It's the season...

Well the birthday/holiday season is coming up fast.  Just got over the first birthday (hubbys) next one up that I am working on is for my Sister, then my Mom, then a niece and nephew have birthdays on Christmas.          
                  
I will share what I am working on when I can, I have to make sure to only post stuff for people who wont see it (ie the family members who dont check the blog).             
          
I have one bigish project thats been on my hook for two/three months now, been working on it here and there but I have come to the conclusion that I will never make this pattern for anyone again.   Its lovely, the giftee will love it (or I will have a epic melt down) but its a nightmare to work up because you have to really pay attention and count rows.

Outside of that I have plans for 2 sets of slippers to be made, possibly 2 hats, and maybe a pair of fingerless mitts/gloves.

The slippers might mean I post 2 new patterns as one is for a boy and the other is for a woman.  I cant seem to find a pattern I think will work/look good so I will be taking the ideas I like from a few patterns to make my own monster of a pattern.

What are some of your favorit patterns that you like to make for gifts?

Some people maybe seeing Richmond Lace Infinity Scarf in their gift box, or maybe even a Divine hat.   Although I am really like this textured Lattice Hat for one of the yarns I bought recently.          

During all of this work I need to whip up an other Groot for a friend of my Husband who wants for an anniversary gift.    

Oh anyone have tips for getting stubborn pet hair out of crochet?  I am trying the tape method but so far no luck.  During my sick time (mega sinus drain issues going on here) I forgot to put up a project and the pets seem to think that means its up for grabs as a sleeping spot.  Normally I keep my work bagged up and it might pick up a hair or two that I use tweezers (which are mysteriously missing -.- from my kit) to pluck any hairs that get sucked into it.

Oh and BONUS I still havent got to work up the two patterns I got for my birthday.  Maybe I will make one and give it as a gift?

Na na na Na na na Na BATMAN!

 This is a gift I have been working on for a bit over 2 weeks for my Hubby.

I took down notes but most of the time I worked on him it was late and I was tired so if there is a mistake let me know and I can fix it.

I used a D, E and F hooks to make this guy, some white felt, felting needle, black, gray, cream yarn, polyfil a darning kneedle and a sewing needle.

D hook

Head- in cream yarnMr 6

Inc 12

Inc sc 18

Sc

Sc

Sc

Dec sc 12

Dec all

Stuff and cinch shut.

E hook

Cowl-Black- all rows slst join chain

Mr 6

Inc 12

Inc sc 18

Sc

Sc

Sc

Sc 8 dc ch 2 link dc, sc all --put skin head in mask - with cinched opening into the top of the cowl

Slst 4 ch 1 turn sc 8

Sc 8 chain 8 slst into the first st of the row

Ch 1 turn sc all

Sc dec

Dec--fo

Cut a circle out of white felt, then cut it in half and use a felting needle to felt in the eyes.

  Ears- 2x

Ch 3 sl, sc, fo leave tail to weave into head, I put mine between the 3 and 4 rows.

FYI-Head will be the last part you attach to the body when you assemble.

Body

Mr6 black

Inc

Sc

Sc

Color change gray

Sc

Sc

Sc

Sc

Sc

Sc

Sc

Sew across the top to create shoulders.

Legs 2x-e hook

Black

Mr 6

Blo sc

Sc

Sc

Sc

Switch to gray

Sc for 6 rows

Arms 2X

MR 5 in black

Sc

Sc

Sc

Sc-switch to grey

Sc 6 rows

Cape F hook-- honestly I was doing this part at 3 AM half asleep and didn’t jot down notes but looking at the cape finished this is what it looks like I did.

Chain 8 slst to form ring  (All increases will be worked in HDC unless other wise stated)

R1-Ch 2 (doesn’t count as a stitch)  HDC 12  slst to join - from here out it will be worked back and forth in row's

R2-Ch2  inc in the next 10 stitchs (leaving 2 unworked this will be the front of the cape)

R3-Ch 2 Inc, hdc 2

R4-6-Ch 2 hdc all

R7- ch 2 inc, hdc 3

R8-13- hdc all

R14- End row--Chain 4 work a linked double treble (instead of doing a YO you will slip the hook into the 2nd ch and pull up a loop, then repeat in the 3rd and 4th then work stitch as normal), work a linked treble (work into the yo bars from previous st), work a link dc, hdc 2, dc, linked treble, linked dc, hdc, dc, link trb, link dc, hdc 2, dc, link trb, link double trb.

Now keep in mind it was late so I may have missed an increase row. You want the cape to be able to cover over the shoulders so you might need to do more or less increases but on the bottom the import thing is the revers scallop edge  if your stitch count is off from mine just space out the dc trb, trb, dc sections with an additional hdc between them.

I attached my arms and legs then took a lenght of black yarn (about 2 feet) and un plied it.  Using 2 of the plys I embroidered on the bat by starting with a V for the main body and working out from there.  Next I added the cape making sure it set across the shoulder, then sewed in the head in the space from the capes ch8 starting ring.

Chloe for size comparison

Baby Groot

This is a birthday gift I just started working on for my husbands birthday next week.  Its actually one of the two items I am making him.

I was going to use TwinkyChan's pattern but as I was working it, it just looked so wrong and disporptionet which is a shame as she makes some great patterns.  There is no way the photo's she has listed with the pattern where made using that pattern.

I am going to try and remember what I am doing as I work this up so I can share. BUT its 2:30 AM right now I was sort of hooking on auto pilot. 

So far I have finished and shaped the head.  I have 2 branches I need to sew into the top. I am debating on if I want a third branch or not.

I am referencing a few different photos for my pattern.  I just googled 'baby groot' the ones I am looking at mostly are this clay sculpture you see in the photo and a movie still.

What I have done so far so I don't for get to post it in the morning

with F hook ww yarn
Head
1-- mr 6
2 --inc all (12)
3 --inc sc all (18)
4 --inc sc 2 all (24)
5-9 --sc all
10- 'sc 2, dec' 3 times, sc remaining (auto pilot lost count)
11- 'Sc, dec' 3 times, sc remaining
12-13 sc all


I will post more tommrow to explain the 'crown' and how to close the top of the head so tired right now.
Head continued - I worked the crown in the FLO, I made my bark sections by doing sc/hdc/dc with slip stitchs down the side of the dc, when I do the dc in this mannor I link them to the stitch next to them by doing my YO diffrently, instead of doing a YO i slip the hook into the side of the st i just finished (on hdc/dc its in the YO section, on a sc its just the side) and pull up a loop that is the YO then I work the st as normal.  I alternated between doing sections of  ch 2 dc/hdc/sc and reversing it with some lower points that are sc hdc sc between the highest  points.
   
Now if I had not been half alseep, I would have FO with a slst then joined the yarn back onto the BLO of row 13 and worked the closing of the head as fallows

14-blo- sc, dec around
15- dec all
Leaving a 2 foot long tail to weave threw the opening, add in eyes and stuffing then cinch closed and use  your long tail to shape the face.   I slipped my needle threw and out under the eye made a stitch then weaved to the bottom and back up to the other eye.  I alternated between stitchs between the eyes and going to the top of the head or the bottom to secure and shape.


(What my sleep addled brain did, was work the top seperatly and sew it on (( mr 6/inc all/sc inc))

Body
1 mr 6
2 inc 12
3 inc sc 18
4 sc all for 3 rows 18
5 sc2  dec all this row will end in a sc 2 14
6 sc all
7sc all
8 dec, sc 2 (10)
stuff stuff stuff stuff stuff-- if you are planning on having him in a bought pot you might want to add weight to his bottom half in the form of poly pellets or even a metal nut if you never plan on getting him wet.
9-20 Sc all
FO leaving tail for sewing open end to head.


If you have pipe cleaners feel free to use one, I wanted the arms to be poseable.  I folded mine in half and used the hook to pull it threw the 3rd row from the top.  -Side note- a green or brown pipe cleaner might be best, as if it peeks out of the arm in any spot it will just add a bit of character to your Groot.  If anyone asks my Groot may have blue tree mold as the pipe cleaner I picked is blue and quite fuzzy. 


Sorry for the delay in finishing this-- got a lot happing here in St Louis and wasnt able to work on this most of the weekend

Here is the arm make 2

When you start your MR leave a long tail, as this will be the tail used to sew it to the body
MR 4 -do not tighten it close, get it closed enough you can work in the next row if you need to after a few rows slip your hook out and slid it inside the arm to loosen that ring back up this way you can work it over the pipe cleaner.
Work in a continuous spiral, till you get to the end of your pipe cleaner (the length you want your arm to  be) for me that was just about 7 1/2 to 8 rows.  When my arm was 2/3 of the length of the pipe cleaner I slit it onto it and worked the remaining rows while it was ON the pipe cleaner/arm.   DO NOT CUT WORKING YARN YET.
Helpful tip if you get a hook a size or two smaller slip the hook under the bent end of the pipe cleaner and slid the arm over the hook and onto the pipe clean it goes on easier... I did it the hard way the first time -.- and bend my pipe cleaner up in the process and had to fix it before proceeding on.

Hand (worked as part of the arm not in a spiral) --after thought now that I have worked the hands, they may look better if you drop down a hook size to work them.

Once your arm is long enough to cover the PC, skip the next stitch and work a slip stitch, ch 4 in the 2nd st from hook slst back down chain and into the next st in the arm. Ch 6 in 2nd st from hook slst all the way back down, slst into the next st on the arm.  Ch 4 in the 2nd st from hook slst back down chain, now slst into the stitch you skipped over at the very beginning this will create the shaping of the hand creating a palm.  I left a bit of a long tail on mine (because I forgot to leave a long tail on my magic ring) and I am going to weave it down the arm and use it to help secure the arm to the body. You may want to twist the arm a bit on the pipe cleaner to position it in the way you want before sewing it to the body.  

If for some reason your palm area is open showing the pipe cleaner (due to loose tension or some other reason) just use your tail to weave it shut before sewing/hiding the tail.


Now on to adding embellishments.

I am going to add a few branchs to his head. I am working the branches with my E hook and all other embellishments.


Branch 1- chain 6, in 2nd st from hook sl st, slst 2 more, (2 chains left) chain 4 in the 2nd st from hook slst, slst in all remaining chains (5).

Branch 2- Chain 5, slst 1, chain 3 slst all remaining chain st's

Branch 3- Chain 4, slst 1, ch 2, slst  all remaing st's

Leaf 1- chain 4, 2nd st from hook slst, sc, slst FO leaving tail to sew into body

Leaf 2- ch 5, 2nd st from hook slst, sc, hdc, slst

Leaf 3- Ch 3, 2nd ch from hook slst all

For the vines, I took some of the scrap yarn from the tails of the leaves and from an other project with a litter brown and unply'd them, I held the single along with my working yarn and chained 35 for one vine and 40 for the other vine.

I wrapped them around, I actully played around with the wrapping till I felt it looked good.  I started off with the longer chain wraping it around the base for stablity, then joined in the shorter chain and wraped them going up and twisting them over each other in one spot and I chose to split the two vines one the wrap about around to the front taking one up and over the arm and the other around and under to wrap up over the other arm around his neck.

I still need to attach vines but the pattern itself is done!!  I just need to finish this guy off.

Birthday/Holiday Gifts!

I am getting started on making some birthday and holiday gifts I hope by starting early I can get them all finished.           
            
So far I have lined up 3 small/med~ish projects, and one med/large item.

I have an idea for a blanket for my Hubbs that I wanted to do for his birthday but I never got started on it with all the dragons and octojellys I was working on.  So maybe I can squeeze it in for christmas.        
         
Both my sister and my mom have birthdays right before the holidays and I am hoping to make them both things I think they will love.  My sisters gift is actylly on hook right now, but I havent pinned down what I will be making my mom yet.  I was thinking a scarf or hat but thats what I do every year.

How about you guys, anything on your hooks for the holidays yet?