Rabbit in a Carrot

I've been splitting my crochet time between doll clothes and parts of finger puppets and small amis. I've been completing a portion of a finger puppet or ami, storing it in a plasic baggie and then when I'm close to finishing I'll assemble the item. In this case I also had the sleeping bag to make as well.

This is one of Laura Sutcliffe's patterns that can be purchased here.

Notes:

I'm going for small sized items for this donation. When I made this last in 2020 it wasn't as big an issue.

The pattern calls for DK yarn I went with Sinfonia cotton I am trying to use up and replace with Cotton Fair. They each have pros and cons but I have come to prefer the Cotton Fair for my small ami projects. This was a great project to hit my stash of old cotton I refuse to abandon.

I used a size 2mm hook for all items.

In my previous project notes I mentioned that the carrot needed to be wider to make it easier to get the bunny in and out of it for small hands. I increased the width following the pattern to 26 stitches.

I mistakenly read the front directions for the back and increased the length to make it long enough for the bunny but missed the shaping of the top for the carrot. After having finished the piece I was not redoing it but added the trim.

My note to myself on the pattern is to follow the lower directions and make the back piece first as this will determine I've made it wide enough and long enough for my rabbit. Then the front which is the first direction can be made and adjusted to fit the back.

This is going to be part of my Kits for Kids rotation.

Chick in an Egg Sleeping Bag

This is one of Laura Suttcliffe's patterns that can be purchased here that I received for my birthday.

I've collected her patterns over the years as they make delightful small playsets for family. However recently, I've returned to them as she has many that will fit in the Kits for Kids bags and add a little extra to the small stuffed toy. Last year I made the dog with his bed and this year I'm hoping to work through her catalog of playsets to add extras to the bags going out in the Spring.

Notes:

This was made with Big Twist Yellow and Orange and Red Heart Super Saver White. The black is left over Cotton Faire from the finger puppets. The pattern suggests DK but I have a small supply of DK I'm holding on to for doll clothes so I wasn't quite ready to dig into that for my ami projects.

I did decrease the hook size to E as it was too large when I started with a G for the size I need for this donation.

Like the finger puppets I made this in pieces between doll outfits. I've recently started storing the in progress pieces in a plastic baggie until assembly as the small pieces can easily go missing.

I love the way her patterns are laid out in boxes, including the accompanying pictures. I sometimes lose my place in a pattern but these are easy to see just where you are in the pattern.

It was easier for me to assemble body, head and wings. I attached the wings to the body, finished the head and attached the head to the body. This is not the order of the pattern but it made working the pattern easier for me. I finished off by making the tail and adding it.

Other than the order of assembly I followed the directions as written.

Little Red Riding Hood Grandmother Finger Puppet

This is the second finger puppet from Evgeniya Yunitskaya's no longer available Little Red Riding Hood Finger Puppet Set.

I've been making the individual pieces between Aztec Wishes projects and then once completed I finally got this one together last Monday night. I hope to start on Red Riding Hood's mother soon.

Notes:

I used Premier Cotton Fair yarn for this project with a 2mm hook.

The original pattern has Grandma in a mustard color dress. I went with lavender because it reminded me of my own long passed grandmas. I couldn't imagine any of them in dark mustard.

I ended up not including the shawl that goes over the back of grandma's head and down her shoulders as I couldn't match the yarn used in the pattern. I tried thread and it was too light and all the lighter lace weight yarns I had were too heavy.

For my own notes for assembly I added the arms before the head. This allowed me to create "shoulders" to rest the head between. In the past it becomes harder to find less intrusive places to attach the arms after I've solidly attached the head.

The Kits for Kids donation isn't due until the Spring but I'd like to get some of these smaller more timely projects complete before Christmas as last year the dash from Christmas to March seemed incredibly short. I have some other play sets that work up a little easier as they aren't quite as small and tight so I'm trying to focus on the finger puppets now and rest my fingers with a few play sets between before the post Christmas rush.

Kits for Kids Little Red Riding Hood Finger Puppet

Back in 2021 I was finishing up a fairy tale phase of ami's and puppets for a family member and I purchased a series of finger puppet patterns that I downloaded and never printed.

The designer is no longer selling in the US but I actually remembered to look for the patterns when I came across her Ravelry listing for the Red Riding Hood pattern here. This link is for my own purposes to keep checking to see if she does begin listing patterns for sale at some point in the future.

Clearly this is not a traditional Red Riding Hood but I do love her red hat. I also loved the idea that it gives the child more freedom to tell more stories beyond Red Riding Hood.

These patterns are incredibly detailed in their directions. The reason I hadn't printed them previously is the number of printed pages. DH took them to be double sided printed for me. I love level of detail. The pictures were specific and helpful for creating the puppet pieces and assembling them once created.

As with many patterns written outside the US the yarn used is not readily available in the US. I chose to use Premier Cotton Fair. I've been picking up more colors for my finger puppets and ami's as Herrschner's has shipping offers.

I had previously used Creative Yarns Sinfonia Cotton but I was looking to try something new. Like many cotton yarns it will split. I had the same challenge with Sinfonia. However, I really like the color selections and I have enough for the first two puppet series I want to make.

I have found working with the small tight stitches can be hard on my hands so this puppet was made in sections. I started with the finger section and kept moving forward. I took a picture of the hair as it took me a few tries to feel comfortable with how it worked out. I'm hoping the picure will help me when I make this again. I suspect Goldilocks may have a similar wig.

Since the head is attached to the finger section of the puppet and stuffed I felt comfortable using safety eyes although not suggested by the pattern.

I have several more finger puppets to make to finish the set. I will continue to make them in sections between Aztec Wishes doll outfits. I plan to start on Grandma next.