Mini Big Head Doll Christmas Ornament Crochet-a-long Week 5

I've made several Big Head Dolls.   They are adorable and a delight to make.   So when I found this free pattern for a Mini Big Head Doll I thought it would be ideal as an ornament for my Whimsy Christmas Tree.

          https://ayarnfulday.blogspot.com/2016/07/mini-big-head-baby-doll-materials-light.html



My first attempt just didn't turn out to suit me.......

   I did take a few liberties with this one with the smile and nose, etc.     I decided the colors were too bland and the cheek color was too bronze.  As you  can see in the original pic, there are only eyes for the face, but I do love to experiment, sometimes too much.















The little guy to the right is my second attempt and he turned out much better.
I did add a couple of rows of single crochet to this one.  One extra row to each leg,   each arm and to the torso or body.  I also added a few extra rows to the hat so I could roll it up into a sort of cuff.  I also couldn't resist adding a bit of cheek color as I am trying to get better at using color to enhance some of my amigurumi.  The original pattern does not call for a pon-pom on the hat, but I just think it looks cute.



I give this pattern 2 thumbs up.  One because it's free and the 2nd because it's easy.   Thanks to 'A Yarnful Day'  for this sweet pattern!

Blessings!
Reny

Roll-Up Armadillo Week 4 Christmas Ornament Crochet-a-long

When I saw this adorable armadillo pattern, I just knew I had to include him on my Christmas Whimsy Tree this year.   You can find the free pattern by clicking on the link below.

                             https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/roll-up-armadillo

                                           

 This pattern is made in 2 separate pieces, the armadillo himself and the shell which is attached separately.   Crocheting the pieces was fairly simple, but I ran into some difficulty in getting the shell the appropriate size to roll this little fella into a ball.

 After redoing the shell a couple of times I decided to just settle for one that is a bit too large.  It will, however, roll up nicely

For anyone choosing to make this project, I would suggest doing 1 less row on the shell than the pattern calls for.

Doesn't he look cozy in his little oversized shell?    I love that you can make him in a variety of colors.   I think the kids will like him!

Let me know what you think in the comments.  I would love to know your opinion!

Blessings!
Reny

Spencer the Christmas Spider Crocheted Ornament Week 3 Crochet-a-long

Spencer the Spider is a favorite in our family, so it's only fitting and proper that we invite him to adorn our whimsical tree this year!  Isn't he adorable all decked out in his Christmas apparel?

You can find the pattern for Spencer here, 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/198060446/spencer-the-spider-and-friends-amigurumi?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=spencer%20the%20spider&ref=sr_gallery-1-1

Moji-Moji Designs is one of my favorite places to get awesome patterns.  They always come up with the cutest things!  This pattern contains instructions for spiders in 2 different sizes as well as a web.  The bonus here is that Spencer can be made for any holiday, and he especially loves Halloween!

I think this little guy is going to look delightful swinging from one of our tree branches.  The kids are going to love him!

So head on over to Etsy and snag this pattern and get to work, although he's so much fun to make that you can't really call it 'work'.

Blessings!
Reny

Christmas Ornament Crochet-a-long Week 2 Little White Swan

While rummaging through my yarn stash a few days ago, I spotted a small ball of leftover sparkly white acrylic.  I made a mental note to use that for either snowflakes or stars for my tree this year.

But when I spied this little white swan on Pinterest I immediately knew that this is what that remnant of yarn was meant for!

Here is the link for the free pattern!       http://littlegreen.typepad.com/romansock/

This little bird works up fairly quickly.  I had the body and neck finished within an hour.  However, I ran into some serious frustration with the wings and ended up 'winging' it so to speak as I just could not figure out the pattern.  It's probably my own fault since a diagram of the stitches was included as well as the written instructions and pictures.  I have never been good at reading and understanding diagrams.  So I do not fault the pattern.  But I was still able to make the wings look OK.   

I think this little swan will look fantastic on my whimsy tree, especially when the lights hit the sparkles.

I would love to know what you think of this little swan and if you are taking part in my little crochet-a-long Christmas ornament  project.

Blessings!
Reny

Sleeping Apple Worm, Week 1 Crocheted Christmas Ornament

After struggling with the sizing of this little guy, he actually worked up fairly well!   I did make a few simple changes here and there to the pattern, but left the main points intact.  I found the leaf and the edging to be a bit tedious, so I improvised on those.  My little worn only has 2 arms rather than the 4 on the pattern.   And the entire project is still a bit larger than I had hoped, but remaking it smaller is not going to happen right now.  If I make this pattern again, I will definitely choose a thinner thread for a smaller result.

All in all I think he turned out quite adorable and a fitting 'first' in this crochet-a-long,   Now to choose next weeks ornament.  Any suggestions?

Blessings!

Reny

Christmas Crochet-a-long Sleeping Apple Worm pattern update

I know this post is right on the heels of my previous post, but after purchasing this pattern and reading it I realized that the materials are different than what we in the US normally think of.  The worsted weight yarn in this pattern appears to be more the diameter of what I commonly call 'crochet thread'.  The hook sizes recommended are more in line with thread as well.

However, part of my goal in this crochet-a-long is to use up some of my yarn stash.  So, to do this project and still come out with an ornament sized apple and worm I needed to make a few adjustments or go buy crochet thread in several different colors.

I happen to have on hand some beautiful Cleo cotton yarn, (which is about a sport weight yarn) in an array of vibrant, bright colors that would be perfect for this project, except it is too heavy for the hook sizes and would make an enormous finished project if I used an appropriate hook for the Cleo yarn.

But, where there is a will, there is a way!  By separating the plies of the Cleo yarn I get strands that are about the equivalent of what I need for this project!  This will add some extra time to the making of it, but will save me a considerable amount of cash while I am still decreasing my stash!  For me, that's a 'win, win.'

Hope this helps someone out there with a similar dilemma.
Blessings!
Reny