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

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 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.

  http://www.instructables.com/id/Crochet-Magic-Ring-Adjustable-Ring/

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. 

 http://www.fiberfluxblog.com/2012/07/how-to-crochet-curlicue_31.html

   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.

http://rescuedpawdesigns.com/2014/07/10/how-to-add-fringe-to-crochet-projects/#_a5y_p=4486753                            

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

Blessings!

Reny

For the Love of Cats....

I know, I know!  I've been missing in action for a few weeks.  Truth is, I've been pretty busy and my crochet hook has been hot with activity.  I have crocheted 2 shawls, 2 pair of wrist warmers and twisted headbands and 1 adorable fat cat for a wonderful cat-loving friend.

I don't have pics of all these things, but I do have a pic of the cat for you.  While I did not actually use a pattern, I did get inspiration from this awesome Etsy shop.  Her cats are definitely
the cutest I've ever seen and this one doesn't come close to capturing the cuteness factor of hers, but I do think that he is kinda cute anyway.

I hope my friend will like him.

Here's a Happy Little Hippo for you!

In keeping with my crocheted 'Giggles' characters, this week I have created the cutest little hippo!
The ears and nose were a little tricky and required a couple of redos, but I am satisfied with the end result.  I really love the color combination on this one!  The pattern can be found here at Ravelry and on Craftsy by searching Hippo 'Giggles' Amigurumi.   So, I now have 3 jungle animal 'giggle' patterns published.  What should I design next?

Spring headbands anyone?

This week I got a request for some spring headbands for little (and big) girls.  I really haven't made many headbands, so it's a new project for me.  Here's what I have come up with so far.  I'm still thinking on the 'big girl' headbands.  There are lots of patterns out there to choose from, but I would love to come up with something original.  I'm thinking of something boho/hippie style.  We'll see if my boho mojo kicks in.

Flowers and butterflies.  

Love the sweet little rose on this one.

This one is my favorite so far.  Love the
adorable little daisies.  This one is for
my sweet great-granddaughter, Maddie.

Eli the Goofy Goat

I'm not sure what it is about goats, but I love them.    My friend at Grimm Acres has some of the cutest ones!  Visit her website to see some pictures of her goats and other awesome livestock!

Eli is a bit on the goofy side, but I think he is quite adorable.   I especially love the little bit of wool roving I used for his goatee.    I think it adds an aura of 'wisdom' to counter-balance the goofiness.

You can find the pattern for 'Eli' on Ravelry.

Giggles!

    While working from patterns is very rewarding, there is also great satisfaction in working up my own designs.  I love making cute, whimsical little creatures that bring a smile to faces.  ‘Giggles’ is one of those creations, and I offer this free pattern to all my fellow crocheters.  This little creature is pretty simple and works up fairly quickly.    I think these would make an adorable addition to an Easter basket or any festive occasion.  I may decorate my tree with them this next Christmas.

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, here 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. 

Tip: I have found it easier to sew on the face before stuffing the 'giggle'.

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

I hope you enjoy making these as much as I did!  I would love to see pics of your ‘Giggles’ in the comments below.

                                                                                    Blessings!

                                                                                       Reny

Clyde....

Everybody's got a water buffalo
Yours is fast but mine is slow
Oh, where do you get them I don't know
But everyone's got a water buffaloooooo.................

This is what kept going through my mind as I crocheted this little critter.  As usual, I had no idea what I was making when I started out, but the VeggieTales song just kind of guided my hook and Clyde came into being.   He is OOAK and just as cute as he can be.    I may create other water buffalos in the future, but there will never be another one exactly like Clyde.