[swap] Firefly

Drewbird finally got my package, so I am free to gloat! I made her a Mal inspired swap:

The most important part was the hip belt with the gun holster that flips open into a project bag that can be hung on your wrist. I also included the 355 yards of laceweight alpaca I spun (and Dory carded for me), some cascade eco duo, and several teas.

I also very much wanted to include a Knit Kit in the ammo pouch of the belt, but I didn't find out until too late that they cost $20 (and it's a $30 swap), so I put together a tin with scissors, tape measure, row counter and tapestry needle.

The last thing I added were a pair of strawberries I made while I waited at the dentist. I only had pink yarn, but I was very excited to try to dye it with kool aid. I used some off brand Cristal Lite, and it worked like a charm! Unfortunately, using the vacuum oven to dry them took out the strawberry smell, and I forgot my green yarn at home, so I couldn't put leaves on them. But I really wanted to get the package sent out on thursday, so meh.

[pattern] Marge Simpson

After discarding many costume ideas due to lack of time and/or money, I decided to do Marge Simpson this year. Everything was purchased at Walmart.

Dress $3
shoes $5
necklace $2.50
364 yds Red Heart, Blue $1.50
185 yds Lion Brand Homespun, Montana Sky $4.50
Boye crochet hook, size Q (15.75 mm) $3

Total time = 3 hours

HAIR
Holding both ends of Red Heart and one of Homespun together, work in spiral rounds.
To make bobble (MB), work 3 SC in same st leaving 4 loops on hook, draw yarn through all 4 loops at once. Draw yarn through loop tightly to close.
Scs between bobbles are also pulled tight to diminish gaps.

1. Ch 3. Join to start.
2. Mb x 3 in center hole.
3. (Mb, sc, mb, sc) in next gap. Repeat until there are 12 bobbles in outer round, or outer diameter is size of head.
4. (Mb, sc) in each gap until yarn runs out or hair is desired height, weave in ends. About 24 inches. Each round is 1" tall.

Fill finished hair with balloons or bubble wrap to get rigidity without being too heavy.

[pattern] Doesn't play well with others

In honor of a friend getting her tubes tied, I decided to give her a pair of ovaries in a jar, with googley eyes. Because everybody knows that all body parts that make it into a jar need googley eyes!


Knitpicks Pallete in Blush
Fingering weight
231 yds/50 gr per ball
23.7154 yds/5.1332 gr used

2.5 mm crochet hook
5 cotton balls

3 1/2 hours
Ovaries are 1" around, with 3" tubes.

OVARY (make 2)
Work in spiral.
1. Sc 7 in magic ring.
2. (2 sc in next st) x 7. 14 sts.
3. Sc around.
4. (Sc into next st, 2 sc into next st) x 7. 21 sts.
5. (Sc into each of next 2 sts, 2 sc into next st) x 7. 28 sts.
6-11. Sc around.
Start decreasing rounds. Stuff before hole gets too small.
12. (Sc into each of next 2 sts, sc2tog) x 7. 21 sts.
13. (Sc into next st, sc2tog) x 7. 14 sts.
14. Sc around.
15. (Sc2tog) x 10. 4 sts.
It is now time to work on the tube.
Continue to work 4 sts in spiral until tube is about 3" long, or long enough to tie in a knot. Finish with 4 hcs. Tie knot, break off and hide yarn.

[pattern] Alice in Wonderland amigurumi doll

A friend of mine is quite addicted to Alice in Wonderland, and has an amazing half sleeve tattoo all around her left leg of characters from the original woodcut characters. It was her 30'th birthday a couple of weeks ago, and I figured what better gift for someone traumatized by "old age" than a doll? I couldn't find a specific pattern for it, obviously, so I started with this pattern and took some heavy liberties. Here is a transcript of what I remembered to jot down :/





MATERIALS:
Peaches & Creme Worsted Weight 100% cotton yarn
- 4 ecru for skin
- 26 light blue for dress
- 1 white for apron and stockings
- 10 yellow for hair
- red floss
- organic cotton balls for stuffing
- 2.5 mm crochet hook

TECHNIQUES AND STITCHES:
magic adjustable ring http://www.planetjune.com/blog/tutorials/
chain CH
single crochet SC
reverse crochet RC (is there a better way to call it? It's as if you were doing a SC with your left hand instead of right)
double crochet DC
half double crotchet HDC
skip SK
single crochet two together Sc2tog (or skip a stitch)
2 sc into next st (or add a stitch)


PATTERN NOTES:
Body is one piece that is head and torso.
Skirt is then knitted onto the torso.
Arms and Legs are knit independently and sewn on.
Hair is woven into stuffed head.
Apron is one piece, tied on.


HEAD
Work in rounds using ecru yarn.
1. Sc7 in magic ring.
2. (2 sc in next st) x 7. 14 st.
3. Sc around.
4. (Sc into next st, 2 sc into next st) x 7. 21 sts.
5. (Sc into each of next 2 sts, 2 sc into next st) x 7. 28 sts.
6-11. Sc around.
Start decreasing rounds. Stuff before hole gets too small.
12. (Sc into each of next 2 sts, sc2tog) x 7. 21 sts.
13. (Sc into next st, sc2tog) x 7. 14 sts.
14-15. Sc around.
16. (Sc2tog, Sc into each of next 5 sts ) x 2. 12 sts.
17-18. Sc around.
19. (Sc2tog, Sc into each of next 4 sts ) x 2. 10 sts.

SWITCH TO BLUE YARN.

20-22. Sc around. 10 sts.
23. (2 sc into next st, sc into each of next 4 sts) x 2. 12 sts.
24. (2 sc into next st, sc into each of next 5 sts) x 2. 14 sts.
25. (2 sc into next st, sc into each of next 6 sts) x 2. 16 sts.
26. (2 sc into next st, sc into each of next 7 sts) x 2. 18 sts.
27. (2 sc into next st, sc into each of next 8 sts) x 2. 20 sts.
28. ( sc into next st, chain, sc into same st, sc into each of next 9 sts) x 2. 24 sts. This creates the V-neck in the apron.
*This V isn't really necessary nor noticeable, so you might want to distribute additions on all four corners.
29. (2 sc into next st, sc into each of next 11 sts) x 2. 26 sts.
30. ( sc into next st, chain, sc into same st, sc into each of next 12 sts) x 2. 30 sts.
31. ( sc into next st, chain, sc into same st, sc into each of next 15 sts) x 2. 36 sts.
32. 2 sc into next st, sc into each of next 6 sts, 6 bobbly things linking the next 2sts, 16 scs, bobble, 8 scs. 36 sts
*bobbly thing is the technical term. You can see them in the second picture. This, too, was unnecessary, and too low for the shoulders. It was, though, quite useful once I tried to attach the arms, giving a bit of volume into the sleeve. You can just do two normal stitches into those two scs if you plan on crocheting the sleeve as part of the arm.
33. 8 scs, skip bobble, 16 scs, skip bobble, 8 scs. 32 sts.
*or skip the two stitches that would have been the bobble.
34. Sc around. 32 sts.
Start decreasing
35. (Sc2tog, 6 scs) x 4. 28 sts.
36. 6 scs, sc2tog, 13 scs, sc2tog, 5 scs. 26 sts.
37. 6 scs, sc2tog, 11 scs, sc2tog, 5 scs . 24 sts.
38. (Sc2tog, 4 scs) x 4. 20 sts.
39. (Sc2tog, 3 scs) x 4. 16 sts.
40. (Sc2tog, 2 scs) x 4. 12 sts.

Now for the BLOOMERS. Yay, CHANGE TO WHITE! Don't forget to stuff the rest of the torso.

41. Sc around. 12 sts.
42. (2 sc into next st, sc into each of next 2 sts) x 4. 16 sts.
43. (2 sc into next st, sc into each of next 3 sts) x 4. 20 sts.
44. (2 sc into next st, sc into each of next 4 sts) x 4. 24 sts.
45. (2 sc into next st, sc into each of next 3 sts) x 6. 30 sts.
46. (2 sc into next st, sc into each of next 4 sts) x 6. 36 sts.
47-50. Sc around. 36 sts.
51. 6 scs, 3 Sc2tog, 12 scs, 3 Sc2tog, 6 scs. 30 sts. <- hips 52. 7 scs, Sc2tog, 13 scs, Sc2tog, 6 scs. 28 sts. 53. 4 scs, 3 Sc2tog, 8 scs, 3 Sc2tog, 4 scs. 22 sts 54. 2 scs, 3 Sc2tog, 4 scs, 3 Sc2tog. 12 sts, stop on side. Stuff butt and close front against back. BLUE Skirt! 1. Sc around, into last row of BLUE on waist (row 40). 12 sts. See third picture.
2. (2 sc into next st, sc into next st) x 6. 18 sts.
3. (2 sc into next st, sc into each of next 2 sts) x 6. 24 sts.
4. (2 sc into next st, sc into each of next 5 sts) x 4. 28 sts.
5. (2 sc into next st, sc into each of next 6 sts) x 4. 32 sts.
6 -15 (2 sc into next st, sc into each of next 7 sts) x 4. 36 sts.

COLLAR
*Yeah, I forgot this part. I wanted to add a collar to the dress, in the same fashion as I added the skirt, to the first row of blue in the neck.
1. Starting at front center, sc around, into first row of BLUE on neck (row 20). 10 sts. Turn.
2. Sc around, 10 sts.
Make sure you switch down to the blue row when you reach the center back of the neck, so the collar meets up in the front.



FEET AND LEGS - MAKE 2
*I forgot to buy black yarn, so I did all this just using white, figuring I could crochet on top of the stitches later, but was too lazy.

Work in rounds using BLACK yarn, unless WHITE is specified. Rounds 1-6 are shoe shaping, 7-18 are tights. Switching colors on a round: when you return to using the other color, carry the unused yarn loosely behind the work so the shoe does not get “squinched.”

BLACK
1. Sc 5.
2. 2 sc in first st, hdc in next st, 3 dc in next st, hdc in next st, 2 sc in last st. 9 st.
3. 2 sc in first st, sc in each of the next 3 sts, 2 sc in next st, sc in each of the next 3 sts, 2 sc in last st. 12 st.
4. 2 sc in next st, sc in each of the next 2 st, sc next st in WHITE, sc2tog in WHITE, sc2tog (first sc is WHITE, second sc is BLACK), sc in each of the next 3 sts, 2 sc in last st. 12 st.
5. Sc in first st, sc2tog, sc in next st, sc in each of the next 4 sts in WHITE, sc in next st, sc2tog, sc in last st. 10 sts.
6. Sc2tog, sc next st, sc in each of the next 5 sts in WHITE, sc2tog in WHITE. 8 sts. Stuff shoe.
FROM NOW ON, USE WHITE ALONE.
7-18. 8 sts.
Stuff leg if too floppy.
Pinching the open end flat, crochet leg slightly toward the front at the bottom of torso. This position makes it easier to make the doll sit. Add a second row of scs onto the seam to make the lace on the bloomers. (I knew I forgot to take a picture...)



HAND AND ARM - MAKE 2
Work in rounds using ECRU yarn (skin color).
1. Sc 4.
2. (2 sc into next st) x 4. 8 sts.
3. Sc around. Stuff hand and put in small magnet/metal piece, if desired.
4. (Sc2tog) x 4. 4 sts.
5. (2 sc into next st) x 4. 8 sts.
6-12. Sc around.
13. Turn, ch 1, sc 6. Turn.
14. Sk 1, sc 4. Turn.
15. Sk 1, sc 2. Turn.
16. Sk 1, sc 1.
*I would skip this last row next time for a rounder, not pointy shoulder. I didn't mind having a couple of rows that with stitches backwards, since I ended up creating the sleeve by sewing all over the last four rows.
Stuff arm if too floppy.
Sew arm on to body (around the shoulder bobbles) using BLUE yarn, always returning to the same hole in the middle of row 13 to make puffy sleeve. *See picture 6.



HAIR
Thread YELLOW yarn into scalp between stitches and pull through a couple of inches. Hold a three inch tail of yarn, and pull a loop of yarn with your hook into the hole in the center of the scalp and out at each stitch. Do two full rounds, and then skip the front ten or so stitches for the next three rounds. Once all of the hair is looped in, cut the loops open and split the plies into individual strands, to make it look like waivy hair. Finish by trimming the hair to an even length down to the collar of the dress.



APRON
I have no idea how I made up this pattern, but it's pretty much just trying to keep it all flat and facing forward. I also forgot to write down what I was doing because I was pressed for time, so you might need to adjust the number of chs at the ends of the bib to make it to the next row, without being too many.

1. Chain 9. Turn. Leave a long tail.
2. Sk 1, sc 8, ch 3. Turn keeping flat.
3. Sc in each of 8 original chain, ch 4. Turn 180 keeping flat.
4. Sc in last ch of row 2, sc 9, ch 5. Turn 180 keeping flat.
5. Sc in last sh of row 3, sc 9, ch 6. Turn 180 keeping flat.
6. Sc in last ch of row 4, sc 11, ch 7. Turn 180 keeping flat.
7. Sc in last ch of row 5, sc 11, ch 8. Turn 180 keeping flat.
8. Sc in last ch of row 6, sc 13, ch 9. Turn 180 keeping flat.
9. Sc in last ch of row 7. Turn 90 degrees.
10. DC 8 into chain, ch1. *this was going to serve as a place to weave a belt into the apron.
Here is where my need to keep it all pretty and facing forward made me learn how to crochet in reverse.
11. Rc into each of next 8 dc, ch 1. 9 sts.
12. Sc into each of next 9 rc, ch 1. 10 sts.
13. Rc into each of next 10 sc, ch 1. 11 sts.
14. Sc into each of next 11 rc, ch 1. 12 sts.
15. Rc into each of next 12 sc, ch 1. 13 sts.
16. Sc into each of next 13 rc, ch 1. 14 sts.
17. Rc into each of next 14 sc, ch 1. 15 sts.
18. Sc into each of next 15 rc, ch 1. 16 sts.
19. Rc into each of next 16 sc, ch 1. 17 sts.
20. Sc into each of next 17 rc, ch 1. 18 sts.
21. Rc into each of next 18 sc, ch 1. 19 sts.
22. Sc into each of next 19 rc, ch 1. 20 sts.
23. Rc into each of next 20 sc, ch 1. 21 sts.
24. Sc into each of next 21 rc, ch 1. 22 sts.

Take the tail from the original chain and sew it into the chains on the edges to keep them from opening up.

The pockets were crocheted onto the apron, by first picking up 6 stitches in a U shape (two going down, two going accross, and two going back up). The next row consisted of (2 sctog) x 3, and a last sc into the sc on the opposite side.

Using the RED yarn (or floss), SC all around the apron.

To tie the apron on to the doll, cut 6 strands of WHITE yarn, 12" each. Thread 3 on each side of the DCs, double up and braid. Tie a discrete knot at the end.



FACE
*You could now sew on a face, but doll faces nomally creep me out, and I suck at drawing faces to begin with... so here's Snuffy's explanation.

Use embroidery needle and 3 strands of cotton floss, knotted at the end and brought up to the face through the center hole at the bottom of the neck. Satin stitch facial features. Using brown floss, stitch eyes and eyebrows. Using pink floss, stitch mouth.

With blusher brush, gently dab tiny bit of pink blush on cheeks.