Want to win free yarn??

I always enter these 'Free yarn' contests when I see them and I thought I would share out the link.

I am not running this contest or in any way associated with it, I am just sharing the news.  LoveofKnitting.com is the site hosting the contest below is a link to the entry form.  You can enter once every day. Contest seems to only be open to the 50 US states and Canada (excluding the Province of Quebec).  Gook luck!
Enter to win free yarn for life here!!

Win Free Yarn for Life

1 Grand Prize Winner will receive Free Yarn for 20 years 2 2nd Place Prize Winners will receive Free Yarn for 1 year 50 3rd Place Prize Winners will receive a subscription to the magazine of their choice:  Love of Knitting or Love of Crochet

Suprise Gift

I think I worked on this off and on for 3 days.  It is basically a doily pattern done with a fingerling weight wool yarn and a E hook.   Instead of finishing it flat I adjusted and decreased to turn it into a cute summer hat.  It is suppose to look like a beret with a lacy twist.

My adorable hugs and kisses bear is my display model.  Its an adult size so it was kinda to big for him but I don't have a manikin head to use as a display.


If anyone wants the pattern let me know and I will update this post with it!  



Pattern- 
(Original Doily Designed by: Cylinda Mathews I edited it to make it into a hat)

Ch 8; join with a slip st in first chain to form a ring.

Rnd 1) Ch 3 (counts as first dc, now and throughout); 19 dc in ring; join with a slip st to first dc: 20 dc.

Rnd 2) Ch 4 (counts as first dc, plus ch 1); * dc in next dc, ch 1; repeat from * around; join with a slip st to first dc: 20 dc/20 spaces.

Rnd 3) Ch 3, working behind ch 3, dc in last ch 1 space, ch 1; * dc in next dc, working behind last dc, dc in last ch 1 space (counts as a cross stitch), ch 1; repeat from * around; join with a slip st to first dc: 20 Cross sts.

Rnd 4) Slip st in next ch 1 space; Ch 1, sc in joining, ch 5; * sc in next ch 1 space, ch 5; repeat from * around; join with a slip st in first sc: 20 spaces.

Rnd 5) Slip st in next space; Ch 3, dc in same space, ch 3; * 2 dc in next space, ch 3; repeat from * around; join with a slip st to first dc.

Rnd 6) Slip st in next dc; Ch 3, 2 dc in next space, ch 3; * skip next dc, dc in next dc, 2 dc in next space, ch 3; repeat from * around; join with a slip st to first dc.

Rnd 7) Slip st in next dc; Ch 3, dc in next dc, 2 dc in next space, ch 3; * skip next dc, dc in next 2 dc, 2 dc in next space, ch 3; repeat from * around; join with a slip st to first dc.

Rnd 8) Slip st in next dc; Ch 3, dc in next 2 dc, 2 dc in next space, ch 3; * skip next dc, dc in next 3 dc, 2 dc in next space, ch 3; repeat from * around; join with a slip st to first dc.

Rnd 9) Slip st in next dc; Ch 3, dc in next 3 dc, 2 dc in next space, ch 3; * skip next dc, dc in next 4 dc, 2 dc in next space, ch 3; repeat from * around; join with a slip st to first dc.

RND 9.5 (I added this in to make the doily more hat sized)  slip st in the next dc; ch 3, dc in the next 4 dc, 2 dc in next ch space, ch 3 *skip the next dc, dec in the next 5 dc, 2 dc in the space, ch 3; repeat from*

Rnd 10) Slip st in next dc; Ch 3, dc in next 3 dc, skipping last dc, ch 3, sc in next space, ch 3; * skip next dc, dc in next 4 dc, skipping last dc, ch 3, sc in next space, ch 3; repeat from * around; join with a slip st to first dc.

 (I Adjusted fro the extra st by skipping  over the middle dc in addition to the last dc)

Rnd 11) Slip st in next dc; Ch 3, dc in next dc, skipping last dc, ch 4, 2 dc decrease over next 2 spaces { (yo, insert hook in next space, bring up a loop, yo, draw through 2 loops on hook) twice, yo, draw through last 3 loops on hook to complete the stitch }, ch 4; * skip next dc, dc in next 2 dc, skipping last dc, ch 4, 2 dc decrease over next 2 space, ch 4; repeat from * around; join with a slip st to first dc.

Rnd 12) Slip st to center of next space; Ch 1, sc in same space; * ch 5, sc in next space; repeat from * around; ending with a ch 1 and dc in first sc, forming last loop on round.

Rnds 13-14) Ch 1, sc, (ch 3, slip st in top of sc just made, sc) in same space (counts as a picot, now and throughout); * ch 5, sc in next space, picot; repeat from * around; ending with a ch 1 and dc in first sc, forming last loop on round.

Rnd 15) Ch 1, sc in same space, ch 6; * sc in next space, ch 6; repeat from * around; join with a slip st in first sc.

Rnd 16) Slip st in next space; Ch 3, 4 dc in same space, ch 2; * 5 dc in next space, ch 2; repeat from * around; join with a slip st to first dc

--From here I stopped fallowing/adjusting Cylindas pattern--

Rnd 17) chain 3, DC in each dc end with a slst into first chain

Rnd 18) chain 3, DC Dec *5dc DC dec Repeat from *

-from here just keep DC rounds and decreasing till you get it the size suitable for your head, I went for 3 more rounds, just keep in mind you do less DC between dec's so Rnd 19 would be 4dc dec  then the next round would be 3 and so on.

I didnt like the hole at the top so I made a simple flower,  and stitched it into the top

Flower Pattern

Start like a MR wrapping the yarn around your fingers, start the first sc but instead of hooking under and pulling threw a second loop to finish I *chained 3 then did 2 DC into the MR then chained 2 and slst into the ring.  Repeat from * till you have 5 groups.  Close it off with a slst pulling the tail threw to FO and close up the MR then sew onto the top of the hat or where ever you want.

I did two rounds of just DC fallowed by a round of SC once it was small enough to fit.  if you want it more lacy, instead of decreasing you can just skip over the stitches, I did that for one of my rounds.

Keep in mind I used a E hook American terms, and a wool yarn not thread.  My ball of yarn was 200yds and I had less then a foot left when finished.

Sneek peek

Here is a sneek peek at what I am currently working on.

New site header

I ordered some new business cards to leave at Animeggroll where they sell some of my creations.  I think I really like the card but I wont know till I see the actull cards in about 14 days.  So I updated my site header to match it.

While working on the card, I realized I have not uploaded a gallery of stuff I have crochet so I think I will try to do that soon.  Not sure how it will work, the image controls for the blog are bulky and hard to do much with placement.

Abnormal Unicorn

 Here is my Abnormal Unicorn, I was inspired to make this when I was commisioned to make a Funnie Bunni


Things needed to make this are:
White yarn, roughly 10 yards or less
Gold or Silver yarn, for Horn and hooves less then 2 yards
Blue/Purple/Red/Orange/Yellow/Green yarn scraps for the mane and tail less then a foot of each color
I used an F (3.75mm) hook for the body/head/feet
darning or yarn needled to sew horn and hooves to the body
15mm Safty eye's (or you can felt black felt on)

I am from the US so I am using the US crochet terms the only things you need to know to make this pattern are, MR (magic Ring), SC (single crochet), INC (increase), and DEC (decrease). Some other terms I may use rnd=round, st-stitch, yo-yarn over.

Even if you have never crochet before this should be simple.  If you have never worked in the round before don’t be scared its easy!

Here is a link to the video I made when doing my Penguin to show how to start in a MR its exactly the same.

Head/Body Section

MR-6 (in white yarn)
R1 inc -12
R2 sc inc -18
R3 sc 2 inc -24
R4 sc 3 inc -30
R5-9  sc all -30
R10  sc 3 dec -24
R11  sc 2 dec -18
R12  sc dec -12
R13 dec -6

Hooves 4X

MR 6 (in gold/silver)
R1 sc 6 (color change to white at end of round)
R2 sc 6
R3 sc 6 (leave a long tail to sew into body with) 

Ears X2   -UPDATE 4/7/18-

chain 6, sl st into the 2nd st from the hook, sc, hdc 3, sc 2 into the last hdc turning and hdc into the same st again, hdc 2, sc, slst and finish off.

I have added a chart of this section to help with clarification.  The red chain is the starting stitch, the blue slip stitch is the ending stitch.

Horn

 MR 4, sc for 5 rows or for as long as you want the horn

 

Assembly 

Add eyes, I placed mine between the 7-8 rows. Stuff and sew body shut.  I didn't need to stuff my legs any more then just pushing the tails of my yarn and color changes into the legs, but if you want them firmer sew them half way onto the body and finish stuffing before you sew them the rest of the way.  I sewed them into the rows 10 threw 12, my front lets set wide under the eyes, and my hind legs closer together for stability.
 I sewed the ears on about 5 st's back from the eyes and a row up, on the same row but in the middle of the eyes I added the horn.  From here I did the mane, you can do it any way you want but this is how I did  it, I used a size D hook and used it to pull two strands of a color at the same time threw a stitch starting with the row directly behind the horn.  Make sure if you do it this way you always pull the yarn threw the same way so they all lay the same way. I went in from right to left (eyes facing me) and it made the mane lay to the right (when held eyes facing me).
 For the tail I added two strands of each color  onto a separate strand of yarn. I did a hitch knot, folding the strands over the base strand and pulling the tails threw securing them. I did this for each color then tighten the base strand and knotting it into a loop that I then sewed onto the base of the body. 

I wish I had made the tail longer, I pre cut all my strands for the mane and tail to 4 inch's (folded over so they are all 2inchs long) I think a longer tail would have been more appealing but it was just right for the mane. 


As always if something isnt clear just let me know and I will do my best to explain and/or provide video/pictures. 

Geek. Fanboy. Comedy Rock Star. (in crochet)

I want to start off by saying this crochet item is inspired by one hell of an artist.  He played for us live last week, at the convention my husbands podcast group (Fear the Boot) has run for the last six years.  This guy can rock out and make you think, 'Why haven't I heard him on the radio?' he can also slow down and do amazing vocals like the songs he released over Christmas that just blew me away.  He mainly does Rock Comedy, and you can visit his site here to listen to some MikeyMason.com

He was one of the first people ever to commision me to make a Cthulhu.  So Mikey this one is for you!  Now you will live on not only in a song and coloring book, but in crochet!  Hope you like it!

Full View

Close up

Mikey with NOT a Jayne hat

Side view

Back View

Originally I was going to make Alan Moores beard aka "Nick" from Mikey's geek hit ' Me and Alan Moore's Beard ' but my hooking skills just couldn't get it to work, and I failed at a guitar.  This left me thinking, WWMD?  So I jumped all over the idea of making him a NOT-A-Jayne hat! That looks like the hat Jayne gets in Firefly, but its not. It was inspired by his other geek hit ' She dont like Firefly '.

Let me tell you tiny pom's are a B--word to make.  I wont be uploading a pattern to go with him, as he was made as a one shot deal as a gift and I didnt exactly write down what I was doing, I just made it up as I went along.

Bonus shot of Crochet Mikey with my Crochet (not-a)Tardis dice bag!

Funnie bunnie

 

This Bunnie was a commission from one of the guys who came to the gaming convention I have been at all weekend. (Fear the Con).  I made it from a sketch he drew me, its basically a sphere, with long ears laid flat on its head 4 pointy feed and a ragged tail.  Took me roughly 4 to 6 hours to crochet it all, and about 30-ish minutes to assemble in a manor that would best resemble the drawing.  We opted to felt on eyes because I didnt have access to the right size safty eyes.

This has given me the idea to modify what I wrote as I worked and make a unicorn verson with a rainbow tail!!

I also worked on an other BaBomb for myself but before I could even finish it someone came up and asked to buy it.

BaBomb

I worked on this BaBomb while at World Wide Wing night tonight!  Going to work on a few other things during Fear the Con (Convention being hosted this weekend May 3-4 at the Marilyn Heights community center in St Louis with free beer and soda with convention pass).  Was asked to make an other Tardis, and to work on a rabbit, but not your typical rabbit.

I made this with out a pattern, I did jot down what I did if anyone wants to know to make their own for  personal use or as a gift!