Spring is here at last! It certainly feels that way here in the UK doesn’t it?! There’s a lovely fresh smell to the air in the morning (which always makes me think of camping) and I’m loving that the days are getting warmer.
And with the Spring comes Easter, and Easter themed crochet! I’ve recently been enjoying making some fun Easter decor projects from the ‘Heartbreakers’ booklet by Rico Designs.
I was going to make a sample of one of the designs in the booklet for when I did my first crochet demo at Abakhan Fabrics, but I enjoyed making them so much that I actually made a couple of the different designs.
The Heartbreaker booklet is actually from a series of booklets by Rico Designs which feature projects made from Ricorumi DK (Sports weight) cotton yarn. Ricorumi are handy 25g / 58m balls available in a colour pallet of 60 colours.
I’ve used Ricorumi before (in fact I’ve got a design coming soon made with it) and I find it lovely to work with and it gives amigurumi’s such great stitch definition.
The Heartbreaker booklet features an adorable collection of designs in sweet pastel shades and includes patterns for a cute amigurumi bunny and lamb, a cherry blossom branch, floral wreath, an Easter garland, bunny egg warmers and a couple of different Easter egg designs.
I made the bunny egg warmers first and I did a little test – you can pretty much make two of the bunny egg warmers (without facial features) with just one ball of ricorumi (though the ears on one of the bunnies might be a tad shorter than the other).
I thought that was really good though especially as Ricorumi usually retails around the the £1.10ish mark ($1.40ish) so it would cost next to nothing to make a couple of these as a little Easter gift for someone or to add to your Spring stall.
Next I made one of the embroidered eggs which is done around a polystyrene egg to help keep it’s shape. I really enjoyed the embroidery part of the egg more than I thought I would actually and it’s kind of made me want to start embellishing more crochet things in that way.
I really enjoyed the little projects from the Rico design booklet and I think they are great value for money (usually about £3.60 / $4.69) which is about the price of a coffee and cookie – though it lasts for a lot longer!
I’m actually going to have a go at one of the designs in the Lovely World of Ricorumi ‘Puppies’ booklet next to take along with me to one of futurecrochet demos at Abakhan Fabrics – I’ll let you know how I get on with him.
Have you tried Ricorumi yarn, or made something from one of the booklets? I’d love to hear your thoughts on them.
Until next time folks! Happy hooking and keep calm and crochet on my friends xx
So a while back an idea popped into my brain to make a little bluebird amigurumi. I think I’d read somewhere that they had something to do with being happy, so I did a little Google research and discovered that yes, bluebirds are seen as a symbol of happiness in many cultures which dates back thousands of years. How cool is that!
I don’t think you can ever have TOO much felicity in your life and I liked the idea of making a wee bit for myself and of course sharing some joyousness with you!
Oh I apologise in advance for all the synonyms for happiness I use in this post – the thesaurus was my friend ladies and gentlemen!
Hopefully this free pattern will bring YOU a bit of good cheer and maybe you can pass on a bit of jocularity and glee if you make a little bluebird for someone else (or just make two and double the happy!)
My eldest daughter has said that the bluebirds name is ‘Blue’ which isn’t incredibly original, bless her, but it certainly is very fitting! I made him in Scheepjes Catona Cyan Blue (Shade 397) which was exactly the colour I’d envisioned him to be.
And here is Blue enjoying some lovely Spring sunshine – as was I when I was taking these photos. I so do love Spring with it’s promise of warmer days, lighter evenings and blossoming flowers don’t you? We are waiting in anticipation here for the annual cherry tree blossom flowering of the trees that line our street – it’s always a joy to see.
Worked in the round in amigurumi style this little bluebird is a quick project to make up and you can easily whip a couple up in an evening.
The fiddly (or fun bit depending on how you look at it) is making some wire feet, the wire I used was floral wire doubled together which I just twisted with my hands until they looked right. Alternatively one of my testers created a bird without legs so it looked like it was sitting (would look perfect with a little nest of yarn) and another tester used pipe cleaners for the feet, which I thought was a really good idea, and which might be easier to manipulate.
The following pattern is free here on the blog but it’s also available in my Ravelry store where there is a nominal fee for a downloadable 3 page PDF pattern free of advertisements if you’d prefer.
Yarn:4ply / Fingering YarnScheepjes Catona used in photos;
1 x 25g / 62m x Cyan Blue (Shade 397)
1 x 10g / 25m x Lemon (Shade 280)
Pattern will work in other hooks and yarns though finished size will be different.
Hook: 2.5mm hook (US size C/2)
You will also need:
Polyester toy stuffing
Florist or jewellery wire for feet
Black embroidery thread
Stitch Markers
Yarn Needle
PVC glue (optional)
Gauge: 5dc/sc = 2.5cm (1 inch)
Obtaining the correct gauge is not critical to this project but yarn amounts and finished size of projecy may differ if your gauge is different from mine.
Finished Size: 25cm (9.8 inches) from nose to tail
Abbreviations:
st(s) = stitch(es)
sl st = slip stitch
ch(s) = chain
dc/sc = UK double crochet / US single crochet
dc/sc2tog = UK double crochet 2 together / US double crochet 2 together
[…] = Repeat the sequence between the square brackets by the number indicated.
(.. sts) = The number in round brackets at the end of the instruction indicates the number of stitches after working the row.
Stitch Guidance:
Slip Stitch (sl st): Insert hook in st indicated, yarn over and draw through all loops.
UK Double Crochet/US Single Crochet (dc/sc): Insert hook in st indicated and draw up a loop (two loops on hook), yarn over, draw through both loops on hook.
UK Double Crochet 2 together / US Single Crochet 2 together (dc/sc2tog):
Insert hook in st indicated and pull up a loop (two loops on hook), Insert hook in next st, yarn over, pull through three loops on hook.
Pattern Notes:
Magic ring: is also known as a Drawstring Ring or Magic Loop and is often used as a start for working amigurumi. If you are not familiar with this technique you could substitute with a ch2 and then work in the second ch from the hook.
Working in the round: Most of the sections of this pattern are worked in the amigurumi style without joining in continuous rounds. Place the stitch marker in the top of the first st to mark the start of each round.
Invisible double crochet decrease: Invisible decreasing is a method of removing stitches to shape your fabric without gaps. Insert hook in the FRONT LOOP ONLY of the first stitch indicated and pull up a loop (two loops on hook), insert hook in the FRONT LOOP ONLY of the next st, yarn over, pull through three loops on hook; decrease made.
Pattern:
Head:
Rnd 1: With Cyan Blue make a magic ring, work 6dc into ring. (6 sts)
Rnd 2: [2dc] to end. (12 sts)
Rnd 3: [1dc, 2dc] to end. (18 sts)
Rnd 4: [1dc in the next two sts, 2dc] to end. (24 sts)
Rnd 5: [1dc in the next three sts, 2dc] to end. (30 sts)
Rnds 6 – 10: 1dc in each st around
Rnd 11: [1dc in the next three sts, dc2tog] to end. (24 sts)
Rnd 12: [1dc in the next two sts, dc2tog] to end. (18 sts)
Begin to stuff head; continuing to stuff as you go.
Rnd 13: [1dc, dc2tog] to end. (12 sts)
Rnd 14: [dc2tog] to end. (6 sts)
Fasten off with a sl st to the next st and using the yarn tail sew up the remaining six sts, weave in ends
Body:
Rnds 1—5: With Cyan Blue work as Head. (30sts)
Rnds 6 – 7: 1dc in each st around
Rnd 8: [1dc in the next three sts, dc2tog] to end. (24 sts)
Rnds 9 – 11: 1dc in each st around
Rnd 12: [1dc in the next two sts, dc2tog] to end. (18 sts)
Rnds 13 – 14: 1dc in each st around
Fasten off with a sl st to the next st, leave a long yarn tail for sewing head to the body. Stuff body.
Beak:
Beak is not stuffed;
Rnd 1: With Lemon make a magic ring, work 4dc into ring. (4 sts)
Rnd 2: 2dc in the first st, 1dc in the next 3sts (5 sts)
Rnd 3: 1dc in each st around
Rnd 4: 2dc in the first st, 1dc in the next 4sts (6sts)
Rnd 5: 1dc in each st around
Fasten off with a sl st to the next st, leave a long yarn tail for sewing beak to the head.
Wings:
Make 2. Wings are not stuffed;
Rnd 1: With Cyan Blue make a magic ring, work 5dc into ring. (5 sts)
Rnd 2: 1dc in each st around
Rnd 3: [2dc] to end. (10 sts)
Rnds 4-7: 1dc in each st around
Rnd 8: [1dc in the next three sts, dc2tog] to end. (8 sts)
Tail Feathers:
Make 3. Tail feathers are not stuffed;
Rnd 1: With Cyan Blue make a magic ring, work 6dc into ring. (6 sts)
Rnd 2: [1dc in the next two sts, 2dc] to end. (8 sts)
Rnds 3-8: 1dc in each st around
Rnd 9: [1dc in the next three sts, dc2tog] to end. (6 sts)
Making Up:
Attach the head to the body
Using black embroidery thread add an eye on either side of the head over rnds 5-7 approx 8 sts apart
Attach beak to the front of the head (in-between eyes) over rnds 6-8
Attach wings over rnds 10-11 on each side of the bird.
Attach the three tail feathers to the back of the body; two on rnd 6 and one above on rnd 7
Using the floral / jewellery wire fashion push the length through the bottom of the body of your bird (testing as you go to check the balance.
Fashion some bird feet at the end of each end of wire making sure your bird can stand without toppling over.
Wrap some lengths of Cyan yarn around the top of the leg and secure with a few stitches with your yarn needle to the body of your bird. You may wish to coat the yarn in a little PVC glue to stop it from slipping (optional).
Yarn Shop Day is coming soon folks! This year’s event will take place in participating yarn shops across the UK on Saturday 27th April 2019.
Now in its sixth year, Yarn Shop Day is a successful, industry supported annual event that celebrates bricks-and-mortar yarn shops and is part of the wider ‘Love Your Yarn Shop’ campaign.
I think it’s such an important thing to try and be the advocate for any small shop owner AND to support local where you can. It’s something that I do in my business and my personal life because I care about my local community and I want my local economy to have a chance to thrive. All these little shops are also usually the place where you find little gems and the expertise of local makers with their own experiences, skills and creativity – that’s something we don’t want to lose do we!
Each participating store usually hosts their own special event, with all sorts of fun activities taking place. I’m very excited to say that I’ve been invited back to Abakhan Fabrics in Hanley, which is one of my local yarn shops, to join in with all the fun and frolics for this years Yarn Shop Day.
They have another great day lined up with:
15% off yarn, books, patterns and accessories all day
free demos (such as mine!)
balloon prizes
free cake!
free patterns and more!
It was a great day last year (you can read about it here) and this year I’m going to be around from 10am-4pm. In the morning (10am – 12.30pm) I’m running a crochet surgery where I’ll try and help you with any crochet conundrums you might be having, and also show any beginners that want to learn a few tips on how to crochet. Then in the afternoon (1pm-4pm) we are going to be working on this years Yarn Shop Day mascot and I’ll be sharing some tips on creating amigurumi. The crochet pattern for this years Yarn Shop Day is such a fun one (I’ve seen a sneak peep) but I can’t tell you about it yet as I don’t want to spoil the surprise for the day.
So I hope you’ll mark the 27 April on your calendars with that date to join us at Abakhan in Hanley, if you can, or keep an eye out on the Yarn Shop day page from a digital guide of shops taking part – making it super easy to find your nearest participating shops!
I’m also extremely thrilled to say that I’m going to be running a series of FREE crochet demonstrations in store too this year!
The first one is on 6 April and it’s an amigurumi for beginners session from 12pm-3pm where we are going to be working on some fun bunny egg cosies that use amigurumi techniques like working in a spiral, using stitch markers, increasing and decreasing and sewing things together.
The other FREE crochet demonstrations that I’m facilitating in 2019 at Abakhan Fabrics are listed below:
Learn to Crochet Mandalas – Saturday 15th June: 12pm to 3pm
In this fun and relaxed demonstration we will be looking at the mindfulness meditation that can be achieved when crocheting a mandala. A mandala is a circle made up of different stitches and colours which you can use as a decorative piece, a coaster, or a potholder. We’ll be looking at how different stitches can make a variety of patterns within each round and that there are endless possibilities when you combine any number of crochet stitches and colours to make something truly spiritual and unique!
Ricorumi Animal Amigurumi – Saturday 13th July: 12pm to 3pm
Prepare to get hooked on amigurumi with Rico Ricorumi yarn! Designed specially for creating cute crocheted or knitted amigurumi characters, we are going to be looking at some cute Ricorumi Friends. We’ll be examining amigurumi techniques like working in a spiral, using stitch markers and increasing and decreasing. By the end of the session you will know how to make one of the Ricorumi Friends like the fox, hedgehog, squirrel or duck.
Ricorumi Baubles – Saturday 26th October: 12pm to 3pm
Get ready for Christmas and make your Christmas tree look gorgeous by crocheting yourself a set of Christmas baubles. We are going to be taking a closer look at amigurumi techniques like working in a spiral, using stitch markers and increasing and decreasing. By the end of the session you will know how to make a bauble and have started a project, to complete at home, using your new skills.
If you love a crafty workshop then Abakhan always have several classes and workshops available in their stores (in Stoke-on-Trent, Chester,Manchester,Liverpool, Altrincham and Shrewsbury) including dress making, sewing machinery, creative sewing, knitting and crochet and patchwork and quilting.
I hope to see some of you at a workshop soon!
Until next time; keep calm and crochet on my friends xx
Howdy folks, how was your weekend? Mine was a greatly creative one! Mum and I went down to The Knitting and Stitching Show in Olympia London for a weekend away and we had such fun!
I’m feel that I should start with a photo of one of the showstopping photos I took of The Enchanted Wood by the Norfolk Knitters just to entice you in…
Though you might just want to grab a cuppa before you start to read the rest of today’s post, as it’s a bit of a long one with lots of photos… right…you all sorted..then I shall begin.
Have you ever visited a craft show? For a craft lover it’s like a little slice of heaven! The Olympia London may not be as grand a venue as The Alexandra Palace we visited a couple of years ago (you read about that here) but it was still a jam packed with lots of stitching themed loveliness!
After a uneventful journey from Staffordshire (which is always the best kind of journey) we got to the show about midday on the Saturday which was the third day of the show. All the knitting and knitting show events run for a whopping four or five days so there’s usually plenty of time to attend one (or more) of the show dates.
As we were going to be there for two days we decided to be fairly systematic in our approach – the venue was kind of split into two sections, so we thought we’d spend the first day in one half and the second in the next. This worked out pretty well and we got time to see everything we wanted to and have a bit of time to chat to folks – which is the bit I love!
Guess what! We got to chat with the very lovely Katie Jones of Katie Jones Knit!
If you follow Katie, as I do, on Instagram (KatieJonesKnit) you will know that she’s a lover of vibrant bright designs and bold colour combinations. So as you can imagine her stand was just a fantastic pop of colour…and isn’t her t-shirt just the most awesome thing!
We got to see a close up of her amazing Blooming Bomber (which is a FREE download from Katie’s website)…
and the stunning Casa Kahlo Blanket which I just adore(this is ALSO a FREE download from Katie’s website).
She was such a delight to talk to, she’s done so much and worked with so many different people, and was telling us a bit about her history in the fashion industry and how she’s now concentrating on her Make-It-Yourself collections.
We then thought it best to stop monopolising Katie’s time and go and see some of the other things on offer.
Around the corner from Katie’s stand was the Zandra Rhodes exhibit, which was a showcase of garments celebrating iconic British designer Zandra Rhodes’ 50th anniversary.
Zandra Rhodes is well known for her bold iconic prints and this collection was no exception, really interesting to see these statement pieces up close. So much inspiration!
The next stand I was excited to go and see was the fabulous exhibition from the Italian textile artist and designer Luisa De Santi with her Magical Crochet Spells.
Up close it is just the most stunning work! She was explaining to us that everything she crocheted for Crochet Magic Spells was with sort of embroidery cotton and a 2.5mm (US size C/2) hook! Some of her pieces are really quite big so I can’t even imagine the length of time it took to create them.
Crochet Magic Spells (of which you can buy the book of here from Luisa’s website) is just such a wonderful fusion of crochet and embroidery! She was so kind in taking some time to tell us more about her pieces – she’s such a lovely lady.
Much of her work, she says, is just created in an organic way, she may sketch a rough idea but she just lets her pieces develop and grow into the fantabulous pieces of art that they are. Her work is just so intricate and seeing it all up close it just amazing as you can really see and appreciate all the detail, it really was a magical collection.
Around the corner from Luisa was some of Catherine Kaufman’s sculptures. Catherine is a sculptor but not in a traditional sense as her medium is wool. She spins it and needle felts it into large scale sculptures that are just unbelievable!
We did some more browsing of stalls and then found ourselves atSue Strafford’sstand. I’ve seen Sue’s name a lot in Let’s Get Crafting Knitting and Crochet magazine so it was really lovely to put a name to a face. And actually my yarn purchase from the show came from her stand!
I completely fell in love with the yarn colourway (by Skein Queen) that she’d used on her Voltage Shawl – so I bought the kit for the yarn (Sue didn’t mind)! The knitting pattern actually hasn’t gone to waste as it went to knitter mum who’s going to have a go at making it (though not with the yarn because that’s all mine!). Just take a look at these beauties!
Meet urban graffiti, charcoal and neon kiwi! Every time I look at them it makes me ridiculously happy! Aren’t they just gorgeous! Sadly I don’t have the time to play with them at the moment, as I’m working on commissions, but I can’t wait till I do! I’m thinking some sort of shawl but the design hasn’t come to me yet!
After all that it was pretty much the end of day one! We’d walked our legs off and needed a bit of a rest! For the start of Day 2 we had already decided we were going to do a workshop.
I always like to take the opportunity at craft shows to try a craft that’s completely different to my own. I’ve found it’s really enjoyable to attempt something I probably wouldn’t otherwise and so that’s how we found ourselves at the RowanDean Embroidery stand.
The workshop was to play around with some techniques that the lovely Katrina from RowanDean has developed in her book Hand Stitched Landscapes and Wild Flowers (available here). And what fun it was! Mum and I spent such an enjoyable couple of hours creating our little wild flower scenes – who knew that french knots could be so addictive!
Both mum and I bought a little hanging hoop in which we can display our finished pieces and once I’ve just added a few more french knots (they really are ever so addictive) I’m going to hang mine above my desk at home.
And now if you were pulled into this post by the Enchanted Wood image at the start then you’ll be delighted to know that, that was our next stop! And can I just say WOW! It was just unbelievable! Fairies, elves, unicorns, gnomes to name a few in a stunning magical knitted and crochet setting.
Everywhere you looked there was something new to see…
A veritable feast for the eyes!
Such a wonderful collection of creativity – and I really also now want to make a crochet tree!
Next it was my complete and absolute delight to meet the one and only Erika Knight! Erika, as you probably well know, is is a highly respected knitwear and crochet designer, who has published more than 20 booked on knitting and crochet. Her designs are always classic yet modern (if that makes sense) and are what I would class as wardrobe staples that you’d get a lot of wear out of. I’ve got to admit I was a bit intimidated to meet her but she’s so lovely!
We were chatting for ages about various things including my goal (to some day) crochet myself a wearable garment, my mum’s crocheted wedding dress and Erika’s love of supporting British manufacturing and wool.
As well as designing Erika also has her own yarn label and she asked me if I’d like to try some yarn that she’s designed especially for crocheters. I squeaked my surprised thank you at her lovely generosity and she allowed me to pick a 50g hank of her Studio Linen to try. I picked the colour Velvet which is a rich, dark heather / auberginy sort of purple.
I’m thinking maybe some lacy summer mitts or maybe a skinny scarf when I get a moment to play!
There’s was so much more than this that we saw over the weekend and so many wonderful other people we met but I think that this blog post is getting quite long enough!
Hopefully you get the general idea about the show and maybe fancy attending one yourself. The Knitting and Stitching Show runs in several venues across the UK with two dates in London each year, the next one for London is in October – you can sign up for the latest news about the shows by subscribing to the newsletter (link on the bottom of the website).
I had my step counter on whilst walking round the event and over the two days we walked the equivalent of 9.6 miles (15.6km) so it was great exercise whilst enjoying ourselves! Aside from the yarn and the frame for my embroidery I bought myself a few bits and bobs including some new scissors, some copies of magazines I hadn’t got, a fun £20 note themed hook case, some material that I wanted and some more safety eyes – I didn’t go too crazy (for once).
Like all the craft events I’ve attended the show is not only about the pretty things I have the opportunity to buy it’s about the people I got to meet. If you get the chance to go to a future Knitting and Stitching Show I can thoroughly recommend it.
Before I finish off this post I’m just going to say a quick thank you to the organisers of the show for my complimentary tickets and goodie bag and for also giving me a press badge – I seriously will never lose the glee of that!
Until next time folks! Happy hooking and keep calm and crochet on my friends xx
Howdy folks, how are you all? I’ve been in crochet heaven as last week I went to join in the fun and frolics in a weekend stay at The Crochet Sanctuary.
Unbelievably it was their 1st birthday (the mind boggles at the fact that my first visit was a whole year ago). This time I was there for the whole weekend and we were well and truly spoilt as always.
The theme for the weekend was birthdays and unicorns so as you can imagine there was lots of cake, of the crochet kind and the edible kind! There was also a pinata and pass the parcel and bubbles in party bags and just so much yarny fun and laughter!
On the Friday we were given Stitch and Story Miffy slippers to try… I didn’t finish mine. I’ll be honest and say that I fell out a bit with the pattern whilst I was there, it isn’t written in what I would class as a standard format, but the yarn is gorgeous so I may give it another go when I’ve got a bit more time to concentrate!
I’m not just saying it, because it contains a product from Dear Ewe, but it really is a gorgeous box that I wish had been around when I first started crocheting! A full set of lovely ergonomic crochet hooks, gorgeous yarn, scissors and more – what’s not to love!
Then on Saturday afternoon we had a wonderful crochet workshop with the lovely Lindsay from Lottie and Albert.
If you love crochet then I don’t think you can have failed to see (or be inspired by) the rainbow blanket CAL that Lindsay is currently hosting. If you follow me on Instagram you will have seen that I’m joining in with a lemon sorbet version…
It was super fun to get a master class from the creator! The first thing I learnt was how much easier it is to wind six balls of DK yarn together standing up rather than sitting down like I did with my yarn ball at home! I would never even thought of it – but sooooo much easier!
We were all given a really pretty pastel pallet of Scheepjes Colour Crafter to work with and I started making the basket…which is nearly finished, I just need to add some pom poms to the front, I love the clever way that Lindsay has created these – which you can find out at the bottom of this post here.
Sunday was spent finishing off our projects and enjoying some good hook and chatter time. I love just watching everyone and seeing how enthused they are with crochet and yarn – definitely my kind of people!
Before I knew it the weekend had flown by and it was time to go home with loads of goodies, including a gorgeous wooden 20mm hook, and an extra special treat of Amanda Bloom’s The story so far book – and as Amanda was there attending the sanctuary I even got my edition signed!
The book is gorgeous, with a lovely tactic cover, and features 15 of the best loved designs from the Little Box of Crochet. I’m seriously going to have to find sometime to make The Woodland Wreath by Kate Eastwood because it’s such a beautiful nod to autumn which I just adore!
So in a nutshell another fabulous visit at The Crochet Sanctuary.! I think you’ll know by know how much I love my visits by the fact I can’t stay away! I can’t recommend how great it is! The atmosphere of the weekend is lovely and we are spoilt rotten by our hosts Lisa and Lynda! Just a wonderful abundance of food, drink, yarn, laughter and of course crochet! I can’t wait to go back again in June!
Until next time folks! Happy hooking and keep calm and crochet on my friends xx
So has the title of today’s free amigurumi made you want to break out into song?
Ba-be shark do do doo do do doo doo doo! Ba-be shark do do doo do do doo doo doo!
Sorry about that! It kind of had to be done! You can thank my toddler for today’s earworm! If you have no idea what I’m talking about and the phenomena that is the Pingfong Baby Shark Song has passed you by – lucky you! The baby shark song is now reportedly listed as one of the Top 40 most-viewed videos songs ever on YouTube – and my two year old LOVES it!
You may remember me saying that every year I try to crochet my girls a little something for Christmas; I made my (now eight) year old a giant narwhal (get the free pattern here) and so keeping with the oceanic theme it seemed only appropriate that I make Little Miss a baby shark.
I actually made the whole shark out of what was left of the one ball of Marriners plain Super Chunky (in Silver) that I used for the narwhals tusk – so if you bought the yarn for the giant narwhal then you should have enough left over to make this ami too.
Designed with embroidered features this ami is perfect for little ones under 36 months – for older children or adults you could use safety eyes instead.
The following pattern is free here on the blog but it’s also available in my Ravelry store where there is a nominal fee for a downloadable 3 page PDF pattern free of advertisements if you’d prefer.
Marriner Super Chunky (Silver – Yarn B) used in photos.
Pattern will work in other hooks and yarns though finished size will be different.
Hook: 6.5mm (US size K)
You will also need:
Stitch markers
A yarn needle
Polyester toy filler
Black yarn
Gauge: 7dc/sc = 8cm (3.1 inches)
Obtaining the correct gauge is not critical to this project but yarn amounts and finished size of projecy may differ if your gauge is different from mine.
Finished Size: 25cm (9.8 inches) from nose to tail
Abbreviations:
st(s) = stitch(es)
sl st = slip stitch
ch(s) = chain
dc/sc = UK double crochet / US single crochet
dc/sc2tog = UK double crochet 2 together / US single crochet 2 together
Stitch Guidance:
Slip Stitch (sl st): Insert hook in st indicated, yarn over and draw through all loops.
UK Double Crochet/US Single Crochet (dc/sc): Insert hook in st indicated and draw up a loop (two loops on hook), yarn over, draw through both loops on hook.
UK Double Crochet 2 together / US Single Crochet 2 together (dc/sc2tog):
Insert hook in st indicated and pull up a loop (two loops on hook), Insert hook in next st, yarn over, pull through three loops on hook.
Pattern Notes:
Using a stitch marker: Many parts of the narwhal are worked without joining in continuous rnds – place the stitch marker in the top of the first st to mark start of rnd.
Pattern:
Body:
Worked from tail to nose;
Rnd 1: Either make a magic ring (adjustable ring) to start or 2ch, work 6dc/sc into the ring / 2nd ch from hook, use tail yarn to tighten centre ring closed if necessary (6sts).
Rnd 2: * 1dc/sc, 2dc/sc in next st * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (9sts).
Rnd 3: * 1dc/sc in the next two sts, 2dc/sc in next st * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (12sts).
Rnd 4: * 1dc/sc in next three sts, 2dc/sc in next st * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (15sts).
Rnd 5: * 1dc/sc in next four sts, 2dc/sc in next st * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (18sts).
Rnd 6: * 1dc/sc in next five sts, 2dc/sc in next st * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (21sts).
Rnd 7: * 1dc/sc in next six sts, 2dc/sc in next st * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (24sts).
Rnd 8: * 1dc/sc in next seven sts, 2dc/sc in next st * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (27sts).
Rnd 9: * 1dc/sc in next eight sts, 2dc/sc in next st * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (30sts).
Rnds 10-14: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd.
Rnd 15: * 1dc/sc in the next eight sts, dc/sc2tog in next st * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (27sts).
Rnd 16: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd.
Rnd 17: * 1dc/sc in the next seven sts, dc/sc2tog in next st * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (24sts).
Rnd 18: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd.
Rnd 19: * 1dc/sc in the next six sts, dc/sc2tog in next st * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (21sts).
Rnd 20: * 1dc/sc in the next five sts, dc/sc2tog in next st * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (18sts).
Rnd 21: * 1dc/sc in the next four sts, dc/sc2tog in next st * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (15sts).
Rnd 22: * 1dc/sc in the next three sts, dc/sc2tog in next st * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (12sts).
Rnd 23: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd, fasten off but leave a long yarn tail.
Stuff the body
Then pressing rnd 23 sides closed sew together.
Side Fins (Make 2):
Rnd 1: Either make a magic ring (adjustable ring) to start or 2ch, work 5dc/sc into the ring / 2nd ch from hook, use tail yarn to tighten centre ring closed if necessary (5sts).
Rnd 2: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd.
Rnd 3: 1dc/sc in the next two sts, 2dc/sc in next st, 1dc/sc in the remaining two sts (6sts).
Rnd 4: 2dc/sc in the next two sts, 1dc/sc in the remaining four sts (8sts).
Rnd 5: 2dc/sc in the next four sts, 1dc/sc in the remaining four sts (12sts).
Rnd 6: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd, fasten off but leave a long yarn tail
Top Fin:
Rnd 1: Either make a magic ring (adjustable ring) to start or 2ch, work 4dc/sc into the ring / 2nd ch from hook, use tail yarn to tighten centre ring closed if necessary (4sts).
Rnd 2: * 1dc/sc, 2dc/sc in next st * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (6sts).
Rnd 3: * 1dc/sc in the next two sts, 2dc/sc in next st * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (8sts).
Rnd 4: * 1dc/sc in next three sts, 2dc/sc in next st * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (10sts).
Rnd 5: * 1dc/sc in next four sts, 2dc/sc in next st * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd, fasten off but leave a long yarn tail (12sts).
Tail:
Rnd 1: Ch13; 1dc/sc in the second ch from the hook then 1dc/sc in each st until end, then working down the other side of the starting ch, 1dc/sc in each st. 24sts
Rnd 2: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd, fasten off but leave a long yarn tail
Then pressing rnd 2 sides closed sew together.
Making up:
With black thread embroider eyes on between rnds 18-19 approx 5sts apart
With black thread embroider three gills on rnds 13-15 on each side of the body
Attach the side fins (with the curve pointing backwards) on each side of the shark over rnds 10-16 approx 7sts apart
Attach top fin on top of shark over rnds 15-9
Attach the centre of the tail piece vertically onto rnd 1 of the body.
Hello, how you doing? How’s your week been? How am I you say? Well I’ve just been finishing off the last few touches to a free pattern for you!
How do you fancy a pattern for a giant narwhal?! I’m hoping you’ve said yes…because over Christmas that’s what I made for my daughter. She loves it and so I thought you might do too.
Every year I try to crochet my girls a little something, they always love these makes and it’s lovely to see the enjoyment they get out of them. This year I’m not quite sure how the conversation came about but it ended up some how with me agreeing to make my seven year old a narwhal, and not just a small narwhal, a GIANT one!
Narwhals are just such interesting creatures aren’t they! There are none in captivity (apparently any attempts to keep them have been unsuccessful) and this obviously lends to the mythical intrigue about the animal I’m sure!
Did you know they are dubbed as the unicorn of the sea as apparently in medieval times their tusks (which is actually a tooth) were passed off as actual unicorn horns – maybe this is why they seem kind of magical! They are just so fascinating and mysterious that I thought who wouldn’t want to crochet a cuddly plushie one!
I have actually always wanted to have a go at making a giant amigurumi but giant things usually take lots of time and use giant amounts of yarn. So what I needed was big yarn and a big hook!
You may remember that Marriner Yarns kindly sent me some yarn to try out last year (read about that here). In the pack was some variegated Mermaid Super Chunky which I thought might work out nicely.
They’d sent me one ball of Marshmallow in the pack but one ball wasn’t going to make anything giant so I bought some more off their website (it came pretty quickly too) and combined it with a ball of their Marriners plain Super Chunky in Silver (for the tusk).
Watch this space for another ocean creature, that I made for my youngest, that I made with the left over Silver Marriners Super Chunky – coming soon!
Mermaid Chunky really is lovely and soft and works well for chunky amigurumi and as it’s only £1.50 per ball it won’t cost you a fortune to make an amigurumi this big. Whalema (as my daughter has called hers) measures a whopping 99cm (39 inches) from horn tip to tail so she’s not small!
The recommended hook size for the yarn is a 10mm (US N/13) but I used a 6.5mm (US size K) for a tighter amigurumi stitch. That said I’ve recently discovered that I’m a loose crocheter so you may find a larger hook size works for you just as well.
The following pattern is free here on the blog but it’s also available on Ravelry where there is a nominal fee for a downloadable 4 page PDF pattern free of advertisements if you’d prefer.
So are you ready for the pattern? I’ll just say a quick thanks to Marriner Yarns again for supplying the Mermaid Chunky so I could make this free pattern for you and then we can begin…
Chunky Narwhal Amigurumi
Materials:
Yarn:
4 x 100g / 80m of Yarn A
1 x 100g / 80m of Yarn B
Marriner Mermaid Super Chunky (Marshmallow – Yarn A) Marriner Super Chunky (Silver – Yarn B) used in photos.
Pattern will work in other hooks and yarns though finished size will be different.
Hook: 6.5mm (US size K)
You will also need:
Stitch markers
A yarn needle
Polyester toy filler
2 x 30mm Glitter (or Black) Safety eyes
Gauge: 7dc/sc = 8cm (3.1 inches)
Obtaining the correct gauge is not critical to this project but yarn amounts and finished size of projecy may differ if your gauge is different from mine.
Finished Size: 99cm (39 inches) from horn tip to tail
Abbreviations:
st(s) = stitch(es)
sl st = slip stitch
ch(s) = chain
dc/sc = UK double crochet / US single crochet
dc/sc2tog = UK double crochet 2 together / US single crochet 2 together
Stitch Guidance:
Slip Stitch (sl st): Insert hook in st indicated, yarn over and draw through all loops.
UK Double Crochet/US Single Crochet (dc/sc): Insert hook in st indicated and draw up a loop (two loops on hook), yarn over, draw through both loops on hook.
UK Double Crochet 2 together / US Single Crochet 2 together (dc/sc2tog):
Insert hook in st indicated and pull up a loop (two loops on hook), Insert hook in next st, yarn over, pull through three loops on hook.
Pattern Notes:
Using a stitch marker: Many parts of the narwhal are worked without joining in continuous rnds – place the stitch marker in the top of the first st to mark start of rnd.
Pattern:
Body:
Worked from nose to tail;
Rnd 1: With Yarn A either make a magic ring (adjustable ring) to start or 2ch, work 6dc/sc into the ring / 2nd ch from hook, use tail yarn to tighten centre ring closed if necessary (6sts).
Rnd 2: * 2dc/sc * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (12sts).
Rnd 3: * 1dc/sc, 2dc/sc in next st * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (18sts).
Rnd 4: * 1dc/sc in next two sts, 2dc/sc in next st * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (24sts).
Rnd 5: * 1dc/sc in next three sts, 2dc/sc in next st * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (30sts).
Rnd 6: * 1dc/sc in next four sts, 2dc/sc in next st * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (36sts).
Rnd 7: * 1dc/sc in next 17 sts, 2dc/sc in next two sts, 1dc/sc in next 17 sts (38sts).
Rnd 8: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd.
Rnd 9: 1dc/sc in next 18 sts, 2dc/sc in next two sts, 1dc/sc in next 18 sts (40sts).
Rnds 10-11: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd.
Rnd 12: 1dc/sc in next 19 sts, 2dc/sc in next two sts, 1dc/sc in next 19 sts (42sts).
Rnds 13-22: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd
Add eyes in between rnds 19-20 approx 15sts apart
Rnd 23: 1dc/sc in next 19 sts, 2dc/sc in next four sts, 1dc/sc in next 19 sts (46sts).
Rnds 24-38: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd
Rnd 39: 1dc/sc in next 19 sts, dc/sc2tog four times, 1dc/sc in next 19 sts (42sts).
Rnds 40-44: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd
Rnd 45: 1dc/sc in next 19 sts, dc/sc2tog twice, 1dc/sc in next 19 sts (40sts).
Rnds 46-48: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd
Rnd 49: 1dc/sc in next 18 sts, dc/sc2tog twice, 1dc/sc in next 18 sts (38sts).
Rnds 50-51: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd
Rnd 52: 1dc/sc in next 17 sts, dc/sc2tog twice, 1dc/sc in next 17 sts (36sts).
Rnd 53: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd
Start to stuff; continuing to stuff as you go
Rnd 54: * 1dc/sc in the next four sts, dc/sc2tog * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (30sts).
Rnds 55-58: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd
Rnd 59: * 1dc/sc in the next three sts, dc/sc2tog * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (24sts).
Rnds 60-62: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd
Rnd 63: * 1dc/sc in the next four sts, dc/sc2tog * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (20sts).
Rnd 64: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd
Rnd 65: * 1dc/sc in the next three sts, dc/sc2tog * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (16sts).
Rnd 66: * 1dc/sc in the next two sts, dc/sc2tog * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (12sts).
Rnd 67: * 1dc/sc, dc/sc2tog * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (8sts).
Rnds 68-69: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd
Rnd 70: * dc/sc2tog * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd, fasten off and sew together the remaining sts with your yarn tail.
Side Fins (Make 2):
Rnd 1: With Yarn A either make a magic ring (adjustable ring) to start or 2ch, work 6dc/sc into the ring / 2nd ch from hook, use tail yarn to tighten centre ring closed if necessary (6sts).
Rnd 2: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd
Rnd 3: * 1dc/sc, 2dc/sc in next st * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (9sts).
Rnd 4: 1dc/sc in next four sts, 2dc/sc in the next st, 1dc/sc in next four sts (10sts).
Rnd 5: 1dc/sc in next four sts, 2dc/sc in the next two sts, 1dc/sc in next four sts (12sts).
Rnd 6: 1dc/sc in next four sts, 2dc/sc in the next four sts, 1dc/sc in next four sts (16sts).
Rnds 7-9: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd
Rnd 10: * 1dc/sc in the next two sts, dc/sc2tog * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (12sts).
Rnd 11: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd
Rnd 12: * 1dc/sc, dc/sc2tog * repeat from * to * until the end of the rnd (9sts).
Fasten off but leave long yarn tail for attaching fins to the body
Tail Fins (Make 2):
Rnds 1-6: With Yarn A make as side fins (16sts).
Rnd 7: 1dc/sc in next seven sts, 2dc/sc in the next two sts, 1dc/sc in next seven sts (18sts).
Rnd 8: 1dc/sc in next eight sts, 2dc/sc in the next two sts, 1dc/sc in next eight sts (20sts).
Rnd 9: 1dc/sc in next nine sts, 2dc/sc in the next two sts, 1dc/sc in next nine sts (22sts).
Rnds 10-14: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd
Rnd 15: 1dc/sc in next nine sts, dc/sc2tog twice, 1dc/sc in next nine sts (20sts).
Rnd 16: 1dc/sc in next eight sts, dc/sc2tog twice, 1dc/sc in next eight sts (18sts).
Rnd 17: 1dc/sc in next seven sts, dc/sc2tog twice, 1dc/sc in next seven sts (16sts).
Fasten off but leave long yarn tail for attaching tail fins to the body
Horn:
Rnd 1: With Yarn B either make a magic ring (adjustable ring) to start or 2ch, work 5dc/sc into the ring / 2nd ch from hook, use tail yarn to tighten centre ring closed if necessary (5sts).
Rnds 2-7: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd
Rnd 8: 2dc/sc in the next st, 1dc/sc in the next five sts (6sts).
Rnds 9-11: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd
Rnd 12: 2dc/sc in the next st, 1dc/sc in the next six sts (8sts).
Rnds 13-15: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd
Start to stuff; continuing to stuff as you go
Rnd 16: 2dc/sc in the next st, 1dc/sc in the next seven sts (7sts).
Rnds 17-19: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd
Rnd 20: 2dc/sc in the next st, 1dc/sc in the next eight sts (8sts).
Rnd 21: 1dc/sc in each st until the end of the rnd
Fasten off but leave long yarn tail for attaching horn to the body
Making up:
Attach the bottom fins (with the curve pointing backwards) on each side of the narwhal over rnds 24-27 approx 14sts apart
Attach the tail fins (with the curve pointing backwards) on either side of the end of the narwhal over rnds 64-71
Attach the horn over rnds 4-5 on the forehead of the narwhal
EDITED: GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED, congratulations to Heidi Bradshaw, Sharon Bowles, Candida Carvalho, Cristiana Alexandra Ferreiro do Vale, Jackie Walter and Michelle Smith!
I’ve got FIVE pairs of tickets, most generously donated by the shows organisers, for all you lovely readers – plus they’ve also set up a nice discount on ticket prices for anyone that doesn’t win (more about that in a moment).
If you love a good craft show, which of course I do, and you aren’t familiar with the Knitting and Stitching Show then you are really missing something. These shows are the UK’s biggest textile art, craft and design events and the Spring show will open its doors to thousands of crafters for FIVE whole days at London Olympia on Thursday 28 February until Sunday 1 March 2019.
You may remember I went to one of the shows back in 2017 with my lovely mum and we had a blast (you can read about that visit here). So we are going back down to the show together again this year for more crafty fun!
Any hoo, if you want to go straight to the details on how to win tickets scroll to the bottom of this page, if you’ve got a few more minutes I just want to tell you about another couple of things that’s happening at this years Spring show…
I for one am extremely excited to see the amazing work by Italian textile artist and designer Luisa De Santi who is bringing her extraordinary knit, crochet and embroidery work to the Spring Knitting and Stitching Show. Her exhibition called Magical Crochet Spells sounds like something not to be missed out on! I’ve seen some of the photos of her work and it’s just so intriguing!
Lucia creates complex and colourful 3-D modular structures that are amazing and mind-boggling, weird and wonderful all at the same time and I can’t wait to see them in the flesh!
I’m also looking forward to seeing The Fashion and Textile Museum who are hosting a 50 Years of Fabulous. They are doing a showcase with a collection of garments from its forthcoming exhibition celebrating iconic British designer Zandra Rhodes’ 50th anniversary. Although I don’t sew I do admire those that can (and I LOVE The Great British Sewing Bee) so I bet that’s going to be a whole lot of fabulous fun to see!
Ooo the more I’m writing about it, the more excited I’m getting! As well as all these exhibits there’s going to be over 150 exhibitors selling specialist craft supplies (including yummy yarn that needs to come home with me), and there’s going to be hundreds of workshops and demonstrations too. I’m still looking at the full workshop list deciding what to do as there are so many I just want to do!
Spend a day re-stocking your yarn stash, learning to knit, mastering the art of tailoring and just so much more. There has never been a better excuse to go to a show – it’s been designed for us to enjoy to the max!
Right enough enthusing from me, I think you get that I’m quite excited about going, let’s get on to how YOU can win tickets to the show…
Giveaway
I’ve got FIVE pairs of tickets to giveaway and the tickets are for redeemable any day except Saturday 2nd March. These tickets are only for the Spring Knitting and Stitching show at the Olympia London which runs from 28th February until 3rd March 2018.
All you need to do to enter the giveaway is to leave a comment on the bottom of this blog post about why you’d like to go to the show. The competition closes on Thursday January 31st 2019 at 7pm (GMT) with the winners being announced later that evening here on the blog. Good Luck Everyone!
But if you want your ticket’s RIGHT NOW I’ve also got a special discount for you! Just quote KCACO19 and get £2 off any advance adult ticket or £1 off any advance concessionary ticket. This means that tickets will be £12 instead of £14/£13 (please not there is a £1.75 fulfilment fee per transaction).
This discount is for advanced bookings only and can be redeemed before 23:59pm on Wednesday 27th February. Tickets can be booked online https://www.theknittingandstitchingshow.com/spring/ or by calling 0844 581 1319 and quoting the discount code.
I’d like to say a big thank you again to the shows organisers for offering this special deal to my lovely KCACO.UK readers and maybe we will catch up with some of you at the show?
Until next time; keep calm and crochet on my friends xx
I’m so excited to say that I’ve got a new pattern out in issue 37 of Crochet Now magazine. I’ve actually been waiting for this design to come out so I could tell you about it as it’s definitely one of my favourite makes that I’ve made to date!
Meet Angelica Mouse! This wee gal is all ready for a winter walk into town in her cute dress, hat and muff. I think she’s going yarn shopping…yes she’s got that look of a dedicated yarn shopper don’t you think.
And she’s dressed perfectly for the weather here in the UK at the moment. It started snowing here tonight and I keep thinking I could do with a muff! It looks fab on a mouse – but do people still wear hand muffs? Anyway I digress…back to the crochet…
When I started designing her I think I might have been subconsciously channelling a bit ofMiss Bianca from Disney’s The Rescuersas that’s who my Dad said she looked like. But in the end I think she’s turned out to have her own look and I really do love how she turned out. She came together really well when I was designing her – sometimes a pattern just flows off your hook and I think they often end up as my favourites for that reason.
For this design I used Scheepjes Stonewashed yarn, which if you follow along here on the blog, you will know is some of my favourite yarn to crochet with. I think the stonewashed aged look of the yarn suited the design and the look I was trying to create perfectly.
As well as my crochet mouse pattern issue 37 features loads of great patterns including some really fun C2C projects and some really cute birds by Irene Strange (who you may remember I interviewed a couple years ago).
I’ve got a new design out in the February 2019 issue of I Like Crochet and it’s one I really love! The Stonewashed bag is my new favourite thing! It’s such a classic shape, it’s got a fun retro / vintage feel about it, and it’s easy to make!
This large shoulder bag was inspired and pieced together like a denim patchwork and I added some faux leather handles to feel a bit like a belt. It’s really spacious inside and has a popper closure making it a great carryall bag.
You can’t really tell on the photos in the magazine but I lined it with a cute floral fabric which I picked up at my local yarn shop – and I love the pop of colour in the middle.
This is a simple-to-make crochet bag, great for beginners and would be a quick make for more accomplished crocheters.
For this design I used Wool and the Gang Billie Jean yarn which I’d wanted to try because it’s made using upcycled pre-consumer denim waste which I thought was really cool – and it just suited my design idea perfectly!
