Crochet Halloween Costume: Futurama Brain Slugs

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.

Free Crochet Pattern Roundup: Pirates

Arrrr, today is International Talk like a Pirate day. Set sail with these free crochet patterns.
You need a crew. Here's pirate bear.

Free pattern from Crochet Me

And here's pirate duck.

Free pattern from jennyandteddy

If you can get Tony Tony Chopper on board, you're good to go.

Free pattern from Sasya

Your kids can join the crew

Free pattern from Red Heart

And of course there is a costume for you too, kid at heart.

Free pattern from Red Heart

Remember though when you're creating your look that people have a new idea of what pirates look like since this guy came along.

Free pattern from AH! Creations

Not ready to go full on pirate? Well, celebrate this fun day with a can cozy.

Free pattern from Lion Brand Yarn

Made: Crochet Owl Applique

Love the Little Bird has an easy photo tutorial on how to make this cute owl.  Lately I've seen a lot of stuff that involves an owl applique.

Here is an edging to a granny square piece:

Source:  ATERGcrochet on Etsy

How about an owl in a granny square:

Source: Petals to Picots

And look at this amazing bag:

Free Crochet Pattern Roundup:Moo Cows

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".

Free pattern from Studio Ami

A more anatomically correct cow perhaps?

Free Ravelry download from Marika Allely

And here's a cow tipping toy, complete with a noise maker.

Free pattern by NeedleNoodles via Instructables

How about a cow puppet to practise your moos?

Instructions from Crafting Creatures

Have fun crocheting!

Free Crochet Pattern Roundup: Coffee

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.

Free Ravelry download from BritannyJackson

This looks exactly like the cup of coffee I'm going to get...

but wait a second, look at the bottom!

Free pattern from The Left Side of Crochet

So, this is supposed to be a cup of tea, but minus the teabag and you'll have a great pattern for a cup of coffee.

Free pattern from Lion Brand Yarn

And looking for ways to decorate your coffee (you know those fancy frothed milk patterns?) Take inspiration from the following:

From Roses n Lilies

From Bitter Sweet

Mmm... Smells so good.  Thank you to all the above people who have shared their patterns online.

Free Crochet Pattern Roundup: Shark Week

I don't understand what the deal is with Shark Week, but here are some really cool shark crochet patterns. Thanks again for sharing them, you generous people!

Look at this adorable shark hat for the whole family.

Free pattern from Crochet Today

Love the mouth on this shark amigurumi. The pattern includes photo tutorial on how to do the open mouth

Free pattern from Karen's Knittin' Crap

Yikes, scuba diver, watch out for that shark

Free pattern from Yarn Juleps on the Veranda

How about something not as scary?

Free pattern from Rikka Mitsam (PDF)

Made: Star Motif

Lately I've been looking at a lot of crochet motifs.  So intriguing. I bought a cheap, cheap yarn just to practise making some of these, starting with this crochet star pattern from Jellywares. Unfortunately, the photos on the original website are broken, but the instructions are pretty clear. It's fun to see how the motif is constructed.

How about some other free star crochet patterns?

• Super Stars Amigurumi from Amy's Odyssey
• Super Mario Invincibility Star from Shh, I'm Counting
• Or how about a Ninja Star from Stitch 11

Free Pattern of the Day: Sushi Pencil Case

Even if you're not looking for school supplies for your kids, you can probably find a use for this versatile homemade case.
I've been craving for sushi these days (I'm always craving for sushi).

Free pattern from Green, Broke & Living in Kits
Two versions of sushi

If that's a little too intense for ya, here are some more regular looking ones.

Free pattern from CoatsCrafts.co.uk

Free pattern from K and J Dolls Blog

If this is your first time making a case or a pouch, you may want to check out this tutorial on adding zippers (and also lining, if you're adventurous) to your crochet work.

Made: Wimpy Kid's Greg HeffleyCrochet Doll

A Greg Heffley doll just in time for the 3rd Wimpy Kid movie.  Diary of a Wimpy Kid probably doesn't need much introduction. Even adults will enjoy the humour, and reading it, you will remember those good old kiddie/teenage days. It's also one of the very few children's book series my husband would read. So many bits in the book where we just couldn't stop laughing (my favourite is probably still the Shel Silverstein bit).

Anyway, back to amigurumi.  Not only does amigurumitogo (formerly Homemade Obsessions) have a free pattern to share, she's also made a video tutorial on how to make your very own Greg doll. The video helped me understand quite a few techniques, so I'd highly recommend any amigurumi beginner to crochet along and see how all the individual parts of an amigurumi come together.
Check out the Rodrick's doll too.

Double Crochet Pattern: Christmas and Stormtrooper Bell

Even though amigurumi is mainly made with single crochets, you do see patterns that require other stitches, like the double crochet, or "dc" in short.
How to do a double crochet:  video •  photo tutorial
If you're looking for a simple pattern to practise your double crochet, take a look at this simple five-minute Christmas Bell pattern by Handcrafted. Simple to make (they're not kidding about the five-minute part), you can use these bells for Christmas decorations, or a homemade wedding card.
On the website, you'll also find an angel bell, a variation of this pattern. Inspired by that, here's my Stormtrooper Bell.

I used the same pattern, but added a round of single crochet using the black yarn after Round 2. When the bell is done, I sewed the rest on using black yarn. It's alright I guess. Sometimes it looks like a stormtrooper. Sometimes it looks like nothing at all...
What else has a bell shape?

Free Crochet Pattern Roundup: 5 Summer Amigurumi

How's the weather over where you are? It's hot here, and the sun is shining almost everyday.

Free pattern from Yellow, Pink and Sparkly

This bear knows how to take a break from the heat waves.

Free pattern from Red Heart

Maybe he'll meet a beautiful jellyfish.

Free pattern from PlumCakePudding

Watch out for this little pincer guy though.

Free pattern from Nareeoo

And if you're going to join Bear at the beach, don't forget to grab your sandals

Free pattern from Lovely Little Life

Pattern of the Day: Crochet Peacock Finger Puppet

Isn't this an amazing peacock by CrochetBot3000?

On my walk yesterday, I saw a strange looking bird that reminds me of a peacock, and that reminds me of this crazy good crochet peacock pattern by CrochetBot3000.   Just look at the details on this thing.
If you're interested in finger puppets, you should really scroll through the entire blog.  It's got free patterns for the A-team, Ironman, Thor, Captain America, The Hulk, and many more animal finger puppets like a Bear, a Frog, etc. Check them out!

Made: Crochet Donut

Out of all the things I've made so far, my husband is most impressed with the crochet donut. It does look pretty much like a real donut, doesn't it?
I followed the pattern on The Adventures of the Gingerbread Lady blog (thanks for sharing!) The pattern is accompanied by a photo tutorial, which is quite helpful if you're new to amigurumi or crochet. This was my first amigurumi that didn't begin with a magic ring so I learned a different technique to start my amigurumi.

Instead of using pins or beads, I embroidered different coloured sprinkles on my donut.  There are all sorts of ways to ice your donut. Fabric paint, for example, can make for some pretty convincing icing.  Have fun decorating yours!

Made: Crochet Heart

After doing a few spheres and tubes in amigurumi, you'll probably want to try out some different shapes just for variety's sake. How about a heart? Knits and Stitches has a great easy-to-follow pattern.  The heart is made just with single crochets so this project is great for beginners.

Fancy up your heart: 
» Add a string to it to make a keychain or simple tree ornament
» Add sequins and beads. Look at this cute pair.

From AllSoCute

Made: Crochet Cactus

I'm no good at keeping plants so cacti would probably have the best chance of survival in our house. A crochet cactus? Even better.
I followed the free cactus pattern from Elf's Dwarf Crochet. Choosing just one cactus to make is difficult, since they are all so adorable. One day I'll plant a whole garden of them, but for now... I have put mine in a little clay pot instead of crocheting the base. Adds to the realism I think.

What I learned: Picked up this pattern because I was particularly interested in how the ridges were produced, and what a pleasant surprise to find out the ridges are made just by crocheting in the backloops. Love it when it's something easy I can understand and do. Do a quick search on the internet and you will find tons of explanations about front and back loops if you need it (like this one).

Other free cactus crochet patterns:
» Tiny Cacti by Gleeful Things
» Crochet Opuntia (Prickly Pear Cactus) by Speckerna (site in German, but PDF pattern is available in English)
» Cactus bookmark applique by Bigú Handmade

What's your favourite type of cactus?

Pattern of the Day: Sandwich

Tomorrow I am going on a trip to the lake to watch a Newfoundland dog water rescue training, and we're planning on packing some light sandwiches. Look delicious, don't they?  Go to free online pattern. 

This pattern can also be found in the book Yummi 'Gurumi: Over 60 Gourmet Crochet Treats to Make by Christian Haden. I've borrowed the book from my local library, and being a beginner, the patterns are quite challenging, since they often require more than your good old amigurumi single crochet, but there are definitely some impressive creations there. My favourite is probably the pork bun, since it looks so real.  

Looking for more crochet food to make? Check out this nice collection of food patterns.

Made: Mario Mushroom, My First Ever Amigurumi

Following the wonderful pattern of WolfDreamer (who, by the way, has created some amazing Pokemon patterns I am itching to try out), I've made my first amigurumi. I still remember deciphering for the first time all the symbols and abbreviations in a crochet pattern, but thank goodness for the internet and video tutorials.