Fins and flippers

The last weekend of the year, its wet and gloomy outside so I'm having a pattern writing frenzy. I'm working on a set of patterns with a underwater theme.

Fist up is Walter the whale.
 I've had a lot of interest in my use of felt and embroidery with so I've deiced to include more in my patterns. This does make the patterns a bit more complicated and difficult to write but I think the end result is lovely and unique in amigurumi.

 

Walter has embroidered eyes and a felted belly. Your gonna need to invest in a felting needle to make these as that's the best way to attach the felt to the amigurumis.

Next up is Stanley the seahorse. There is a lot of work in this one but its fun to make and I've come up with some pretty nifty new stitch ideas with give the fins a lovely finish. For a bit of extra sparkle Stanley has sequins and beads down his spine. The tail has a pipe cleaner inside so its positionable and really helps the charter of this little guy come to life.

Ollie the octopus is a bit of a labour of love. Eight legs is just being greedy. I've put pipe cleaners in all of those legs so they can be twisted and curled into any shape you want. I mist admit I ran out of yarn while making him and so I changed the design but now I'm really please I did. I just love his spotty head. This is one of the biggest amigurumi I have designed. I'm gonna be trying this design out with more colours or stripes so this one is a bit of a work in progress but I'm happy with how the pattern has worked.

 Last but by no mean least is this little goldfish. He doesn't have a name yet as I've only just finished him and I'll be letting my facebook followers decide his name later. I got to play with the new stitches I worked out for the seahorse again and he ended up just the cutest thing ever. I'll be adding a tutorial for these new stitches as soon as these patterns go live in my etsy shop. These patterns will all be available in early 2013 as individual patterns or as a group lot but I've a few more critters to add to the family before then.

Merry christmas

Well Christmas is over for another year. I hope you all had a good one.

I got a few early Christmas presents

 This months issue of Craftseller arrived with my owl pattern inside and you even get a sneaky peek on the front cover.
 This isn't my first magazine commission but it is the first to make it into print. I was asked for a doorstop and only had a few weeks to come up with the design and pattern.

I wanted it to be simple and suitable for all crochet skill levels but I also wanted it to pretty so everyone would want to make or buy one. With owls being so on tread I adapted my small owl pattern into this lovely chunky doorstop.

 I'm really please with how well he's been photographed for the mag he looks great and my style of combining amigurumi, crochet and embroidery comes across nicely.

That wasn't it for magazine surprises this Christmas as my complimentary copy of inside crochet magazine landed too.

 Not only was it full of wonderful crochet ideas and patterns but there is also a little piece about me and amigurumi barmy :)

I really love that photo of Sid the green omnipom I'm glad they used it.

So with Christmas out of the way its time to start thinking of the new year. I've got lots planned starting with two new pattern sets, woodland cuties and flippers and fins. I'll be adding more felt work and embroidery to my new patterns. I like this style and I think it makes my designs just a bit different to all the other amigurumi patterns out there.

Just to tempt you here is the first pattern for 2013 Walter the whale.

Hope you all have a good new years, see you in 2013 xxxxxxxxxxxx

Free crochet pattern reindeer

A few days ater than planned but the free reindeer pattern is here at last. hope you enjoy making it :)

Using a 3.5mm crochet hook and light brown DK weight yarn

This is worked in a spiral; use a contrasting piece of yarn as a row marker so you know when you have got to the end of the row.

Row 1 – Start with 6SC into ring                  6St

Row 2 – (INC) around                                    12St

Row 3 – (INCC, 1SC) around                         18St

Row 4 – (INC, 2SC) around                          24St

Row 5 – (INC, 3SC) around                         30St

Row 6 – (SC) around                                    30St *Mark this round with a contrasting piece of yarn*

Row 7 – (SC) around                                    30St

Row 8 – (SC) around                                    30St

Row 9 – (DEC, 3SC) around                         24St

*Now to place your toy eyes 7 post apart on row 6 (the row you marked)*

Row 10 – (DEC, 2SC) around                         18St

Row 11 – (DEC, 1SC) around                         12St *Stuff your toy now*

Row 12 – (DEC) around                                  6St

Cut the yarn leaving a long tail and pull through loop to secure.

Using a wool needle weave the yarn through the last 6 Stitches and pull tight to close. Weave in yarn ends and cut off remaining yarn.

Muzzle

Using 3.5mm crochet hook and same light brown yarn

This is worked in a spiral; use a contrasting piece of yarn as a row marker so you know when you have got to the end of the row.

Row 1 – Start with 6SC into ring                6St

Row 2 – (INC) around                                  12St

Row 3 – (SC) around                                    12St

Row 4 – (SC) around                                    12St

Row 5 – (SC) around                                    12St

Cut the yarn leaving a long tail and pull through loop to secure

Stuff with toy stuffing

Ears

Make 2 using 3.5mm crochet hook and the same light brown yarn as the body

Ch 7

SS in 2^nd Ch from hook, Sc in next Ch, Hdc in next Ch, Dc in the last 3Ch

Cut the yarn leaving a long tail and pull through loop to secure

Antlers

Make 2 using 3.5mm crochet hook and dark brown yarn

Ch 8

SS in 2^nd Ch from hook, SS in next 4,

Ch 8

SS in 2^nd Ch from hook, SS in next 5,

Ch 6

SS in 2^nd Ch from hook, SS in next 5,

Ch 6

SS in 2^nd Ch from hook, SS in next 5,Sc back into base the 2^nd chain of 8

Ch 5

SS in 2^nd Ch from hook, SS in next 4, Sc back into base the 2^nd chain of 8 to join, Sc in the next 3 Ch

Cut the yarn leaving a long tail and pull through loop to secure

Making up

Using the photo as a guide sew the muzzle, ears and antlers onto the body using the loose ends and then weave in any remaining loose end and cut off.

Use fabric glue to attach a decorative red button onto your reindeer’s nose.

Thats your reindeer finished and if you want to buy the full set its in my esty shop for only £2.50 

Kipper

Kate contacted me through my facebook page to ask if I could make an amigurumi of her dog kipper.

Kipper is a therapy dog and even has his own facebook page 

He's such a cute dog but never having made an amigurumi of a dog before I was a bit unsure about taking on the commission.

I had a play around with a few designs and tried out a few different designs until I was happy with how I was gonna make him.

 I wanted his coat to be fluffy and I had to get the face just right. Kat wanted him in his green vest and I wanted to try and get his name onto the vest.

These aren't the best photos as I was in a rush to get it in the post so it would make it to Kate and Kipper in time for Christmas.

I've used mohair yarn on top of the finished amigurumi to give his eyebrows and snout extra fluffiness and I've brushed the crochet with a teasel brush so he has real fur.

I'm really pleased with how he turned out and Kate and Kipper are very happy with him too. I'm gonna play around with the pattern a bit more and then I'll have a family of pooches to make into a pattern set.

I'm link in with handmade Monday :)

christmas bobble bunch

Its been a busy old week here at amigurumi barmy. My custom order book is now closed for orders outside the UK before Christmas and I've been kept busy getting everything made and sent out. Before I get started on the next few UK orders I wanted to get chance to add a festive family to my group of patterns the bobble bunch.

So here they are ...

 First up is Father Christmas himself. This little guy takes about half an hour to make. He looks great as a bauble on my Christmas tree but would also make a great little stocking filler gift.

 Santa would have any presents to deliver if it wasn't for his little helpers and this cheeky little elf is a real cutey. A must make for those Christmas crafters out there who could resist those pointy ears and happy smile :)

 We had a bit of snow yesterday, not quite enough to make a snowman so I made one out of yarn instead. There is a bit more work involved in the pattern for this little guy but anyone who has made amigurumi before shouldn't have any problems and its so worth it when your done as anyone would be happy getting this as a gift.

Last up is a reindeer with a bright red button nose. probably my favourite of this set and a lot simpler to make than he looks. All of these designs take less than an hour to make and use very little yarn so they are great for using up scraps of yarn. I've made them into baubles but they would make great key rings or you could group them together to make a fum mobile.

This pattern set will be available soon (Monday at the latest) in my etsy shop
 I'm also gonna be offering one of these as a free pattern for over the festive season. leave comment on here or on my facebook page and the one who gets the most votes will win and I'll post up the free pattern here next week :)

Triming the tree

Over the course of the last month or so I've been making lots of Christmas decorations and bunting to sell at the craft fair and that festive feeling has been building. So much so that I couldn't wait any longer to get a tree and get my decs out.

Every year I get a real tree and treat myself to soon new decs. This year I've been crafting my decs out of felt and crochet.

 

This little polar bear is one of my favourite decs I've made this year. Its not easy to see in this photo but she has lots of beads and sequins on her back. It was a idea to make these to sell but took way to long to make to be cost effective so this little lonely lady is all mine and quite happy on my eclectic tree.

 

 I was planning on being really tasteful with my tree this year. I was gonna go all Scandinavian and have it all white and red. These little birds were the first thing I made to go with the theme and I made loads to sell as well. There are still a couple left in my etsy shop

This like most things it didn't go to plan. When I got the box of Christmas decs down and found all the lovely things me and my partner Andy had bought together before he died.

I didn't have a tree last year as it was a bit too soon and I just wanted to forget about Christmas but this year it was lovely to remember all the happy times we had together, choosing decs, treading hundreds of tiny baubles with ribbon and admiring our fabulous bad taste.

 We went for a quality street theme and our tree was a riot of colour.

 I couldn't help myself and so out when my idea to be tasteful and I loaded up the tree with everything.

I even managed to fit the big baubles we bought at a craft fair at castle Howard.

 So here it is my lovely tree. Filled with handmade and much loved Christmas decs. Ribbons and beads crochet starts and candy canes. It may not be classy but its my tree and it gives me a warm fuzzy feeling and makes me hum Christmas carols so that can't be a bad thing.

 Now if I can only keep the cats off it till Christmas :)

I'm linking in with handmade monday

Headbands for cold ears

It might sound like a strange thing but after a long hard day of crocheting there is nothing I like better and a relaxing evening of crocheting.

By this I mean amigurumi is what I love, its my day job but there is a lot of thinking that goes along with it and creating the patterns and sometimes I like to do a bit of crochet That I don't have to think about so on an evening I can usually be found making hats and scarfs and headbands.


I was quite shocked just how many I made when I gattered them together for my last craft fair and so I thought it was about time I got some listed in my etsy shop

All these headbands are made to fit my sort of size head but they were tried on by everyone from todlers to gannys at the craft fair and they fit pretty much everyone. I raided my stach of vintage buttons again to decorate the flowers and they are all made from cosy chunky yarns to keep your ears warm at this chilly time of year.

Use discount code BARMY1 to get 25% off and grab yourself a bargin while you can

Jean the omnipom

 With my family of omnipoms very much depleted by last weekends craft fair I though it was about time to get my crochet hook out and make some more.

 When making omnipoms the first things I make are the arms which are fully jointed and the eyes. Making the arms is the only boring part of the process so I tend to make quite a few at a time to get it out of the way. I had made 4 sets of new arms when I found this ball of washed out denim coloured multi yarn in my stash and on a whim decided to make a couple of arms with it to see how it crocheted up. I liked the arms so much that I couldn't stop there and before long Jean was born.

 I have given her beige almond shaped eyes stitched in pale blue to match the yarn and I've used a copper embroidery thread for her other detailing and flower. She also has a new design of ear, while not as long as the other bunny omnipoms I like the fuller effect of these ears have so I'm sure we'll be seeing more of them.

Sorry about the poor picture quality, these dark days and nights are not great for taking photos.

I have to work at the old day job today but when I get home I'm going to continue my listing frenzy on etsy and Jean will be there looking for a new home along with some of my other amigurumis :)

I'm linking in with handmade monday 

christmas craft fair

 I haven't had much time to blog lately cause I've been working like mad for the past 4 weeks  to get ready for this weekends craft fair. I booked to do a two day weekend Christmas craft fair at the main furniture company in Green hammerton near york. Its a great craft fair set in a lovely open warehouse full of some of the nicest hand crafted furniture I've seen.
 I made meters and meters of Christmas bunting, lots of scarfs and headband to warm little ears, pincushions for lonely pins and hand embroidered tree ornaments.

 I really shouldn't have worried as the amiguramis were the hit of the weekend. All the omnipoms and nearly all my other amigurumis have found new homes and I've been given some great ideas for new amigurumi that I'll be making soon.

 This was my table at the start of the fair, I didn't take a photo but it was very depleted by the end of the weekend :)

 The felt birdies and hand embroidered ornaments went down well too. I still have a few left so I'll be listing some in my etsy shop over the next couple of days

I'm very tired tonight but I'm also itching to get started on some new projects. There are some new omnipoms coming up soon including a Ziggy stardust inspired one and I've a few little Christmas amigurumi patterns up my sleeve that you'll be able to whip up in no time to add to your festive decorations.
 For now I think I deserve a glass of wine and to put my feet up for the night (I give it 10 mins before my fingers start itching to get cracking crocheting again I'm hopeless) :D

I'm linking in with handmade Monday I've missed a couple of weeks so I've some lovely blog reading to catch up on

Halloween craft swap

Happy Halloween guys

This month I took part in with u in minds Halloween craft swap and today I got to open my surprise.

There was a lot of excitement in the house as the package rattled and the cats have been trying to get into it since it arrived.

 Cal sitting on top of the door watching me open the parcel.

 Our first clue was this note. I was a bit bemused by this note but the Kitty's knew what it meant straight away.

 Cass getting very over excited when she realises the prezzie is for her :)

 Look how fantastic is this a kitty collar for Halloween. Such cute little pumpkins and now we know what was making that rattle.

 Cal was first up to claim her present

 here Cal is sporting the lovely pumpkin collar.

 She got a bit carried away and started pulling scary faces.

Next up it was Cassis turn. Cassi hasn't worn a collar for a while so she wasn't too happy to try it on and stormed off in a bit off a huff after I got it on.

 She got used to it and even though I put it upside down she won't let me take it off now :)

I really had fun taking part in the Halloween swap and I really hope my partner likes her gift as my Kitty's are really happy with theirs

You can see all the swap links on with u in minds blog