Update: Long-standing Guilt Edition

This is the finished version of the long-standing WIP I mentioned a few months ago. I worked on it pretty steadily after that post, and although it was tedious in the extreme, it was so worth it. My husband is eminently craft-worthy, and he waited a long time for this.

The finished Hobbes is 16 inches from toes to ears, with another 10 inches of tail. Eleven total pieces needing assembly, plus a few bits of felt applique. Given that assembly and finishing is my least favorite part of any project, this was definitely a labor of love.

The scarf wasn't included in the original pattern, but Hobbes (in tiger form) wears a red scarf in several of the comics, and I thought he needed a little something. It's just two or three long rows of double-crochet, whipped up in about fifteen minutes.

The white and orange yarns are Red Heart Super Saver (not my favorite, especially for amigurumi, but it was the only suitable orange, and I had the white on hand anyway), and the black is Red Heart Soft Yarn. The red might be Vanna's Choice, but I wouldn't stake money on it--it's been in my stash forever and the yarn band's long since lost. I used a 4.5 mm hook.

The pattern is free and available from sukigirl's blog. I also recommend taking a look at Needle Noodle's tutorial for jogless stripes in the round, which made a huge difference in the look of the finished project.

All we want to do is to eat your brains

You're going to regret taking his stapler.

The Corporate Zombie is another project from Christen Haden's amazing book Creepy Cute Crochet (which I raved about here). In fact, I believe he was the first project I made from that book, in celebration my husband's first "grown-up" job.

I'm fairly pleased with the way he turned out, although the details of his making are rather dim, at this point--I made him more than a year ago, but only just got around to taking a picture.

Unfortunately, Shambles here has not had an easy life. My husband doesn't have a desk of his own at his current job, so Shambles moved back in with us... and the cat. Hobbes is a nice cat, but he has a huge, epic, totally cliche obsession with yarn, and the things I make out of it.

He didn't destroy the zombie totally, but he did rip out most of his hair and seriously damage his cute felt accessories (the dripping blood and necktie). I'll have to re-do them at some point, although I think he looks more like a proper zombie now.

The details: As I mentioned above, I really don't remember many specifics... I probably used an F hook. The main body (shirt and pants) are made from Lion Brand Cotton-Ease, but I believe the head is Lily Sugar 'n Cream. The hair is an anonymous brown acrylic.

Amigurumi Android

(He's stuck to the computer with velcro.)

My dad is a computer geek, and he loves anything free, open source, and Google-related (especially his Android phone)--so when I saw this free pattern for a crocheted Android robot, I knew I had to make it for him for his birthday.

It was pretty easy and fast to make, and it turned out very cute. I made just a few changes to bethsco's original pattern. Mine has black eyes, not white, because all I had on hand were black safety eyes and I didn't have time to go searching for a white alternative. I used either an E or F hook (I can't remember which) instead of the recommended H hook, in order to make it smaller. I also used Lion Brand's Cotton Ease yarn in lime, which I thought was closer to the color of the actual Android logo.

(Side note: that lime green yarn has been so much more versatile than I ever would have expected when I bought it. It's been the perfect shade for Cthulu, Yoda, and now the Android bot. Go figure!)

The mighty Cthulu

Well, October was a bust, which for various reasons I should have foreseen. I did finish some projects, but I also spent a lot of time absorbed in Real Life. It happens. We'll call it a wash.

He's dark and fearsome. No, really!

I'm working on getting back in gear creatively after a crazy last quarter of 2010. (Lesson learned: never move around the holidays. Terrible life choice!) I've recently taken up embroidery (more on that later), and I'm on the last round of a crocheted baby gift. I'll share pictures of that once it's completed and delivered. In the meantime, I'll just say that it's turning out so great I'm half-tempted to make one for myself.

Since I can't share pictures of that yet, how about some pictures from an old amigurumi project? My fiance loves the creepy tales of H.P. Lovecraft, so when I saw the crocheted Cthulu project in Creepy Cute Crochet, I knew I had to make it for him. (I believe it was his Christmas gift in '09.)

I'm really happy with the way it turned out (and the fiance loves it), although those tentacles took several tries to perfect. Luckily, the author provided a couple of really helpful tutorials on her blog, a fact which neatly sums up Why The Internet is Awesome.

Technical details (as far as I remember them): Lion Brand's Cotton-Ease yarn (worsted weight) in lime for all the stitching, with either an E or F hook.

More amigurumi: Bop Bot!

Bop Bot listens to bands that don't exist yet.

I've been on a bit of an amigurumi kick lately (I guess I had to get that afghan out of my system), but I think this will probably be the last for awhile. My hands are cramping up!

Like Yoda, Bop Bot is a thank-you gift for a professional mentor, one with far better taste in music than I have. The pattern came from Crobots: 20 Amigurumi Robots to Make by Nelly Pailloux, which is full of great designs (although this is the first I've made). It wasn't too hard and the instructions and diagrams were very clear. My only complaint is that there are a lot of little parts to assemble and sew together, and boy do I hate sewing. The poor guy actually sat on my desk in pieces for about a week before I finally got around to assembling him. But that might be more personal quirk, less actual failing on the designer's part.

As usual, I made a few deviations from the pattern. I changed up the colors a bit, eliminated a few rounds to make him shorter, and fiddled with the embellishments a bit mostly to reduce the amount of sewing I'd have to do. So I glued on sequins instead, and used safety eyes instead of beads. I stuck with the original idea of using a retractable-pen spring for the mouth--I think it looks really cute.

Technical details: The robot is done with a size E/4 3.5 mm hook in worst weight yarn: Lion Brand Vanna's Choice in Colonial Blue and Lion Brand Cotton Ease in Seafoam. For the headphones I used a size C/2 2.75 mm hook and two different yarns: Lion Brand Vanna's Glamour (sport weight) in platinum and Royale crochet thread in black (either size 10 or size 3--I don't remember and I've lost the label). The whole thing is about 3 - 3.5" tall, stuffed with yarn bits and polyester fiberfill.

The Force is strong with this one

So! Cute!

I'm a nerd, I admit it freely. In fact there's no "admitting" involved: I wear it on my sleeve.  I love Battlestar Galactica, Firefly and Serenity, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and, of course, Star Wars. So you can imagine my delight when I stumbled across lucyravenscar's Etsy shop. It's the crocheting nerd's paradise. I want every pattern she makes, but so far, I've only purchased her Yoda pattern. He'll be a thank-you gift for someone who has been a huge help to me professionally over the past few years, and who also happens to love Star Wars.

The pattern is great--clear, easy to follow, and includes several pictures. And oh my golly, you all, it turned out amazing, if you'll let me brag a little bit. Of course, most of the credit here has to go to the pattern designer--the ears are what makes it, and she got them spot-on. I really can't wait to give this as a gift (and then make another for myself!)

Technical details: I used a size E/4 3.5mm hook and worsted weight yarn. Yoda's skin is Lion Brand Cotton-Ease in lime and the robe is Lion Brand Vanna's Choice in beige. The single row of brown is Loops 'n Threads Impeccable in chocolate. (I think that's Michaels' store brand? It's not bad.) Stuffed with scrap yarn bits, polyester fiberfill, and nine centuries' accumulated wisdom about the Force. Roughly 3 1/4" tall.

I made a cactus

I finally got around to trying out the cactus patterns I posted last week. I ended up combining the two patterns into a hybrid I'm rather proud of. I used Ana Paula's basic form, but with a few extra rounds (including a few extra rounds of increases) to make it bigger. The stubby little branch is a smaller version of the same. The flowers came from nadia308's tutorial, and I departed from both patterns by substituting an actual terracotta pot ($0.79 at Michael's) for a crocheted one. I just stuffed it and hot-glued the crochet in along the edge of the "sand." It looks great, if I say so myself.

This may be addictive. I really want to find more plants to crochet. It'll be my personal alternative to the crocheted food craze.

Technical details: I used a size E/4 3.5mm hook and worsted weight yarn: Vanna's Choice in fern and beige and Lion Brand Cotton Ease in terracotta. It's stuffed with my usual combination of leftover yarn bits and polyester fiberfill.

Free patterns: cacti

photo from Flickr user Nadia308

I am about to start a brand-new, very exciting, grown-up job. I will have my very own desk and a computer I don't have to share with anyone. This is thrilling.

Naturally, I want to personalize my space a little bit--all the more important since my workspace is a warehouse. It'll be roomy, but not exactly homey. So far, I've got a fun job-related poster, a photo of my handsome fiance, and a small whiteboard with colorful markers for my to-do list. What more could a girl want for her first desk?

Crochet, of course! And also plants. Unfortunately the space doesn't have any windows (and I'm not sure that a potted plant--with dirt and the possibility of bugs--belongs in an art storage warehouse). So real plants are out.

So, I decided to make my first installment of Free Patterns from the Internet all about crocheted plants. Cacti, to be specific. Too cute, right?

The first cactus comes from Ana Paula's Amigurumi Patterns, and features an adorable smile and a sweet bow.

The second pattern comes from Flickr user nadia308, who provides step-by-step photos and instructions. I love the itty-bitty cactus flowers (see photo above). (NB: Nadia's Flickr profile indicates that she's in Australia, so she uses different stitch terminology than the US. Double-check to make sure you're doing the correct stitches.)

You could really have fun with your choice of fibers for these patterns. If there was ever an occasion for green fun fur, this could be it. The right yarn might come pretty close to the actual texture of some cacti (except soft instead of spiky).

And if you want a huggable cactus but don't want to make it yourself, well, that's what Etsy's for. A quick search for "crocheted cactus" turns up 90 results, for patterns and finished objects alike. (And a couple of complete non-sequiturs, but that's what makes web searches fun, right?)

Book review: Creepy Cute Crochet by Christen Haden

cover image from Amazon.com

Let me get right to it: I love this book. Seriously, it might be my favorite crochet book ever, if we judge by the fact that I want to make every single pattern in it. Even the monkey, and I hate monkeys.

This book was also my introduction to amigurumi, the art of making small and sickeningly cute stuffed objects. I'm not a fan of sickeningly cute, but I am a fan of robots, zombies, ninjas, and more.

So far, I've made three of the patterns: the Corporate Zombie (to celebrate my fiance's first "grown-up" job), Cthulu (because the fiance loves Lovecraft), and the robot, which is dangling merrily from my rear view mirror. My next project from the book will probably be Medusa, a mythological villain for whom I've always had a soft spot.

The patterns are well-written, clear and easy to follow, even for an amigurumi newbie like me. Each pattern has a series of illustrations to show how the creatures are assembled, and all of the crocheted elements include a visual diagram to accompany the written instructions. The book does not provide basic crochet instruction, which is fine by me, as that's easy to find elsewhere. Plus, I don't think amigurumi is a very good introduction to crochet. While it's not (necessarily) difficult, if you're not used to increases, decreases, counting stitches, and working in the round, then trying to do it all on a very small scale is going to be frustrating. Still, if you've been crocheting for awhile and want to try amigurumi, this book would be a fine place to start.

One of the best things about it, though, is the author's blog, NeedleNoodles.com. Not only does she show off her wicked cool crochet work and offer some free patterns, she's also made video and written tutorials that provide more detailed instructions on some of the trickier bits of the patterns in the book (Cthulu's wings and tentacles, for example). There's also a Flickr group dedicated to showcasing people's creepy-cute creations. Thanks, Internet age, for making that possible.

So, two thumbs up to Creepy Cute Crochet by Christen Haden (who needs to go forth and write the sequel, pronto).