but keeping track of how many stitches you've done and when you need to increase can be tricky in the beginning. Try a stitch counter.
9. Right Side and Wrong Side
• The "right side" (abbreviation: RS) = the front of your piece
• The "wrong" side= the back. How to tell: The stitches look different (check out the video below)
Another quick way to tell in amigurumi that is worked in rounds is that the side with the yarn tail from your magic circle sticking out is the "wrong" side. Good to know: Whether you choose to show the right or the wrong side of your piece to the world is really up to you, and unlike the names, there really is no right or wrong. To ensure your amigurumi's surface looks uniform, you just have to make sure that all your pieces have the same side showing. More information and comparison:
• All About Ami • Video from Nerdigurumi comparing the differences. Interestingly, the sizes and shapes of the balls change depending on which side you've showing:
10. Front Loops and Back Loops
You will come across instructions that tell you to work in a specific part of a stitch, so what are they talking about exactly?
Let Stitch Diva Studio explain with a photo tutorial.
Good to know: Stitches that are worked in, for example, just the front loop, will look different from stitches that are worked in, say, the back loops. Crochet makes use of the different looks to add texture to your piece.
Take a look at this Crochet Spot's comparison.
11. Decrease
Abbreviation: dec, sc2tog (single crochet 2 together)
We saw how an increase makes the "circle" get bigger earlier. To make it go smaller, you'll need a decrease. Here, you're trying to join two stitches in the previous round together by making one stitch only. How to:
1. Skip a stitch: generally not recommended because of the hole you'll leave in your piece.
2. Insert the hook into one stitch, yarn over, and draw up a loop. You don't complete that stitch, but insert the hook immediately into the next stitch, yarn over, and draw up another loop. Now you've three loops on your hook. You yarn over, and pull through all loops at once. However...
I've never done anything but Planet June's invisible decrease to make sure the amigurumi looks as good as it can without too many bumps and holes caused by the decrease.
You can also check out All About Ami's photo tutorial on how to do an invisible decrease.
p.s. An invisible decrease requires you to work in the front loops, hence all that talk earlier about parts of a stitch.
Putting it all together: Let's crochet something already!
Now that you have all these stitches and techniques in your bag, let's try doing a common sphere shape, which will make use of the magic circle, single crochet, increase and decrease.
I find following videos and crocheting along is one of the best way to learn. Reading instructions can give you a headache sometimes, but if you've someone there to guide you through it's a lot less painful.
Here's one version of crocheting a ball. You'll find others on youtube.
Note: The crocheter in the video uses two different decreases techniques. You can see how your piece will look, and you can also substitute one row with the invisible decrease and see which method you like better.
The Crochet Crowd and AllFreeCrochet are holding a Crocodile Stitch Challenge contest (deadline September 30). Enter and you'll have a chance to win 5000 feet of yarn. Fancy that! Check out the online contest information.
At the fair the other day, we walked through the barn and saw a whole ton of cows. They looked nice and relaxed and kids were all snuggled up with them and didn't bother them one bit. Not as many white and black kinds as you'll find in cow amigurumi though.
Studio Ami has definitely perfected the idea of "cuteness".
When I made my Neapolitan Ice Cream Popsicle, one thing that irked me was that the strawberry and vanilla parts are done in rounds, while the chocolate part has to be done in rows. Because doing rows involves turning, the back of the stitches will show up in alternate rows on the outside of the popsicle (the "right side" in crochet terms).
I tried to tell myself that the stitches look close enough, but I know they're not.
Here's how turning makes your piece look. Notice the ridges on the surface.
At that point, the only alternative way I could find is not to turn and just crochet with your other hand (left in my case) every other row. I tried, believe me, I tried, but my left hand just wasn't cooperating.
Today, I stumbled upon a video on flat tapestry crochet, and long and behold, there is a way that doesn't involve me trying to be ambidextrous.
Meet single crochet in reverse.
All you have to do is that for the rows where you're working with the wrong side of the piece facing you, you insert the hook into the stitch from back to front, instead of the usual way.
Here's a demo from Toni Rexroat from CrochetMe:
And this is how your piece will look like (left), compared to the original (right):
Hurray! The stitches look the same on the right side.
I know I'm probably being too picky, but it can make a difference on an amigurumi. Anyway, just another technique for your consideration. Enjoy!
It's seven in the morning and all I can think of that cup of Joe, so while mine is brewing, I thought I'd look up some coffee patterns.
My absolute favourite is Britanny's "You Made Me So Frappe", even though I generally drink black coffee. The fabric paint looks exactly like syrup.
Alright, you've got your hook and you've got your yarn. Now we're ready to make something.
To create amigurumi, there are not too, too many basic stitches you'll need to know. Since there are many video tutorials online, I'm going to jot down quirks I've learned along the way, and list good links to check out instead of reinventing the wheel.
Note: UK and Am patterns use different terminology, so be sure to check which version of terms the pattern is using.
Here are the basic stitches / techniques. Feel free to jump to the video tutorials if you just want to get right to it.
As you may have read from this post, many amigurumi pieces begin with a magic ring. However, to make a magic ring, you need to know how to do single crochet. So, to practise this common stitch, I'd recommend learning to do a chain first.
Making chains is useful to know anyway when you need to crochet something flat, like an applique for your amigurumi.
1. Slip Knot: Getting the Yarn on the Hook Before You Start
There are many different ways to tie this knot onto your hook.
Here are a couple: Crochet Spot • Stitch Diva Studios Good to know: Slip knot doesn't count as a chain / a stitch.
2. Holding Your Yarn Just Right
With one hand holding your hook, the next thing is to figure out how to hold what is called the working yarn in the other hand.
There are again many different ways to do this. The important thing here is to keep the tension on the yarn at a comfortable level as you crochet. Most people on crochet videos I've watched have the yarn wrapped around their pinky finger, and they bring the yarn up and over the pointer finger, using those two fingers to adjust the amount of yarn you're "feeding" to your work.
Example: Crochet Spot
3. Yarn Over Hook (Often seen in patterns as YO)
Another fundamental in crochet. After you insert your hook, you will wrap the yarn around your hook before you draw your hook back out. In some stitches, you'll also wrap the yarn before you insert the hook. As the name implies, make sure the yarn is "on top" of the hook and not under.
4. Making a Chain
Pop quiz: how many chains have been made so far?
Next we'll make a chain (also called foundation chain). It looks very similar to the paper chains you may have made when you're small. Abbreviation: ch
Chart symbol: circle / oval Good to know:
• The slip knot doesn't count as a chain (even though sometimes it suspiciously looks like one)
• The loop on your hook also doesn't count.
• You want your chains to be uniform in size. Using your thumb and middle finger to hold onto the previous chain as you make the next chain will help.
The middle strand is basically the bottom strand of the next chain
I didn't realize there are different ways to crochet into the chain until way later, and I was doing it not necessarily the wrong way but just not the most desirable in my opinion.
Insert your hook under the top strand of the chain
Or insert your hook under the top and middle, right above the bottom strand
Or turn your chain over and insert it into the "hump" on the back of the chain
All three ways are "right" so to speak, and it's really a matter of personal preference. Detailed explanation can be found at Crochet Cabana. If you like your stitches nice and snug you may want to avoid the first method.
6. Single crochet: Basic of Basics
Finally! Now you're ready to build on that chain you made. Abbreviation: sc Chart symbol: X or + sign UK equivalent: double crochet Use: The bulk of what you'll do in amigurumi is single crochet, and that's why most people will tell you that amigurumi is not too, too hard to learn, because you don't have to know a lot of the fancy crochet stitches. Tutorial: Crochet Spot, or check out the following video.
And putting it all together...
Watching someone else is my preferred way of learning, so here're some links and great videos that can show you all the things we've talked about so far. Keep an eye on how these crocheters hold the yarn and do yarn over and all that.
• Hooks and Needles: this is the series of videos I watched a few months ago to learn to crochet. These were the only tutorials that made sense to me at that time.
• How to Start Crochet with Mikey: The first 6 minutes of so of this video covers all the above techniques, then it moves to doing double crochet. You can't get clearer instructions than Mikey's in my humble opinion.
Video tutorial from Mikey
• SassySophelia: First 6 minutes or so shows how to do a slip knot, a chain and single crochet.
Phew. That was a long post, and we've only just got to the fun part. More basic stitches and techniques to come...
After I've crocheted some stuff for myself, I wanted to make something for my husband as a surprise. I had to secretly work on it for weeks. I told him I was crocheting something for him, but he couldn't quite figure out what. Success.
And here he is: Blue Badger!
My husband loves his video games, and he'll often attach himself to these weird but cute characters in them. Blue Badger is one of his favourites. Blue Badger is the mascot of the police department from the DS game Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, and all his fans know the tune to his little dance.
Not sure how many people are going to make their very own Blue Badger, but I thought I'd put the pattern down anyway. Hope you like it! Sorry I don't have any more pictures of the individual pieces. I always forget to take pics during crocheting.
Dimensions / Gauge: Blue Badger is approximately 7" tall and 4" wide (measuring from crown).
Exact gauge is not important, but as with all amigurumi, crochet tightly to make sure no stuffing will be seen between stitches.
Abbreviations used: (US terms)
rndround
scsingle crochet
ststitch
sl st slip stitch
inv dec invisible decrease
chchain
Number in ( ) at the end of each round: total number of stitches you should have by the end of the round.
Head (without the crown) Using white yarn
Rnd 1
Make a magic ring with 7 sc in it (7).
Rnd 2
2 sc in each st (14)
Rnd 3
*1 sc in next st, then 2 sc in the next* repeat 7 times (21)
Rnd 4
*1 sc in next 2 st, then 2 sc in the next* repeat 7 times (28)
Rnd 5
*1 sc in next 3 st, then 2 sc in the next* repeat 7 times (35)
Rnd 6
*1 sc in next 4 st, then 2 sc in the next* repeat 7 times (42)
Rnd 7
*1 sc in next 5 st, then 2 sc in the next* repeat 7 times (49)
Rnd 8-14
1 sc in each st around (49)
Rnd 15
*1 sc in next 5 st, then 1 inv dec* repeat 7 times (42)
Rnd 16
*1 sc in next 4 st, then 1 inv dec* repeat 7 times (35)
Start stuffing
Rnd 17
*1 sc in next 3 st, then 1 inv dec* repeat 7 times (28)
Rnd 18
*1 sc in next 2 st, then 1 inv dec* repeat 7 times (21)
Rnd 19
*1 sc in next st, then 1 inv dec* repeat 7 times (14)
Rnd 20
Inv dec in each st around (7)
Finish stuffing and close the hole (may I suggest PlanetJune's Ultimate Finish method?) and hide the tail inside the head.
Body Using light blue yarn. We're working from the bottom to the top.
Rnd 1
Make a magic ring with 6 sc in it (6)
Rnd 2
2 sc in each st (12)
Rnd 3
*1 sc in next st, then 2 sc in the next* repeat 6 times (18)
Rnd 4
*1 sc in next st, then 2 sc in the next* repeat 6 times (24)
Rnd 5-11
1 sc in each st around (24)
Rnd 12
*1 sc in next 10 st, then inv dec * repeat 2 times (22)
Rnd 13
*1 sc in next 4 st, then inv dec * repeat 3 times, then 1 sc in the last 4 st (19)
Rnd 14
*1 sc in next 3 st, then inv dec * repeat 3 times, then 1 sc in the next 2 st, then inv dec (15)
Stuff the body. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.
White Patch on Tummy Using white yarn: I worked this one in joined rounds (instructional video link), instead of continuous or spiral, to ensure that the shape turns out circular (so you'll begin with ch 1 and end with sl st in every round)
Rnd 1
Make a magic ring with 6 sc in it (6).
Rnd 2
2 sc in each st (12).
Rnd 3
*1 sc in next st, then 2 sc in the next* repeat 6 times (18).
Rnd 4
*1 sc in next st, then 2 sc in the next* repeat 6 times (24).
Fasten off, and leave a tail for sewing to body. Arms (Make 2) Using light blue yarn. We're working from the hand to the arm
Rnd 1
Make a magic ring with 5 sc in it (5)
Rnd 2
2 sc in each st around (10)
Rnd 3
*1 sc in next st, then 2 sc in the next* repeat 5 times (15)
Rnd 4-5
1 sc in each st around (15) Start stuffing
Rnd 6
*1 sc in next st, then inv dec* repeat 5 times (10)
Rnd 7
*1 sc in next 2 st, then inv dec * repeat 2 times, then 1 sc in the last 2 st (8)
Rnd 8-9
1 sc in each st around (8)
Rnd 10-11
1 sc in each st around in the front loop only (8)
Fasten off. To make it look nicer, you may want to try this invisible join method. Add more stuffing.
Rnd 12
With a new light blue yarn, work in the back loops of Rnd 10, do *1 sc in the next 2 st, then inv dec* 2 times. (6)
Rnd 13-16
1 sc in each st around in both loops (6)
Finish stuffing, and fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.
Legs (Make 2) Using light blue yarn
Rnd 1
Ch 5. 1 sc in the 2nd ch from hook, then 1 sc in the remaining 2 st. Rotate your piece, and do 1 sc in each loop of the other side of the chain (8)
Rnd 2-6
1 sc in each st around
Stuff. Fasten off, and leave a long tail for sewing.
"Crown" This part was a little complicated to figure out, so if you can think of any alternative techniques to make this, I'd really like to hear it. Hopefully the instructions make sense. We're going to start with the middle triangle.
Rnd 1
Make a magic ring with 4 sc in it (4)
Rnd 2
*1 sc in next st, then 2 sc in the next* repeat 2 times (6)
Rnd 3
*1 sc in next 2 st, then 2 sc in the next* repeat 2 times (8)
Rnd 4
*1 sc in next st, then 2 sc in the next* repeat 4 times (12)
Rnd 5
*1 sc in next st, then 2 sc in the next* repeat 6 times (18)
Rnd 6
*1 sc in next 2 st, then 2 sc in the next * repeat 6 times (24)
Rnd 7
Now we're going to work on the triangular tips on both sides.
1 sc in the next 11 st. Ch 12, and sl st into the next st (of the middle triangle)
1 sc in the next 11 st. Ch 12, and sl st into the next st to finish the round.
Rnd 8
1 sc in the next 11 st. Moving onto the chain, 1 sc in the bottom loop of the chain (12 sc all together), 1 sc in the next 11 st, then when you reach the chain, 1 sc in the bottom loop of the 12 chains. (46)
Rnd 9
1 sc in the next 16 st, (you should have reach the tip of farthest left or right point) 1 inv dec, 1 sc in the next 20 st (reach the other tip), 1 inv dec, 1 sc in the last 6 st.
Rnd 10
Now we're going to add the triangular flap that goes on the front of the head between the eyes.
Sl st into the next 2 st. Ch 1. 1 sc in the next 7 st. Ch 1. Turn. (7 for the flap)
Rnd 11
Inv dec, 1 sc in the next 3 st, 1 inv dec (5)
Rnd 12
Inv dec, 1 sc in the next 2 st (4)
Rnd 13
Inv dec, 1 sc in the next st (3)
Rnd 14
Inv dec (1)
Fasten off. If you don't like the "rugged" edges on the two sides of your triangle, you can do a single crochet around that border to make it look nicer. Now we're going to complete the other two "cones" on the top. To determine where to start, just remember that if you're right handed, you are crocheting right to left and clockwise, and the opposite for left-handed.
Rnd 1
Insert hook into the top of the first ch. Draw up a loop with the new yarn and ch 1. 1 sc into the same st, then 1 sc in the remaining 11 st. Connect to the middle triangle by doing 1 sc into one of the stitches there. (13)
Rnd 2
*1 sc in the next st, 1 inv dec* repeat 4 times, 1 sc (9)
Rnd 3
1 sc in each st around (9)
Rnd 4
Dec all around (repeat 4 times), then 1 sc (5)
Fasten off and hide the tail inside. Do the same for the cone on other side. Balls on the "Crown" (Make 3) Using yellow yarn
Rnd 1
Make a magic ring with 6 sc in it (6)
Rnd 2
2 sc in each st around (12)
Rnd 3-4
1 sc in each st around (12) Start stuffing
Rnd 5
*1 sc in the next st, then inv dec* repeat 6 times (6)
Finish stuffing. You can close the hole (for example with the Ultimate Finish method?) and leave the tail for sewing.
Red Baton Using red yarn. Lightly stuff.
Rnd 1
Make a magic ring with 3 sc in it (3)
Rnd 2
2 sc in each st around (6)
Rnd 3-6
1 sc in each st around (6) Start light stuffing
Rnd 7
*1 sc in the next st, then inv dec* repeat 2 times (4)
Rnd 8
1 sc in each st around (4)
Fasten off, and use the tail to sew to hand.
Yellow Flag Using yellow yarn.
Rnd 1
Ch 9. Turn.
Rnd 2
Staring from 2nd ch from hook, 1 sc in each (8). Ch 1. Turn.
Rnd 3-5
1 sc in each st (8) Ch 1. Turn
Cut toothpick to your desired length (should be longer than what's showing to account for the bit you've poked into the hand). Paint it black (is the song stuck in your head?) with a permanent black felt or whatever you can find. When it's dry, poke it through the side of the flag.
Belt, Sash and Duct Tape on His Crown For the next three parts: Because your Blue Badger's body may be bigger or smaller (depending on what hook you use / how tight you crochet), it's not really possible to give the number of chains you need for these three parts. I recommend wrapping the chain around yours frequently to see how many more chains you have to make. Another cool technique you may want to try that allows you to add length to a chain easily is doing a foundation single crochet,instead of a foundation chain. Check out the detailed photo & video tutorial from futuregirl blog.
Belt Using black yarn
Rnd 1
Make a chain of ___ to fit your Blue Badger's body (I did around 26).
Rnd 2
Starting from the 2nd ch from the hook, 1 sc in each ch.
Fasten off and weave in ends.
Sash Using grey yarn
Rnd 1
Make a chain of ___ to fit your Blue Badger's body (I did around 39).
Rnd 2
Starting from the 2nd ch from the hook, 1 sc in each ch.
Fasten off and weave in ends.
Duct Tape Using grey yarn
Rnd 1
Make a chain of ___ to fit your Blue Badger's body (I did around 18).
Rnd 2
Starting from the 2nd ch from the hook, 1 sc in each ch.
Fasten off and weave in ends.
Notes for Assembly:
-White tummy patch should go on before the belt, then the sash.
-For the belt buckle, I just take sew a rectangular shape over the belt using grey yarn.
-The triangular flap between the eyes may look like it's too big, but it will get smaller once you sew it onto the head.
-Eyes are made from a small white and a small black oval shaped piece of felt.
There you go. Have fun making your own Blue Badger! Blue is not your colour? There is a pink badger! Pattern is for personal use only. Please do not sell items made from it (charity okay). Please do not reproduce the pattern anywhere, but link to this post. Thanks!
My name is Virginia and I thought I'd keep a record of all the neat things I find and learn for other amigurumi and crochet beginners like me. Enjoy your stay here!
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