Crochet Chicken

As I mentioned last Friday, I did rush to download Bizzy Crochet's Free Farm Pattern. The chicken is the first pattern I finished from the set. It is slightly larger than my current farm set, but I love the detail. I am going to try a smaller hook for the second one and see if I can make it a bit smaller to match the size of my other pieces. If not I just have a very large chicken on my farm. With their imaginations, I am sure the children in question will have a far better explanation than I to the chicken's size.

Later this week I will have a story about how the Farmer became a Farmer Boy and how I am changing the pattern to work with my Fisher Price theme.

If you arrived here looking for free toy patterns please see the following pages:

Crochet and Knit Puppets

Crochet Amigurumi Animals and Stuffed Animal Free Patterns

Knit Amigurumi and Stuffed Toys

Crochet and Knit Amigurumi and Other Dolls

Knit and Crochet Toys

Dinosaurs and Dragons

Hello Kitty

Teddy Bear Patterns and Clothes

Knit and Crochet Food Patterns Great for Play Food


Pictures may not be used without permission.

Crochet Pig Finger Puppet

As I mentioned earlier in the week I am working my way through a book of finger puppets Finger Puppets 12 Designs To Crochet by Susan Pippin. I really like combining my love of making Ami's with puppets. This particular pattern book was a real find when I was buying vintage patterns. I am realizing as I master the basic techniques that I can move beyond the patterns in the book to create what I want.

For instance after finishing this pig I had a real desire to make a fairy tale set out of these puppets. The Three Little Pigs would be perfect, but there is no wolf. I will post soon about my wolf solution and hopefully an update on the Three Pigs project.

I am working on a flat puppet project and while interesting it is not nearly as fun as these little ami puppets have been during the creation phase.


If you arrived here looking for free toy patterns please see the following pages:

Crochet and Knit Puppets

Crochet Amigurumi Animals and Stuffed Animal Free Patterns

Knit Amigurumi and Stuffed Toys

Crochet and Knit Amigurumi and Other Dolls

Knit and Crochet Toys

Dinosaurs and Dragons

Hello Kitty

Teddy Bear Patterns and Clothes

Knit and Crochet Food Patterns Great for Play Food


Pictures may not be used without permission.

Free Farm Pattern

I have been posting blogs for several months about my farm project based on an out of print Annie's Attic pattern. The picture above is of the Annie's Attic one since I cannot borrow the designer's photographs of her new design. However, I hate not having pictures.

I have been following Bizzy Crochet's blog about her farm project, but was waiting for the pattern to be posted before mentioning it to others who have been asking me where to find their own Fisher Price like farm. Well I must say this is BETTER than the Annie's Attic version. The pieces are stored in a farmhouse shaped like the silo many of us remember from the original Fisher Price Barn. I plan to have this downloaded by the time this is posted to avoid the rush.

The pattern includes some animals I have and some I do not. I finally have a male farmer to go with my farmer girl. I am also thrilled to take on the challenge of a barn. With all the additional animals, I keep adding the farm bag is not going to be nearly big enough to hold all the animals and it will be fun to have a crochet area for the kids to play with the farm animals. I am thrilled to have this pattern to try.

I will add this link to the toy section, but for those who arrived here you can find the pattern at Bizzy Crochet.

If you arrived here looking for free toy patterns please see the following pages:

Crochet and Knit Puppets

Crochet Amigurumi Animals and Stuffed Animal Free Patterns

Knit Amigurumi and Stuffed Toys

Crochet and Knit Amigurumi and Other Dolls

Knit and Crochet Toys

Dinosaurs and Dragons

Hello Kitty

Teddy Bear Patterns and Clothes

Knit and Crochet Food Patterns Great for Play Food


Pictures may not be used without permission.

Crochet Soup

I have not seen an actual pattern for soup although I have seen bowls, cereal, and even dip. Soup seemed like a great addition to my kitchen and fake food Christmas project so I thought about adapting a pattern to create my own soup. I looked at the cereal patterns but the bowls were large. In fact, I am considering using the soup approach for a small cereal option. Storage is an issue. This pattern is actually the dip pattern from Yummi 'Gurumi: Over 60 Gourmet Crochet Treats to Make.

This was an easy pattern to follow and I just changed the white dip to light brown for soup broth and added colored yarn for veggies. The pattern has a double bowl, which was interesting to work with and created a more solid structure. Some of the cereal bowls I looked at were single bowls and I think I would add the double option to make them more solid.

If you arrived here looking for free toy patterns please see the following pages:

Crochet Amigurumi Animals and Stuffed Animal Free Patterns

Knit Amigurumi and Stuffed Toys

Crochet and Knit Amigurumi and Other Dolls

Knit and Crochet Toys

Dinosaurs and Dragons

Hello Kitty

Crochet and Knit Puppets

Teddy Bear Patterns and Clothes

Knit and Crochet Food Patterns Great for Play Food


Pictures may not be used without permission.

Towel Topper Patterns

I received a beautiful set of towels as a shower gift many years ago. I have always admired the towels I have seen at craft fairs. Recently I saw a request for patterns and thought it would be a good idea to document the ones I could find.

Crochet:

Angel

Basic Towel Ring

Basketweave

Crochet Pattern Central

Dish and Wash Cloth Mania

Home in Reach

Marlo's Crochet Corner

Pansy

Stained Glass


Knit:

Knitlist

Knitting Pattern Central

Lion Brand

Sugar'n Cream

Woolworks

Check the Holiday Blog Pages for Additional Towel Topper Patterns:

Valentines Day

Christmas

Picture Credit: AquaKnitter Flickr.com

Amigurumi Witch

This is the last new pattern I will be making from Gourmet Crochet's Monster Mash Amigurumi for this Halloween season. There are two more patterns in the book a spider which I tried and could not make look like a spider despite repeated attempts and a cat which for the longest time I thought was a mouse. I may try the cat/mouse pattern at a later date, but I still have to create multiple patterns of the other items from this book before Halloween and I have not even touched on Thanksgiving yet.

I finally fixed the shoe problem with this doll, but realized hair had to be added to the hat prior to sewing it on not after, so my story is she her hair is all under the hat tucked up nice and neatly. Either that or she's shaved her head and not tied to the conventions of hair. I do know I am not destroying the hat or the head pulling them off to add the hair. I will make sure the next one has hair. I also realized when I made the female vampire I added a few rows to her dress. I does pay to write down your changes when you make them.

If you arrived here looking for free Halloween patterns please check out the Halloween Knit and Crochet Page or the Halloween Plastic Canvas Page.


Pictures may not be used without written permission.

Crochet Frog Finger Puppet

One of my younger relatives is a fan of frogs. I wrote in an earlier blog about making the Teddy Bear amigurumi finger puppet from Finger Puppets 12 Designs To Crochet by Susan Pippin. Once I found out about the frog, he had to get on my Christmas list.

Now all the patterns have arms and legs, but as I have been working my way through the book I have made some different choices. I did start on the legs for the frog, but I decided to leave him with the arms because the legs seemed to get in the way of the puppet, in this instance. I have another project I will be writing about later where I chose to add the legs. For me it is all about how it looks when I go to assemble the puppet.

If you arrived here looking for free toy patterns please see the following pages:

Crochet and Knit Puppets

Crochet Amigurumi Animals and Stuffed Animal Free Patterns

Knit Amigurumi and Stuffed Toys

Crochet and Knit Amigurumi and Other Dolls

Knit and Crochet Toys

Dinosaurs and Dragons

Hello Kitty

Teddy Bear Patterns and Clothes

Knit and Crochet Food Patterns Great for Play Food


Pictures may not be used without permission.

Crochet Glasses

Having finished the plates, I turned my thought towards glasses. Again, I could find items close to my goal but not quite, what I was seeking. While I am eventually thinking about making a tea set once the kitchen is completed, I want to focus on a basic kitchen set for this project. Therefore, I knew I did not want teacups or coffee cups. However, as I looked at the pattern for Cafe con Leche Cup in Amigurumi World: Seriously Cute Crochet I realized it could be adapted.

One of the issues with making glasses was having them be able to support their own weight, as they got taller. The Cafe pattern made smaller cups but the cups were stuffed and had a topping to create the illusion of a topping on the coffee. This worked out perfectly for my plan. I used the basic cup pattern, made it taller and then changed the colors of the toppings to create different colored "drinks" for the kids. I have orange juice, milk, lemonade, and red fruit juice.





My goal in designing these was not an elegant table, but to resemble what the kids generally experience. Unbreakable cups and kids are a time honored tradition in my family. Long before Sippy cups were on the market, we had unbreakable cups for the younger generation to prevent glasses from being broken. When I finished these, they did remind me of some of the interesting sets we acquired over the years.


If you arrived here looking for free toy patterns please see the following pages:

Crochet Amigurumi Animals and Stuffed Animal Free Patterns

Knit Amigurumi and Stuffed Toys

Crochet and Knit Amigurumi and Other Dolls

Knit and Crochet Toys

Dinosaurs and Dragons

Hello Kitty

Crochet and Knit Puppets

Teddy Bear Patterns and Clothes

Knit and Crochet Food Patterns Great for Play Food


Pictures may not be used without permission.

Crochet Plates

After making all the breakfast food, the kids need plates to put the food on in their play kitchen. I found many tea party plates, but I could not find a pattern for dinner sized plates. After searching through many resources, I decided to adapt the cookie plate from Amigurumi Two!: Crocheted Toys for Me and You and Baby Too. I made the plates larger and chose a solid color for my set instead of mixing colors.



I decided on a set of four. This would allow the kids to play together, have friends visit, or invite stuffed animals or dolls to the table to share a pretend meal. This was Bernat yarn left over from a previous project and is heavier than the normal Red Heart yarn I generally use for my toy projects. It has a soft texture and an interesting color blend.



If you arrived here looking for free toy patterns please see the following pages:

Crochet Amigurumi Animals and Stuffed Animal Free Patterns

Knit Amigurumi and Stuffed Toys

Crochet and Knit Amigurumi and Other Dolls

Knit and Crochet Toys

Dinosaurs and Dragons

Hello Kitty

Crochet and Knit Puppets

Teddy Bear Patterns and Clothes

Knit and Crochet Food Patterns Great for Play Food


Pictures may not be used without permission.

Plastic Canvas Buildings

I have been facinated with plastic canvas buildings, houses, and villages for a long time. It is challenging to find free patterns on the web. As I have beeen looking to buy patterns for someone I have not even found that to be an easy task. A few years ago the patterns seemed to be everywhere. Now they are more challenging to find. I am starting with a small collection, but as always it seems foolish to wait to share my finds. As I find more patterns to share I will add to the page.

Church

Gazebo

House Bank

School House

Picture Credit: Caitlyn Willows flicker.com

Rocking Horse Ornament

I have been a huge fan of rocking horses and carousel horses for years. When I saw the pattern for a crocheted rocking horse Christmas ornament, it seemed like a great way to share my interest with the next generation. This is another pattern I found in the out of print Annie’s Attic Crochet Kid’s Christmas Tree.

I loved the little details on this pattern, down to the saddle and the bridle around the horse’s mouth. What I had trouble working through were the rockers. I had trouble getting the rockers to sit flat. I tried a few times with two different sized hooks. I will likely attempt another shot at this pattern, as I would love to have one for my own tree. At that point, I can hopefully work out my rocker issues. I may try a different type of yarn and see if that creates a better outcome. Perhaps a softer or lighter weight yarn might work better.

If you arrived here looking for free Christmas patterns please check out the following pages:

Free Knit and Crochet Ornament Patterns

Free Knit and Crochet Christmas Patterns

Free Plastic Canvas Christmas Patterns

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

Crochet Chocolate Chip Cookies

I promised I would make some cookies to go on that cookie sheet and I have begun the task. The pattern comes from Amigurumi Two!: Crocheted Toys for Me and You and Baby Too.

As you are working on projects, you learn a few things. The first cookie almost looks like a sugar cookie or an oatmeal cookie because I tried using up some old brown yarn I had. The brown was too light to make effective chocolate chips. Unfortunately, I did not notice in the light I was working in until I had already assembled the cookie. When I realized it, I dug out some darker brown I had bought for another project when I made the second cookie.



I have many more cookies to make with darker chips so I am sure this one odd cookie will be fine. Who knows perhaps it will start a new cookie trend.

If you arrived here looking for free toy patterns please see the following pages:

Crochet Amigurumi Animals and Stuffed Animal Free Patterns

Knit Amigurumi and Stuffed Toys

Crochet and Knit Amigurumi and Other Dolls

Knit and Crochet Toys

Dinosaurs and Dragons

Hello Kitty

Crochet and Knit Puppets

Teddy Bear Patterns and Clothes

Knit and Crochet Food Patterns Great for Play Food


Pictures may not be used without permission.

Teddy Bear Santa Ornament

This project started as a simple Christmas ornament from an out of print Annie's Attic pattern book, Crochet Kid's Christmas Tree. The original pattern had a teddy with a ribbon around his neck and he looked cute in the leaflet picture. When I completed mine, he was lacking something. As a toy, he would have been fine. However to hang on a tree he needed something more. Therefore, I used the Santa hat from another ornament in the book and I was starting to get some place. However, I realized there was a reason the designer included a ribbon in the original pattern plan. The design of the head required additional coverage for the neck. Therefore, instead of a ribbon I decided to crochet a simple scarf. It got more complicated than I planned. I ended up sewing the scarf to the bear to prevent it from catching on the Christmas tree.

While I have often teased about others finding it hard to let Ami’s leave this house, it will be hard for me to see this little guy travel to his new home. It will not be easy to duplicate him to make myself one. I will have to decide if I will try in the future.

If you arrived here looking for free Christmas patterns please check out the following pages:

Free Knit and Crochet Ornament Patterns

Free Knit and Crochet Christmas Patterns

Free Plastic Canvas Christmas Patterns

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

Christmas Bell Ornament

I am continuing my Christmas ornament project. This bell pattern came from Leisure Arts Christmas Ornaments to Crochet#512. I liked this pattern because it was the first I had seen that actually had a bell that would allow the ornament to make noise. Since I will be across the country, noisy ornaments are hardly an issue. Seriously though, as a child I was always confused by bells that never made a noise. We had many metal bell shaped ornaments that were empty on the inside. It seemed odd.




The pattern confused me because it crochets the bell to a certain length and then pushes a portion of the length inside the bell to make the bell hold its shape. When I read the directions, I had no idea what the designer had in mind. I walked away, came back, played with it and came up with a workable solution. I still do not know if I followed the designer's method, but it worked for me and it allowed for a nice jingling when I added the jingle bell I had on hand. I did change the top of the bell. Instead of adding a crochet loop at the top, I used the yarn I had sewed the jingle bell to the crochet bell to crochet a loop that a metal hanger can be added to later. It just seemed like an easier solution to the problem. I will need to make a few more of these before Christmas.

For those of you who arrived here looking for free Christmas patterns please feel free to visit the Christmas Knit and Crochet Page or the Christmas Ornament Page for free patterns. If you are looking for Plastic Canvas themed Christmas Projects please see the Plastic Canvas Christmas Page.

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

Filet Crochet Directions and Patterns

I often look at the site meter data to see what people are searching for when they arrive here to find out what I need to add to the sites patterns and tutorials. Sometimes what people want in free patterns and information is not readily available. However, other times I know I have seen resources and just not taken the time to put them on a page. Many of these pages start small and grow once I have a page to put items on that I find while searching for unrelated items.



Directions:

Crochet Designs

Haas Design Tutorials

Patty's Filet Primer

Smart Crochet Tutorial

Starting Chain for Filet Crochet

Video on Getting Started

Patterns:

Bird

Bless this House

Crochet Pattern Central

Dolphin

Dolphin 2

Dragonfly

Eagle

Hearts Filet Bookmark

Home in Reach

Home Sweet Home

Squirrel

Sweet Dreams

Tiger

Windmill

Wolf

If you arrived here looking for Free Coaster or Doily Patterns please see the Free Coaster and Doily Page.

Picture Credit: noricum flickr.com noricum flickr.com

Crochet Frying Pan

Those who have been reading this blog know I have been working on creating crochet food and kitchen items for Christmas. This has been a fun and challenging project. Even my husband has gotten involved cutting cardboard to make the pieces that require more support. While some pieces have been more successful than others, the frying pan ranks in the success column.




This pattern comes from Annie's Attic's It's Play Time. I found the crochet directions to make the parts of the pan to be very straight forward and easy to follow. However, the assembly directions left much to be desired. This was one of those patterns that says, now sew it together. The one hint it did give was that you should single crochet the cardboard and the circle used to cover the cardboard to the bottom of the pan creating a hole to slide the crochet covered ruler into the opening creating a pan handle. My instinct would have been to put the carboard in the bottom of the pan and sew it down. However that would have created a problem in adding the handle. I also had to work out my wrong side/right side issues with which side should be showing. Now a more experienced or even intelligent crocheter may not have had these struggles. I have only been at this for a little over a year.




When I finally had it all together and started taking pictures it was worth the several times I pulled the bottom off and started over. This is a cute toy and one that will function as well as its plastic alternatives. I am pleased that this works as a pretend cooking option. It is hard to know with crochet toys if there will be enough support as I discovered making the spatula. I have design improvements for a non-slotted spatula option I plan to make before Christmas that I will post if I finish.

If you arrived here looking for free toy patterns please see the following pages:

Crochet Amigurumi Animals and Stuffed Animal Free Patterns

Knit Amigurumi and Stuffed Toys

Crochet and Knit Amigurumi and Other Dolls

Knit and Crochet Toys

Dinosaurs and Dragons

Hello Kitty

Crochet and Knit Puppets

Teddy Bear Patterns and Clothes

Knit and Crochet Food Patterns Great for Play Food


Pictures may not be used without permission.

Crochet Little People

As I mentioned in the post about the Fourth of July Car, I have been working to find a pattern that would make crochet toys close to the Fisher Price Little People or the Weebles. My first attempt was a start, but not where I wanted to finish.

While I was working on Christmas ornaments, I think I found the solution. It is amazing the things you discover when trying to do something else. I was working on ornaments from Leisure Arts Christmas Ornaments to Crochet #512. The leaflet has a "basic ornament" pattern that it refers to for several people and animal ornament patterns. I was working on one of the doll patterns when I realized it was not coming out as the pattern suggested, however it did look like the Little People I had been trying to make. Therefore, I abandoned ornament making and made a couple of these as prototypes. I will have to make more before Christmas, but I have a start now.

These are easy to adapt and I am looking forward to making a variety of them to go with my other toys. I see a farmer couple emerging.

If you arrived here looking for free toy patterns please see the following pages:

Crochet Amigurumi Animals and Stuffed Animal Free Patterns

Knit Amigurumi and Stuffed Toys

Crochet and Knit Amigurumi and Other Dolls

Knit and Crochet Toys

Dinosaurs and Dragons

Hello Kitty

Crochet and Knit Puppets

Teddy Bear Patterns and Clothes

Knit and Crochet Food Patterns Great for Play Food



Pictures may not be used without permission.

Crochet Birthday Candle

We are celebrating a special family birthday this weekend and I wanted to make something special to honor the day. I love many things about amigurumi. One useful aspect of amigurumi is that people design projects in many sizes. Designers often make small items or as in, this instance patterns design patterns in pieces. This allows you to crochet a smaller piece and utilize it for a different purpose. For people who do not or cannot keep larger pieces, small Ami's are a perfect choice as a gift item.

This pattern is actually the candle from the cake pattern in Amigurumi Two!: Crocheted Toys for Me and You and Baby Too. The cake would have been cute if we were having a big party, but then what does one do with a large cake after the party? Storage can be an issue. However, a candle is easier to put on a shelf and bring out on special occasions to celebrate. I am actually thinking of making some to send out for other birthdays this year in different color schemes.

If you arrived here looking for free toy patterns please see the following pages:

Crochet Amigurumi Animals and Stuffed Animal Free Patterns

Knit Amigurumi and Stuffed Toys

Crochet and Knit Amigurumi and Other Dolls

Knit and Crochet Toys

Dinosaurs and Dragons

Hello Kitty

Crochet and Knit Puppets

Teddy Bear Patterns and Clothes

Knit and Crochet Food Patterns Great for Play Food


Pictures may not be used without permission.

Alphabet Christmas Block Ornament

Alphabet Christmas blocks are not an original or new idea for a Christmas ornament, but I always like to document where I got my patterns. When I read a blog, even if the pattern is not free, if someone tells me the name of the book or magazine the pattern came from, I have a chance of finding it, even if it is out of print through the resale market. Therefore, I provide others with the same resource. This pattern came from Annie's Attic Crochet Kid's Christmas Tree. I picked this up recently in one of my vintage pattern buying binges and I love the variety of kid friendly ornament patterns to make. While I have seen several alphabet block patterns, what I liked about this one was it taught the skill of making the letters in a simple method that clicked for me. Many merely state chain the letters or embroider the letters on to the block. This one actually explained a method for creating the letters that provided me with some level of success. I still have work to perfect the method, but I have avoided putting anything on my blocks, because I had no idea how to begin.

For those of you who arrived here looking for free Christmas patterns please feel free to visit the Christmas Knit and Crochet Page or the Christmas Ornament Page for free patterns. If you are looking for Plastic Canvas themed Christmas Projects please see the Plastic Canvas Christmas Page.

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

Sports Crochet and Knitting Free Patterns

Crochet:

Bedspread and Pillow

Crochet Pattern Central

Stadium Blanket

Baseball:

Baseball Bear Afghan

Baseball Dishcloth

Dodgers Dishcloth

Paper Weight

Toy Baseball

Toy Baseballs with faces and Bat

Basketball:

Basketball Afghan

Basketball Hoop Afghan


Football:

Football Can Cozy

Football Coaster and Hotpad

Large Coaster

Placemat

Small Football

Toy Football

Hockey:

Hockey Bear Afghan

Nascar:

Dishcloth

Knit:

Baseball:

Red Sox Knitting Chart

Baseball Cap

College Teams:

BU Dishcloth

BU Towel

Texas Longhorn Dishcloth

Football:

Dishcloth

Nascar:

Dale Earnhardt Dishcloth

Soccer:

World Cup Soccer Ball

Misc. Sports:

Snowboarding Dishcloth

Plastic Canvas Patterns:

These will be here until I have enough for their own page.

Football Keepsake Box

Picture Credit: Pat Austin Flickr.com

Crochet Donkey

The farm continues to grow. As I mentioned in a previous post I purchased more books from Gourmet Crochet. The donkey comes from Gourmet Crochet's Amigurumi Nativity. With all the projects I have promised for Christmas, I know I do not have time to commit to the Nativity this year. I figured I would practice on the two animals and include them in the farms I am sending out for Christmas this year. That way when I am ready to approach the Nativity, hopefully next year, I will already be comfortable with two of the patterns. I hope to have the first sheep finished in the near future. Then I will still need duplicates to finish the second farm.




The donkey has already been a huge hit. There is something about his face I am told that draws attention. I will say I am tempted to substitute his body for a rocking horse ornament pattern that is not cooperating now. I think he would make an adorable rocking horse. We shall see if the other one finally is tamed.

If you arrived here looking for free toy patterns please see the following pages:

Crochet Amigurumi Animals and Stuffed Animal Free Patterns

Knit Amigurumi and Stuffed Toys

Crochet and Knit Amigurumi and Other Dolls

Knit and Crochet Toys

Dinosaurs and Dragons

Hello Kitty

Crochet and Knit Puppets

Teddy Bear Patterns and Clothes

Knit and Crochet Food Patterns Great for Play Food



Pictures may not be used without permission.

Crochet Spatula

This pattern also came from Annie's Attic's It's Play Time . While I liked the idea of the slotted plastic “look,” the next time I make this, I will make a solid spatula bottom and use either plastic canvas or cardboard to make the surface solid. While the patterns gives directions for making the handle more solid, there are no instructions for making the slotted bottom supported enough that kids could actually use it to flip the crochet pancakes or eggs. The toy can still be used to pretend to mix things or in other fashions, but it will not function well as a spatula. I will be working on making a spatula that will flip those pancakes and eggs for Christmas.



I am glad that I feel more confident about working through a project and then even when it does not quite meet my expectations, finding a way to fix it. I have a couple of different spoon patterns to try out as well. One from this book and one from a tea set pattern I purchased. I am thinking about trying to expand the size of the tea plates to get some plates to put the play food on. If it works out, you will be able to see the pictures here.

If you arrived here looking for free crochet or knit food patterns please see the Free Food Knit and Crochet Page.


Pictures may not be used without written permission.