Sunday, March 26, 2017

Dusty the Donkey Crochet Pattern Review


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Last week I crocheted this pattern by IlDikko.  You can find this paid pattern here.   This is such a cute little animal!  He was also quite a challenge.  He is the first crochet animal that I have made that has a wire armature.  The armature gives him a better form and more stability.  A delightful benefit is that it also makes him pose-able.




The pattern comes as a download and is 19 pages long with a load of good pictures if you decide to print it out.  While there are no fancy crochet stitches in this pattern, it does help to follow the pattern step-by-step.  First, I crocheted the nose  and lower lip and stitched them together.  Then I attached the grey yarn to the nose and crocheted the head.  Before stuffing and closing the head, I had to cut and form the first part of the wire armature and insert part of it into the head.  Then I stuffed and closed the head, but with part of the armature sticking out for future use.

I then continued to work the pattern in the steps  as written.  I must say that working around the wire armature was a bit awkward at first, but I soon learned to bend the wires out of the way and up close to completed portions of the donkey until I was ready to use them.

Actually, the pattern was pretty simple to follow.  The most difficulty I had was crocheting the donkey's behind, which started in an oval and progressed to rounds of the body.  The tail was incorporated into this portion of the donkey so it seemed a little tricky for me.  Also the holes for the leg wires seemed to be a bit off, so I tried to compensate for that by moving them over a few stitches to what I thought might be a better position.  Upon completion, I realized that I should have stuck with the pattern, as I ended up with the back legs slightly off center.  However, It was not noticeable enough to unravel and redo the entire body.  Lesson learned.  The patterns are usually right on.

The hooves were also a bit tricky with multiple stitch changes.  I like to watch TV while I crochet, but I finally had to turn everything off so I could give my whole attention to  the hooves.  As I put the final touches on this project, I mused that it would have been nice to have had some measurements for the leg lengths.  I felt like the back legs were a bit longer than they maybe should have been.  But with a little posing, I made it work.  If I do this project again, I will likely make the back legs a round or two shorter.

The pattern includes some extras which I chose not to do at this time.  There are baskets for the donkey to wear across his back and also a sweet little carrot for him to eat.  They do add to the donkey's cuteness, but I wanted this guy to just be a barnyard donkey.



I never fail to learn new things when I work up someone else's pattern!  And this donkey taught me to be patient, follow the directions as written and how to use an armature in a crochet project.

All in all, this was a great pattern, and I would not hesitate to purchase another pattern from this talented designer!

Hope you enjoyed this pattern review.

Blessings~
Reny


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Sunday, March 19, 2017

Crochet Bunny Rag Doll Lovey, Soft and Cuddly





I just love this Crochet Bunny Rag Doll Lovey.  It is so soft and cuddly!  I think I may have to make several of these in the future.  What baby or toddler would not love this adorable softie?!

I found this pattern on Pinterest and followed the link to Ravelry.

The pattern is pretty simple to follow and only took a few hours to complete.  I love that the body, arms and legs are not stuffed.  Little hands will be able to grab this lovey and go.  There is nothing awkward or clumsy about it at all.  The safety eyes and nose made designing the face easy.  The hardest part of the whole pattern for me was embroidering on the whiskers and getting them rightly proportioned.

The pattern is written for a simple grey bunny with a white belly, but I wanted to add more color to mine, so I had to tweak that a bit.

I love the way this bunny turned out!

If you are looking for  a cute bunny to give to your baby or toddler for Easter, this one would most likely be loved to tatters!  I think this would also be an excellent baby or shower gift!

So pull out your crochet hook and yarn and get to work!  You'll be glad you did!  And if you don't crochet, or just don't have the time right now, this bunny can be purchased in the Varmint Market.  Or request a custom one to match any nursery decor!

Blessings~
Reny

Sunday, March 12, 2017

Poseable Crochet Baby Snakes make the Easter Basket Even More Fun!

These poseable crochet baby snakes are just too cute!   They are truly a crocheted snake with a twist.  They can be made in a variety of colors, stripes or patterns.  Let your imagination run wild!

Imagine the squeals of laughter when your child finds one or more of these in the Easter basket this year.  In our household, we have noticed that even the adults can't resist bending and twisting these adorable little snakes.


The secret of the poseability of these varmints is a twister curler inside.  These little critters are easy and quick to make, and you can have a den of them in almost no time at all.



Look for the free pattern in the Varmint Market and get ready for some sssilly, sssnakey fun!

Blessings~
Reny