Dog and Bed Playset

This is another summer birthday gift I never got around to posting. This was the perfect gift for a little one who loves animals. I fell in love with this pattern when I saw it online. The extras really make this a wonderful play set. You can purchase the pattern here.

One thing I've tried to do as a kindness to parents when I make gifts with lots of pieces is to add a bag even if one isn't included in the project. Some people use them, some don't but it does make it easier to transport the pieces around the house or to travel with them. It also helps just to keep the pieces together and keep them from getting lost.

Dachshund

The last ami I made for the amigurumi swap was a dachshund. My partner has several dachshunds and when I was flipping through my Annie's magazine collection, I came across Nutmeg the Dachshund in Annie's Crochet Newsletter Number #65 Sept-Oct 1993.

The dachshund worked up much more easily and with fewer surprises than the cardinal. I changed some of the details of the project, as I usually do when I make something. I used safety eyes and a safety nose. Next time I would look more carefully at where the head joins. The directions were not clear and the picture was not helpful. Having done it once, I think I have a better idea of how to do it next time.

This swap is one of the reasons why I keep working so hard on my collection of old Annie's Attic magazines. Two of my projects for this swap came from old Annie's magazines that were out of print long before I even though about learning to crochet. I constantly find myself going back to them when someone asks for something I had not thought of doing before.