Dragons Can Be Intimidating!

                                                                                                        

When I first saw the pics of this dragon pattern on Pinterest, I was both intrigued and intimidated.  He was sooo cute, but looked so detailed.  I wasn't quite sure I could pull this one off.  I mean, I've been crocheting for years, and have even designed a few things myself.   But this guy?  I just didn't know if I wanted to put myself through such a seemingly difficult project.

Yet, every-time I happened across  that pin, I stopped and looked.  Finally, I clicked to the blog featuring this guy and took a closer look.  That didn't help, especially when I saw that the pattern was posted in three different parts!  Good grief!  It must be harder than I even imagined!

There were also video tutorials for the pattern.  Lots of video tutorials.  All for one dragon pattern!  Now I was really convinced it was beyond my skill level!

But this dragon would not turn loose of me!  So a couple of weeks ago I decided to give him a try.  It''s not like I didn't have any other projects to complete.  I was (and still am) working on about 4 different projects when I decided to take this one on.  It wasn't that I was commissioned to make this either.  It just seemed like I had to do it.

So, I searched through my yarn stash for some yarn.  I didn't want this dragon to be too large, so I chose baby weight yarn  and went to work.  I'm not totally sold on the colors I used, but it is what I had on hand.

To my relief and delight, the pattern was well written.   The areas where I needed some clarification were covered in the videos.  I am not usually one to watch videos to make my projects.  Generally a written pattern suits me just fine.  But these videos are so well done!  Every detail is covered and explained beyond question!
I would say that this is an intermediate pattern, but by taking your time and following the steps in the order given, it becomes very doable.  I did take a few liberties with the pattern.  Claws instead of fingers and I changed the eyes a bit.  I had just received a shipment of dragon safety eyes and just couldn't wait to use some.   But he still turned out pretty cute.

Sharon Ojala  is the designer of this awesome pattern.  What a talent!    Thank you to Sharon, for sharing her talent with all of us!  And her videos are superb!  

So go on over to https://www.amigurumitogo.com/ and check out her work!  Make yourself a dragon!

Blessings!
Reny

The Joy of Creating!!!

There are so many excellent crochet pattern designers out there, and I love that!  Since I started designing some of my own, I have come to appreciate the time and work that goes into creating even a simple little pattern!  So why do I bother designing my own when there are so many great patterns out there already?

Well, I guess you could say I love a challenge.  Not only do I love being challenged by someone else's awesome pattern, I love the challenge of trying to create something from 'scratch' myself.

It all starts with an idea or a picture in my mind and it grows from there.  To watch all the details of the design fall into place as I go is so satisfying!

So, I'll be completely honest with you here... I have designed quite a few things that I'm not very proud of, and some that I thought were pretty awesome at first, but am now reworking and improving.   But to create from start to finish makes me happy!

Sometimes my designs come from a request from someone. (usually my daughter) who just likes to see if I can do it!  She also knows that I'm happiest when I have something to challenge me.  But the Secret Garden Kimono is definitely my favorite so far of everything I have designed myself!  My daughter sent me a pic of a kimono that she loved,  but there was no pattern.  I was so pleased to be able to come up with something she loved in a boho style that perfectly fit the bill of what she was looking for!

I should mention here that I usually don't make garments.  My passion is amigurumi!  So the kimono design was definitely 'out of the box' for me.  Almost every stitch was accompanied with a secret little smile as I imagined how cute this would be on her!  Each stitch also carried a secret hope that this would be a design that she would love!

I don't even remember how many hours I spent on this, but I do remember the satisfaction I got from making it.

And, as you can see, my beautiful daughter is the perfect model for this all season kimono!

If you crochet, I would encourage you to step out of your comfort zone too!  Explore the fun of designing your own.  Even the frogging brings a feeling of satisfaction while you strive for just he right design!

Till next time, be blessed friends!
Reny

2020...A New Year, A New Decade, A Lot of New Ideas!

So, I've been silent for awhile.  The truth is, I've been really busy! 

Last summer my friend, Cindy, and I thought we would try our hand at selling some of our crafty creations.  Cindy just happened to have a canopy tent, and I had some tables.  So, we started our little venture at a small town Farmers Market.    Our expectations were not high, but the price was right!  It was a fee free event and recurring weekly.  We were under no obligation to be there every week, so the freedom to participate or not was definitely nice. 

To our great surprise and delight, people stopped by our tent and we sold several items, including winter beanies in the middle of summer!  With that little bit of encouragement we decided to set up at another Farmers Market near us that required only a small fee, but still no long term commitment.  Once again, we caught the interest of people and sold a few items.  This spurred us on to try our luck at some craft and vendor shows. 

The rest of the summer and up to December we were quite busy keeping our craft booth stocked with adorable handmade items.  It was hard work, but great fun.  Some shows were more successful than others.  Each of them taught us something new.  We saw old friends and made new friends.   It was a great time!


But here we are in the beginnings of a new year.  Will we do the same this year?  I'm not sure.  We haven't totally decided yet, although we are looking at some new craft ideas.  I do think we will do some craft shows again, but probably not weekly as we tended to do last summer.  But whether or not we market our wares, we will still be creating. 

So check back from time to time to see highlights of what we are crafting as I will be posting some of the new items.

For now, I leave you with this new creation, Lucy the Cow!  She is my own design and I'm quite proud of her. 

My goal is to design crochet patterns that are beginner friendly and fairly quick to make up.  This pattern will be available in my Etsy shop as soon as testing is completed and any kinks worked out.

So until next time, 

Happy Crafting!

Reny