Crochet a Character Christmas! Pokemon, Mario, Minecraft inspired gifts.

Of all the things I crochet for my kids and grandkids, the game characters are the most popular.  I have made quite a few character softies, beanies and earflap hats.  If you are having trouble knowing what your littles  might like, look at the video games and TV shows that they are so captivated by.

My latest project is a Pikachu earflap hat for my grand-daughter.  I finished this hat within two days of intermittent crochet using my favorite earflap hat pattern from Micah Makes.  The pattern embraces a whole range of sizes from infant to adult.

I made the ears, eyes, etc. by looking at a pic and free-handing them.  Since this was not my first Pikachu hat, I had a bit of an advantage.  I was familiar with how to shape the ears.  The rest of the face is simple circles and a triangle sewn on.  The mouth is just embroidered on.  The instructions for the Twisted Ties  were found on Youtube. 

This Captain America hat also took about two days.  The most difficult thing on this hat was the wings.  For more information on how I pulled this one together, see this blog post.

This creeper is the one thing I thought would be a breeze, but it took longer than I expected and I did a lot of 'frogging'.  (Needle craft jargon for ripping out.)   Finally, I got him the way I think he is supposed to look.  I'm really not sure since I haven't actually seen anything but pics of this guy.  (Don't tell my grandson, please.)

This Bowser earflap hat took several days.  The facial features had to be redone several times before I got him to look just menacing enough with out being too scary.   You can find details about this hat here.

Of all the things I have made for Christmas this year, this Bowser was the most difficult and time consuming.   I counted over 100 components when I began to assemble this guy.  Hope my Paul will love it enough to warrant all the work!  You can read all about this adventure here.

 I have several Pokemon enthusiasts in my family and these Pokeball beanies were just perfect for them as the fall weather turned to winter.  These are easily completed within a few hours.

Last, but not least, I crocheted this Pete the Cat inspired earflap beanie for my great-grandson's birthday.  I am told he loves it!

So, if you are still wondering what to whip up for your little ones for Christmas or any other occasion, consider these options.  A little yarn, a little time and you can present them with something very special!

Hope this gives you a little inspiration. 

Thanks for stopping in to read my blog.
Blessings!
Reny

Crochet Buffalo Plaid....

Ok guys,  my daughter says that buffalo plaid is the hottest trend for this holiday season.  While I'm not that much into keeping up with trends, I do love a challenge.  So I made a web search of crochet buffalo plaid and found this awesome site with lots of videos and tutorials about how to do the buffalo plaid stitch!  Whistle and Ivy give great instructions and have a host of patterns, both paid and free.

This beanie and baby earflap hat are my first projects with Buffalo Plaid.

Obviously there are many sites out there that are showing how to do this stitch.  If you search Pinterest for it you will find buffalo plaid hats, scarves, throws, slippers and even tree ornaments.

The stitch is really easy to do as it uses common crochet stitches and color changes.  The biggest challenge is to keep your yarn from getting tangled.  But the blog I went to for learning this stitch even gave tips on how to keep those tangles to a minimum!

So far I have made 2 items with buffalo plaid.  But I'm thinking of more.  I'm also thinking of experimenting with different colors.





   I love the way this beanie turned out!







I have to say that it takes me a little longer to do this stitch because of the frequent color changes.  But I do love the look of my finished hats!

This is Boris.  He models my little baby hats and
my doggie hats.   Can't wait to see my baby Bentley
in this  earflap beanie.

I hope this post inspires you to give this a try.  It's the perfect pattern to crochet something for the guys on your Christmas list.  And it looks great on the gals too!

Happy Crocheting!
Reny

Creeper meets Captain America! This weeks projects.

If you have children in grade school, then you have likely heard of Minecraft.  And if you have heard of Minecraft then you surely have heard of Creeper.  Now I seriously have no idea what part Creeper plays in the Minecraft scenario, but I know that my grandson loves him.  (Or is it a her?)  So, of course, I did what any good crocheting grandma would do.  I made him one!




I used the pattern from this site and it worked up nicely.    I decided to reinforce the 'square' shape by putting plastic canvas on the inside and stuffing inside the canvas armature.  I think this helped to  define the shape a bit.  I also tweaked the feet as my first attempt at them produced huge feet that looked all out of proportion to the rest of the creeper to me.   I cut the face out of felt and hot glued it on, but it could have easily been crocheted and stitched on instead.



At any rate, I'll bet it gets a smile,  along with the Creeper beanie I made for him.




My second project to finish this past week is this Captain America Earflap beanie.    Quentin, our good friends' grandson, is an occasional visitor to our home and is always fascinated by  the Yarn Varmints scattered all around.  He also loves super hero's, so this  beanie is for him.





I started out with a pic from Pinterest and  my favorite earflap beanie pattern.    I was pretty much able to  wing the emblem, but I didn't try to 'wing' the wings.  I found  the wing pattern here.  It was a little fussy but  I got it done.  The finished beanie turned out pretty good.  I hope Quentin will be pleased.







Next on my hook?  A custom order for a friend and a fun Mystery Crochet-a-long from A Crochet Simplicity,  an awesome website and Facebook community.  Check it out!

Thanksgiving is this this week, so I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving day!  As I reflect on all the things I am thankful for, my heart overflows!  I hope you are having the same experience!

Blessings!
Reny

Crochet Bowser Inspired Earflap Hat

My grandson loves Bowser, so I am trying to make him some Bowser inspired gifts this Christmas.

I've seen a lot of cute character hats to crochet, but finding a Bowser hat that I liked was only semi-successful.  I found a picture on Pinterest that was very close to what I wanted to make, but no pattern, and the Etsy listing for the hat was no longer available.

So I did what any resourceful granny would do.  I improvised!   Having just finished this Bowser amigurumi, I had a pretty good idea of the shapes I needed to make to pull this project off.  So I got to work.

First I found a simple pattern for a cute earflap hat.  The link for that free pattern can be found at Micah Makes.  I made this hat in dark green and finished it except for the ties. 

Next to add the features.   I decided to start with the horns.  (Clarification.  11/8/2021)  Repeat all instructions until you reach the end of the round.  Your final stitch count on each round should match the number in the ( ).

1.  Make 4 sc in a magic circle
2.  *Sc in 1, inc*  (6)
3.  Sc in each st.  (6)
4.  *Sc in 1, inc*  (9)
5.  Sc in each st.
6.  *Sc in 1, inc.*  (13)
7.-8.   Sc in each st.
9.  Dec.  Sc in  remaining sts.  (12)
10.  *Sc in 1, inc.*  (18)
11.  *Sc in 5, inc.*  (21)
12.  Sc in each st.  Fasten off leaving tail.  Stuff and stitch to hat.

Horn ring:  make 2
1.  Chain 21.  Sc in 2nd ch from hook and each additional chain.   Ch. 1 and turn (20)
2-3  Sc in ea. st. Ch. 1 and turn.
Fold in half lengthwise and sew into a tube.  Wrap around base of horn and stitch ends together.  Secure to horn base with a few stitches.


Next I  made the hair.  Make 5 or more and stitch to top of head.

1.  Make 4 sc in a magic circle.
2.  *Sc 1, inc.*  (6)
3.  *Sc in 1, inc*  (9)
4.   Sc in each st.  (9)
5.  *Sc in 2, inc. *  (12)
6.  Sc in each st.   (12)
7.  *Sc in 3, inc*  (15)
8-9  Sc in each st.  (15)
10.  *Sc in 4, inc*  (18)
11.  Sc in each st.
12.  *Sc in 2, inc*  (24)
13-16  Sc in each st.  Fasten off leaving tail.  Do not stuff.

The snout took me a couple of tries.

Large center disk:
1.  Make 6 sc in a mc.
2  Inc x's 6  (12)
3.  *Sc in 1, inc*  (18)
4.  *Sc in 2, inc*  (24)
5.  *Sc in 3, inc*  (30)
6.  Sc in each st.  (30)
7.  *Sc in 3, dec*  (24)
8.  *Sc in 2, dec*  (18)
Fasten off and stuff.  Set aside for now.

Smaller side disks:  Make 2.
1.  Make 6 sc in a mc.
2  Inc x's 6  (12)
3.  *Sc in 1, inc*  (18)
4.  *Sc in 2, inc*  (24)
5.  Sc in ea. st.   (24)
6.  *Sc in 2, de*  (18)
7.  *Sc in 1, dec*  (12)
Fasten off and stuff.

Now stitch smaller disks to large disk with large disk slightly overlapping the small ones.    Then stitch this assembled snout to front of hat about 1 or 2 rows from edge.  Take 2 long stitches on front of snout for nostrils and attach 2 triangles of felt for teeth to bottom of small disks.

Side tubes:  Make 2
1.  Chain 17,  sc in 2nd ch from hook and each additional chain. Ch 1 and turn.  (16)
2.-4   Sc in each st.  Ch. 1 and turn. (16)
Fold this piece in half lengthwise and stitch into a tube shape.    Sew to side of snout at bottom of hat.

Side balls:  Make 2
1.  Make 6 sc in a mc.
2  Inc x's 6  (12)
3.  *Sc in 1, inc*  (18)
4.  Sc in each st.
5.  *Sc in 1, dec*  (12)
6.  Stuff and dec till closed.
Sew to end of tube.

For the eyes I cut felt into the long triangular shape, added  small bit of black felt and stitched the eyes about 2 rows above snout.

Eyebrows:  Make 2
1.  Make 6 sc in a mc.
2.  Inc x's 6  (12) 
2-5  Sc in ea. st. 
6.  *Sc in 2, dec* (8)
7-20  Sc in each st.
Fasten off.   Flatten and form around felt eye and sew into place.

For the ties I used this video.

Congrats!  You're done!

And that's how you make a true Bowser fan happy!

Blessings and Happy Hooking!
Reny

Bowser..A Crochet Pattern Review with some Helpful Tips

My grandson loves Bowser from the Mario Kart game.  I don't know why he chose a 'bad guy' as his hero.  He generally goes for the good guys like Batman and the "Credible Hulk".  But at this time, Bowser is the man!

He also loves anything that I make for him from 'yarn' and often makes specific requests which I love fulfilling for him!

So I started my search for a Bowser pattern, and I found one!  It's a great pattern and it's free.  What more could you want?    You can find this awesome pattern here.

The pattern stitches are simple and the stitch instructions are clear.  Any beginner can make Bowser if you are willing to take your time and crochet 101 pieces.  Yes!  That's right!  101 separate pieces to put together.  But if you have a Bowser aficionado on your Christmas list, it's well worth the effort.

I actually completed him within a couple of weeks by just working on him for short intervals.  He could probably be made in a couple of days if you stayed with it for several hours.  (I tend to crochet slower than most crocheters I know).

My Tips for this pattern:

I crocheted all the pieces first, keeping them together in a bin.  The pieces that called for decreasing and closing up, I stuffed as I went along.   Some of the pieces like the 'pipes' I did not stuff at all, so I would say stuffing those pieces may be optional.  They look fine on the finished Bowser.

The 'Lower Jaw Flap' is actually just a flat round piece that is attached to the bottom of the head after the head is assembled.  I had to go back through the patten as I assembled Bowser to identify some of the pieces.  Putting a label on them as you go would decrease the time spent on assembly.

For the collar and arm bands, I attached the spikes before I put them on Bowser.  That just seemed easier to me.  I  attached the fingernails to the fingers and then the fingers to the 'hand' (closed end0  end of the arms before stuffing the arms and attaching them to the body.

The feet were a bit confusing to me.  The foot piece is a slightly rounded piece with a large opening.  I couldn't see anywhere in the pattern instructions how to make this fit on the bottom (closed end) of Bowsers legs.  After studying the pictures, I decided to attach the toes to the 'front' of the foot, take a running stitch around the top and pull together just enough to bring the top to about the same diameter as the bottom of the leg.  I then stitched the foot to the leg bottom, stuffing as I went.  This  formed the foot to look like the pics.  The leg was then stuffed and attached to the bottom of the body.

The shell was my favorite part to put together, and I attached the white rim and the spikes before I attached the shell to the body.

I was not that impressed with the 'belly' part.  I thought the double crochet was a bit to open for my taste and I would probably change that to single crochet with more rows to make it fit over the front of the body or a half-double with more rows.  But that's just my  opinion.

I assembled the head separately as the pattern instructions suggested, but attached as many of the components as I could before attaching the head to the body.  In this way I was able to anchor the pieces by pulling the sewing yarn down through the head to the bottom jaw flap and securing it.

The eyes were a challenge.  I wanted to get the angry look without making him look too hostile.  I think everyone will just have to work on that issue themselves.  If you want, you could make him look quite harmless and adorable by giving him different eye placements or shapes.


When I had the head completely finished, I attached it to the body, stuffing  the collar portion as I went along.  The pattern suggests a piece of red felt sewn inside the mouth to close the hole.  I first made sure my head was sufficiently stuffed, then I crocheted an oval with red yarn and stitched it inside the mouth to close the hole.


So, there you have it!  Bowser is  completed!  Good job!

Hope this post was helpful as you make your Bowser.

Happy Hooking!
Reny

Crochet a Christmas Gift for Your Pet! Crochet Ball Cap Pattern

This post may contain affiliate links.*

I love Facebook and Pinterest!  I get so many great ideas from these two sites.

One of the things that caught my eye was an ad that featured an adorable puppy with the cutest baseball cap on his little head.  The cap was designed so that his furry little ears poked easily out on each side.  The visor shaded his eyes, and he just looked so comfy and natural in this little hat that I just had to try to crochet one. 

Boris the crochet Bassett hound
never complains about modeling
accessories for me!

Well, I did it!


  

To make this doggie hat I used Red Heart Yarn and an H hook.   I stitched the parts together with a yarn needle and matching yarn.  

 
To determine the size you must measure the dogs head. 
Measure around the head by measuring across the forehead and under the ears to the back of the dog's head.  This will be the band of the hat.  Be sure to allow for a bit of overlap to sew the band together.

For the top of the hat measure from the back of the head to the forehead.  

To determine the width of the top, measure from ear to ear. 

You will now crochet a chain the length of the band measurement.  Make sc or hdc across the chain, turn and repeat for as many rows as will make the band the width you think will work well for your pooch.

Now make the top by making a chain the width of the top.  make sc or hdc across chain and repeat rows until you reach the measurement of the length from the forehead to the back of the head where the hatband will sit.  Before stitching this, make sure your length is  right for your pooch.  You may want to add a row or two to give the top some height.

Stitch the top to the hatband.  

Next crochet a semi-circle for the hat bill.  For this I used a sc and made it a nice tight stitch.  You can make the bill as big or small as you want by adding or subtracting rows.  Stitch the bill to the front of the hat.

The last step is to add a chin strap.  The length and position of the chin strap will be determined by the size and breed of your dog.  Crochet a tight chain the length you need and add a fastener that slides to keep the hat on the dog.  Attach the chain to each side of the bottom of the hatband under the ears.

Add any applique you like to the front to  make your doggie's hat unique!

Sophie in her new hat!

Congratulations!  You have completed your doggie hat.  Please share a comment and a pic of your pooch in his/her new accessory! 

Happy Hooking!
Reny

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Red Heart Yarn