Wednesday, August 29, 2018

Mini Llama Crochet Pattern





Little Llama Crochet Pattern 

This little llama pattern is fairly quick and easy.  I love the Pipsqueak fuzzy yarn.  It is what gives this llama it’s soft, furry look.
If you have never worked with it you may find that it can be difficult to see where your previous row of stitches are,  The way  I deal with this is to take note of the number of stitches needed for each row before crocheting that row and simply crochet the number of stitches required spacing the stitches evenly around.  After working with Pipsqueak for awhile you will become more adept at feeling where the stitches are with your fingers.
For this project, I have found it a bit easier to make the ears first and attach them to the head before stuffing and closing the head.  Also attach the eyes  as directed between rounds 5 and 6.
If you want the neck or body to be longer or shorter, just add or subtract a couple of rounds.  This pattern is easily adjusted.

The materials you will need:
E or 3.5mm hook
Sport Weight yarn for face, ears and feet
Polyfil stuffing
Yarn needle to sew parts together 
6mm safety eyes

Crochet Terms and Stitches:
Magic Ring or Circle  (MR)
Single Crochet  (sc)
Double Crochet (dc)
Increase  (inc) 
Stitch  (st)
Decrease  (dec) 
Slip Stitch  (sl.stl)
Half Double Crochet  (hdc)
Chain  (ch)
**  Repeat instructions between ** number of times stated.


EARS:  Make 2
 With sport weight yarn ch. 6.  Sl. st. in 2nd ch from hook, sc in next 2 chs.,  hdc in 2 chs..  Turn work and work into opposite side of chain.
Hdc in 2, sc in 2, sl. st. into tip of ear.    Fasten off leaving long tail to sew ear to head.  Thread tail onto yarn needle, weave through center of ear to bottom and sew ear to top of head.


HEAD:  Make 1
With sport weight yarn,  make 6 sc in a magic ring.
*Sc in 2, inc*  X’s 2  (8)
Sc in each st.  (8)
Sc in 2,  inc x 4, sc in 2  (12)
Sc in 5, inc x 2,  sc in 5  (14)
Sc in each stl  (14)  Place safety eyes between rows 5 and 6  four stitches apart (noting that top of head is where increases were made.)  Fasten off worsted sport yarn.
Attach pipsqueak yarn.  Sc in each st.  (14)
Sc in each st.  (14)
Sc in each st.  (14)  Stuff head firmly.
Dec X’s 7.  (7)
Dec till closed.


NECK:  Make 1
 With Pipsqueak  make 6 sc in a mc.
Sc in 2, inc, X’s 2.  (8)
3.  Sc in ea.  (8)
4-5.  Sc evenly around.  (8) 
8.  Stuff firmly and dec. until closed.  Attach to head.


BODY:  Make 1
1.  With Pipsqueak yarn  make 6 sc in a magic circle.
2.  Inc. X’s 6.  (12)
3.  *Sc in 1, inc.*  (18)
4.  *Sc in 8, inc.*  (20)
5 -12. Sc in each.  (20)
13.  Dec X’s 10  (10)   Stuff firmly.
14.  Dec till closed.  Fasten off.
Attach head and neck assembly to body.


LEGS:  Make 4
 With sport yarn make 6 sc in a mc.
Sc in each.  (6)
3.    Attach Pipsqueak and sc in each st.  (6)       
4-6  Sc in each st.  (6) 
Stuff firmly.   Fasten off leaving long tail to sew legs to body. 

TAIL:  Make 1
 Chain 6, sc in 2nd ch from hook and next 4 chains.  
Fasten off leaving tail to sew to backside of llama.






To make the accessories, use a colorful, variegated yarn.





Blanket:  Make 1
Chain 20-25 depending on how long you want your blanket to be.  
Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each remaining chain.  Ch 2 and turn.

Dc in each st across, alternating between front loop only and back loop only with each stitch.  This gives your blanket the nubby texture.
Repeat row 3 until blanket is the width you like for your llama.  Fasten off.  Cut strands of yarn about 3 inches long to loop in ends of blanket for fringe.  Trim your fringe to the length you like.

Harness:  Make 1
 Make a tight chain (pull each chain tightly before going on to next chain.)  long enough to fit around the llama’s nose.

Make a second tight chain to attach to each side of the nose chain and around the back of the llama’s head.


Chest Band:  Make 1
 Sc a loose chain long enough to wrap around the llama’s chest to it’s back.

Sc in each stitch.

  Embellish chest band with beads, tassels or whatever you like.   I made tiny tassels by looping 2 strands of yarn into the stitch in the center of the chest band.  After looping, I separated the plies of the yarn strands to fluff them up and then trimmed them the length that looked good to me.  Repeat for as many tassels you would like to add. 

I hope you enjoy this pattern as much as I enjoyed creating it.

Reny


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Lovely Little Llamas to Crochet, Easy and Fun!



This post contains affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, if you click through and make a purchase, I may receive a commission.

So who doesn't love soft cuddly llamas?  I made these little fellas out of Bernat Pipsqueak yarn.  It is the softest, most delightful yarn to create with.  

These cute little llamas started out as an idea for the Whimsy Tree Ornament Crochet-a-long.   While designing this pattern I noticed that the sizes can be easily manipulated by simply adding or subtracting rows from the neck, body or legs, keeping the head size the same.






  








    Initially I made them without the harness and blanket accessories.  But my very detail oriented sister insisted that they needed color and character.  So back to work for me to create blankets, harnesses and tassels for these little creatures.



 So we went from this......





To this!

                                                                                                                                                         Pretty cute, I think!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Even the backsides are adorable!

These little guys are approximately 5-6 inches tall at the head and about 6 inches long from nose to tail.  They are just the right size for little hands!


If you have difficulty working with this yarn, This is an excellent blog post on the subject!

                  You can find Bernat Pipsqueak Yarn here!  And you can find the free Mini Llama Pattern here!


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Saturday, August 25, 2018

Week 9 Little Doodah Dolls Christmas Ornament Crochet-a-long


So you think you can 'wing' that pattern?  Maybe, maybe not!


     When I ran across these adorable little dolls, I fell in love with them!  The big happy smiles and cute poochy bellies just make you happy.
     I get a lot of inspiration from Pinterest, and this inspired me!  I can just see a certain little girl in our family loving this little doll.  It is just the right size for her little hands.
The Little Doodahs Wilbur and Bertie amigurumi pattern by LittleAquaGirl
                                        
       In all honesty, I did not purchase this pattern at first,  but decided to try to replicate it on my own.  As you can see, that doesn't always work well.   It gives me a new appreciation for people who write patterns.  

 So, I did what any self-respecting crafter would do, I bought the pattern!  I'm so glad I did!  It's easy to follow and turns out an excellent little doll.   It's embarrassing to admit that I actually made the one on the left when I look at the one on the right.  But striving for a better doll is part of the game, right?


      So my advice is.... go ahead and buy this pattern.  The price is very reasonable and you won't be sorry!  The pattern can be found at the link below.


https://www.amigurumipatterns.net/shop/LittleAquaGirl/The-Little-Doodahs-Wilbur-and-Bertie
Blessings!
Reny




Saturday, August 18, 2018

Silly Posable Snake Week 8, Christmas Ornament Crochet-a-long Free Pattern

What's more whimsical than a cute little snake wrapped around the limb of a tree?   Maybe a snake with big bulgy eyes and crazy hair!


  These posable snakes are a favorite around our house when the grandkids come to visit!    Here is the pattern for this guy.


                             Posable Crochet Snake

Materials:
Sport weight yarn
3.5mm E crochet hook
2 bendable foam hair curlers Masking tape
Stuffing
4 or 6 mm safety eyes

This snake is made with a short starting chain and worked in rounds of sc. He can be made as long or as short as you want.
To make this snake posable, tape the two curlers end to end with masking tape. This will also serve as most of the stuffing for your snake.
  1. Chain 7. Sc in 2nd. ch. from hook and next 4 chains. Make 3 sc inc. in next chain. Rotate your work and make a sc in each of next 4 chains followed by another 3 sc inc. in the last chain. Place a running stitch marker to keep track of the rows.
  2. Sc in 7sc. 3 sc in next st. Sc in 6sc. 3 sc in last st.
  3-8. Sc in each stitch.
   9. *Sc in 4, dec.* Repeat to end of rnd.
10. *Sc in 5, dec*  Repeat to end of rnd. sc in last 2 st.
11  Sc in each sc until you reach the length you want your snake to be. 


Stuff head of snake firmly and insert taped foam curlers into the body. Stuff tail of snake before making decrease rounds and closing.

When you have the length you want, begin to decrease sc in the remaining rounds until closed.

Eyes:
With white yarn make a magic circle with 6 sc. Pull circle together and make a 2nd row of 6 sc. Place safety eye in the center of each eye and stitch eyes to top of head. I was not able to secure the eyes with the washer because there was not enough room inside the eyeball, so I secured them with glue. An alternative could be to place 
the eyes as soon as the head is crocheted so the safety eyes could be pushed through to the inside of the head and the washers placed. This is what I will do with the next snake I make. 

Embroider on a mouth if you want and crochet a chain for the tongue and sew on.

The hair is simply strands of yarn looped through a stitch and pulled tight.


He’s a pretty simple little snake and could be embellished in a number of ways. Little horns, spikes or antenna would be cute.

I hope you enjoy this pattern. I did kind of make it in a hurry, so if you have any questions, feel free to contact me and I’ll do my best to answer them.

Blessings!
Reny 








Saturday, August 11, 2018

Week 7 Airplane Amigurumi Christmas Ornament Crochet-a-long



     While an airplane in and of itself is not necessarily whimsical,  one with big blue eyes and a sweet smile can definitely qualify.  

     I searched Pinterest for days to find a pattern that I liked.  This one came the closest to what I had in mind and was free!  Thank you Red Heart Yarn!  You can find the free pattern here.


 http://www.redheart.com/free-patterns/happy-little-car-plane-truck


 

   As a bonus, I also got the car and truck patterns which are included in this pattern set.  I am filing those away for another time.

   


   This pattern is easy to follow and uses basic crochet techniques.  I was able to complete this little airplane in just a few hours.  I used a 2.25mm hook and sport 

weight yarn.  I wanted him to be small 
enough to make a nice ornament.  He ended up measuring about 5 inches from nose to tail, just the right size!

     I think he will look real sweet flying through the boughs of our Christmas tree this year!  I wonder which of my adorable grand-kids will spy him first!


     The color combinations and facial expressions for this little plane are endless!   I would love to see some of your variations on this project.  Just post your pics in the comments!  

Have fun and be blessed!

Reny

Monday, August 6, 2018

Week 6, Cute Little Monsters Christmas Ornament Crochet-a-long

≠≠≠
 What better way to decorate a Whimsy Tree than with cute little monsters with silly grins and crazy hair. 

In case you missed the beginning of this Crochet-a-long, check out this post for more info.

https://renysplace.blogspot.com/2018/06/christmas-crochet-long-new-ornament.html

This was my very first crochet pattern design and it was so well received that I have decided to offer it again to my readers!
    I absolutely adore bright colors and funny expressions. At our house we call it the 'cuteness factor'.  It is what I strive to achieve in all my varmint creations.  At times this means making several tries before it meets the requirements.  But the satisfaction of finally getting it right is so worth it!

   These little monsters are about 3 inches tall and are just the right size for little hands to carry around.  And I wish I could describe to you the delight we see in every child who has received one of these.  Big smiles, audible giggles as they toss them up in the air or hug them close to their little chests.    The wonder is that such a simple little monster could elicit all that.


    So I invite you to  enjoy this free crochet pattern.  I suggest you make several for adorable Christmas gifts.  And keep some extra's around for little visitors.  I try to do this and it is such a great help to parents when their child has something special to play with during the visit.  And then I send it home with them!


    All you need to make this free crochet pattern are some bits of leftover yarn, stuffing and some felt for the eyes.  Be sure to stitch eyes, arms and legs securely if you plan to give one of these to a baby.


   Once you have completed one, it's hard not to make more.  And the more you make, the more delighted your littles will be!



                                 Giggle Monster Pattern

Materials:
Worsted weight yarn
G crochet hook
fiberfill for stuffing
felt for eyes (or may use safety eyes if you like)
needle and thread to sew on eyes
yarn needle for weaving in ends

   This pattern is worked in rounds and I used a running stitch marker to keep track.  An understanding of basic stitches and general crochet terms is helpful.

    If you are not familiar with how to make a magic ring, this is a great tutorial to explain it.

Rnd 1:  In a magic ring make 6 sc.
       2:  Make 2 sc in each st.  (12 sc)
       3: *Sc in next st., 2sc in next st.* Repeat to end of rnd.  (18 sc)
       4:*Sc in next 2 sts., 2 sc in next st.*  Repeat to end of rnd. (24 sc)
       5 *Sc in next 3 sts., 2 sc in next st.* Repeat to end of rnd.  (30 sc)
       6:*Sc in next 4 sts. 2 sc in next st.* Repeat to end of rnd.  (36 sc)
      Rounds 7 through 11, Sc in each stitch around.
Rnd 12: *Sc in next 4 sts, sc2tog*  Repeat to end of rnd.  (30 sc)
       13 and 14  Sc in each stitch around..
       15: *Sc in next 3 sts.,  sc2tog*   Repeat to end of rnd.  (24 sc)
       16 and 17  Sc in each stitch around.
       18: *Sc in next 2 sts., sc2tog*  Repeat to end of rnd. (18 sc)
        19: Sc in each stitch around.
        20: *Sc in next stitch, sc2tog*  Repeat to end of rnd. (12 sc)
        Stuff your ‘Giggle’ and then sc2tog around until opening is closed. 
        Fasten off and  weave in the yarn end.

   To make the arms and legs visit this website for a great pictorial tutorial. 

   Attach your finished curlicues to the sides and bottoms of your ‘Giggle’ for arms and legs.

   Now, let your creative juices flow as you envision and create unique facial expressions.  I used felt shapes for the eyes and stitched them securely onto the ‘Giggle’.  If you decide to use safety eyes, attach them before you stuff and finish off your ‘Giggle’.  I used yarn to embroider on the mouth.  You can make the face as simple or as detailed as you like.

   For the hair I attached strands of yarn as if attaching fringe.  This tutorial does a great job of showing how to do this.

     So there you  have it!  Happy little monsters that are sure to make you smile!
Blessings!
Reny