UCLA Bruin Plushie

This week is the annual white elephant gift exchange in my department at UCLA. I wasn't sure what to make, but eventually decided on a Bruin (brown bear) which is the mascot of UCLA. I asked the /r/crochet community and they pointed me to the perfect pattern, Winston the Bear, which is free on Ravelry. I made it a tiny scarf from some dark blue and gold yarns to give it some character, otherwise I feared it might not be recognizable as the school mascot specifically.

The whole thing took me only a few nights of working on and off and procrastinating. Every time I see an adorable amigurumi I want to make it, but once I get to doing anything but the body, I start to despise it and usually want to quit working on it. Overall this guy wasn't too traumatizing, but I do hate sewing on those ears and legs. The nose turned out surprisingly well. Usually when I embroider something, it looks ridiculous or downright scary.

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Easy Cat Toys

I made these cat toys for my local animal shelter. I needed to get rid of a lot of yarn that I have no idea why I bought, and I had a lot of scrap yarn as well. I think they turned out great (once I remembered how to crochet, it's been a while)! These balls are great for using up scrap yarn. I had a lot of little bits and pieces which I joined together with square knots to make the multicolored toys!

For these toys I recommend using an H hook with heavier worsted-weight yarn like Red Heart Super Saver or Craftsmart Value, as opposed to Caron Simply Soft. I have found that the Red Heart and Craftsmart yarns make nice, stiff toys, while the Caron makes squishy toys and the slightly thinner quality has a tendency of showing the stuffing through unless you use a smaller hook. Another great idea is adding a little dried catnip when stuffing.

Pattern

Key:
sc: single crochet
sc2tog: single crochet invisible decrease

R1: 5sc in a magic ring
R2: 2sc in each st around
R3: [1sc in next 2 st, 2sc in next st, 1sc in next st, 2sc in next st] around
R4: 1sc in next 4 st, 2sc in next st, 1sc in next 4 st, 2sc in next st, 1sc in next 4 st
R5: 1sc in each st around
R6: 1sc in next 4st, sc2tog, 1sc in next 4st, sc2tog, 1sc in next 4st
R7: [1sc in next 2 st, sc2tog, 1sc in next st, sc2tog] around, stuff
R8: sc2tog around
R9: weave hole closed and secure end

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More Tiny Chickens

I made some more tiny chickens for my Ingress group, this time using not only Vanna's Choice Oatmeal yarn but also Craft Smart Desert yarn. For the former I used an E hook and an F hook for the latter.

The Desert chickens turned out a bit larger than the Oatmeal, so I had to improvise the comb and beak a bit to make them more proportional.

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Tiny Bear Pattern

Here's an adorable tiny bear pattern that's great for a keychain or charm!

Pattern

Key:
sc = single crochet
ch = chain
sl st = slip stitch
sc2tog = single crochet two together
magic ring = see this video

Materials
Small amount of Very Fine yarn
C (2.75mm) size crochet hook
Blunt tapestry needle
Thread or brads for eyes/nose
Sewing needle to embroider eyes
Stuffing

Body and Head
R1: Make a magic ring with 6 sc, sl st in first sc to join (6)
R2-5: 2sc in each sc around (12)
R6: [sc in next 5 sc, sc2tog using next 2 sc] around (10)
R7: [sc in next 4 sc, sc2tog using next 2 sc] around (8)
Begin stuffing body
R8: [sc in next 4 sc, 2sc in next sc] around (10)
R9-10: sc in each st around (10)
R11: [sc in next 4 sc, sc2tog using next 2 sc] around (10)
R12: [sc in next 3 sc, sc2tog using next 2 sc] around (8)
If you want to use brads, you should attach them now.
Stuff head and use blunt needle to close up the head, secure.

Nose
R1: Make a magic ring with 3 sc, sl st in first sc to join
R2: sc in each sc around
Attach brad if desired.
Bind to head in position desired.

Ears (make two)
Ch 2, turn, sc in 1st ch, bind to head in position desired.

Front Legs (make two)
R1: Ch 4
R2-4:Ch 1, turn, sc in each st across
Bind off, leaving a long yarn end. Use some of the yarn and the blunt needle to form the square into a tube, closed on one end. If necessary, stuff with just a bit of stuffing.
Bind to upper body in positions desired.

Back Legs (make two)
R1: Ch 5
R2-5:Ch 1, turn, sc in each st across
Bind off, leaving a long yarn end. Use some of the yarn and the blunt needle to form the square into a tube, closed on one end. If necessary, stuff with just a bit of stuffing.
Bind to bottom of body in positions desired.

Use your sewing needle and thread to decorate your tiny bear, or fasten

I originally wanted this to look something like Dieter the Polarchuck from Neopets, but it turned out more like a regular bear and nothing like Dieter (mostly because I'm quite terrible at embroidery). His favorite food is snow, which is why I also crocheted some colored snow blocks for him as a snack.

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Tiny Chickens Pattern

I made these tiny chickens for the members of my Ingress Enlightened group, whose mascot is a chicken.

See my previous chicken doorstop here. These chickens are based off this pattern by The Nimble Mouse, but since I wanted to make them smaller with worsted weight yarn, I had to improvise the rounds a bit.

Pattern:

Make a magic ring with 6 sc.
1: [sc, 2sc] around
2: [sc, sc, 2sc] around
3: [sc, sc, sc, 2sc] around
4: sc around
5: sc around
6: sc around
Stuff and close up chicken with slip stitches in the back loops across the opening.

Embroider eyes.

Comb:
In 3rd st from left: sc, ch2, slst in next st, ch3, slst in next st, finish off and weave in ends.

Beak:
Just below the eyes, sc in an edge st, ch2, sc in next st, finish off and weave in ends.

I used an E hook with Vanna's Choice Oatmeal yarn.

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Chicken Doorstop

I had been eyeing this pattern by The Nimble Mouse for a while, but didn't have a good excuse to make it. However, the weather has been very windy lately and I realized I didn't have a door stop for the front door! My house has a great many chicken-themed objects, so I thought a chicken door stop would be a perfect addition!

I didn't want to use white yarn as it would get dirty quickly on the floor. I used Vanna's Choice Oatmeal yarn, and a J hook. I filled the chicken with pinto beans, but you could make an adorable plushie by filling it with fluff instead!

Which chicken is the real one!?!

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See my Tiny Chickens Pattern for a smaller version of this hen!

Blue Plumeria

I wanted to try making a smaller plumeria so I tried using an E hook with this blue and white baby yarn I had (I think it's Loops and Threads Snuggly Wuggly Big!). It's quite a bit thinner than the worsted weight yarns I usually use (even Caron Simply Soft) so I was hoping it'd make a smaller plumeria. It's a bit smaller, but not by much. I like how this yarn has both white and blue in it, but it's hard to tell in the finished product.

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Little Grey Wolf

As I was browsing the softies on Ravelry, I came across Little Wolf by Kati Galusz! They are just too cute, especially when paired with dolls inspired by the characters from Game of Thrones (examples)!

I like how mine turned out, even if it's not as clean as the ones made my the author. I was going to make a white wolf based on Ghost, but my grey yarn was already out so I decided to just make a grey wolf instead. The legs stick out a bit, and the ears aren't quite as pointy as I'd like, and the muzzle is too long, and the tail is too short, but I love him all the same.

I used CraftSmart Value Gray yarn with a E hook, and used tiny black brads for the eyes and nose. It took me almost exactly 4 hours to make this little guy.

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Pink Plumeria

I needed a quick break from making all the squares, so I made this pink plumeria! The pattern is from the brilliant mind of June Gilbank. I used Caron Simply Soft yarn and an E hook, and it took me about 3 hours (mostly because I was having trouble putting them together in the proper shape). I would like to make some more of these flowers, preferably smaller, though I'll need some very thin yarn and a minuscule hook!

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Hunny in my Tummy Beanie

I found this pattern after many days of searching, and it was finally posted by JezeBearDesigns on Ravelry (for free, even!) when I had almost given up hope. My friend loves that certain honey-loving bear, so I made this for his Christmas present.

For this project I used Caron Simply Soft in Sunshine, and a small amount of some scrap black yarn. This beanie crocheted up quickly, and the pieces were quite easy to make when I was short on time. I even crocheted part of the hat while waiting for a doctor's appointment! I love this yarn because it's so soft, and I hope the recipient does too!

The only trouble I had with this project was that the yarn is a bit thinner than "normal" worsted weight yarn, so I had to make many more rows than the pattern suggested. This wasn't really a problem, as I simply added more rounds of simple double crochet once the rounds stopped increasing.

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Tiger Neck Pillow

I'd been looking for a neck pillow for a while, and when I saw this one I knew I wanted it! I also want to make it for my mom, who travels on business frequently. The pattern for this project is by Red Heart.

I decided early on that I wanted to make a tiger, so I bought some Red Heart Team Spirit yarn. I couldn't decide if the Gold/Black or the Orange/Black looked better though, so I got both. After finishing about 20 rows in gold, I realized I was supposed to be using two strands of yarn at once. I couldn't decide if I wanted to use the black and orange yarn I have, or which combination of the four, so I decided I'd get all the colors and use both Team Spirit colors. I started over, but didn't realize until later that I probably shouldn't have used two strands, because the suggested yarn is DK weight, and not worsted weight. It turned out waaay larger than it should have, so I changed tactics to alternating Red Heart Super Saver Pumpkin and Caron One Pound Black (also to make sure I had enough yarn; I was running out of the Team Spirits after only 20 rows!). Now it's more stripey, while before it was kinda striped but more splotchy due to all the colors mixing. It was very Halloween-y.

I wish I could get this project done sooner; it seemed like a quick one, but with all my mistakes I hope I ever DO finish it!

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Pinkloid Yellow/Green

I decided to try again at making a Pinkloid. This time I used pale yellow yarn with spring green wing edges. Because my pink Pinkloid came out a bit too big, I used an F hook instead of a G hook. I hoped that would cut down on extra spacing in order to make the body more compact, and the feet smaller.

This one turned out quite a bit smaller, which I like. The first one was far too large. The feet still seemed too big, but they did look better this time. I wasn't sure how the green would look, but I think it makes the Pinkloid look Tinkerbell-esque!

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Crochet Kitten

I made this crochet kitten a few weeks ago, according to the pattern by MarmaladeRose.

I decided to make it black and white to experiment with changing colors for the first time. It didn't come out perfectly, but then again I was mostly using it as a guide for future kitties if I wanted to do more color patterns. I forgot to make a face in my haste to get it stuffed. The head doesn't quite sit straight because I sewed the chin to the body, then realized the face was leaning forward. I got lazy so I didn't redo it or try to fix it very well. I'm not too sad because it was a good learning experience for me, in attaching pieces. The tail was very difficult because it was my first time working with black yarn in the round, and I ended up with lots of extra and missed stitches. Next time, I might try making a tail stitching together a few rows instead of working in the round.

One quirky thing about this cat in particular is that I used two different types of yarn I found from years ago. The white yarn is quite rough, but the black yarn is slicker and softer, and almost thinner. That made the sizing difficult, as the black rows tended to be more narrow than white rows. The white parts were also considerably stiffer.

In the future I'd like to make more of these kitties in different patterns, with actual faces and heads that don't flop forward.

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Pinkloid Pink/Purple

I'm still working on my next big project, but I felt like I needed a break so I made this cute Pinkloid by Karissa Cole. It was fun and fast to make. I think it took me around 3 hours total.

I decided to make my first one pink with purple wing outlines and antennae. The body's a bit larger than the pattern, but I probably just stuffed it too much. I did have a bit of trouble with the antennae. The pattern says to do 3hdc in the second ch, but that made my antennae have larger tips than those in the pattern pictures.

If you look closely you'll notice that the Pinkloid's right eye has two googlies in it! I used google eyes because I couldn't find any 8 or 9mm safety eyes, but I did go to my local crafts store and found 12mm safety eyes for only 79 cents for 3 pair! I'll have to find somewhere to get smaller eyes for these tiny projects.

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Tiny Whale

This tiny blue whale was my first attempt at amigurumi. The pattern is Tiny Whale, by June Gilbank. I had previously made scarves, but hadn't crocheted anything in the round. I think it turned out pretty okay, except maybe the tail. I think my stitches were too tight to weave in the ends, so it turned out lumpy. Perhaps I'll try making another whale in another color to try out making the tail again.

It took me a while to get the pictures because it took me a few weeks to get eyes to glue on! After failing with Aleen's glue, I picked up some Fabri-Tac. That did the trick!

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Plumeria

Since I'm in the middle of a project and won't be finished for a while, I figured I'd post pictures from my second project: Plumeria by June Gilbank! I'm a huge fan of her works. My first ever project was her Tiny Whale (pics coming as soon as I get some eyes glued on).

My plumeria is plain, but as this was my second project (and first multiple piece project), I didn't know how to change colors and wasn't up to the challenge at the time. I didn't add the backing either, but the backside doesn't look too horrible anyway. The thing I love about this plumeria is that I used Red Heart Super Soft in off-white, so it turned out silky and shiny!

I plan on making more of these plumerias in the future, perhaps as gifts for Christmas!

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Cat Corpse Hat

Last night I finished my Cat Corpse Hat! I used this pattern, originally by Witchy Wiche.

I made some changes to the pattern. I used the front leg pattern for the back legs instead of dealing with the triple stitches, which would have given the legs large holes for fluff to fall out. I also made the hat itself a bit shorter, as stuff touching my forehead makes me itch and sneeze for some reason. It took about 1/2 of a skein of Craft Smart Aran Fleck yarn, using an H hook.

When I wore this out and about, just about everyone that saw it stared, and several commented about how cute it was!

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