Off the hook :: Hallowe'en finger puppets

Thank you all so much for your comments on my newest blanket. I'm glad some of you like it as much as I do. 


Now for something completely different...


Bat and witch finger puppets...

These are my own designs* and are very easy and quick to make with scrap yarn. 

All stitch terminology is UK

Bat

Body - make 1

The body is worked in one continuous spiral (like amigurumi). Work over the tail as it'll be difficult to weave in later. It's a good idea to mark the beginning of the round with a stitch marker.

To begin make 2 chain

Round 1: 6 dc in second chain from hook

Round 2: 2 dc in each dc around (12 dc)

Round 3: dc in each dc around (12 dc)

Rounds 4-14: dc in each dc around (12 dc)

Fasten off and weave in ends.

Ears - make 2

2 ch, 2 dc in second chain from hook. Fasten off and sew to top of head.

Wings - make 2

To begin make 10chain 

1 dc in second chain from hook, 1 htr in next chain, 1 tr in next chain, picot*, 1 tr in next chain, 1 htr in next chain, 1 tr in next chain, picot, 1 tr in next chain, 1 htr in next chain, 1 dc in last chain, picot, 2 dc in same chain as last dc.

Now, work along the other side of the chain, work 1 htr in next chain, 1 tr in next, 1 dtr in next, 1 tr in next, 1 htr in next chain, 1 dc in next two chain and, finally, 1 sl st in last chain.

Fasten off and sew to back of body.

* 3 ch, sl st in 3rd chain from hook

In chart form in case that makes it easier...

Finishing

Weave in any remaining ends and embellish with googly eyes or embroidery

Witch

Body

The body is worked in one continuous spiral (like amigurumi). Work over the tail as it'll be difficult to weave in later

To begin make 2 chain

Round 1: 6 dc in second chain from hook

Round 2: 2 dc in each dc around (12 dc)

Round 3: dc in each dc around (12 dc)

Rounds 4-14: dc in each dc around (12 dc)

Fasten off and weave in ends.

Hair

Cut short lengths of yarn and attach to the top of the head using your hook to pull them through and knot them.

Hat

Note: the turning chain counts as a stitch


Leaving a long tail for sewing the hat together later, make 3 chain


Row 1: 2 htr in 3rd chain from hook, turn (3 htr)


Row 2: 2 ch, 2 htr in first htr, 1 htr in remaining htr, 1 htr in top of turning chain, turn (5 hr)


Row 3: 2 ch, 2 htr in first htr, 1 htr in each htr across to end of row, 1 htr in top of turning chain, turn (7 htr)


Row 4 - 6: Repeat row 3 (13 htr at the end of row 6)


Row 7: 2 ch, 2 htr in first htr, 1 htr in each htr across, 1 htr in top of turning chain, then sl st into 2nd of 2 chain at beginning of this row to join the round. 


Row 8: 2 ch, 1 htr in same place as sl st, 2 htr in each htr around. Join the round with a sl st and fasten off. 


Sew up the hat and attach to the head.

Dress

The dress is made as a continuous spiral without joining the rounds. Marking the beginning of the round with a stitch marker is a good idea.

To begin make 12 chain. Taking care not to twist the chain sl st in the 12th chain from hook to form a circle.  

Round 1: 1 dc in each chain (12 dc)

Round 2: 1 dc in next dc, 2 dc in next dc, around (18 dc)


Round 3: 2 dc in next dc, 1 dc in each of next 2 dc, around (24 dc)


Round 4: 1 dc in each dc around (24 dc)


Repeat Round 4 until the dress is the desired length, fasten off and sew to body.




Finishing 


Weave in all ends, embroider a face onto the witch and you're done.




I'm sorry that I've cut it so fine posting these patterns. I'm going to be making some more tonight ready for a Hallowe'en party we've been invited to tomorrow afternoon. I hope some of you will try the patterns and let me know how they turn out.

Happy Hallowe'en everyone!




*Please be respectful of the fact I have designed these puppets myself by not posting this pattern anywhere else and by linking back to this post if you make use of this pattern. Thank you.


I have added the patterns to the Ravelry pattern library, so if any of you make these and are Ravelry users I'd love to see them - bat and witch.

Off the hook :: Autumn blanket

I think a drum roll is required, if you please, because, for the first time in 2 months, I present you with a finished crochet project! 

I started this blanket on 24th August after a lot of searching for just the right pattern and one false start.  This has turned out to be a lovely, lovely blanket - soft and cosy.

I love the colours - chocolate brown and powder pink are both favourites of mine and I don't mind working with a limited set of colours.

45 squares joined using chain stitchs. I really like this method of joining. It's easy, gives you more blanket for your money and, where these particular motifs are concerned, nicely breaks up the solid look of the brown borders.  If you want to see how to do this, here's a tutorial.

It's intended that this blanket will live in my bedroom and it fits perfectly over the bottom half of the bed.  Woe betide any children who see fit to spirit this blankie into their bedrooms!

I only wish I'd had enough brown yarn to go around the border at least once. I doubt I'll get any more as I bought this long ago in the January sales and the yarn is now discontinued.  

Hook :: 5mm

Yarn :: Rowan Organic Wool DK in chestnut, wheat, mulberry and powder

Pattern :: Drops 120-3 by Garnstudio. The pattern doesn't include a border, so I added one of my own design.
Size :: 102cm x 182cm
Time :: 2 months


Right, I'd better go and see what the children are up to upstairs. They are getting on suspiciously well which usually means some kind of mischief is afoot. I'll be back before long with another finished project - I just need to fashion a cushion cover out of a charity shop cardigan first.




Edited to add pattern notes for border:

I've had some people mail me to ask for details on the border I made on my Autumn Blanket.

I wanted the first round to mimic the method used to join the squares so worked a series of 4ch loops around the blanket.  The 2nd round (in beige) is made up of 'V' stitches worked out of the 4ch spaces. The 3rd round is UK trebles. I then repeated the last two rounds in the pink and raspberry colours.

If you'd like to work this border, please read the instructions carefully before starting so you know how I worked the corners.  It is a very easy set of stitches, I'm just not sure how well the pattern is written, so apologies if it's confusing.

Remember that all terminology is UK.

UK dc = US sc

UK dc = US tr

R1 :Using the same colour yarn as for joining the squares, join yarn in a corner 1ch space of the blanket.  Work 5ch (counts as 1dc, 4ch), 1dc in same space, *4ch, miss 2 dc, 1dc in next dc* around but working (1dc, 4ch, 1dc) into each 1ch space at corners. work final 4ch and join with sl st to 1st of starting 5ch. Fasten off.

R2: Join new colour yarn in any 4ch space. Work 4ch (counts as 1tr, 1ch), 1tr in same space, *(1tr, 1ch, 1tr) into each 4ch space* around, but working [(1tr, 1ch, 1tr), 3ch, (1tr, 1ch, 1tr)] in each corner 4ch space. Join with sl st to 3rd of 4ch.

R3: 3ch (counts as 1st tr), 1 tr in next tr, and then each tr and each 1ch space around, but working (3tr, 3ch, 3tr) in each corner 3ch space. Join with sl st to 3rd of 3 ch.

R4: Join new colour. Work 4ch (counts as 1tr, 1ch), 1tr in same space, *miss 2 tr, (1tr, 1ch, 1tr) into next tr* around, but working [(1tr, 1ch, 1tr), 3ch, (1tr, 1ch, 1tr)] in each corner 3ch space. Join with sl st to 3rd of 4ch.

R5: repeat R3

R6: repeat R4

R7: repeat R3

Sometimes you just have to give in

Whilst at the gym this morning, somewhere between the treadmill, rowing machine and a set of Bulgarian squats, I started to fantasise about toast. 

White bread toast from a bought, sliced loaf... 

With butter and raspberry jam...

Sometimes you just have to give in...

Have a great weekend  x

Rainy day baking

The weather yesterday was dreadful - sudden heavy showers and very gusty.  For the first time this Autumn we needed to wear our gloves on the walk to and from school. So, inspired by 

1. the weather
2. Ali's post 
3. various images I've seen on Pinterest 
4. finding a bag of bread flour 4 months past the best before* date
5. the fact I had nothing better to do

I baked cinnamon swirl bread.

There's a lot of recipes for cinnamon bread knocking around - my usual go-to recipe being Nigella's Norwegian cinnamon buns - but this time I used a recipe from The Pioneer Woman.

As usual for bread dough enriched with butter and milk it took a long time to rise. I made the dough at around midday and knocked it back at about 4:30pm.  I left it to rise in the tin at 5pm and baked it at 7pm.  Patience, as they say, is a virtue. At least it is when it comes to bread making. :-)


It is so, so good. Much of the loaf was eaten at breakfast time this morning. Equally good toasted as not.

Click on the Pioneer Woman link, above, for the recipe which comes with a handy step-by-step photo how-to.  You won't be sorry!

* the flour may have been past the best before date but, seriously, does it matter when it comes to flour? No flour mites means it's still fit for use in my opinion! 

Weekend crafting

There's not a lot in the way of crafting going on at the moment, I have to say. What I am doing is slowly blocking the squares for  my Autumn blanket. I only have enough pins (and patience for that matter) to block 9 at once. I made the last 3 squares last night - there are 45 in total and I started joining the blocked squares on Saturday night. Blocking them is well worth it, if more than a little tedious. Here's a before and after...

I've started joining them using chain stitches. I've never used this method before, but it's what the pattern told me to do...

Last weekend, when it rained non-stop for 2 days, #1 and I visited a local craft studio to have a go at decopatch. The best part of two hours later we emerged with these...

Quite why it took so long to decorate a small giraffe I don't know, but it was a fun way to spend a rainy afternoon.  

Apples and pears

I have a soft spot for an apple or pear motif. In our house you'll find them on the tablecloth, on a set of coasters, on tea-towels, on mugs and on #1's bed linen. 

So I knew I'd have to make one or two of the pincushions featured in the latest copy of MM...

I really enjoyed making these although I did find it a bit fiddly. Not being able to find any brown felt, I crocheted the stems and, to be honest, I think they look better than the thick felt stems shown in the magazine. Now I am wondering whether it'd be possible to scale up the pattern by about 500% to make an apple doorstop?  Another thing to add to the to-do list. 

We had lots of real apples and pears this weekend too...

some of which got made into a crumble. 'It's nice', #2 said, 'but next time you make crumble and custard just make custard and crumble without any apples or pears or any of those black* things.'   Well, you can't win 'em all!


* blueberries

No longer the worst bathroom in the world

Way back in May I posted about how hideous my soon-to-be-replaced bathroom was. Well, I am very pleased to say that it is hideous no longer. The company that fitted it were excellent (on time, courteous, hard-working) and finished on time despite the extra work caused by all the plaster under the tiles falling off. It looked like this after the first day of work...

I have been delaying showing you the new improved bathroom because there was considerable procrastination delay in getting the new floor fitted.  A lovely new chocolate brown floor...

Here's the finished room...

It's still tiny, there's not much I can do about that, but it is so much nicer and brighter. No more mouldy grout, no more missing tiles, no more weird eye-level cistern!

I love the shiny tiles behind the sink...

and the butterfly shower curtain.

Not to mention the fact that it is painted pink!  What do you think? x