Gray fox amigurumi

It has been a tough week for me at work.  I sat in on three teacher interviews, we had our second annual French National Honor Society induction ceremony, and I came down with sinus/allergy issues to top it all off.  I took today off to recover and rest, and I am glad I did.

I was able to finish this sweet little gray fox amigurumi that my daughter requested.  I got the pattern from Pepika's Etsy store, and it is adorable.  Initially, I had a few problems figuring out how the head was made which resulted in this little guy's head being a bit too big for his body.  But that's OK.  I still think he is precious and so does my daughter.

 

What project are you working on?

Paz.

J

National Crochet Month Post #8: Amigurumi Cat

Oops!  With the time change, visiting my dad in the hospital (he is doing better), grading Spanish quizzes, and The Walking Dead, I forgot to post yesterday.

So here is yesterday's post:

Day 8:  Amigurumi Cat

I made this amigurumi cat last summer just for the fun of it.  I love the looks of cute little crocheted friends (what amigurumi means in Japanese), but it takes a lot of time, concentration, and counting to finish one successfully.  I used Lilleliis' pattern from her Etsy shop, which you can find here.

Here is a link to the post from last summer:  Limey

National Crochet Month Post #2: Shamrocks

I am hoping to post every day this month some sort of crocheted goodness that I love.  Some days it will be things I have already made.  Other days it will be something I have recently learned to make.  Here is today's newly learned craft:  my own cute little shamrocks.  

Being an Irish-American gal, I love the color green, the land of my ancestors, and its national symbol, the shamrock.  Did you know that the word shamrock comes from the Irish word seamróg?  This means "little clover" and it was what St. Patrick used to teach people about the Trinity.

I learned how to make these little beauties from Kim Layton on the Everything Etsy website.  She includes written instructions as well as a video teaching you how to make the sweet little shamrocks.  Take a look here.  

I used Vanna's Choice by Lion Brand in fern, kelly green, and lime.  

I have plans to make garlands and decorate my home and classroom with these fun decorations.  

It's never too early to start planning for St. Patrick's Day!

Go raibh maith agat!

Crochet, crochet, crochet! And a very Happy New Year to you!

The word crochet means "hook" in French. I know this because I am a French teacher and because I know what crocheting is. Well, to be honest, most people know what crochet is, don't they?


If you are still unclear, www.Dictionary.reference.com defines it this way:

crochet

[kroh-shey; British kroh-shey, -shee]  

• Examples
• Word Origin

noun

1.

needlework done with a needle having a small hook at one end for drawing the    thread or yarn through intertwined loops.

verb (used with object), verb (used without object),crocheted 

 [kroh-sheyd; British kroh-sheyd, -sheed] (Show IPA),crocheting 

 [kroh-shey-ing; British kroh-shey-ing, -shee-ing] (Show IPA)

2.

to form by crochet.

And until I read that definition, I had no idea anyone ever pronounced it [kroh-shee]! Silly Brits!

I have been doing a lot of needlework with a small hook at one end and drawing yarn through intertwined loops lately. Here is a photo of several projects I have done within the last month or two:

Lots of crocheted goodies!

In this photo, you will see scarves, cowls, hats, wristlets, and amigurumi birds. I have used single crochet, half-double crochet, double crochet, back stitch only crochet, and I've knitted with fingers and my arms. I cannot tell you how much I adore crochet. But I think you already knew that, didn't you?

Here are some of the items along with yours truly:

Cowl using Lion Brand Heartland in Hot Springs

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Scarf using Red Heart Sashay Sequins in Phlox.

Cowl using Lion Brand Landscapes yarn in Tropics.

Cowl using Red Heart Boutique Unforgettable in Dragonfly.

Cowl using Red Heart Boutique Unforgettable in Petunia.

Cowl using Red Heart Boutique Unforgettable in Winery.

Cowl using Red Heart Boutique Unforgettable in Tidal.

Cowl using Lion Brand Landscapes in Desert Spring.

Wristers using Lion Brand Unique yarn in Passion Fruit. Find the pattern here.

Arm-knitted Scarf using Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick in Claret.

For this scarf, I watched Crafty Gemini's online tutorial found here.

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I also made a couple of amigurumi from my Craftsy class Woodland Animals. It was designed by Stacey Trock. If you are interested in learning how to make these cute little guys plus a raccoon, a deer, and a bear, go here.

Me and the Bleu, the Bluebird of Happiness. I used Red Heart Soft yarn in turquoise and Vanna's Choice yarn in radiant yellow. I also used Darice craft eyes from Jo-Ann.

My son, me, and Larry, my daughter's bird with two different sized eyes. (She wanted him that way!) I used Vanna's Choice yarn in sapphire and radiant yellow. I also used Darice craft eyes from Jo-Ann.

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I also made washcloths, but I gave those away as Christmas gifts. Here is a pic:

I used Lily Sugar'n Cream solids in sage green, ecru, light blue, and sunshine. You can find those at Jo-Ann also.

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As you may be able to decipher by now, I am a crochet-a-holic. I found these great photos from a blog I've just discovered, The Little Bee. They pretty much sum up how I feel about crochet.





Well said, Little Bee. Bien dit, petite abeille!





Alas, I must return to work tomorrow after an extended winter break. I am so glad I have been able to pursue my creative endeavors this winter.


I am also changing the name of my Etsy shop from Prairie Sunshine Soaps to Prairie Sunshine Shop so I may begin selling items other than soap or those related to soap. I would like to expand to include lots of cute crocheted goodies and patterns eventually. I am looking forward to this next phase in the Prairie Sunshine story!

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I hope everyone is doing well and I hope you are staying warm wherever you are. Take good care and Happy New Year 2015!

--Jenn

My little amigurumi kitten named Limey

More crochet fun today!

I have completed my first amigurumi animal in quite some time.  If you are unfamiliar with amigurumi, it is a Japanese word loosely translated as crocheted or knitted stuffed toy.  In years past, I have made three octopuses (or octopi, if you prefer) for my husband, a little lion cub for my son, and a colorful unicorn for my daughter.

I have several amigurumi books by Ana Paula Rimoli, such as Amigurumi Toy Box and Amigurumi World: Seriously Cute Crochet.   I have downloaded several patterns from different Etsy shops such as Lilleliis and Luvly Gurumi.  I have also enrolled in a Craftsy class where I can learn to design my own amigurmi monster by Stacey Trock. 

But just because I have these books and patterns and classes doesn't mean I actually accomplish the making of these adorable stuffed toys.  There is a lot of concentration and counting involved, something that is somewhat hard to do while watching McLeod's Daughters!  [I just finished season 3 and I am so sad because a couple of characters have left the show!]

Yet, here is my latest amigurumi project, a little kitten whom I like to call Limey.  I call her that not because she is lacking Vitamin C, but because I happened to be taking pictures of my Lime Handmade Soap when I had her outside taking photos of her too.  This is from a pattern by Lilleliis.  Here is a link to her shop where you could buy it.

I used Vanna's Choice yarn from Lion Brand.  The colors are eggplant, white, and fern.

Let me know what you think of her.