Bunny with Carrot Dress

I found the bunny for the Easter Project and finally finished the first one. The bunny pattern is called Dress Me Bunny and is free and found here. The blog has several different free patterns you can use to dress the bunny once you make it. I chose the Carrot Dress found here. The outfits do include overalls if you don't want a dress for your bunny.

As I was working my way through the pattern I decided I didn't want to have floppy legs so I reworked the pattern to split the legs and add on the feet.

When I make the second one my plan is to make the two legs and crochet them together to the abdomen level and then crochet the head and torso and join that way. It is a better solution than the one I made for this bunny. The gloppy legs of this pattern are a great option, I just wanted my bunnies to have the ability to stand.

I used an e hook with worsted weight yarn to get a smaller bunny. The bunny is by no means tiny, but had I used a g hook it would have been larger. I still had to use an I hook to get the dress to fit on the top. When I make the dress again I'm thinking about reducing to a smaller hook once I get past the dress fitting the tummy so it doesn't flair out quite so much. I do like the pockets on this dress. I'm on the fence about whether I'll add the collar to the next dress. I didn't think I'd like it with the orange dress, but it did look nice in the maroon version so I'm considering what I want for the second bunny.

The carrot purse and carrots worked out according to directions and I used an e hook for the purse and a D for the carrots.

I added extra rows at the 30 stitches to help the shoes fit the feet. I suspect this has to do with how I constructed and stuffed the feet. I then reduced stitch count and finished as described.

Easter is fast approaching and I need to finish off my projects.

Humpty Dumpty

I got behind on my blogging again as I worked to send off my Christmas boxes. However, the boxes have been mailed and I can now get caught up on posting my projects.

Humpty was one of my favorite Christmas projects. Like the Old Woman in the Shoe this pattern came from a vintage Annie's Attic publication Toy Chest, 87T61. This year's presents seem to have found a nursery rhyme and fairy tale theme.

Humpty is not completely an amigurumi. His body is made in more traditional flat panels associated with sewn stuffed animals. However, his arms and legs do follow the amigurumi style. I actually ended up breaking out my yarn bobbins in order to work on Humpty's shirt. Without them, the yarn got tangled. I think it is the first time I have required yarn bobbins for a toy project.

There are still a few more projects in this leaflet that I would like to make for spring birthdays or Easter baskets. However, those will have to wait until after the Christmas season.


Dinosaurs and Dragons

Knit and Crochet Food Patterns Great for Play Food

Hello Kitty

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

Teddy Bear Patterns and Clothes

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Pictures may not be used without permission.

The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe

I am continuing on my literary present theme and finished the Old Woman Who Lived in the Shoe. I found the pattern in a vintage Annie's Attic publication Toy Chest, 87T61. I love the way the children look a little like the Old Fisher Price Little People and that the windows give them a way to make to move the figures in and out of the house.

This was a great stash busting projects. The peach was actually yarn I had picked up at a Senior Center sale for $.50/skein that I'm also using to make Humpty Dumpty from the same leaflet. I have both sides of Humpty's body done. I sewed together the Polar Bear. I just need to make his hat and he will be finished, too.

With Thanksgiving only a few days away, my Christmas mailing deadline is fast approaching. I'm still hopeful of reaching my goals.

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

Dinosaurs and Dragons

Knit and Crochet Food Patterns Great for Play Food

Hello Kitty

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

Teddy Bear Patterns and Clothes

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Pictures may not be used without permission.

Mr. Bluebird

I promised I would get to Crochet Village's Eggheads pattern to include in my Easter box. I finished Mr. Bluebird as a break between Pirate arms. These work up quickly. He was slightly smaller because the scrap yarn I used was not quite as heavy as most of the other worsted weight I have in my collection. I am not sure what weight it is, as it seems a bit heavy for sports weight. I liked the color and a specific size was not an issue. He will work perfectly for an egg or just to go in a basket.

My hope is to finish three birds and three bunnies. I would not mind having a few extras to decorate the house here if I have time. As for my own Easter decorations, I am working on Pricilla, a bunny toilet paper cover to replace the Leprechaun now that St. Patrick's Day has passed.

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

Dinosaurs and Dragons

Knit and Crochet Food Patterns Great for Play Food

Hello Kitty

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

Teddy Bear Patterns and Clothes

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Pictures may not be used without permission.

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.

Cardinal

As I mentioned in a previous post, I finished an amigurumi swap and my partner has received her package. I can post pictures and discuss the items I made. She wanted a bird, so I used the free pattern for a cardinal found here to make one.

While I have made ducks, turkey, geese and farm birds, I have never attempted something that looked as realistic as this pattern. Most of the bird ami's I have made are simple toys designed to provide kids with representations of the animals to play with or decorations for holiday entertainment. The cardinal pattern was supposed to provide a realistic rendition of its counterpart in nature.

This pattern presented more challenges than I expected. I had to try the face several times before I achieved the black pattern the picture promised. The wings required using two strands of worsted weight yarn on a fairly small hook to obtain the color pattern for the wing. Getting the wings to balance so they could be attached correctly had its own special joys.

I learned some new strategies working on this project that will help me in the future. I do not know if I will return to this project to make another one. However, if not for this swap, I likely would not have explored this pattern at all. You never know what you will find on your hooks.

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

Dinosaurs and Dragons

Knit and Crochet Food Patterns Great for Play Food

Hello Kitty

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

Teddy Bear Patterns and Clothes

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Pictures may not be used without permission.

Pig and Pancake

I finished the Pig from If You Give a Pig a Pancake yesterday. This free pattern, found here provided a few more challenges than the mouse. The sweater was adorable, but lacked a few instructions regarding the arms. I would also suggest ignoring the direction to sew on the tail during assembly and wait until you put the sweater on the pig. I ended up adjusting the sweater to accommodate the tail. If I had waited, I likely would have chosen a better location to sew the tail.

I recently discovered the new owner is a huge fan of the book series. These toys will be a welcome Easter addition.

As an additional note, this pattern had the easiest directions I have seen for adding easy crochet butter and syrup to pancakes. So, if you are interested in pancakes and not the pig, this also may be the pattern for you.

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

Dinosaurs and Dragons

Knit and Crochet Food Patterns Great for Play Food

Hello Kitty

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

Teddy Bear Patterns and Clothes

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Pictures may not be used without permission.

Goose The Second Farm Continues

I have gotten disiplined about finishing my two big Christmas projects that I have been working on for a while now. I have one set of dinosaurs completed and one farm set done. I am adding a silo to the first farm set which I need to finish, too. However, as I have read on other crochet blogs, I have trouble returning to projects I have already done and duplicating the efforts to make additional items for others.



In the midst of other writing projects not related to crochet I have pushed myself to get focused and get finished. I finished the castle even though there were times I really wanted to abandon it and then decided on a strategy of trading back and forth between farm animals and dinosaurs to finish both projects. I currently am working on the last farm animal the cow, so the strategy is yielding results.

I am trying a new strategy with the second set that is providing some different results. I switched from a G hook to an F hook and I am finding my projects are standing better. There are fewer gaps in the patterns and I like the overall look better.

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.

Wolf Amigurumi

After choosing her graduation project, I decided to ask my niece what she wanted me to crochet for her birthday. The date was close to her graduation party so it seemed like a good time to deliver the birthday gift. I was figuring she would choose one of the scary creatures she had been looking at during a recent visit. Instead, out of the blue she asks me for a wolf. I knew I had not seen one in my books. I head to the toy page, pretty sure I have never seen a wolf there either and sure enough, no wolf. I finally located one and there are now two on the toy page for those who are looking for free patterns. The one featured here is the Lion Brand pattern.

The Toy Blog Page has many free pattern links for anyone looking for new patterns to try.

Wolf was a hit although his still lacks a name. He was known as "Pocket Wolf" during the graduation party as he hung out in her pocket for the duration of the party. I suspect he will soon become a car wolf.

Picture may not be used without written permission.