Oops! This Crochet Amigurumi Still Needs Work!

I have looked all over the internet for a pattern to make this adorable little amigurumi, but could not find it anywhere.  .  I saw the original picture on pinterest, and I did see it on a foreign social site during pattern search, but no pattern.    So I did what any ambitious crochet artist would do.  I created my own pattern.

The picture above is my first pattern attempt.    Isn't it adorable?  But some of the pieces are just not to my liking.  I crocheted this one from acrylic, and it just doesn't hold the form like I want it to.  So back to the drawing board, or in this case, back to the hook and yarn.

I am  making the next one from mercerizes cotton yarn and tweaking the  design just a bit to hopefully get a nice form and a toy that will stand up to some rough and tumble play and still be able to stand on his own two, er four, feet.

I did get into a bit of a hurry since so many people expressed interest in the pattern, and I listed it in my Etsy shop only to deactivate it within a few hours  due to my dissatisfaction with some of it.  My apologies to anyone who has been trying to get the pattern.

Once this pattern meets with my satisfaction, I will re-activate it with the improved pattern and a new picture.    Please be patient.   I promise you it will be a better pattern.

Check back often to see what I am up to and feel free to leave me a comment.

Blessings!
Reny

The 'Star Stitch' How Pretty!!!!

I've been eyeing this stitch for some time now.  It looked kind of complicated and I just wasn't ready to try it until now.  But this week I've done 2 projects using this very pretty and elegant looking stitch.

I've been in need of a new coin purse for a while now and just haven't found any I cared to purchase, so I decided this week to just make one.

This is the front with a cell phone pocket that I added later.  The star stitch isn't very prominent here.

This is the back side and you can see the star stitch easily here.   This is the first coin purse I've ever made, and it's not perfect, but since I was in a hurry I was aiming more for the functionality than aesthetics.  And it is very functional!  Soft and lightweight, it feels good in my hand.

My second project was this wash/dish cloth.  Once again, pretty and functional!

I may make several of these just because I can.  I'm thinking of a couple of variations using this stitch, so who knows what I may come up with.  Check back later to see.  But for now, I think this stitch is a winner!

Crochet Wreath MakeOver!!!! So cool.....

A few years ago I ran across a sweet website called Attic24.

This colorful wreath totally caught my attention.  I love bright colors!   I had this for a couple of years when my Dad had to go to an Alzheimer's unit nearby.  Reading about this disease I found that these patients are drawn to bright colors, and since my Dad was having trouble identifying where his room was, I placed this wreath on the door to his room in the hopes that it would help.

Alzheimers is a strange disease.  You can't really tell what is going on in the mind of the afflicted person.  Dad did many strange things, and one of them was that he would move and hide things.  So the colorful wreath would disappear at times only to resurface in a closet or a drawer.  One thing I realized is that Dad knew it was HIS wreath, and that brought me comfort.

Dad left this world this past February.   I don't think I'll ever stop missing him.  But I did keep the wreath.  Sadly, in his adventures, Dad had broken the inner wreath form which was made of styrofoam.  The wreath was still usable, but looking a little shabby.

This week, after having the wreath on my door for a few months, I decided it needed a facelift.  But I didn't want to lose the memories of my Dad that went with it.

The new base is made of a pool noodle duck-taped into a circle. (Where was that idea when I needed it?)   I crocheted a new cover for the noodle and decided to just add a few of the flowers from the original.

The idea came to me to use velcro to attach the flowers in case I wanted to use the same wreath for a different occasion sometime.  (Think Christmas or Easter with appropriate holiday decorations.)  I added a ribbon with which to hang it.

I really love the look of this wreath, and I still think of Dad each time I look at it!  I think it's a win-win!



Maybe this will give you some ideas as well.  I hope it inspires you to re-work some of those precious items that may just need a little facelift to proudly take a prominent place in your decor again!

Blessings~
Reny