Cthulhu Crochet and Cousins

Mini Medusa

noreply@blogger.com (amber) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:54:00 +0000

Given enough time I will end up making every creature in Christen Hayden's Creepy Cute Crochet. I attempted a Medusa a few weeks ago, but didn't get the head snakes made in the correct proportion to the body. This time I decided to follow the pattern more closely and, as you can see, things have turned out much better. Lately I'm really keen on making small amigurumis, perhaps because I'm running out of space for the larger ones. This was made with some leftover sport weight baby yarn on the head and some sport weight Red Heart in black.

I've almost got two new free patterns ready to post. My latest creations are just awaiting some eyes. The boyfriend, who is both wise and witty, is making those out of clay for me. The new designs are video game oriented, but that's all I'm going to say about them for now. Feel free to share your guesses as to what they might be in the comments section. I'll try to get them finished and posted before the end of the month.

The mini Medusa hanging with her friend the Tea Ninja.

Oh Christmas Tree - So cute!

noreply@blogger.com (amber) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 06:12:00 +0000

I'll forgive PlanetJune for reminding us all that there are just 7 weeks left until Christmas, but only because she's created this charming little Christmas tree pattern. Only seven weeks...and I haven't done any gift buying yet. Okay, mustn't stress by thinking about that...

Isn't this beautiful? It can stand on its own or be stuffed and turned into a hanging Christmas (tree?) ornament. Should we hang trees on our tree, or is that just redundant?

Anyways, the decorating possibilities are endless. I know the local Michael's store sells miniaturized Christmas tree ornaments for a tiny plastic tree that they sell. I'm thinking those ornaments would look even better on this tree than the one they're offering. Click on the link above to see more pictures of June's latest pattern or purchase a copy for just US $4.50.

Fone Bone - Now with Accessories and Backpack Tutorial!

noreply@blogger.com (amber) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 15:00:00 +0000

I've made another Fone Bone following the pattern I created a while back. This one's for the boyfriend's mom. She works in an elementary school library and wanted Fone to help encourage the kids to read Jeff Smith's wonderful books.

I've always thought that my little Fone needed his backpack. I know that some of the other people who've taken advantage of the free pattern have taken the time to give him one. So I crocheted up backpacks for the new Fone Bone as well as my original one. We also decided to break out the sculpy and add a few accessories. Now, we're no Geek Central Station, but I think these are pretty good for beginners. The experience also made me a little bit more in awe of Geek Central Station, since I discovered I definitely don't have the patience for painting tiny sculpy items.

Nevertheless, I present our tiny backpack, along with Fone's trusty copy of Moby Dick and a Harvestar medallion. (The medallion and Harvestar crest appear throughout the series, but are most prominent at the climax of Book 6: Old Man's Cave). We actually made two sets of everything, but I'm only showing off pictures of one. The boyfriend, who is both wise and witty, gets credit for making the accessories. I'm most impressed that the books actually look like they have individual pages if you look at them up close.

Backpack Tutorial

This one's pretty simple to crochet. Depending on the thickness of the yarn you've used to make Fone Bone you may want to make the initial chain a couple stitches larger or smaller to create the right sized backpack (and adjust other stitch counts proportionally).

Materials
worsted weight yarn
size F (3.75 mm) crochet hook
1 small button
1 small dome or snap

Chain 8
Rnd 1: Sc in second chain from hook and in next 6 chain spaces, 3 sc in the last chain space. Do Not Turn. Work into other side of chain. Sc in bottom of each chain across, placing two 2 sc in last space. Slip stitch into first stitch to join.
Rnd 2: ch 1, sc crochet around (approx. 16 stitches around).
Rep. Rnd 2 for 8 rows, or until piece measures about 2 1/2 inches.
Rnd 3: chain 24 (or create chain long enough to wrap around Fone Bone's body as the backpack strap is wrapped in photos. Give yourself about half an inch of extra room). Once chain is long enough, sk first 2 chains, then hdc into each chain space all the way back to the base of the backpack.
Rnd 4: sc in first 9 stitches of backpack. Turn.
Rnd5: Ch 1, sc in each st across backpack. Turn (9 stitches)
rep Rnd 5 for approx 7 rows.
Rnd 6: Ch1, sc in first 4 stitches, ch 1, skip next stitch, sc in next four stitches. Turn.
Rnd 7: Ch 1, sc in 9 stitches across. Finish off.

Sew the button in place to close backpack. Sew one piece of the dome/snap to the end of the strap. Place other piece of dome/snap in lower corner on back of backpack, opposite from the side the strap is attached to. (Use pictures as a guide.)

Enjoy! And look under My Free Patterns in the column on the left for more Boneville related patterns.

A Cthulhu of a Different Sort

noreply@blogger.com (amber) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 05:32:00 +0000

These aren't the type of Cthulhu you'd typically find at Cthulhu Crochet and Cousins, but we welcome strange monsters of all sorts here. Plus, I'm currently obsessed with crocheting eyeballs. In my head I'm planning some sort of large eyeballed amigurumi monster. Coming soon, time permitting.

Until then we have these terrific Cthulhu Babies courtesy of Etsy seller Ugly Gerbil, (great name by the way!). There's no pattern, but you can pick up these handmade babies ranging from $14-$18 U.S. Ugly Gerbil has a wonderful selection of these critters available in the store. They're perfect for all your cute, creepy monster keychain needs. I also love the idea of using these guys as Christmas ornaments. Check out the glittery eye on that Angel Cthulhu, that's a great extra detail!

Australia Bound

noreply@blogger.com (amber) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 03:07:00 +0000

I just popped these fellas in the mail today. These are our donations to this year's Softies for Mirabel campaign. Come December these amigurumis and dozens of others will be given away to children who come from families that have been affected by substance abuse.

On the far left is my newest creation. We're calling this one the Eggplant Baby and it was designed by the boyfriend, who is both wise and witty. His original intention was a Medusa-like creation, but you can see I didn't quite get the hair long enough for the head size. Next time!

Also included here is one my Tiny Cthulhus and the frog that I made when I was testing out Tamie Snow's Tiny Yarn Animals. For those that are interested, there's still time if you want to send out one of your own creations. Donations that are received by December 10, 2009 will also be part of a window display at Meet Me At Mike's. Visit the Meet Me At Mike's blog for more details on how you can contribute.

Crafting of a Different Sort

noreply@blogger.com (amber) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 01:25:00 +0000

The boyfriend, who is both wise and witty, and I spent a day at V-Con 34 a couple weekends ago . Since most of the goodies I picked up there were by original artists and science fiction themed I thought I'd share a few pics here. Some of these were one-of-a-kind pieces so I've photoshopped "copy" text over them to prevent people from making their own versions from my pics. Hope no one minds, but the artist's are only getting the revenue from my payment and I'd feel bad about copies getting out.

Up first is this amazingly detailed picture of the Firefly ship Serenity. Most of you already knew that, right? This comes from Chilam and I picked it up from the convention's Art Auction. I chose to pay the direct buy price, since I never seem to have any luck when I try to get something by bidding. Now I just have to pick up a frame for it sometime.

There were lots of really talented independent comic artists at V-Con this year. These next two pieces were printed on 4 X 6 inch photo paper and represent two of our favorite video games. These were drawn by comicker Angela Melick. You can check out her other work in her online comic Wasted Talent. No frames for these ones, I think they're going to become part of our growing collection of refrigerator art.

Sushi Dragon artist Lindsay Broadway's table is one of my favorite stops in the Dealer's Room at V-Con. This year all I picked up was the free sticker that's at the top of this picture. Below that are two magnets from Sushi Dragon that I purchased at a past V-con. I also have a necklace charm with one of her dragons, but it was too small to photograph well. I know the web page in the link isn't completed, but you can click on the DeviantArt, samanayrs and glassgryphs buttons at the bottom of the page to see more of her work. Personally I just love all the bright colours and the original look of her critters.

This picture comes from a t-shirt that I picked up in the Artist's Alley courtesy of Vigilant Comics. Some of my friends and I have an in-joke about ducs so the drawing of a monster gobbling up the ducklings at the end of the line tickled my funny bone. Sorry, to the uninitiated, I won't be explaining the joke. Hopefully you'll see the picture's charm anyway.

This last picture is "Chance Meeting" by James F. Beveridge. Something about this really appealed to me. It reminds me a bit of Wall-E. I was considering picking up a print of it from the Art Auction, but I had to forgo it due to a shortage of cash. It wasn't until I got home that I realized a full-colour version had been printed onto the backs of the V-Con 34 Program book. The paper quality obviously isn't as good as a real print, but it is approx. 8 X 11 inches and will probably look quite nice if I pick up a mat board and frame for it.

So that's my shopping experience at V-Con 34. We also went to quite a few panels and heard some great guest speakers this year including Tanya Huff (author of the Blood Ties novels which were later turned into a TV Series of the same name) and Christine Willes (who played the memorable and hilarious Dolores Herbig on the TV series Dead Like Me).

It's Kif! And Lord Nibbler!

noreply@blogger.com (amber) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 22:00:00 +0000

In honour of this project I thought about opening with a favourite quote from Kif, but honestly the best part about Kif is the way he sighs in defeat every time Zapp Brannigan makes some ridiculous request of him.

Zapp: Kif, get down there and unjam the missle, would you? Be a dear.
Kif: (sighs)
Zapp: And stop sighing so much.

(from Futurama , The Beast With A Billion Backs)

Kif here is the latest Futurama-related project from Craftster user LuckyNumber7 who is hoping to create crochet versions of the entire cast. I think she captured his likeness quite well and I can't wait to see more Futurama characters from her.

My own Nibbler pattern is always going to be my favourite, but I really like this version designed by Alicia of Hooks & Needles. I particularly like the eyeballs which are much more realistic looking than the flat felt eyes that I used on my design. I also like that Alicia went the extra mile and added the diaper. I just keep telling myself that my own little Nibblonian is house trained! You can get a free copy of Alicia's Nibbler pattern by clicking the link to her blog.

Fiona: The brains suppress intelligence by attacking the Delta brain wave. Every animal and robot generates this wave, as well as certain trees.
Nibbler: Fry, however, does not.
Fiona: Somehow he has cobbled together a random assortment of other brain waves into a working mind.
Leela: Like a prom dress made of carpet remnants!
Nibbler: Yes, like your prom dress.

(from Futurama, The Day The Earth Stood Stupid)

Snowman Family and Fat Flakes! Cute Thing of the Week!

noreply@blogger.com (amber) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 19:05:00 +0000

Is it too early to start talking about Christmas? I figure it's never too early if you're a crafter since you need to get all the gifts and decorations made before the Christmas season arrives. I'm a huge fan of snowman-based projects when it comes to Christmas gifts and decor. I like that they evoke a sense of celebrating winter without making reference to any specific religious focus.

This adorable little Snowman Family is a free pattern available from the Bernat website. They look quick and easy to make. Ideal if you're new to crochet or if you want to make some snowy friends to give your home that festive winter feel. My only quibble is that these folks are made with Handicrafter Cotton. With its shimmery look, I personally think that Bernat's Satin line would be a nicer choice for creating a snowy look.

These cross stitch patterns aren't free like the crochet pattern, but I was pleased to see that my favourite collection of snowman cross stitch patterns is still in print. In the spirit of all things cute and snowman-based I thought I'd feature it here too. This is Fat Flakes by Ursula Michael and it's a beautiful resource for snowman gifts. If you like what you see here you may also want to check out its companion book, City Flakes, also by Ursula Michael. Apparently there is a third volume called Country Flakes, but I haven't had any luck tracking it down. Anyone else seen it online or in stores?

Wing Tutorial for Tiny Cthulhu

noreply@blogger.com (amber) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:32:00 +0000

I've received a few comments from people who have trouble figuring out the wing instructions in the Tiny Cthulhu pattern. Since I'm making another one of these myself right now I figured I could photograph the process as I went.

Here again are the full instructions for the Tiny Cthulhu wing piece. Along with each photo, I've reprinted the instruction describing what is done in that picture. For those that are curious, I'm making my wing with a size F (3.75mm) crochet hook and the yarn is Loops & Threads Impeccable Worsted Weight in Luxury Ombre.

Wings (make two)

Ch 4. Turn and do 1 sc in each of next 3 ch sps. Ch 1, turn. 3 sc, ch 4. turn. 3 sc on chain, 3 hdc on the three sc. Ch1, turn. 3 sc, ch 5, 4 sc in chain, 3 hdc. Ch1, turn. 4 sc, ch 6, 5 sc in chain, 4 hdc. Ch 3 *Work appox. 8 dc along the top edge of the wing (opposite the pointy bits). Sl St into first Ch, or near first Ch. Fasten off.

Pic 1: Ch 4. Turn and do 1 sc in each of next 3 ch sps (skip chain closest to hook).

Pic 2: Ch 1, turn. 3 sc, ch 4. turn

Pic 3: 3 sc on chain (skip chain closest to hook), 3 hdc on the three sc. Ch1, turn.

Pic 4: 3 sc, ch 5, (skip chain closest to the hook) 4 sc in chain, 3 hdc. Ch1, turn.

Pic 5: 4 sc, ch 6, 5 sc in chain (skip chain closest to hook), 4 hdc. Ch 3

Pic 6: *Work appox. 8 dc along the top edge of the wing (opposite the pointy bits). At this point, I've only crocheted the first four double crochet stitches so you can see where they should go.

Pic 7: Sl St into first Ch, or near first Ch. Fasten off.

Now just make a second wing following these instructions and attach them both to the back of your cthulhu.

Hope this helps clear things up a bit. Post a comment if you have any more questions.

Softies for Mirabel is Seeking Handmade Toys

noreply@blogger.com (amber) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 19:31:00 +0000

Are the amigurumis you've made starting to take over your house? If so, it might be time for them to take a trip abroad and find a new home. Meet Me at Mikes, an Australian craft store, has put out the call for donations in its third annual Softies for Mirabel campaign. You can click the store link to get the full details from Pip's post, so I'll just share a short version of the story with you here.

The owners of Meet Me at Mikes are collecting softies; any crocheted, knit or sewn toy that is child safe. The softies will be displayed in the Mike's shop window from December 1-10th. After that the toys will be matched up and given out to children between the ages of 3 to 17 years old as part of the Mirabel Foundation's annual toy drive. The Mirabel Foundation helps children in families that have been affected by substance abuse.

As anyone who makes amigurumis knows, it doesn't take that long to crochet a stuffed toy. Most small amigurumis can be finished within a couple of hours or days. And most take up only one skein of wool or less, so this is a perfect way to reduce that stash of leftovers a bit. Since the Softies For Mirabel aren't being sold, it's perfectly fine to used published patterns for your creation. However, you can also see this as an opportunity to experiment with making your own pattern, or take advantage of the numerous free patterns available online.

Last year I sent these two amigurumis to the Softies for Mirabel campaign. It was great to know that the kids Mirabel helps would be getting a unique handmade item in their Christmas stocking. I was also struck by how inexpensive it was to send my donation from Canada to Australia. With a shipping price of only $7 Cdn, it cost me less than I've payed in the past to send packages within Canada.

Ready to start stitching? Donations are being accepted from now until December 10, 2009. Visit Meet Me at Mikes to find out where to send your creations and how you can share photos of your softie.

New Cousins in the Family

noreply@blogger.com (amber) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 05:48:00 +0000

Cthulhu Crochet and Cousins has a few new cousins to display. These were sent in by stitchers who have been trying out my Tiny Cthulhu Pattern.

At least two recent commenters mentioned that this was their first attempt at amigurumi, and you certainly wouldn't know it from their end products. First up is this cthulhu on the left created by Ilumiari. I love the extra details here like the ribbon and the expressive eyes. They make the tiny cthulhu even cuter. I'm not that good at stitching on facial features so I am definitely in awe of Ilumiari's skills. I certainly wouldn't know she was new to amigurumi if she hadn't told me.

Next up is this Baby Cthulhu that was crocheted by Buttonater. In her comment she writes, "My first ever crochet project, and I'm proud as hell." Definitely worth being proud of. I think the little x-stitch eyes making baby look a just little bit creepy, but in a good way!

Now what is it about Cthulhus, that we so often find them posing with cats? I should note that the cats never seem to look that happy about the situation either. I don't know if that's their general disdain of having their picture taken or contempt for the little crochet critter they're sharing the photo with. To the left here, along with his feline friend (?), is a cthulhu created by Ilana. She's also the creator of this second great cthulhu shown below.

Thanks to everyone for sharing their photos with me, it's great to see the pattern is appreciated and being used. As always, if any other readers out there have made something with one of my patterns feel free to post a comment and share a link to a photo of your creation.

Fuzzy Panda! Cute Thing of the Week!

noreply@blogger.com (amber) — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 22:58:00 +0000

CRAFT magazine is starting its first ever crocher-along, and I can't imagine a cuter amigurumi to start with than this Fuzzy Panda. It was designed by Tamie Snow, author of Tiny Yarn Animals, who you can find blogging over at Roxycraft. Beginning on Tuesday Sept. 7 at noon PST, Snow will be hosting the first lesson in this month-long project. CRAFT is also offering up random prize giveaways to members of the crochet-along who upload pictures of their progress to the group's flickr site. Kudos to CRAFT for choosing a pattern that looks like it won't be too intimidating for a beginner to tackle, but is also cute enough to catch the eye of more experienced amigurumi makers.

I have yet to try this effect of brushing yarn to make it fuzzy, but I'm definitely feeling the temptation to check out the local pet store's supply of slicker brushes so I can make my own little panda.

Want the Pattern?

Even if you don't have time to participate in the crochet-along, you can still take advantage of the free pattern available via CRAFT. Get your copy of the pattern and check out the full details about the project in this Fuzzy Panda post.

Mario Plushie! Cute Thing Of the Week!

noreply@blogger.com (amber) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 18:03:00 +0000

I still have a great fondness for Super Mario Brothers 3, which I played way too much as a teenager. I had a chance to play a few months ago and it was kind of frightening to discover I still remember where all the hidden 1up mushrooms and secret rooms are. Imagine all the more important things I've probably forgotten from my high school years!

Of course I know I'm not alone in my Mario love. There are a lot of Super Mario Brothers crafts out there. I think this Mario Plushie by WolfDreamer is certainly one of the cutest ones I've seen though. And it's made even sweeter by the fact that she's sharing the pattern for free. The instructions and more pics are available at WolfDreamer Off the Hook.

WolfDreamer makes all of her fan art patterns available for free, which is pretty admirable considering the awesome quality of these designs. Check out her other great patterns in the right-hand sidebar of her blog.

Puff Stitch Pumpkin

noreply@blogger.com (amber) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 19:20:00 +0000

It's a bit early for Halloween, but I wanted to share this unique little pumpkin that I just discovered. Mousica crocheted this and used puff stitches to make the pumpkin's body. It's an interesting technique that gives it a bit of a different look from your standard single crochet amigurumi. I've occasionally seen amigurumis made with a double crochet, but it's never occurred to me to try something like a puff stitch before. I'm guessing it would take up more yarn than a single crochet creation, but I really like the texture it creates. I can also see this being suitable for a bumpy skinned monster or maybe even the shell of a turtle. Any other suggestions?

Want the Pattern?

Check out the free tutorial for making your own pumpkin head that's available at Mousica's Magical Menagerie.

The Tea Ninja

noreply@blogger.com (amber) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 19:45:00 +0000

I've been promising the boyfriend, who is both wise and witty, that I'd make him an amigurumi ninja someday. I finally got around to it this week. After finishing this one late at night, I put him on top of our tea box, since that's one of the boyfriend's first stops in the morning. So now he's the Tea Ninja, who guards our tea and protects the food in our pantry from evil doers. I think he's quite happy to have a purpose!

This one is a bit of a mash up of two patterns. I used the body from the Thinker robot in Crobots to make him in the style of the ninja from Creepy Cute Crochet. The little tie on his head was made using the instructions from Creepy Cute Crochet. He's made with a black sport weight yarn from Red Heart and a D size (3.25 mm) hook.

This was actually my first time making an amigurumi with a sport weight yarn. I really wanted to make the ninja small, without resorting to thread crochet. It wasn't a bad experience, but working with the smaller hook and yarn made my hands hurt a bit. I don't think I'd have the patience to make something more time consuming this way. Of course, he turned out so cute, I am growing tempted to try making him a little thread crochet sidekick...

The Tea Ninja posing with some bananas so you can get a better look at him. He stands about 2.75 inches high and is currently the smallest amigurumi in the house.

Who Loves Katamari?

noreply@blogger.com (amber) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 19:01:00 +0000

Someday I'm going to use up some of my scrap yarn and make myself a katamari. Thankfully I can skip the difficult part, which is figuring out how to actually make the Katamari, and get right to the stitching. Mostly.Becky made this one with a mix of Sugar 'n' Cream and Red Heart yarns. I really like the size of it, perfect for throwing around with a friend, or bowling down a few household objects.

Want the Pattern?

Mostly.Becky has posted the pattern for free over on Craftster, where you can also see another picture that shows her katamari in action.

And if this katamari isn't to your taste, don't forget about these other free Katamari Damacy patterns I've blogged about here.

Leery of Loops & Threads

noreply@blogger.com (amber) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 17:42:00 +0000

After months of seeing signs at our local Michael's store boasting about the remodeled yarn section that was coming soon, I have to admit I was disappointed with the end result. It turned out to consist of the rearranging of the current yarn selection and the introduction of Michael's personal brand, Loops & Threads. I'm not crazy about Michael's creating their own brand of wool. I long ago gave up hope of seeing anything in a big box craft store that wasn't made with at least some portion of acrylic and manufactured by one of the major yarn companies (Bernat, Lion Brand, Patons, etc.), but I worry that the amount of shelf space dedicated to these companies may start to shrink as Michael's jumps into the game of selling their own product.

Keeping an open mind, I figured I'd give the new Loops & Threads a try. Selling in 3.5 oz. skeins for just over $3, it's certainly not a bad deal. I was drawn to this colour, which is Loops & Threads Impeccable Worsted Weight yarn in Luxury Ombre. It's bin is always nearly empty so I'm guessing it's also the favourite of many other local crafters.

The verdict? I like it, but conditionally. It's a great wool for amigurumi, easy to work with and doesn't split or fray. It's ideal for someone who is just learning how to knit or crochet or for kids who are learning to craft and would become easily frustrated by a yarn that catches or breaks. I've also made a market bag with it, which I'll show in another post. It was a good choice for that project too, not too stretchy, but easy to work with.

The downside, it's not that soft. Imagine all the colours of Vanna's Choice with the texture of Bernat Handicrafter Cotton. While I'd be perfectly content to use Loops & Threads for an amigurumi, market bag or dish cloth, I don't want to use it to make anything that's going to be touching my skin, like an afghan or clothing. Yet a quick look at the free patterns available for Impeccable on Michael's website, shows that they feel this yarn is perfectly suitable for those kinds of projects. Loops & Threads also has a sport weight baby line that they've named Snuggly Wuggly. I'd hope that it would be softer, but overall I wasn't that impressed with the colours. They looked like duller versions of many of the shades already available from other companies.

Which I guess leads to the main problem I'm having with Loops & Threads, it's just so unnecessary. With colours and a texture that's already available from other companies, why bother? I've made afghans with Vanna's Choice before and considering it's a softer yarn, I'm going to opt for it when it's time to make another afghan rather than picking up the marginally less expensive similar colour in Loops & Threads.

Anyone else care to weigh in? Have you tried Loops & Threads? Are you feeling a bit anxious about Michael's producing it's own line of products? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section.

(My model is the elephant pattern available in Tammie Snow's Tiny Yarn Animals.)

Cthulhu Cousins Returns!

noreply@blogger.com (amber) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 22:29:00 +0000

I'm back. Apologies to everyone who reads Cthulhu Crochet and Cousins and who has been waiting for updates. This past semester at school turned out to be much busier than I was expecting. Not only was there no time to update the blog, I went for about two months without even having the time to work on anything crafty.

I've got a few new projects completed now, but I thought I'd start off by displaying a few of the wonderful Tiny Cthulhus that other folks have been making. I'm glad to see that this pattern is a hit and that this little guy is being crocheted all over the world.

First up is the innocent little cthulhu posted above that was created by Lesley. Then we have this more sinister looking cthulhu, which was made by Adriana as a birthday gift for her brother. I can't believe how much the change in eye colour makes this guy go from sweet to scary!

Last, but not least, is this wide-eyed cthulhu, crocheted by Producciones Hebra Prima. I like how the googly eyes make this one look excited and cheerful!

Thanks to everyone for sending links to their creations. As always, if you've made something with one of my patterns drop me a comment and I'll try to share your pics on the blog.

More updates coming soon! I promise.

Pinwheel Complete!

noreply@blogger.com (amber) — Mon, 18 May 2009 02:38:00 +0000

Well, this was certainly more than the seven day project that the book promised. I'm not complaining though because I love the final product. It was a fun afghan to make and I really like the swirly candy-like effect of the pinwheel stripes.

Not counting the couple of times I took this apart when I was trying to figure out the pattern, it took me about one day per stripe followed by another day to make the exterior border. So, let's call this a thirteen day afghan. I was worried the blanket would pucker up a bit with the three rows of border around the outside. Thankfully, it doesn't. I haven't taken exact measurements, but I'd say it's between 50 to 60 inches wide. Certainly bigger than your average baby blanket. Of course, it could easily just be folded in half over baby for extra warmth.

My version was made with Vanna's Choice in White and, appropriately enough, Mint. I was so excited when I read the label because all along I'd been planning for the blanket to look like one of those swirly mint candies you get in restaurants. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the version of the pattern I was using comes from 7-Day Afghans by Jean Leinhauser and Rita Weiss. There's also a version available in this leaflet from Bernat. Although that one is knit and has six stripes instead of twelve. The one in 7 Days is the only one I've run across that's crocheted.

A close up so you can see what the stitches look like. It's a simple sc 1, ch 1, sc 1 pattern which turns out looking pretty intricate. For those that are curious, I actually ended up keeping the white stripe from the practice version I was making in the previous pinhwheel post. I tore out the mustard colour that I wasn't happy with and replaced it with this one. I think it's a much better combination!

Show your support, lend a hand...

noreply@blogger.com (amber) — Fri, 15 May 2009 21:48:00 +0000

Okay readers, you know that I don't ask for much. The occasional picture of something you've created with my patterns. Other than that, I'm not too demanding, right? Well, there's an event coming up next week that's pretty close to my heart so I thought I'd put out a little request for some help from my loyal readers.

Next Friday my boyfriend, who is both wise and witty, is taking part in the Canadian Cancer Society's Relay for Life. School prevents me from participating, but I'm supporting the team morally and with my financial donation. For those unfamiliar with the event, it's a twelve hour relay in which team members take turns walking around a track. Each team member is sponsored through monetary donations and those donations go towards cancer research, prevention, and support for cancer patients and their families. I think the Canadian Cancer Society is an incredible organization and they've done a lot to help friends and members of our family.

So how can you help? Take a moment and stop by my boyfriend's Relay for Life page and make a donation in any amount you feel comfortable with. Hesistant? Maybe you don't live in Canada? Maybe you think it's a little weird to make a donation supporting someone you've never met? Those are good arguements, so I've come up with a list of reasons that might persuade you to donate:

The Canadian Cancer Society is a great organization and every little bit helps people in need.
You enjoy reading Cthulhu Crochet and Cousins. Remember this site is a labour of love. I don't make any profit from it.
You appreciate that Cthulhu Crochet and Cousins is ad free.
You've used the free patterns provided on Cthulhu Crochet and Cousins.
I've shown pictures of a cool thing you made or promoted your blog or Etsy shop in one of my posts.
You want to take advantage of one of the free gifts my boyfriend is offering over on SF Kapow!
"Our world is an English Village!" (Sorry, I've been rewatching The Jane Austen Book Club) With the connections we can make through the internet we're all neighbours. So why not help each other out?

Okay, thus ends the public service announcement. If you're feeling motivated, follow the link and make a donation.

We now return to our regularly scheduled crochet and crafty talk. Since the daffodil is the symbol of the Canadian Cancer Society I figured a vase of crochet daffodils would be a suitable addition to this post. Check out the free pattern availabe from PlanetJune. Enjoy!

Crobot Roll Call...(and Review!)

noreply@blogger.com (amber) — Sat, 09 May 2009 19:05:00 +0000

Thinker, Babybot, Catbot, Dogbot, Crooooowwwwww...wait, how did he get in there?

Crobots: 20 Amigurumi Robots to Make is, in a word, awesome. That’s it. That’s my short review. Go out right now and add this one to your collection. Or read on to find out more about why I’m so impressed with this book.

Crobots is the first published crochet pattern book by Nelly Pailloux, whom some folks might know from her Etsy shop, La Fee Crochette. This 96 page paperback consists of 20 unique amigurumi robot designs and each design truly is unique. This isn’t just one pattern for a standard body shape and twenty different ways to decorate it. Each robot has it’s own shape. While there may be some similarities among the robots, no two use the exact same body.

Two critical things that you should know about Crobots; first off, the idea is for these bots to be small. Pailloux suggests making the bots with sport weight yarn and a size C2 (2.75 mm) hook. Not having a hook that small in my collection and wanting to use up some of my stash of worsted weight yarn I broke that rule. My bots still turned out cute, but they are much bigger than the designer’s suggested height of 3 to 4 inches. Please keep that in mind when you’re looking at my pictures.

Second, the crobots will make great gifts for adult friends, but made as is, they aren’t suitable for young children or any households that have small children around. A quick look at the materials lists, which include items such as pen springs, bugle beads, nails, washers, screws, small faceted nuts and tire valves is enough to make any parent shudder. Of course the crobots would still maintain their cuteness even if some of these pieces were omitted or changed, but readers should keep in mind that they will need to make some alterations if their toddler has an affection for robot toys.

Normally when I’m testing a book for review I make one or two of the designs to see how I like it. The fact that I’ve made four of these little guys and there are still others that I’d like to try is a testament to the strength of the designs. I think the book’s strongest feature is that Pailloux incorporates new shapes like square heads and takes old notions such as beads and sequins and uses them in ways you don’t typically see in amigurumi. The book made me think about amigurumi shapes and accessories in new ways and that’s something you don’t come across in too many pattern books.

The patterns in Crobots range from easy to difficult, although from my experience that rating system seemed more related to how long it will take you to put the bot together than how challenging the process actually is. For example, Thinker is rated a two, while Dogbot is only a one. I found Thinker to be just as easy, if not easier, to make than Dogbot.

Regardless of the ratings, this book would be suitable for crocheters of all skill levels. The first few pages explain the magic ring and all the basic crochet stitches that you’ll need to make the patterns in the book. The instructions are clearly written and illustrated. The directions for each bot also feature a detailed assembly diagram so that you can see exactly where each piece goes.

I also like the household objects approach that Pailloux uses to accessorize and decorate the bots. One of the first bots you encounter in the book is Mechanobot who sports tiny spring arms. My first thought was “Oh no, I’m going to have to buy a whole bag of tiny springs when I only need two.” Turns out I was wrong. Looking at the materials list for this bot, I noticed Pailloux suggestion, “dismantle two retractable ballpoint pens to obtain these.” Perfect! I love the idea of using items that you’ll naturally have lying around the house to make the crobots.

The only problem I encountered in making my four bots was some discrepancy in the direction for Baby Bot. Looking at the picture of this robot on the cover of the book it is clear that his tummy panel is crocheted in white. When you examine the instructions for this bot, however, you find that it directs you to make this stomach panel out of felt. This pattern is also missing the instructions for one side of Baby Bot’s head. Out of the four patterns I’ve worked on this was the only one where I encountered any mistakes. Both of these problems can easily be solved by any experienced amigurumi maker, but they may cause some frustration for a beginner.

That problem aside, I’m still a huge fan of Crobots. It will make a great addition to anyone’s amigurumi collection, providing a wonderful series of adorable crochet robots to liven up your home or give away to family and friends.

My Other Book Reviews...

Tiny Yarn Animals Truly Terrific
Creepy Cute Crochet: Approach with Caution
Amigurumi Word. My thoughts...
Mr. Funky's Crochet Elephant

Chibi Servo with Free Pattern!

noreply@blogger.com (amber) — Wed, 06 May 2009 00:44:00 +0000

I know that people don't always go back to read all the comments on a blog post, so I just wanted to mention that MageAkyla, creator of last week's Cute Thing of the Week has now created a chibi version of the Tom Servo she made for her brother. And the best part, she's posted the pattern for free. Check it out on her blog MageAkyla's Crocheted Creations or follow this link directly to the free pattern. Perfect! Now all I need to do is get myself a decoupage globe and some free time.

Spike In Charge Cross Stitch

noreply@blogger.com (amber) — Sun, 03 May 2009 15:00:00 +0000

I made this last fall as a birthday and graduation gift for the Infamous and Crafty Lisa, who has just finished up a four year nursing program. I finally got the chance to give it to her last weekend and now I can put up a picture of it without spoiling the surprise. I did all the stitching and the boyfriend, who is both wise and witty, helped select the frame and matboards. The picture is called Spike In Charge and it was created by designer Margaret Sherry. If you're not familiar with her work, you can check out a few samples here. Many of her designs are currently discontinued, including Spike, whom I bought a few years ago. Her pictures tend to feature pudgy animals ranging from cats to elephants, and they're always adorable. You may have also seen them on scrapbooking stickers or greeting cards.

Tom Servo Crocheted! Cute Thing of the Week!

noreply@blogger.com (amber) — Fri, 01 May 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Words can not express how much I wish I'd come up with this one. I am in awe of its complete awesomeness. Tom Servo is the proud creation of Craftster user MageAkyla. His whole body is crocheted except for the arms, which are made out of electrical tubing, and hands made with sculpy. (Note to self: must get better at making things with sculpy!). Tom's clear plastic head is a clear decoupage globe. Can you imagine how cool it would be to curl out with this little guy while watching your favourite episode of MST3K?

Settlers of Catan 'ghan! With Free Pattern

noreply@blogger.com (amber) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 15:00:00 +0000

Was it the sheep that gave it away?

Congratulations to Katherine, Shoveling Ferret, Deeners and Kicki for correctly guessing the large collection of hexagons I was making were for a Settlers of Catan afghan.

This is an idea that's been spinning around in the back of my mind since last summer. It took me a while to work out a suitable hexagon motif. I originally made all the brick squares with a hexagon that had more airy space in it. After looking at them for a couple of months I decided I didn't like them. I pulled them apart and settled on this more tightly crocheted hexagon which makes me much happier. A permanent price reduction in Vanna's Choice yarn from $5.99 down to $3.99 also helped the project along.

At it's widest point the blanket is about 37 inches across making it a bit small for an afghan. Maybe more like a lapghan? It would be easy to make it bigger just by extending the hexagon motif a few more rounds though. I also think it would make an awesome baby gift for Catan-loving parents-to-be, but with the Vanna's Choice it's fairly heavy. Perhaps it could be made in a sport weight yarn for that purpose instead?

I knew from the beginning that I wanted to have some sort of sheep roaming around on the light green squares. It took me a while to figure out how I was going to do that. I totally adore these sheep buttons from the Button Drawer.

Unfortunately, these cute little guys are $2.45 a piece. Thriftyness won out and I picked up six pre-cut, painted wooden sheep from Micheal's for 39 cents each. Then I bought broach fasteners and glued them to the backs of the sheep. This way my little flock is both moveable and removeable when it comes time to wash the afghan.

I wasn't sure how I should lay out my Catan map. We normally play with the Cities and Knights expansion, but I didn't want to have the single hexagon sticking up at the top that represents the pirates. Instead, I just used the map suggested in the instruction book from the original game.

Finally, for those who have no idea what I'm talking about, check out Settlers of Catan. I learned to play a couple of years ago when my boyfriend's brother gave us a copy of the game. It's a lot of fun and very easy to learn. In some ways it's similar to Monopoly, except you don't have to spend time counting and giving away money. The real game doesn't come with plastic sheep, just cards with pictures of sheep on them, and yet it's still awesome.

Want the Pattern?

It's free, and it's right here! I love to see what others make with my patterns. If you complete a blanket, post a comment and give me a link to a picture of your finished version. If you have any questions about the pattern, post them in the comments and I'll do my best to answer them.

Settlers of Catan Afghan Pattern

Materials

size I/9 (5.5 mm) crochet hook
stitch marker
yarn needle
1 skein of Vanna’s Choice yarn in White, Black, Brick, Mustard, Charcoal Grey, Mustard, Dusty Green and Olive
3 skeins of Vanna’s Choice yarn in Colonial Blue
wooden sheep and 3/4 inch broach fasteners or sheep buttons

Hexagon Motif

Use the following motif and refer to diagram and pictures above to create the required number of hexagons in each colour.

6 sc in a magic ring (pull ring tight or leave a small hole if desired), slip stitch into first stitch, ch 1.
Rnd 1: 2 sc in same space as sl st. 2 sc in each st around, sl st in top of first sc, ch 1. (12 sc)
Rnd 2: in same space as sl st: sc1, ch1, sc1. *sc 1 in next sc, (sc 1, ch1, sc1) in next sc. Rep from * to last sc. Sc 1 in last sc. Join with sl st to top of first sc.
Rnd 3: sl st into next ch-1 sp. Ch 1. (sc 1, ch1, sc1) in same sp as sl st. *sc 1 in each of next 3 sc. (sc 1, ch1, sc 1) in next ch-1 sp. Rep from * to last 3 sc. Join with sl st in top of first sc.
Rnd 4: ch1. Sc 1 in same sp as sl st. *Ch1. Miss next ch-1 sp. 1 sc in each of next 5 sc. Rep from * to last 4 sc. 1 sc in each of last 4 sc. Join with sl st in top of first sc.
Rnd 5: Sl st in next sc and ch-1 sp. Ch1. (sc 1, ch 1, sc 1) in same sp as sl st. *sc 1 in each of next 5 sc. (sc 1, ch 1, sc 1) in next ch-1 sp. Rep from * to last 5 sc. Join with sl st in top of first sc.
Rnd 6: Ch 1. Sc 1 in same sp as sl st. *Ch 1. Miss next ch-1 sp. Sc 1 in each of next 7 sc. Rep from * to last 6 sc. Sc 1 in each of last 6 sc. Join with sl st in top of first sc.
Rnd 7: Sl st in next sc and ch-1 sp. Ch 1. (sc 1, ch 1, sc 1) in same sp as sl st. *Sc 1 in each of next 7 sc. (Sc 1, ch 1, sc 1) in next ch-1 sp. Rep from * to last 6 sc. Sc 1 in each of last 7 sc. Join with sl st in top of first sc.
Rnd 8: Sl st in next ch-1 sp. Ch 1. (Sc 1, ch 1, sc 1) in same sp as sl st. *1 sc in each of next 9 sc. (sc 1, ch 1, sc 1) in next ch-1 space. Rep from * to last 8 sc. 1 sc in each of last 8 sc. Join with sl st in top of first sc. Finish off.

Note: For two colour hexagons begin the pattern with the centre colour and then for Rnd 2 work as follows:

Rnd 2: in same space as sl st: sc1, ch1, sc1. *sc 1 in next sc, (sc 1, ch1, sc1) in next sc. Rep from * to last sc. Sc 1 in last sc. Join outer colour with sl st to top of first sc.

Continue working rnds 3-8 in outer colour.

Assembly

Sew hexagon motifs together as shown in the map and photos above. My prefered method of joining is the Invisible Weave or Mattress stitch. It’s described really well on page 80 of Debbie Stoller’s The Happy Hooker or you can have glance at this tutorial if you’re interested, although I found the worded description here isn’t quite as clear.

After your hexagons are all sewn together weave in any loose ends. Then I did the following border on my piece:

Border

With Colonial Blue, join with a sl st in any inward corner point.
Rnd 1: Ch 2 and half-double crochet (hdc) in each sc around, placing 3 hdc in every outword corner point sc. Join in top of beginning ch-2 with black.
Rnd 2: Ch 1, sc in each hdc around, placing 3 sc in middle hdc of each outward point, ending with a sl st in top of first sc. Finish off and weave in ends.

Sew sheep buttons on Dusty Green hexagons, or glue wooden sheep to 3/4 inch broach fasteners and attach to Dustry green hexagons as desired.

Enjoy!