Finishing Projects

I am not a long-term crocheter. I am still hesitant when I take on a project that has a complicated process to assemble. I am never quite sure that I will make it work. Well I finished the castle today. I will post pictures later, but today I just wanted to reflect on how good it felt to finish something that I found the free pattern for months ago, never really thinking I would attempt. However, when I started the finger puppets, I wanted to try the castle.

My husband cut the plastic strips for the inside last night and today I sat down to assemble the project. When I post the project I will discuss it in more detail, but today I am just thrilled I did it.

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Time for Crochet

As I have mentioned my freelance work has picked up which is always a blessing and never something to whine about. I will save the whining for when it falls off again. As a result I have had little time to pick up my crochet projects. I have a half done dragon and a castle still waiting for assembly.

However, since it is almost the end of September I am selfishly putting both those projects aside today to work on some Halloween projects. I have most of the items I need to ship ready, but I also would like some for the house here and if I do not get started I will never finish.

We are going to see Celtic Thunder next week and going to King Richard's Faire over Columbus Day Weekend in Carver. So I know that my crochet time is going to be limited by those events.

So today, since my next articles have a longer lead time I am taking a crochet break. I hope to enjoy the warm fall day and have a few Halloween creatures to show for it.

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.

Vintage Pattern Hunting

If you read my blog on a regular basis you know I love hunting for out of print patterns. People define vintage differently, but I like finding out of print toy, doll, and house patterns at different places. It is one of the things I do when I am trying to find a new way of writing something, waiting to hear from a client, or just relax when finished.

Since I am approaching the holiday season where I need to start buying gifts, I am not sure if it is a good thing or not, but I haven't found many new items that make me want to buy. I have acquired quite a pattern selection and I have not had as much time to work on doll's clothes which is a huge part of the market I have been researching.

I have noticed a decrease though in the available Annie's Crochet Newsletters available. It could be because I am looking for specific editions now that I have collected quite a few. It also could be that people are selling them in places that will bring a higher price like eBay and other auction sites I don't visit that often.

So for now I am accepting my lack of success as a good thing. With holidays and birthdays coming up, it is likely better not to be tempted.

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

Projects in Process

I never complain when I get freelance work because for me it comes in batches and then it seems to get deathly quiet. However, as a result of increased writing work, I have had much less time to crochet. I do have a few works in progress that I hope to be blogging about soon. I have Bizzy Crochet's Castle crocheted it just needs assembly. I also just about have the stuffed dragon done that comes with that free pattern. You can find the link in the Crochet Toy section under Toys and Books and Fantasy Worlds.

Pictures may not be used without permission.

Pattern Pages

Pattern bloggers have different approaches to listing and blogging about patterns. I tend to create categories of pages, expanding them to new pages when they grow too large to search through quickly. On occasion, I will blog about a pattern I have not tried but I stumbled upon in searching for something that just amazed me. For the most part, the individual patterns I blog about are projects I have completed and want to share with others. I add new patterns I discover to existing pages without any announcements.

The reason I share this is there can be confusion when people visit. Some sites do list the new patterns daily, and when visitors come, they assume if they don't see new patterns being discussed, none were added. I often add them quickly between other writing projects and do not have time to discuss what is new. However, I have been fortunate to find people who do add free patterns across pages I blog about on a regular basis and I add those as I find them. So if you are looking for holiday, doll, toy patterns, dishcloths, or other patterns listed and have been here before, do check again. You may be surprised to find some new patterns have been added since your last visit. If you find a set of pattern topics listed on this blog, keep checking in. As I am searching for one set of projects, I always stumble upon projects that fit in other categories and add those as well. Those who visit their topics of choice will find the new additions.

I have also received questions about the photographs. Where possible I do try to use photographs from projects I have completed and am blogging about for my entries. However, on many of the pattern pages, I do use files from Morgue and Flickr and do not have access to the original patterns. When I have the pattern on the site, I will list where you can find it. If I got the pattern from a book, even an out of print one, I will list that always. With an active resale market, it is still possible to find out of print craft books. However, there are times when Morgue or Flickr are just easier to utilize and I have no access to the photographer’s pattern information. The credits are always listed at the bottom of the blog entry, so it should be clear where the picture came from if there is any confusion.

Pictures may not be reused without written permission.

Fairy Tale Finger Puppet Set

Thankfully you can finally see the new dragon face in this group shot. The finger puppets can be challenging to get good photographs of when they are not taken in use.

I really like this set and hope they enjoy many hours of story telling. I am planning on adding additional friends and maybe working on the Crochet World castle as part of my Easter package. We will have to see where my crocheting and writing take me before spring comes. It is odd to be discussing Easter when most people have not begun to think of Christmas, but when you are making stuff, you have to plan ahead to have it finished.

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.

Dragon Finger Puppets

Around Easter last year I wrote about the Crochetme Dragon finger puppets I was making as part of Easter basket fillers. I posted pictures and did not feel I had the skill to work on the human characters that went with the set.




When I started this fairytale project I found an additional dragon finger puppet pattern in the April 2010 web bonus patterns at Crochet World. As of the date of this blog entry that pattern is still available at Crochet World for subscribers if you are interested in finding it.


This picture does not do him all the justice I hoped, but he actually looks rather cute when in his natural shape.

As I mentioned when discussing the farm project, I am hoping to recreate in crochet some of my favorite childhood toys. I had the original Fisher Price Castle and loved the figures. The dragon and knight were two of my favorites from the set. Being able to find some fun crochet options has made preparing my Christmas packages fun.



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.

Princess Finger Puppet Pink Dress

As I mentioned in previous posts I have been working on a fairy tale finger puppet theme using different free patterns I have found over the last year. This princess is part of the Crochetme set for those that are interested in finding the pattern. Click on the words and it will take you to the free pattern you can download.




While I liked the hair design on the previous princess, the neck and other parts of this princess were easier to work on and complete. She has more of the fairy tale look and less of the ordinary princess look of the first one I posted.

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.

Princess Finger Puppet Yellow Dress

This was the second pattern from Crochet World's April 2010 bonus patterns. I liked certain parts of this pattern better than the other princess I will be discussing, but the neck did not work well which was frustrating. I thought the hair was an improvement over the first princess I made and I think I may use it for future doll puppets royal and common. However, the neckline made this puppet VERY challenging to get her to look right.

I have not given up on the pattern. I still like this princess as she is not the stereotypical fairy princess, but more an ordinary girl with royal lines. I have learned a few things from the process and can see where adjustments can be made.

Knight with Red Plume Finger Puppet

As I mentioned in the previous knight post I am working on a finger puppet fairytale project mixing and matching patterns to find projects to add to my supply. This knight was an part of an earlier project I had found from Crochetme. I wrote around Easter about making the dragon from this set to send as part of an Easter package. I was not even remotely ready to consider working on doll faces when I made the first couple of dragons. I still struggle with faces, but have decided it can be done. I still hate working on faces, especially when safety eyes are not useful.



I am pleased with my two knights so far. I am thinking that I might expand the troops in the spring with my Easter package and experiment with their accessories.



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.

Knight with Shield Finger Puppet

I love finding new patterns, especially those that are free or bonuses that come with subscriptions to magazines I buy. I wrote in an earlier blog about finding out about the online web bonuses offered by Crochet World for both print and online subscription magazine buyers. When I found out I downloaded a bunch of patterns and this is the first one I have had the chance to make. This is from the April 2010 web bonuses still available as of the date of this blog. It is labeled Castle Tote and has several projects available including the knight I made here.

This knight is part of a fairytale project I am making using a couple of different patterns I have collected. I will be posting more of the projects this week and next week as I continue and letting people know where the free patterns can be found. Like the farm project I hope to have it completed and ready to ship for Christmas. I started the most complicated part of the project last night. I chose not to use the castle from the Crochet World and am opting for a different pattern. I think I may try the Crochet World castle at another time with different dolls found in the other castle I am working on now. I have never had a problem with mixing and matching my toy projects as long as the items fit into the containers.

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.

Our Sheltie Family Expands

I do not make many personal posts because there is often so much craft stuff to discuss, but afer missing a week of posting I thought an explanation was in order. We added another Sheltie to our family last week. As some know my pen name Bailey comes from our older seven year old male sheltie Bailey who came to us from a Sheltie rescue at four months old. It is rare that they have puppies and Bailey has been an amazing dog. Since the name is generic for boy or girl I adopted it when I started writing and needed a pen name.




We have been discussing the possiblity of getting Bailey a sister for a while now. We finally decided to fill out the application with the rescue group the week before Labor Day and were surprised to find ourselves with 2 year old Katy over Labor Day weekend. She and Bailey are becoming fast friends and with caring for them and picking up more political writing assignments, I had no time to blog last week. However, I got pictures taken of my latest projects and those will be up this week for people to see.

Pictures may not be used without permission.

Crochet Wolf Finger Puppet

While I was working on pig project something in my mind just insisted this had to be a fairy tale project. I guess all those years of education training have not gone to waste. The pattern book I used for the pig Finger Puppets 12 Designs To Crochet by Susan Pippin did not have a wolf puppet. However, once this idea formed I started thinking wolf. I looked at the pig and realized that with grey and a little change to the pig pattern we could have a wolf. I altered the ears and used the bear arms and legs. I just need two more pigs and I think I even have a reader's theater play link on my education blog for a play. If not I can just find a good illustrated copy of the book.




Our piano has started to get crowded and it is time to move more of my projects into the attic for Christmas storage. I will be mailing out the Halloween stuff at the end of September, which will give me more space. I sent some of the Halloween items to their new homes over the last couple of weeks so that freed up space as well. I do find excuses to keep the projects out in site. The farm project is ongoing. I just used the Farmer Girl to figure out how to make the Farmer Boy. The attic is not another country and she could have been retrieved for the effort. It is just fun to keep her among us.

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.

Farmer Boy

I started out working on Bizzy Crochet's Farmer Doll as I mentioned in Tuesday's Chicken post. The Farmer pattern is a small doll pattern with legs. As I have discussed I am working on a crochet version of a Fisher Price Farm. My human characters have more features, but I still want them to be able to stand like the Fisher Price characters.




My original intention was to complete the doll pattern as written complete with legs. However, when I finished the torso, I realized I had a doll that was similar to the Farmer Female I had completed earlier. This one was much shorter, so he became a Farmer Boy, and the girl still needs a husband. I am planning to add more stitches to his pants to make the body longer and hopefully will have a Farmer Dad.

The hat pattern is different than the one found on Bizzy Crochet. I wanted the Boy and Dad to look different. I remembered the caps the old Fisher Price characters wore and was aiming for that look. I will use the pattern for the hat on Bizzy Crochet when I make the larger Dad.

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.

Stuffed Animal Sewing Patterns

I have noticed people arriving here looking for free patterns for stuffed animals that are sewn, not knit or crocheted. I decided to add a page for patterns as I find them.

Bunny Plush

Calico Kitty

Cat

Cat Beanbag

Cat Terry

Dachschund Plush

Donkey

Dragon




Frog Beanie Scroll Down for Pattern

Giraffee

Greyhound

Jack Russel Terrier Plush

Kitten Plush

Larry Lizard

Lily Frog



Mouse and Bed

Roland the Rat




Sheep

Sock Elephant

Sock Pig

Zebra Directions Pattern

Zebra Small



If you arrived here looking for doll patterns to sew please see the following pages:

Waldorf Dolls

Soft Dolls

American Girl Doll

Barbie

Picture Credit: http://morguefile.com/archive/display/3041