Spot the Ladybug

Naming a ladybug "Spot" seems a little cliche, but it works so I am going with it.

The pattern for this guy is from Lion Brand. Years ago when I was enthusiastically getting back into crochet, and especially excited about making amigurumi,  I printed off the pattern and added it to my stash. I never made him and then a few weeks ago, while cleaning up my patterns, I decided it was now or never.

Making all the pieces was simple enough, but sewing everything together - including six legs and six spots - was not much fun. It took hours and reminded me of mending, my most hated chore ever. To make the experience a little more enjoyable/tolerable I listened to the long list of podcasts that I had gotten behind on, sipped coffee....and by the end of the afternoon I had learned a great deal (I love podcasts) and I had this sweet little ladybug.

(I'll be honest though, next time I come across an amigurumi pattern with lots of tiny pieces to sew together and am tempted to make it, I may think twice...)

I really have no use for Spot, or any of the other amigurumi that I have made, but I get so much joy and happiness from making them that I keep on going, making critter after critter. I have quite a few stashed away around my house and am beginning to wonder what on earth I should do with them all. The girls don't play with them - they mostly exclaim when a new animal is made and then move on to other things - and I am left with an enormous heap of crocheted toys. What to do? The struggle is real my friends, nothing critical by any means, but something I am thinking about......

Pattern: Amigurumi Lady Bug
Yarn: Bernat Handicrafter Cotton in Red, Lily Sugar and Cream in Black

Oscar the Fish

A coworker of mine, who owns several aquariums and many fish, has been trying to persuade me to get a pet fish of my own for some time now. Since that is not going to happen (no pets for this lady), I decided that the next best thing would be a to crochet a fish.

Meet Oscar - he does not need to be fed regularly and his tank never needs to be cleaned.

He was a bit more difficult to make, with all the little pieces that needed sewing on, but still a fun little project.

Another little amigurumi friend to add to my collection, and let me tell you, I have quite the collection all made by me over the years. I've had the idea to get all my amigurumi friends together for a little photo shoot....to see everything I've made all together in one place....it could be fun?

Pattern: Amigurumi Two: Crochet Toys for Me and You and Baby Too
Yarn: Bernat Handicrafter Cotton
Is this a substitute for an actual fish?: absolutely

Olive the Owl

I've found over the years, that my crocheting changes when summer arrives. In the heat and humidity, I am less inclined to crochet blankets that are uncomfortably hot in my lap while I'm working on them (it's better to leave those for autumn when I can curl up underneath my project) and I opt for smaller, simpler projects. I also find that I crochet less in the summer. With the longer days, I am outside more - working in the garden, walking, biking - and so there is less hooky time. It's not a bad thing, just something I've noticed, a sort of ebb and flow to my crafting.

That all being said, my most recent summer-appropriate project was an owl, Olive.

I've made this pattern twice before, for the girls, but this one is for me. And learning from my experience crocheting the chemistry set, I made a little bean bag for the bottom of my owl; Olive stands so well on her own as a result. I quite like her.

I have really rekindled my love of amigurumi lately. Back when the girls were babies and toddlers, I did so much of it until my enthusiasm dwindled and I took a little break. But now I have countless sticky notes in my pattern books, marking which patterns I want to make next, and I am back to buying crochet cotton (my yarn of choice for amigurumi) with fervor....it is an incredible feeling, I'm telling you!

What are you crocheting?

Pattern: Daisy Cottage Designs
Yarn: Bernat Handicrafter Cotton
Needed in Your Life: Absolutely 

An Apple and a Little Worm

Well, I finished a little crochet project and remembered to take some pictures of it.....

I made this apple with a little worm for Claire's teacher as an end of the year gift. At one point in the year Claire had written in her school journal that she likes to crochet and her teacher shared that she too is a crocheter, so with that in mind, I thought a crochet gift would be the perfect gift for her.

And an apple for a teacher also seems fitting.

Pattern: Amigurumi World: Seriously Cute Crochet
Yarn: Bernat Handicrafter Cotton
Time to Make: A few hours

A Snail in a Pear

My latest amigurumi creation: a little snail and her pear home.

This was a lot of fun to make and my girls just love it; there is something about little containers and hiding things inside that these girls of mine just love.

Just like my bumble bee, the pattern for the snail and the pear can be found in the book Amigurumi Two: Crocheted Toys for Me and You and Baby Too.

Happy Tuesday!

Charlotte the Bumble Bee

Yes, I made a crochet bumble bee and named her Charlotte.

Sometimes I wonder if I should get out a bit more, but there is something so incredibly satisfying about curling up on the couch in my pajamas and crocheting another amigurumi friend. I love it so much and it just makes me so happy....

The pattern for this bee can be found in the book Amigurumi Two: Crocheted Toys for Me and You and Baby Too.

Happy Tuesday!

A Crochet Unicorn

Scrolling through Instagram a few weeks ago, I came across a call from A Menagerie of Stitches for people to test her first crochet pattern - a unicorn. I jumped at the chance, messaging her right away to say that I would be interested....and was so excited to be selected to test the pattern.

Though it was absolutely not necessary, I used this an an opportunity/excuse to head to Michaels and stock up on crochet cotton. (Have you seen the new colors of Bernat Handicrafter Cotton? Oh my goodness, they are gorgeous, and at only $1.25 a ball (on sale when I was there) I was powerless to resist.)

Anyways, the unicorn. Working up this pattern was a breeze - easy to read, clear, with a ton of very helpful photos....it really is a great pattern. The pattern is being released today, and I would highly recommend it if crocheting adorable amigurumi toys is your thing.

My unicorn turned out amazing, and I love her so much that despite all the pleas from my girls, I am keeping her for myself. I held a little photo shoot for her the other day, taking loads of pictures...enjoy!

Isn't she adorable? And wonderfully colorful?

Thanks again to Lauren at A Menagerie of Stitches for the opportunity to test this pattern. It was a lot of fun.

The pattern is available on Etsy at A Menagerie of Stitches....

Arctic Critter

Just after Christmas I was at the bookstore with my mom when I spotted an amazing magazine: The Amigurumi Collection published by Inside Crochet. Truth be told, I was too frugal to buy it for myself, but my mom, knowing that I would love it, bought it for me and surprised me with it before I went for surgery. I promptly bookmarked all the animals that I want to make (the girls willingly helped me with this) and then headed to the yarn store to stock up on crochet cotton.

Today I am really excited to show you the first friend I made from this magazine: the Arctic Critter. (Ironically, I was working on my Arctic Critter on the warmest February day on record)

I actually made him for Claire; she adamantly requested a purple scarf, and has named her new friend Bo Bo. He is quite a bit bigger than I expected, standing about 12 inches tall, the perfect size for Claire cuddles.

I really love him. The pattern was fairly simple and the finishing was not too bad. When it comes to making amigurumi toys, I find sewing all the arms, legs, ears, tails, and any other pieces in place to be the most challenging, mostly because I am a perfectionist and am constantly checking if everything is placed correctly. The only thing that gave me trouble with this guy was the ears, they were a little tricky, but came out good in the end.

Oh, and one thing that was pleasantly different with this pattern compared to other amigurumi patterns that I have done, is that in this case the head and body are crocheted as one piece rather than separately. This eliminates the need to sew the head to the body and fuss around with making sure that the positioning is correct (see above); though I did need to make sure that the neck was stuffed quite firmly so that the head stayed upright.

With my new magazine and the load of crochet cotton that I bought (yes, I got a little carried away), I can see a few more amigurumi friends in my future. Which is okay with me because they are just so much fun to make!

Joining in with the Winter Project Link Party at Thistlebear.