One of our family Christmas gatherings was scheduled for last weekend, and I ended up wanting a couple of little "extras" to go in with a gift. (Doesn't that always seem to happen?!)
First, here's my purple Dumpling Kitty:
Pattern: "Dumpling Kitty", by Sarah Sloyer
(free pattern, available on Ravelry)
I always struggle with the embroidered faces... I do think those orange button eyes were a good choice, though! I could only find two of them, so it worked out perfectly.
This pattern is not difficult, but small stuffed toys almost always have some fiddly bits, and this one's no different. The color changes for the stripes on the back were a nice touch-- and the pattern explains how to change colors, so don't worry if you've never done it before.
And then there's this green cloche-style cap:
Pattern: "Olivia's Butterfly", by Valerie Whitten
(free pattern, available on Ravelry)
This pattern had been in my queue for a long time. I like its 1920's vibe!
You could easily whip up several of these cute, simple hats in no time, if you needed quick, matching gifts for a few people.
The only tricky part is figuring out how big to make it... Read through some project notes to see how others have changed the pattern to yield larger hats. (I myself made a couple of small changes to the pattern, which you can see in the link above the photo. The hat turned out about right-- though maybe it could've been a little bit larger. I always have trouble looking at a hat and telling if it's the right size...)
I definitely recommend working this pattern in a continuous round (spiral), if possible. If you're familiar with crocheting in a spiral (the way you crochet most amigurumi, for instance), this should be a simple change, and of course that eliminates the visible "seam" that you can sometimes end up with when joining with a slip stitch and chaining up every round.
Though I took some time away from the sampler afghan, I have started joining the blocks. I'm nearly on the last long seam, but I'm still not certain what the border will be... There are several edgings bookmarked, though, so it's just a matter of making a decision!
First, here's my purple Dumpling Kitty:
Pattern: "Dumpling Kitty", by Sarah Sloyer
(free pattern, available on Ravelry)
I always struggle with the embroidered faces... I do think those orange button eyes were a good choice, though! I could only find two of them, so it worked out perfectly.
This pattern is not difficult, but small stuffed toys almost always have some fiddly bits, and this one's no different. The color changes for the stripes on the back were a nice touch-- and the pattern explains how to change colors, so don't worry if you've never done it before.
And then there's this green cloche-style cap:
Pattern: "Olivia's Butterfly", by Valerie Whitten
(free pattern, available on Ravelry)
This pattern had been in my queue for a long time. I like its 1920's vibe!
You could easily whip up several of these cute, simple hats in no time, if you needed quick, matching gifts for a few people.
The only tricky part is figuring out how big to make it... Read through some project notes to see how others have changed the pattern to yield larger hats. (I myself made a couple of small changes to the pattern, which you can see in the link above the photo. The hat turned out about right-- though maybe it could've been a little bit larger. I always have trouble looking at a hat and telling if it's the right size...)
I definitely recommend working this pattern in a continuous round (spiral), if possible. If you're familiar with crocheting in a spiral (the way you crochet most amigurumi, for instance), this should be a simple change, and of course that eliminates the visible "seam" that you can sometimes end up with when joining with a slip stitch and chaining up every round.
- - - - - - -
Though I took some time away from the sampler afghan, I have started joining the blocks. I'm nearly on the last long seam, but I'm still not certain what the border will be... There are several edgings bookmarked, though, so it's just a matter of making a decision!