'lil Groot

I came a bit late to the party with the first Guardians of the Galaxy film. I saw it first on Netflix when it had been out for a while. I loved it, of course, its a great film but most of all I wanted a baby Groot.

I knew I could design one myself but first I did an image search on Pinterest to see what else was out there.

I found Twinkle Chans pattern for a baby Groot and it was perfect and free. 

I made this one a few years ago from her pattern.

 Then last year I made another. I changed the pattern a bit for this one and made it with 4ply yarn so its smaller. This is the one that sits on my geek shelf surrounded by fairy lights so it looks like hes dancing :)

 I had that many people wanting them that I batch made a few for some Christmas presents. Can you believe I managed to make all four of these in a day.

I have been very excited about the new Guardians film coming out at the end of this week. I keep watching the trailers just to see 'lil Groot now out of his pot and looking adorable.

I had planned to make this is a similar way to the baby Groot and had written the pattern out to make up last Sunday. Fate however got in the way and I had a surprise visit from my friend who lives in London. We had a perfect relaxing Sunday. No work got done but I had a lovely fun time.

Then as I was walking to the shops yesterday morning, thinking about bat wings. This is not uncommon, it might sound a bit weird. I try and work out patterns in my head as I'm walking and bat wings I have been stuck on for a long, long time. I really want to make a great bat design but I'm stuck on the wings.
I was thinking about a way I'd done fairy wings in the past by making a piece of crochet that fans out naturally. Suddenly I was struck by the thought of what if it would work for the new 'lil Groot. If it did I could make the body and legs in one piece and the would form the shape and have the additional benefit of having ribs running top to bottom.
 By the time I was home I had a pretty good idea how to form the pattern. I got on the laptop to do the maths and then I knew it was gonna work.

Its a beautifully simple pattern, I'm very proud of it. Most of it isn't worked in the round so its unbelievably simple and quick to make. By mid afternoon I'd made him and could get some nice photos.

 Isn't he lovely?
So of course you want to make one, like now before the film comes out, right :)

Well, I have released the pattern in my etsy shop you can get it here right now
Or if you sign up to my new newsletter you will get the pattern for free in the first issue

***Update 02/06/2017 This newsletter has gone out. The Groot pattern is now only available from Etsy pattern shop. The next newsletter will be coming out at the end of June 2017 and will contain a different free pattern.****

To get the newsletter- see top right of the blog page - enter your email where it says join our mailing list

I am only going to be sending out a newsletter every other month or so but they will all have a free pattern in them so its worth signing up now

Happy :)

Oh one last thing. I will be making a version of my 'lil Groot in his Guardians jumpsuit aswell so stay tuned for that one. happy crocheting, love Liz xxx

Fun at The Makery

 Yesterday was the second Amigurumi clinic at The York makery

We all had a great time. It was so much fun. Thank you to everyone who came along xxx
I actually remembered to take some photos this time. They are a bit blurry we were quite giggly.

I had planned lots of fun demos and I brought lots of my amigurumi along for us to play with. You can see my pink dino and bubblebun in this pic.

 I did a demonstration on how to do various types of hair. The doll getting her hair done above is one of the first of my new set of Avengers dolls Scarlet witch. It was really great to be able to explain the ways I create hair on a doll. I still think its one of my favorite things to create different hairstyles.

 Niffler got lots of cuddles and Hamish who you can just see in the back of this pic is my highland cow who is in the latest issue of Crochet now magazine.

 One of the guests learning how to attach limbs. Here she is finishing off attaching arms to a new penguin design of mine. Its part of the upcoming new set of fat friends.

 Slightly better pic of Hamish my highland cow. He is really just a ball of fluff but he's a great one to cuddle.

The York Makery is such a wonderful setting for these sessions. Its full of beautiful craft stuff and yummy yarn. Its a good job my bag was full of amigurumis or I would have spent a fortune.

I really love doing these events. Its a so much fun helping people with their amigurumi projects. I am always inspired by the people I meet. I think I've come away with more ideas for designs to make than I would ever have time to make them all. I am itching to get started on some of them though.

Thanks again to everyone who came along.

The next Amigurumi clinic is set for June 15th - put it on your calendar now xxx

Next up.
I have set up a newsletter. Its very new, the first one hasn't gone out yet so there is plenty of time to sign up.
The newsletter will have exclusive discounts, free patterns, pics and news that won't be available anywhere else.
If you are a fan of my patterns and my blog please sign up.
The first newsletter will be going out at the end of April and will include a free pattern. Little hint if you are excited about the new Guardians of the galaxy film, you will love this free pattern, believe me :)


Finally. A while ago I talked about a pattern I'd done for Lets Knit magazine. It was a toadstool rattle and baby beanie. I hadn't seen it in print then -but look here it is. LGC tagged me into this pic on Instagram yesterday. Thank you so much.

Best of all they have set it up as a free pattern on their website click here

Thats it for this week. I'm gonna have a weekend of geeking out watching marvel movies and working on my Avengers patterns.

Happy crocheting love Liz xxx

Spacegirl

 This is a design I did quite a while ago for Crochet Now magazine. I never wrote about it on the blog. Shes just come back from the magazine so I was a able to photo her and I thought I've give her a bit of a write up as she's a very special doll for me.

Anyone who follow me on Pinterest will know I have a bit of an obsession with old film posters especially old sci-fi ones.
I created a few space themed designs and there will be more to come no doubt. This was one that seem to take a lot of time to get commissioned. I think I pitched it to a couple of other magazines before Crochet Now went for it. I kept pitching it because I really wanted to make it.

I just wanted to make a really cool 1950 style space-girl doll. The main things I wanted to try was a different way of doing hair. I had seem a knitted version of bobbed dolls hair and knew there must be a way to create the same sort of thing in crochet.

 Its actually worked in just two pieces. Making it a much simpler way to make hair that knotting and platting. Its much quicker too. It looks pretty dapper aswell :)

 There are some really cute little details on this design that I just love. Most of them I've done it the silver grey so the stand out against the bright turquoise of the dress. She doesn't really fit in my light box so I haven't got a really good photo of her full length, but I think you can see most of the details in these.

 I've updated the pattern to the new printer friendly template. It is available in my etsy pattern shop for instant download, in both UK and US abbreviations.

 I would also really like to thank the lady who can't in to Duttons for Buttons to see me. She'd brought me a Easter egg as a thank you for sending her a pattern for my honeycomb cowl
She'd been in before and seen me wearing it. She bought some of the wool to make it and I gave her my details so she could find the pattern online.

We had a few problems and she couldn't get the pattern from my etsy pattern shop so in the end I emailed her a copy.
If you read my blog, thank you so much for the Easter egg it was a lovely. I'm glad you enjoyed making the pattern xxx

If anyone else has problems getting any of my patterns or you don't want to sign up to etsy please get in touch. my email is amigrumibarmy@gmail.com 
I am happy to print and post patterns or send direct via email. You could even pick them up in person at one of my Amigurumi clinics at The York makery if we sort it in advance.

 Right on to more work. I have a new design out in this months issue Lets Get Crafting - knitting and crochet. This is a set of geometric coasters. Its pretty simple design but I really like the way the colours go together. Geometric things are so on trend right now. I might expand on these and turn them into cushion patterns. If I get some spare time that is.

 I've also put together an Easter bundle as an Easter treat to everyone. Its 6 individual patterns with a total of 10 designs all together at a very special price of £5 (not including VAT) Normal price would be nearer £20 to get all these patterns
This Easter bundle can be found by flowing this link.
I will keep it at the discounted price till the end of April

Finally just another little reminder about the drop in amigurumi clinic. First I've made a bit of a poster so please copy. paste and share it around your crochet clubs and forums. This is a totally free event. Please bring along your projects you are working on or things you are stuck with. If you've made any of my designs and what to bring them to show them off, they'd be amazing to see too.

 If you are planning on coming along and have any special requests for demos or stitches you would like to see, please get in touch. use the comment section below of find me via email or facebook. I am not planning on taking my micro crochet kit this time, but I will do if I get requests.

Everyone who does come along will get a free pattern and a special discount code for my etsy pattern shop giving the 50% off their first purchase from my store.

Thats it for today. Can you believe I've got two Christmas commissions to start work on today. It gets earlier every year. I'll try not to get easter egg chocolate on the snowmen :)

Happy crocheting xxx

Catching up

Wow its been a while since my last post. There are a couple of reasons for this but the main one is this blog is on a go slow. For some reason it takes ages to upload photos at the moment. I tend to grab all the photos I want to share and then write the blog around them, but every-time I tried to start writing I'd be waiting hours for the photos and give it up as a bad job.

I'm writing this post a bit differently to try and get around that.

The other reason I haven't posted it because I've been a bit brain fizzled. I think I was working too hard at crochet stuff and my day job that I just had a bit of burn out. I've had to take some time off social media and slowed my working pace down to make myself feel better. I also taken some days where I haven't worked at all. I've read books, listened to podcast and audio-books, watched movies and listened music, gone for walks and generally chilled out.

I've cleaned and cleared the house so it looks less like a workshop and more like a home I can relax in. I worked on some pet projects just for me. Like this shawl made from the new sirdar colourwheels.

I didn't write a pattern for this. Its just for me and I love it and I will be wearing it all the time.

These are the sirdar colourwheels. I popped into The York makery to pick some out as soon as they had got them in. I got the dark rainbow which, is what I used for my shawl and the peach and teal one which I'm making into a more summery shawl for me aswell. It was a struggle to only get two of these and I'm sure I'll be back for more soon.

I also started a micro crochet make in homage to a podcast I've found recently and am thoroughly enjoying. Its called Lore  its about folklore and how the truth can be more frightening than fiction. I highly recommend it to all. It is a bit spooky but in a very good way.

My tiny hand and Lore totem will eventually be joined by a gravestone with pretty flowers and grass around it, maybe a bulb of garlic, but defiantly a crow preached on top. I'm aiming to make it into a bag charm.
No pattern for these. To be honest I don't even know how I made the hand. I was in  mood and wanted to make something to cheer myself up. It is super tiny and so frustrating to make it suited my mood but when it was finished I loved it and it made me very happy. Crocheting cures all :)

While I've been quiet on the internet its been a busy month in magazines for me. I recreated a much loved old design for this months issue of Love crochet magazine.

You can see my bunny and chick in the bottom corner of this photo of the cover. this magazine also come with a booklet of 32 amigurumi designs all done by me. Its a rather lovely little booklet and I like having all my patterns collected together. I gives me more ideas for that eventual book.

I'm also in Crochet now magazine with me highland cow design. I adore this little guy. I first made him to go off to the amigurumi exhibition in New York. I was then asked to recreate him for this magazine. Its a really fun make too so go grab your copy if you want to make him.

This and every month I am in Lets get crafting magazine. this months project was a very on-trend set of geometric coasters. A simple and fun make. I really like how the colours work together. This is one of those magazine that comes with the yarn to make the projects inside so you can create like for like straight away.

I know I've been in a Lets knit magazine recently with my toadstool rattle and baby hat. I haven't got a copy of this magazine, I think I missed it somehow, so I don't have a photo. If anyone has seen it please message me with a photo, I'd love to see it.

Any patterns I have been working on for my etsy pattern shop  have come to a bit of a halt. They will be coming but I'm not promising when. I have a long to-do list and as I get back to work I will work through it logically and practically. Everything will get done but I'm going at a slower pace so I can enjoy my work more.

One think that I'm doing that I absolutely love is the Amigurumi clinic at the York makery
The first one was lovely, I had such a great time meeting you crocheting lovelies. We had demos and people brought along projects they were stuck with. I'm not sure how helpful I was with one of those it was a very over complicated pattern and so not how I write mine.

I had so much fun I forgot to take any photos. I'll try and get some next time.

The next Amigurumi clinic is the 20th of April 2.30-5pm.
My demos will be concentrating on amigurumi construction, making faces and different ways to do hair, but I'm there to help with anything I can.
You can find the event on mine and the makerys facebook page
Come along if you can. Its totally free and its great fun.

I'm going to be updating all my many bunny patterns over in my etsy pattern shop in the run up to Easter. So you can follow the bunny fun by following me on instagram @lizwardcrochet. I had such great feedback on the new pattern format at the last Amigurumi clinic. I think you all.

I think thats all for today. Happy crocheting xxx