First run at Tunisian crochet

Front and back comparison

I have dabbled at Tunisian crochet but never found it to my liking with in 4 rows or so.

So what changed my mine, why am I writing up this post?  Simply this, Starlight Tunisian Scarf .

Front

I saw u/SassySSS had worked that pattern up over on r/Chrochet posted some WIP shots of her scarf done up in this pattern with a few tweeks.  I liked the look of it so much so that I went back threw my hooks and decided to try and work it up myself.

I have been hooking this up all weekend when I was at Wizard World Convention, I even talked with a few people who took an interest when they saw me pull it out of my bag on one of my sit down between laps of the con.

The top image shows the front versus the back of the work.  The next image gives a better view of the front of the work.

Working Tunisian Shell row (cast on)

Return Row of the T. Shell(cast off)

For those of you who have not done Tunisian before, its worked a bit like knitting, you need a tunisian or afghan hook like in the images, one that has no thumb rest and a cap at the end to prevent stitches from sliding off the end.  The point to this style hook is because you work a row and as you yo and pull up a loop it gets left on the hook (like with knitting) this is the first part of the row or what I call the cast on part of a row, then you work the return row/cast off row working backwards.  Look at the cast off photo, I simply am doing a - Yo, pull threw two loops- repeat to end.  Onces you find the return your cast on/off is one row of work.

Unlike normal crochet, tuniscian is not worked into the top of a stitch but  threw the middle, normally you would think of this section as the post but its actually more like the top it just has the 2 loops going vertical.

Working Row of TTS (cast on)

This pattern called for 2 stitches, the Tuniscian Shell (TS), and the Tuniscian Twisted Stitch (TTS).  With the twisted stitch, you hold the yarn on the side of the work closest to your body, sort of like when your do the Purle stitch in knitting, to pick up your loop you go threw and grab the veritcal bar farthest from you (see pictuer of WR-TTS CO) by snagging it with the hook so you are twisting the stitch as you pull it forward to do your -YO Pull threw-.  This will creat a little horizontal bar at the base of the stitch in the back, and that wavey bump row on the front of the work.

For the TS, you are working it sort of like unfinished DC Shells, you will start with a *yo on the hook, then go between the 2 vertical stitchs (way easyer then the TTS to explain) yo pull threw, yo and pull threw two loops* (now left with 2 loops on hook) then work the ** two more times in the same vertiacl stitch making sure to leave that last loop on the hook so at the end you would have 4 loops on the hook, then you would sk the next 2 vertical st's and repeat across.

Tuniscian apparently can leave your work looking slanted but a few good tugs and blocking can fix that.  I happen to like the slant in this pattern so when I block to open up the Shells I am going to try and leave it in.

Since I am learning this as I go it seems slow to me, I have roughly just over 3 feet finished since I pulled the hook out on Saturday to knock out a few rows whilst waiting for my Hubby (who is awesome he dropped me off at the door to the convention, and went to park 4 blocks away so I wouldn't have to walk in the windy cold) to get back.  the yarn I am using is one of the Red Heart boutique Unforgettable stuff is so slippery teh labels will not stay on them and I have 3 ball's all in different colorways.

The Convention was a blast, my husband while walking the convention floor looking at all the merchandise actually ran into Eliza Dushku who is one of my favorit actresses (sadly I was off resting my stupid sore feet so I missed it).   We got to have (read hubby payed and wont tell me how much) our picture taken with Matt Smith!!!  Who is actully realy nice, he was doing lots of poses for people who had the forethough to ask and bring props, and he took the time to personly thank every fan who came in to get there photo taken with him.  Also he hugged me I could have just melted then and there he is so sweet.

I also go tot visit my favorit store while at the convention Animeggroll had a booth set up at the contion as well.

Happy birthday! and Ood-er things

 

Ok I finally made that Ood!!  Since my wonderful hubby has a birthday this week and people have asked or mentioned Oods to me atleast 3 times this month I decided to make one.  It didn't quite work like I wanted so when I make an other (if) I will have to adjust the pattern.  I was hopping to work it all in one piece +arms, but it wound up more like five pieces. I went for natural light hoping it wouldnt wash out the color.

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!

Christmas gift for Wayne finished

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 Below is the gift I have been working on for a while now for my Husband Wayne I realy hope he likes it!

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Its a bit of a smash up of 3 different patterns none of them where exactuly what I was looking for so I pulled from many sorces and worked it up.  If he likes it I have plan's to make a dice bag Dalek!

Gift spoilers for B-Days and Christmas

So these are some of the things I have been working on lately.  They are all gifts for family so family if you are looking act surprised when I give it to you!

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***There be Spoilers ahead***

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The ever unfinished Fab Four.  For my mom.  I super suck at wire bending but I did my best to make glasses, and now they all have noses.  Still on the list to finishing them mouths, belts, jacket buttons, and ties.  Still fighting with myself over if I should make interments or not, and if I do should i make just the guitars or do I then have to make Ringo a drum set?






























Here is what I am working on right now for my husband.  Any Doctor who fan's out there should know what this is with out an explanation, but for the non-whooviens I will explain.

There is this awesome British tv show called Doctor Who, its about a space and time traveling alien called simply called the Doctor, so you will offend hear people saying 'Doctor who?' when he is introduced.  One of his greatest enemy's are the Dalek's a race that the doctor at one point thought he killed off for the greater good of the universe.  This little crochet creation is going to be an old school version of the Dalek.  I still have a few rounds to go before I can stuff and put a bottom on him then work on his extremity's.  I think they will be the hardest parts to recreate.  He is going to be stuffed, but if the hubby likes him I might make an other  that he can use as a dice bag for all his gaming dice.











And last but by far not the leaset.  The project that gave me the MOST issues.  Probably because I was working on it while I had really bad vertigo.

The gift for my sister Christines birthday which is coming up on turkey day.  This is the project I had to keep unraveling because it just would NOT work up right.  I hope she loves it because it was one of the crochet items she had on her Pintrest list, and at that time I thought it would be the only thing I would be able to work up while the world was spinning around me *vertigo was bad*  I just cant believe how much trouble it gave me!! 

How to make amigurumi Octopus Tutorial

So my niece Jordan who gets a lot of my creations absolutely loves my Octo-Jelly's  as they call them.  She is 6 or 7~ish months old (BAD auntie for not knowing) and her mom had to ask me to make her some more because when they take it away to wash it she apparently gets very upset.

I made a Tutorial on deviant art when I first started making them, but I have improved on it or at least made it easier on me to make them in one whole piece.

This little octo amigurumi is probably the easiest to start off with if you have never crochet in the round before.  It simply is a ball, with spirals attached if you fallow the tutorial I made earlier.  The adjustment I made to make it easier is incorporating the spirals into the ball.  On the first decrease row after each decrease (you work the decrease and pull the loop threw three loops) I would chain a length about 22 ch and put 2 DC in each stitch up or more depending on how tight you want to make the spiral part of the whole body then sc into the next st fallowing the pattern for dec and sc's.  Then on the next round the decrease should fall right at the spirals so you just pick up a stitch on either side of it and decrease.  Working it this way will leave you with 6 legs, but you can always adjust the pattern to fit in 2 more I just prefer it this way as the spacing with the decreases works out looking cleaner.

Feel free to use my pattern and give credit to me but DO NOT claim it as your own or sell it if you want to give it to someone link back to here or my DA please.  I ask if you want to sell anything made with my pattern please donate part of your profits to a local No-Kill Shelter or Animal Rescue group even just $.30 will feed a hungry animal for a day. Not necessary but its a kindness I pay forward by not charging for the pattern.

Below are some of my Octo-Jelly's I have made.

Open Commisions!

I have open time for Commissions.  Keep in mind these items are HAND MADE in a ANIMAL friendly environment.  With all my animals its imposable to make sure they dont some how come into contact with my yarn stash, I do however try my best to keep all commission projects in their own bags but if I am not careful I will come back to a cat in a bag on what ever project I just put away weather i put it on top of the 7 foot tall book shelf or try to hang it from the edge of my desk.

I write all my own patterns and am willing to try making anything.  Stuffed toys, dogs, cat,s doll, monsters, scarfs, hats, you name it I will do my best to make it!  I wont ask for a penny till its finished and you have seen pictures of it and are happy with it. I try to keep my pricing reasonable but keep in mind shipping cost are out of my hands, i can give you a reasonable estimate if you provide a zip code (in the US) or country so you will know before hand.  I do payments through PayPal.

My pricing depends on what you want me to make!  But I am fairly reasonable you WILL NOT see me selling a 4in doll for $50 like alot of the dolls on etsy.  See something you like on etsy but dont like the price feel free to ask me and I will tell you if I think I can make it or not and what my price would be!

My small dogs, cats, dolls, chibi Cthulhus are all $10 +S&H  (about 3 to 5in tall)
  

Scarfs ranging 4-6ft long $10+S&H (length depends on the stitches used some will have more stretch as they are worn so they will be made a bit smaller unless requested.  Also can make them longer than 6ft but will have to charge an additional $.50 a foot ((AFTER 6ft)) up till 9ft. Add and additional $5 for a full scarf of complex stitches, or $2 for scarfs with fancy stitching 10in at the ends)


Hats $10 +S&H (depending on complexity if you want a peddle stitch hat like the stitch on my bag  it will cost a bit more because this stitch is more complex and will take me longer to work.)
    




All Images shown here are items I have hand made myself. Just a small sampling of what I can do for you.  You can view more of my work on my DeviantArt account @ embertouchtehfire.deviantart.com/

Hellow internets! *waves*

So I have been on a crafting kick for a while now.  I figured I might as well start a blog for all my creations. 

A little about me-  My name is Sara and I am a stay at home wife (aka laid off in '08 still unemployed) with two dogs Buddy a beagle and Chloe a lab boxer mix and two cats Dayton and Connie and a wonderful husband.   I love sewing, knitting and my biggest kick right now is crocheting.  I am in love with making Amigurumi, which is Japaneses, ami, meaning crocheted or knitted, and nuigurumi, meaning stuffed doll.  

I think it would be awesome to be able to sell the items and patterns I make.  I have sold a few things but all where to friends or family so I have no idea if the 'big bad world' out there would even care for my creations over the tons of amazing stuff I have seen out there already for sale.

Totoro & Sprite

My first ever crochet creation was a Totoro and sprite,  I didnt have a pattern at the time so Totoro is litteraly a baby hat that I just keep making longer and bigger with ear's from a pokemon pattern with some alterations  and the sprite is just a smaller version. I was inspired to make these two after visiting a realy awesome anime shop in my area called Anime Egg Roll.  They had a large display of crochet items that just inspired me to take up hooking.   Their crochet lady eventual moved away and took all her items out of the store.

Blue Octo

 I have tentatively offered up my crochet services currently I have a few items there up for sale.

A Light Blue Octopus pictured to the right, a Dalmatian with hand felted spots, and a white Poodle.

Emmy & Howard

I also made two custom kittie cats for one of the owners of the store as a gift for her mother of the two rescue cats she owns Emmy and Howard.  I made each patter special to get them to look as close to the images provided of the actual kitties as possible. 

As well as doing a custom dog for a friend she dubbed him Mini Watson and made me the most awesome gift of a Pikachu glass charm bead in return.

I think my most popular items I have worked on that seem to sell out quickly to friends or family where my Chibi Chthulhu and my dice bags that are shaped to look like a blue public police box (or a Tardis for you whovians) 

It makes me so happy when someone actually asks me to make them something and they love it when they get it. 

I think if I could find a job where all I had to do all day was crochet my little creatures and creations I would be set for life.  I think it would be a job I would happily get up to do with minimal complaining!