Crochet Puppy Ornament/toy, Quirky, Unique Handmade Amigurumi

I love searching out new and unique projects to work on!  I found one similar to this on Pinterest and searched in vain for a pattern.  Not finding one, I did the next best thing.  I developed my own.  It's not exactly like the one on Pinterest , but close enough to satisfy me.

I have made this puppy in a larger size, but wondered if I could downsize the pattern to make it more the size for a Christmas ornament.  While it turned out larger than I really wanted, I think it will work just fine.  

Below is the pattern for the puppy.  It is a little involved with the construction of it, but if you follow along closely, you should be able to make it.

For a downloadable pattern with photos plus the pattern for the cat, visit my Etsy shop.

The pattern in my Etsy shop also includes instructions to make the cat in this pic.  I thought they looked like best friends!

Puppy Pattern

This finished puppy is approximately 6 inches long from head to tail.  The size can be increased or decreased by changing the weight of the yarn and the hook size.  A heavier yarn (ex. worsted weight) and a larger hook will give you a larger puppy.  A thinner yarn and a smaller hook will give you a smaller puppy.

Materials:

DK or Sport weight Yarn  (I used Cleo Cotton)

2.75mm or C hook

Safety eyes

Polyfil stuffing

Yarn needle

8 buttons with large holes

12.5mm wooden or plastic beads  (12 of them)  Optional.

Crochet Terms:

CH- chain

ST-  stitch

MC-  magic circle

SC-  single crochet

INC-  increase (2 stitches in one stitch of previous round)

DEC- decrease  (one stitch made over 2 stitches of previous round)

F/O-  fasten off

Repeat instructions between asterisks ** to end of round.

Tips:

Worked in rounds.  I used a running stitch marker to keep track of rounds.  The easiest way to make this puppy is to complete all individual components and then assemble.  My method of attaching the legs requires securing them to the inside of the body before stuffing and closing it, but you could just stitch the leg balls together and then sew them to the body if you like.   If you use my method, be mindful of where you position the legs, as they cannot easily be moved after the body is stuffed and closed. The safety eyes are placed before the head is stuffed and closed.  If you prefer, you can embroider or use felt for the eyes.  Embroider on a mouth and eyebrows if you like.

Head:

 In a mc make 6 sc.

Inc. in each st. (12)

3.  *Sc 1, inc*  (18)

4.  *Sc 2, inc*  (24)

5-17.  Sc in each st.  (24)  Make color change at about round 8.  Place safety eyes at about round 12.

18.  *Sc 2, dec*  (18)

19.  *Sc 1, dec* (12)

20.  Dec x’s 6  (6)

21.  Dec till closed.  F/O

Neck:

 Mc with 6 sc.

Inc. in each st.   (12)

3.  *Sc 1, inc*  (18)

4-6  Sc in each st.  F/O

Stuff neck and stitch open end to bottom of head.

Ears:  Make 2

 Mc with 5 sc.

Inc in each stitch.  (10)

*Sc 1, inc*  (15)

*Sc 2, inc*  (20)

5-7  Sc in each stitch  (20)

8.  *Sc in 8, dec*  (18)

9.  *Sc in 7, dec*  (16)

10.  *Sc in 6, dec*  (14)

11.  *Sc in 5, dec*  (12)

12-14.  Sc in each stitch.

15.  Dec x’s 6.  F/O.

Stitch ears to head in desired position.

Nose:

 Mc with 6 sc.

Inc  in each stitch  (12) Stuff llightly

Dec  till closed.

Stitch to end of snout.

Body:

 Mc with 6 sc.

Inc in each stitch  (12)

*Sc 1, inc*  (18)

*Sc 2, inc* (24)

*Sc 3, inc*  (30)

6-25.  Sc in each stitch.

26.  *Sc 3, dec*  (24)  Attach legs at this point before stuffing.  (See assembly instructions)

27.  *Sc 2, dec* (18)  Stuff body.

28.  *Sc1, dec*  (12)

29.  Dec x’s 6  (6)

30.  Dec till closed.  F/O

Feet top:  Make 4

 Mc with 6 sc

Inc in each stitch  (12)

*Sc 1, inc*  (18)

*Sc 2, inc*  (24)

5-8.  Sc in each stitch.  F/O

Feet bottom:  Make 4

 Mc with 6 sc

Inc in each stitch  (12)

*Sc1, inc*  (18)

*Sc 2, inc*  (24)  F/O

Balls for legs, tail and head bows.  Make 19

 Mc with 6 sc

Inc. in each stitch  (12) 

3-4  Sc in each stitch  (12)

Place a bead inside your work at this point. (Or you may choose to simply stuff the balls rather than use beads.)

5.  Dec x’s 6  (6)

6.  Dec till closed.  F/O

Tail:  Make 3

1.  Chain 15 or however long you want your tail to be.  

2.  Attach a ball to the end of each chain.

3.  Tie the ends of the chains together and attach to the backside of the puppy.

Head bow:  (optional)

 Make 2 chains about 40 stitches long.

Attach a ball to each end of each chain.

Tie into a bow and attach to head.

To assemble and attach legs and feet,  thread your yarn needle with some strong cord.  Thread through one of the holes on a button leaving a length of about 3 or 4 inches for tying off.  Thread through a foot top from the inside with the button resting against the inside top of the foot.  Next thread through 3 balls with the cord going through the center hole of the beads.  Thread through the body at your preferred position for the leg and through the hole of a second button inside the body.  Now, thread through the second hole of the button going back through the body and through each ball, down throuh the top of the foot and through the second hole of the button inside the foot.  You should now have 2 cord ends.  Pull the cord tight and tie into a tight knot to secure the leg to the body.    Repeat with remaing legs.  Now you can stuff the body and close it up.  Also stuff the feet and sc the bottoms on to the feet with all yarn and cord ends tucked inside.

Attach head and neck to front of body.   Add the tail and the bow.  Your puppy is completed. 

Happy Crafty New Year.....

     It has been a great holiday season!  Lots of time with family and friends, good food and a general feeling of joy and peace!

      But it's a new year with new ideas and creativity.   I wish I could find more time to work on my crochet projects!  Yes, I am retired from my job, but I have so many things I would like to make!  My Pinterest boards are full of potential projects!  Where to begin?  

     My latest original YarnVarmint creation is pretty cute.

This pair of mischievous raccoons took a while to  design.  I ended up changing several of the features and still think I like the eyes on the left one better than the right.  But overall, they turned out pretty good.  They are both made using the same pattern with just a few minor variations.    

     I like that they are not overly big, but just a good size for little hands to hang on to.  Of course they could be smaller just by using a smaller size crochet hook.  This pair were crocheted with a #4 or G hook.  In a sitting position they are about 8 inches tall.

     If you would like to check out my original patterns, visit my Etsy store at: 
           https://www.etsy.com/shop/YarnVarmintsPlus

     Also, check out my Facebook page at:
        https://www.facebook.com/Renycrochets/

     Right now I am working on a couple of projects, one that has been in progress for several months, a kimono for my grand-daughter. It is crocheted in Cleo cotton yarn and has a gorgeous diamond pattern worked into the fabric.  It will be one of the finest garments I have made yet.  The cleo yarn has such a beautiful drape and sheen to it!  I will try to post a pic when it is finished.

 The other is this cute stuffed Pikachu for another grand-daughter. He was a bit of a challenge, even though the pattern is easy to follow.  I have made a couple more of them since this one, and they do get easier and better with each one.  I must say, though, that the tail is quite unique.  It has an armature of plastic canvas to help it keep it's shape.

 Since I have 9 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren you can understand why those Pinterest pins will have to wait.  

     All in all, I don't see myself running out of projects any time soon.  But that's OK with me.  I love blessing these kids!  It's my function!

     So I hope your new year will be filled with fun projects and lots of love.  Have a Happy, Crafty New Year!

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.

Seeing Stripes...

Making a crochet zebra look authentic is quite a challenge.  Lucky for me that my characters are not supposed to look authentic!  They just need to look cute and be easily identified as the animal they are meant to represent.   The fun thing about 'Giggles' is that they are intended to look goofy, silly, colorful and happy.  I invite anyone making these little critters to let your imagination run wild and make something unique!

While I intended the arms to be striped, they turned out to look more checkered.  Interesting.  I did single rows of single crochet on the arms and used 2 rows together on the stripes of the body.  I must remember this in the future.  That checkered effect may come in handy on a different project some day.

I love the googly eyes on this one!  He's a bit cross-eyed on purpose.  It just adds to the 'giggle' factor.

However, I'm just not quite satisfied with him.  Let's see if I can make him look better.  I'll shorten the ears and change the arms.

                    Hmmm,  still not exactly what I want.  Think, think, think!    Oh, I know!

There's just nothing like a big toothy grin to elicit a giggle from even the most somber being.  Leave a comment and let me know which one you like the best!

The pattern for this guy can be found here at Ravelry or at Craftsy.com

Gorilla, Gorilla.....

Whew!  This guy really gave me a challenge.  The challenge was to keep him simple enough to be easily done and detailed enough to make him resemble a gorilla.  I repeated the pattern in full twice to be sure my pattern was correct, and repeated different parts of the gorilla several times before I was satisfied with the result.  The giggle criteria was finally met.  He has all the whimsy of my original 'Giggles' and the features of the wild that we expect in a jungle animal.  And with his silly grin, we couldn't help but smile.  'We' refers to my hubby (Mr. Loving) and I.  Mr. Loving is my main 'Giggle' critic and advisor.  His specialty is the 'cuteness factor', and no Giggle pattern get's published without his final approval.  He also helps with the pictures, as photography is not my gift.   Oh, and did I say he is also my main admirer?! Thanks, Loving, for your help and encouragement.   I don't know what I would do without you!

A Mischievous Menagerie...

     The invasion of zoo animals continues!  My goal is to design a new amigurumi pattern each week.  Is that too lofty?  Perhaps, but I think I'll still give it a try.

     The stripes on this little guy make him quite handsome!   I hope his friends don't tease him too much for looking a bit like a bumble bee.  ;-)    He looks so cute and innocent, but I do believe he has a mischievous streak.  And I know some of his friends are little pranksters!  I hear strange noises in the night and I suspect this gang may be responsible.

     I'm not sure I trust that Lion and Elephant to behave themselves.  Things may get interesting around here!

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?

Road Trip Scarf

     The first time I saw this scarf on Pinterest, I fell in love with it!  I love the open weave of the stitch, the unique scalloped border and the dainty flowers with the added twisted braids on the ends.  While most triangular scarves are worn with the point in the back, this one is designed to wear the point in the front with the two ends wrapped around the back of the neck and draped to the front as well.
   
     I finally got around to making my own.  I just happened to have a remnant of yarn, so I got to work.  As often happens when I try to use up some of my stash on a project,  I didn't have enough to finish, so had to go buy more.  Luckily, Walmart still had some to match.

                          Many thanks to Zooty Owl for sharing her design and free pattern.

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

Pinterest, I Love You!

I love doing crafts of all kinds.  I also love finding new recipes to try.  And I love organizing ideas.  So, how could I not love Pinterest?  This site is so full of information and ideas that I could browse it all day and never see everything that pertains to my particular interests.  Add to that the many categories that hold very little interest for me, but are of great interest to others and you have a site that just can't lose!

My favorite category on Pinterest is DIY and Crafts.  I have literally spent hours perusing this area of the site and find a host of new things each time I log in.  The Lawn and Garden category is superb in all the variety of ideas and styles of garden layouts and landscaping, not to mention the variety of plants.    There are tons of beautiful photographs of exotic and wonderful places to mesmerize a wanna be world traveler like me.  The awesome pics of recipes make my mouth water.  And if you need an idea for holiday or party decorating, this site is chock full of more ideas than you could ever hope for.

Have I said that I love this site?  Go check it out.  I'll bet that you fall in love too.

Blessings!
Reny

My Latest Crafting Adventure

It's been awhile since I posted, and the thumbnails on the left will give you a hint why.  I have found that working with bits and pieces of pretty paper make me happy.    I like working on my  multiple scrapbooks, but I love making greeting cards!  The possibilities are just endless and they generally come together fairly quickly, which is perfect for an impatient person like me.  While I have several cards for sale in my Etsy shop (I need to recoup a little money to help support this habit)  I have just shipped my first package of cards to Operation Write Home, an organization that sends handmade cards to service men and women that they can write in and send back home to their loved ones.  There are no card shops in some of the places overseas where these fine members of our military are sent.  I'm glad to help out with this endeavor and hope you will click on the link and check them out.



http://www.operationwritehome.org/

Creating Greeting Cards

After going for a month or two without doing anything crafty, I found that my enjoyment of life was a bit diminished.  It seems that creating things is just a part of my nature that cannot be denied.  There is just something about watching an item take shape and color and become something of use.

My latest passion, (and I've had many), is working with paper.  I never thought of paper as a craft medium that would capture my attention.  That's something I did in grade school.  It didn't seem like something for a mature adult to play with.

Well, maybe I'm not a mature adult after all, or perhaps I was just wrong about paper.  Several family members have given me gifts of scrapbooking supplies along with ,of course, some scrapbooks.  I dabbled with them a bit and then laid them aside.  At one point, while in a cleaning, decluttering frenzy, I gave all my scrapbooking supplies away. 

Having come across a tote of family pictures about a year ago, I decided to take up scraping again and try to put the best of the pics in a pleasant, interesting format.  Not long after, my daughter sent me a lovely handmade card which caused me to start taking notice of other cards I received.  I noticed that the handmade ones were so special.  They were more personal and unique.  An item to be treasured as a special greeting from someone who goes the extra mile to choose or to make the card themselves.

It seemed to me that making a card would be sort of like creating a mini scrapbook page, only without the pictures, and with a personal sentiment added.  So I began making cards for special occasions for my family and friends. 

I am particularly fond of the iris folding techniques and love to come up with my own unique templates as well as use patterns I've seen on the internet.  Iris folding is a rather time consuming technique, but the effect is an image with dimension and resembling the iris of a camera.  Just changing the patterns of paper or the colors can change the whole look from one card to the next.

Die cut shapes and stamp and ink lend themselves well to unlimited designs.  I never know just how a card will turn out from beginning to end.  I just kind of wing it usually with no specific pattern in mind.  A piece of paper here, a ribbon there and voila!  a card has been born.  It's fun.

So now I have an ever growing stash of greeting cards and I need to do something with them.  Hence my online shops at Etsy and Artfire.  My user name in both of those shops is  RenysDesigns.  So stop in and have a look.  Maybe you'll see something you like, or think of a custom card you would like to have created.  My prices are very reasonable since I'm really just looking to support my habit.  And tell your friends.  I would appreciate it.

Reny

Easy Christmas Gifts

So, all these marvelous handmade cards I am now collecting are serving as my packaging for my 'non-clutter Christmas'. Yes folks, at the risk of shocking all you Christmas giving traditionalists, I am giving cash this year. These beautiful cards will be the package and gift wrap for my gifts. And for those who feel the need to have a memento of the gift, the card will serve the purpose. It can be framed, scrap-booked, stashed or just scraped. Whatever suits the recipient is fine with me. They can then use the cash for whatever they would really like to have. No more unwanted and disappointing gifts and no more useless clutter.

And for me, no more giving anxiety. No more searching for the perfect item just to find it in the charity box in a few months. In today's economy, I have no desire to waste my money on something that may or may not be the right thing. And as I grow older, I find that the simple life suits me much better. The chaos of Christmas shopping no longer appeals to me. And I no longer feel the need to do things just because that's the commonly accepted way.

So, call me Scrooge, or the Grinch if you like. Or even rebellious. But I think it's time to live life a little differently. I'm done competing with the 'Jones's".

That said, I do have plans for a wonderful holiday celebration with my family and friends. But that will be another post.

Handmade Holiday Greeting Cards

This year I am endeavoring to give beautiful personalized handmade cards to all my family and a few close friends. My friend, Gina, from BabyFishDesigns is such a great help to me in this project. Having tried making my own cards, I found that it is a time consuming task that requires lots of creativity. Since my time is limited, and my creativity does not lean toward paper crafts, I am doing the next best thing. I am having them made. While Gina has some outstanding items in her lovely Etsy shop, I tend to hit the custom request most of the time. I have found her to be exceptional in creativity and in promptly getting to work on my request. With just a little bit of information about the recipient of the card, she is able to create cards that perfectly fit the occasion and the person. And did I mention that her prices are exceptional as well? I could not buy such a perfect card at the card shop for the same low price. I was especially delighted with a 'rush' order for a birthday card just recently. As I placed the card in the envelope, I noted that the butterfly on the card was repeated on the envelope! How perfect is that!? Such attention to details is what makes me return again and again. Please visit her shop at:

http://www.babyfishdesigns.etsy.com

My Grand-daughters Are So Creative!

Two of my darling grand-daughters came to spend some time at Grandma and Papaw's today. After homework was done we decided to pull out some beads and see what we could make while we waited for their momma to come and pick them up. I was delightfully surprised at their creativity. Destinie is 5 and Charity is 10. Look at what they did!

Cute Little Snowmen

My latest bead project is now listed in my Etsy shop. These sweet little snowmen were quite a challenge. Everything had to be added before oven curing these little guys and trying to get all the little textures right and still hold the shape of the bead almost made me give up on them several times. I would love to make more of them, but I'm going to have to find a better way to do them first. Any clay artists out there with some advice for me????

Lazy Monday

What a lazy day. I've just been sitting around, reading some blogs, doing a bit of housework, (yuck) and preparing some packages for the mail. I have traded off my Christmas Tree beads, so I should make another set to list. Maybe I'll get to that this evening.

Ho hum. I am badly in need of some motivation. 'sigh'