Itty Bitty Easter Dolls

As I mentioned in my St. Patrick's Day Itty Bitty Doll post I love decorating with the holiday Itty Bitty dolls. Sadly, I'm not much good at making the clothes. Thankfully, Mom is a knitter and she has been making me the holiday kits for my birthday and Christmas presents. It was fun this year to open up the Easter decoration boxes and find these waiting.

For those of you who are interested, you can purchase the Mary Maxim kit here. There is a new Easter set out with bunny and chick costumes I'm hoping to talk Mom into making here.

Crochet Easter Basket

I looked at a number of free patterns and even made one that I hope to post later that turned out to be a very small basket before finding this free pattern here. I chose this pattern for several reasons, but the most important I will say was the size. I wanted something that would hold the half dozen crochet Easter Eggs I made for my Easter box. While there were several cute options, many of them were small and I wanted the eggs to be able to hang out for the holidays in a container so they wouldn't get in the way.

While the pattern called for DK weight, I used acrylic worsted weight for this project and I liked the heavier weight for the basket, I thought it made it sturdier and able to handle the work of an Easter basket. The challenge I had was the handle. I think the double yarn for the worsted weight was too bulky. If I make this again, I might find a lighter sport or DK weight in a complimentary color to make the handle. That being said it is a tough little handle and since I sewed it on pretty tight it should last a while.

Another thing that drew me to this pattern was the basket weave stitch. While crocheting with 2 strands doing the front post and back post stitches was hard on my already worn hands, I loved the texture and look of the basket when it was completed. It had a nice classic look to it.

As always I'd like to thank those who donate their patterns as these patterns do make my gifting dollars go farther.

Easter Lovey

I finished this up last week. The free pattern can be found here.

The pattern calls for DK yarn. For best results I would suggest DK or sport yarn. I only had worsted on hand and while fine for the chicken it was a little heavy for the blanket. I used Knit Picks cotton sport yarn for the chicken's details. Worsted yarn would have been a little heavy based on the directions given for the beak, feet, and coxcomb. I did use the white worsted for his wings. This is a fun cute project and would be a great Easter gift to keep a little one comforted and entertained during Easter celebrations.

I only need one more lovey and my year long project will be complete. I'm thinking of adapting one of the projects from Snuggle and Play Crochet: 40 Amigurumi Patterns for Lovey Security Blankets and Matching Toys that my DH bought me for Valentine's Day. The last one will be a Patriotic themed one for the July 4th holiday. I've already located some great board books for the set. I haven't decided on the rest of the set. When I start up again in for Halloween I'll be making mostly ami's and eventually perhaps doll clothes.

Crochet Easter Eggs

Crochet Easter Eggs are a quick fun holiday project and a great way to use up both acrylic and cotton kitchen scraps. There are plenty of free patterns out there if you search. There are simple eggs like these and beautiful decorative eggs.

It had been a few years since I'd made the eggs and I experimented with a few patterns and finally pulled up the last blog entry I made talking about making Easter Eggs to find out what pattern I had used. Sure enough it sent me back to Amigurumi World: Seriously Cute Crochetbecause I like the larger sized simple eggs for kids. Made with vareigated kitchen cotton or acrylic scraps they make fun decorations or Easter toys. I know several of the ones I've made over the years have ended up in some rousing Easter games. They can be used in Egg hunts and toss games and unlike the plastic or other decorative eggs they don't break apart or hurt when they get tossed at someone.

I know some people like to crochet covers for the plastic eggs, but I prefer not to worry about the plastic cracking inside when the eggs get a little rough treatment. When I stuff them the worst that happens is they get squished. Occasionally the dogs chew through one when they get left on the floor and I have to replace it, but I don't have to worry about plastic shards coming out and hurting anyone.

Crochet Eggster Bunny

It is wonderful to be part of a supportive online crochet group. When I started posting about my Easter projects a good friend posted a link to the free Crochet Eggster Bunny pattern which you too can find here. I already had another pattern in mind to make for the last ami for the Easter box. However, once I saw the Eggster Bunny there was no going back. It was definitely the choice for the last ami project.

You will clearly notice differences between my bunny and the pattern authors. First I am determined to finish off my stash yarn, so when I discovered I didn't have appropriate off white yarn, I went with white. I also wasn't crazy about the yolk colored accents, so I went with traditional pink. I had this ball of purple yarn I've been dying to finish off so it seemed like an ideal project to use it on and while it isn't finished I made a good dent. I chose not to stuff the feet. I found the balance was better with flat feet. It's always a choice you make when you create amis. Lastly, for the nose and the buttons I used size 10 crochet thread.

My egg just came out wider than I'd expected, but I loved it. The designer has a more rounded egg look, but I fell in love with my egg bunny. At some point I really want one for myself.

A thank you to the designer for her pattern. I was so impressed with the level of detail and the pictures included. I learned some new tricks, especially about embroidering the nose. I also appreciated the pictures about where to join and the up close pictures that let me count holes to make sure I knew where her pieces were located. It made putting the bunny together much easier.

Raccoon Potholder

I took a break from my holiday boxes to put together a potholder from Annie's Crochet Showcase of Needlecraft Potholder Potpourri. I love this old collection of Potholders and it has provided a great deal of inspiration for Crochetville's wishlist this year. The original was made in browns, but I wanted to find grey kitchen cotton for my project. It was a bit challenging finding shades of grey, but but I was pleased to find light and darker grey available if I was willing to order online. I did find some lighter grey available locally.

The original pattern used plastic safety eyes, I decided to crochet mine as I didn't want them to be a hazard in the kitchen. I also had to rework the nose section as the designer and I clearly weren't communicating and after 2 attempts of following the pattern I decided it was time to work on something that would work for me. I'm not sure when this will be heading off to its new home as I am not quite sure if it needs something else and I am focused on getting my Easter project out the door.

Claudia Cottontail

Claudia Cottontail is an adaptation of a Caolyn Christmas pattern found in an out of print Needlecraft Shop Book, Crochet Private Collection. The book was originally published in 1999 for those of you who might be interested in finding it.

My Claudia is slightly different from the author's. For one thing I don't have experience with soft sculpture needles and decided to forge ahead and make a more traditional ami. This is a skill I'd like to learn more about, but this is a time sensitive challenge and I needed to move forward.

I started with the suggestion of worsted weight yarn for this bunny, but it was huge. I ended up using some lighter sport weight yarn I'd bought previously. This caused a challenge when it came to cloth the bunny. I started with lighter weight cotton sport yarn I had on hand. However, Miss Cottontail was larger in the chest area and that required a medium white sport weight yarn to get the dress to fit in the bodice as it was too tight with the lighter weight sport yarn.

This one of those patterns I'd have loved to see the back side for both the dress and the hat. I think it would have helped with my on the fly adaptations. However, you work with what you get. The details were cute with this pattern. This bunny is quite modest as she has panties that remind me of the old fashioned pantaloons. I used a draw string to help make mine fit a bit better at the waist, but I thought they made a cute addition to the pattern.

I started this pattern well before the St. Patrick's Day box left but I ran into problems when I realized I needed more Knit Picks sports yarn as I'd fully intended to use worsted weight for the bunny and some heavier weight sport yarn I had on hand for the dress. Since I had to order yarn the project to a back seat until my order arrived. However, it will be ready to mail before my deadline and that is what really matters.

St. Patrick's Day Baby Hat

I've been branching out this year and trying some new projects. I've made doll hats, but never a baby hat. The Bibs & Bonnets leaflet that I got the pattern for the Shamrock bib also had a hat. Since I'd not made one before it seemed worth a try. One of the challenges of working with out of print patterns is the yarn used in the original pattern is often been discontinued. Even when you have a gauge there is no guarantee you have have the right yarn. You kind of have to play with it a bit to make it work. My first attempt will end up being donated as a doll's hat once I make a dress to go with it. As I said making gauge does not ensure a good match for the project.

Once I understood the directions for the brim, the second hat worked up easier.

Pattern notes:

I used Knit Picks Brava Dublin and Peapod yarn for the hat. The hat pattern had a shamrock decoration for the hat, but it was kind of thick and heavy so I decided to use the shamrock pattern from the bookmark I made previously. You can find the pattern here.

I am no fan of sewing so instead of crocheting the light green insert and sewing it in, I used the open row of stitches from row 11 and did a row of dc and then a row of sc to provide the hat band. It didn't provide the texture of the original pattern, but it was much easier than the prescribed pattern directions.

Shamrock Bib

I was looking for something cute to add to my St. Patrick's Day Holiday box and I came across an out of print House of White Birches leaflet Bibs & Bonnets leaflet. The leaflet includes hats and bibs for Halloween, Thanksgiving, First Birthday, Santa, July Fourth, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, and Sunday Best.

Charts are always a challenge for me, but I have been working on improving my skills this year and challenging myself to take baby steps outside my comfort zone. This was a good project for that as the chart was small and thus not too challenging to work. The tough part was finding coordinating colors because my search for soft cotton didn't find two greens, so I ended up with using knit picks cotton and acrylic and the transitions weren't all I'd hoped for, but I still think I came out with a cute product.

Nobby Scrubby

I've been looking for different kinds of kitchen items to crochet for a friend who is putting together items for a basket to donate. Another friend sent me a link for this free pattern which you can find here. These work up quickly and are good for targeted scrubbing jobs in the kitchen. Even with my big hands I was able to get three fingers into the hand section. This allows you to apply a little more pressure as you are cleaning.

Just a few notes for myself. The pattern requires you to work two pieces of cotton kitchen yarn together, so you need to make sure you have two available to use. You can use two separate skeins or roll two balls, but it isn't easy to work from both ends. Second, check your guage for this project. Gauge can be off when you work with multiple skeins. I had to go from the required J hook to a K to make gauge. If I hadn't the pocket for my hand would have been too small and the cleaning area would have been almost useless.

Piggy Scrubber

I posted a few days ago about finding pink scrubbies so I could make the pig in the 25 Fun Dishcloths To Crochetleaflet. I had an appointment that required waiting yesterday, so getting the dishcloth part of this pattern done was a great choice for a project that I could do with minimum attention while still feeling I was getting something finished.

This is the first time I've tried to sew a scrubby to a dishcloth. The sewing was easier than I expected as the stitches blended well into the mesh. Embroidering the nose proved to be a little more challenging as the location for the nose and the mesh didn't align perfectly, but I still believe it came out rather cute.

Now for my project notes. I added a back to this dishcloth which makes it about the weight of a potholder, especially with the scrubby. I did this for two reasons. First, I am not the neatest sewer in the world, so with sewing all the pieces on and embroidering the nose, the back is not as pretty as I'd like it to be, especially for a project that is going for a donation basket. My second reason for creating a back for this was to protect the scrubby. Once you sew the nose to the dishcloth the scrubby weighs down on the dishcloth just a bit. With the additional support from the back it is a stronger piece and I hope likely to rip.

In order to make the back I followed the first 7 rows of the pattern. I didn't end off the yarn and I crocheted the two pieces together crocheting behind the ears picking up the stitches to close the opening. The ears actually look cuter this way. There is no second set of ears, only the round circle.

Last note, this pattern called for a size 7 hook. I do have one, but it wasn't in my travel kit. I used my h hook and I was happy with the results.

As I mentioned before this dishcloth is headed off to a friend's kitchen donation. I'm having a great deal of fun exploring different kitchen patterns in between my other projects.

Crochet Turkey Dinner

My Valentine's post mentioned I received this pattern from my wonderful DH for Valentine's and I've been trying to find a some free time in my crochet schedule to get it made. These are fairly small patterns that work up quickly and give you a fun little crochet meal for your little ones to play with anytime, but especially at a holiday meal when you need distractions. While this one is headed into my toy donation box, I do plan on making one to send with the Thanksgiving holiday box. As I said, play food is a great way to distract the children while the adults are busy actually making the edible stuff.

I'm pleased to say I'm adding veggies and full meals along with the fun desserts and junk food I plan on making for the donation project. There really are an increasing variety of toy food patterns out there.

You can purchase this pattern here. The pattern set includes the turkey, asparagus, sweet potato, cranberry sauce, and the salt and pepper shakers I didn't make for this set. I plan on making them when I make a set of condiments.

Now for my notes, the pattern called for an e-hook and since this was my first time trying this I decided I'd go with the suggestion. Next time I'd go with the more traditional g-hook for amigurumi. I think it would have made the overall assembly a bit easier. Don't overstuff, I think this will be less of an issue if I'd had used a larger hook. The pattern calls for red yarn, but the cranberry shade looks better. Maybe it is s a New England thing, but when I pulled the red out to use it I just couldn't do it.

St. Patrick's Day Itty Bitty Dolls

I love the holiday 5" dolls but I've never had much luck making the crochet clothes and I'm not a knitter. A friend at Crochetville has sent me some Thanksgiving and Christmas ones and when Mary Maxim started making the knit kits, I talked my Mom into knitting the kits if I bought them and sent them to her. The dolls have added some simple holiday cheer and with help from friends and family I've greatly expanded the holidays I now have dolls to line my mantel during the year.

For those of you interested in purchasing the knitted kit you can find it at Mary Maxim here.

Pink Scrubby

Have you ever decided to make a project and then found yourself stuck on the simplest of materials?

A friend is collecting kitchen items to donate for a raffle and I have been having fun putting together some projects I don't normally make. I've been pulling out old and new books and even picked up some new patterns along the way. One book I picked out of my collection was 25 Fun Dishcloths To Crochet. I had hoped to make the pig pictured on the cover.



I thought the pig was cute and I'd never seen a dishcloth made with a scrubby. Seemed like a straight forward plan to me. After all they sell scrubbies everywhere.

True enough until you decide you care about color. Sure I can get scrubbies, but pink??? That become a scavenger hunt. DH and I hit all the Dollar stores in the area and the local Walmart and they all had scrubbies, but no pink. I searched online and again lots of scrubbies. However, the only pink were hand made and not cost effective for this project. One of the sweet Fairy Godmothers came through at Crochetville with an offer to send me one from her multi-package. Then during a return trip to Walmart the elusive pink seems to have been restocked and I stocked up because if I this works out, I'd like to make more than one.

St. Patrick's Day Bookmark

I wish I had located this pattern before my St. Patrick's Day cards went out, but there is always next year. You can find the free pattern here.

This is not actually a bookmark pattern, but if you leave a long tail before you begin the starting chain you can extend the stem into a bookmark tail. My suggestion is to leave a much longer tail than you think you'll need. I found I needed to add thread as I ran out before I'd finished the length I wanted.