“Do It Once and Do It Right.”

Today I decided to heed some words of wisdom.  “Do it once and do it right” was apparently the motto of one of my husband’s high school teachers.  My husband now uses it often with the kids.  It’s time for me to listen to it, too.  Some projects are just not meant to be quick ‘n’ easy.

Almost a year ago I discovered the patterns written by Heidi Bears.  She designs animals made with joined geometric shapes, using the crochet African Flower motif.  They are beautiful, and I fell in love with the hippo and giraffe.

Box o’ Hats

As follow up to Stress Knitting, I recently mailed these 65 preemie hats to an NICU nurse friend.  I have already started filling another box.  Nobody warned me how relaxing knitting on double pointed needles can be once you get the hang of it!

I used double strands of dk/sport/light yarn and 6.5 mm needles.  Some of the yarns are Lion Brand Ice Cream Yarn, Lion Brand Jamie Yarn, and Stitch Studio by Nicole (AC Moore brand) Picnic and Bamboo Yarns.

Preview

Coming soon: the bunny pattern modified into a rat.  Catnip optional.

It had to be done.

One-Piece Bunny

I finally finished writing up the pattern!  And with 8 weeks to go until Easter, you have time to crochet an entire basket of these little guys.

I have tested this pattern by making several dozen of these little guys, but I also have a baby who has decided she will never sleep again, so I can’t guarantee that it’s perfect.  If you find a mistake, please let me know.

Choosing Yarn: Bunny Variations

The yarn you choose has a lot to do with the look of your finished project.  I played with a bunch of yarns, using my one-piece bunny pattern, so demonstrate some of the differences.

Cuddly Froggie

I took a break from writing up the bunny pattern* to finish this guy.  A friend of mine asked if I could make “a cuddly froggie” for his six-month-old.  It was a pretty open-ended request!  I have always shied away from frogs because I feel realistic ones don’t really lend themselves to crochet and I have never felt skilled at doing cute, cartoony critters.  Maybe I should try it more often because I love how this one turned out.  I didn’t model him off Kermit at all, but he kind of turned out that way.  There probably aren’t many different ways to do a cute frog.  I took basic notes when I made this guy (like “continue until the size looks right,” hah!) so hopefully someday I will come back and write it up properly.

*The pattern is taking forever to write up because I keep tweaking things.  I have to just stop and say it’s finished.

Rabbits for Refugees

Usually I make something just because it strikes my fancy.  This rabbit pattern was designed for a very specific purpose.  Before I post the pattern, I want to share the story.

Thinking About Spring

These little guys are crocheted in one piece.  These ones are 4″ long with worsted weight yarn (the tiny one is 2″ long with DK.)  I’m writing up the pattern to share.  I just have to make sure everything is perfect.

Dog Portrait – Yellow Labrador Retriever

Dog Portrait – Entlebucher Mountain Dog

Recently, a friend of my sister asked me to make a crochet portrait of her dog as a gift for her new husband.  It sounded like a fun challenge, especially when I saw a photo of the dog (apparently an Entlebucher Mountain Dog.  I incorrectly thought she was a mixed breed.)

photo shared with her permission