LucyRavenscar - Crochet Creatures

Little Folk

2011-11-13T16:43:00.001Z

There is lots of folklore regarding the 'little folk', and they have many names - elves, fairies, sprites, imps, brownies and hobgoblins. They are often described as being mischievous creatures, although sometimes they like to help humans, even doing chores around the house for them. Dobby the house elf, from Harry Potter, seems to be inspired by these stories, as they often state that the creatures become insulted if given clothes and will then leave. In fact, in Sussex (where I live) there is folklore regarding 'Dobbs' or 'Master Dobbs', a house fairy who would help with the housework.

Dobby

As I mentioned in a previous post I made a toy Dobby for my son. I have been working on the pattern, and with a few variations, have made several other creatures.

Fire Imp

Fire Imps are attracted to bonfires and campfires, and are very partial to snacks cooked on them such as sausages. If you have an open fire in your house they may sneak in and sleep by the embers at night. He is made with mohair brushed to make hair and has fingers and toes.

Brownie

This Brownie is a happy little fellow who likes eating cakes and dancing, a bit like a Hobbit or Halfling. He is has curly hair and a separate waistcoat and scarf.

Autumn Tree Sprite

This little nature Sprite lives in the trees and likes to stay hidden. His colouring helps him to stay secret when the trees are losing their leaves, then he finds a nice big pile of of them and hibernates through the winter. He has hair made from eyelash yarn and a scarf to keep him warm.

Forest Fairy

This little forest-dwelling fairy is well camouflaged among the trees with her pale green skin and mossy hair. She has antlers and wears a dress made of leaves. Her long hair is made of lots of different yarns.

The pattern is now available in my Etsy shop, and contains all the information to make the different Little Folk described above, with details on how to make the different kinds of hair and their clothing. All the variations can then be used to design your own creature made the way you want.

A Tower of Tooterphants!

2011-09-08T18:55:00.001+01:00

Tooterphants are friendly little creatures, similar in shape to elephants, if not in size. However, they have wide trumpet-shaped trunks that they use to make tooting noises to communicate with one another. They also use their trunks, or tooters, to suck up their food - should you want to attract one, leave a trail of interesting treats such as raisins and they may follow it. They live in groups, and enjoy acrobatic games where they climb on top of each other to form a tower of Tooterphants - luckily their rounded shape makes them bouncy, so they don't mind when they fall down.

These cute creatures are based on patterns I'd made in the past - several years ago I made an Eater of Socks for a swap, based on the description of a creature that appears briefly in Terry Pratchett's Hogfather. Given that it eats odd socks, I gave it a wide trunk/snout to suck them up, and made its legs striped like socks to act as camouflage. Then, a few years later, I made a Sky Elephant, using the previous pattern as a base, but making it bigger. The Sky Elephant was made from blue and white variegated yarn and had fluffly cloud-like ears.

So, I went back and revisited these patterns. I had some nice self-striping yarn that I wanted to try out (King Cole Splash DK), and I thought these would be the perfect patterns to use to show off all the colours nicely. I made a few minor changes, but I liked the patterns pretty much as they were. They have a nice compact shape and sweet faces, and I think they would make good toys for young children because they have a lot of bits to grab hold of. The pattern, which has all the details to make both sizes, is now available in my Etsy shop.

Mother and Child Spirits

2011-08-19T17:29:00.000+01:00

I made a set of Mother and Child Earth Spirits about two years ago, and they've always been one of my favourite creations. I've also had quite a few requests for me to write up their pattern, and now I've finally got it finished, and available in my shop.

One of the problems with making these is getting hold of nice mohair yarns that are the right thickness. The yarn I originally used, Patons Spirit, is no longer being produced, although I've still got a small stash of it. It is also thicker than most of the other plain mohair yarns I have, many of which I picked up from charity shops without labels. I bought some Luxury Mohair by King Cole, which has lovely colours but is comparatively thin, and when I tested my pattern using this yarn, the Water Spirits ended up quite a bit smaller than the Earth Spirits I made using the Patons yarn. In the end though, despite the size difference, I was happy with both yarns and the creatures I made with them.

I think that what I like most about these creatures is the way they seem to interact when you put them together. It feels like the mother is looking after her child, or even listening to him telling her what he's been up to!

Dobby the House Elf

2011-08-19T17:08:00.001+01:00

When we rewatched Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1 recently, my 9 year-old son got very sad at the part when Dobby dies. He would not be comforted, and kept insisting that he hated JK Rowling for killing off his favourite house elf. In the end, I had to promise to crochet him his own little Dobby.

I used a pattern that I had worked out when I made this Grey Hobgoblin, I just didn't give him the furry hair or a tail.

I had wanted to dress Dobby as he's described in the books after he becomes a free elf, with shorts, a tie, mis-matched socks and a tea cosy for a hat. However, my son (who hasn't read the books) wanted him to look the way he does in the films, so I crocheted a smock-like garment that's supposed to look like his pillowcase. I might have looked better made of fabric, but I always find it easier to make things out of yarn. Anyway, my son loved him, so that's all that counts!

Flappy the Owl in Inside Crochet!

2011-07-24T12:58:00.000+01:00

I'm very excited! My pattern for Flappy the Owl has won a competition to be featured in a UK crochet magazine, Inside Crochet, issue 20. You can see him on their Facebook page or at Yudu, where you can see the front cover and the first couple of pages. I love the photo of Flappy with a little suitcase.

Here are some of my photos that I took before I sent him off. He's about a cute little owl wearing a stripy sweater and is 6.5" tall. I had fun coming up with various techniques to make the ribbed parts of the sweater, and his claws and beak. I made a prototype which my son claimed - I knew the design was good when I saw how much he like Flappy (he named him too!).

If you're not aware of Inside Crochet, it's a great magazine. In the UK I go into the newsagents and see five or six knitting magazines, but only one crochet magazine. It's only been going for 20 issues, but I hope that it's going to help popularise crochet in the UK - maybe people will eventually stop asking what I'm knitting! It's well put together, modern and up-to-date, and always has a really good selection of patterns - clothing, accessories, jewelry, toys and things for the home. This is not me advertising for them, by the way, it's just my observation. It's not just my opinion either, check out this blogpost from another admirer.

Fierce Little Dragon

2011-05-19T19:10:00.005+01:00

One of the first crochet patterns I wrote was for a dragon - my 'fierce but friendly really dragon'. I love dragons, and it's hard to find nice toys of them, so that was a real incentive to make one myself. Lots of people liked it and asked for the pattern, so eventually I wrote up my notes and put them on Craftster and Livejournal. The notes were quite rough, and though many people had no problem following them, some asked if I could write the pattern up properly. And, finally, I got round to it!

I had to make a dragon to check the pattern, and while I was doing that I tweaked a few bits - I used to crochet a lot more loosely, and I found some parts came up too small - and I used different stitches on the wings to make them much stiffer.

I won't post the pattern here as it's seven pages long, but it is available as a free download from Ravelry: Fierce Little Dragon free pattern

Edited to add: this pattern has now been translated into Spanish by Ana, over at her blog.

Edited to add 2: this pattern has now kindly been translated into French by FilACroche on Ravelry. You can download it here

Little Eggie Amigurumi Pattern

2011-04-13T19:02:00.000+01:00

Perfect for Easter - make a cute little Eggie friend. He's about the same size as a hen's egg - use light brown or white yarn if you want him to look like one, or bright yarn if you want him to look like a decorated Easter egg.

Materials:
Small amount of yarn, any colour you like. Thickness is not too important - I used double knitting (dk) but a bit thicker would be fine too.
Black yarn to embroider the mouth.
One pair 6mm safety eyes.
3.5mm hook (US E hook).
Stuffing.
Tapestry needle.

Abbreviations:
ch = chain
st = stitch or stitches
sc = single crochet (US), double crochet (UK)
dc = double crochet (US), treble crochet (UK)
ss = slip stitch
tog = together
sc2tog = decrease by working two sc together
FO = fasten off

Special stitch instructions:
3 dc bob: bobble stitch for hands and feet. YOH (yarn over hook), insert hook into second ch from hook, YOH and pull through loop, YOH, pull through 2 loops, *YOH, insert hook into same stitch, YOH and pull through loop, YOH, pull through 2 loops, repeat once from*, YOH, pull through all 4 loops on hook.

Little Eggie is made in rounds. Do not join rounds, use a stitch marker to mark the start of a round - a small piece of different coloured yarn placed under the stitch at the start of the round will do.

Round 1: Ch 2, work 6 sc into 1st ch - 6 st.
Round 2: 2 sc in each st around - 12 st.
Round 3: [2sc in next st, sc in next 3 st] 3 times – 15 st.
Round 4: [2sc in next st, sc in next 2 st] 5 times – 20 st.
Round 5 – 6: (2 rounds) Sc in each st around – 20 st.
Round 7: [2sc in next st, sc in next 3 st] 5 times – 25 st.
Round 8 – 10: (3 rounds) Sc in each st around – 25 st.
Round 11: Sc in next 6 st, [make arm: ss into next st, ch 7, 3 dc bob into 2nd ch from hook, ss into next 5 ch, ss back into original st], sc in next 11 st, [make arm as before], sc in next 6 st - 25 st.
Round 12: Sc in each st around – 25 st (you sc into the first ss used to make each arm).

Fit eyes between rounds 9 and 10.

Round 13 – 15: (3 rounds) Sc in each st around – 25 st.
Round 16: [Sc2tog, sc in next 3 st] 5 times – 20 st.
Round 17: Sc2tog, sc in next 2 st, sc2tog, [make leg using the same method as the arm], sc in next st, sc2tog, sc in next 2 st, sc2tog, [make leg], sc in next st, sc2tog, sc in next 2 st – 15 st.

Stuff Eggie and embroider mouth.

Round 18: [Sc2tog, sc in next st] 5 times – 10 st.
Round 19: [Sc2tog] 5 times – 5 sc. FO.

Complete stuffing and sew up hole neatly.

Tiny Chick - Free Amigurumi Pattern

2011-04-13T18:46:00.001+01:00

This miniature chick is only 1.5" tall, so he'd make a cute little extra for Easter.

Materials:
Small amount of pale yellow yarn, double knitting (dk) weight.
Black yarn to embroider the eyes.
Dark yellow or orange yarn to embroider the beak.
3.5mm hook (US E hook).
Stuffing.
Tapestry needle.

Abbreviations:
ch = chain
st = stitch or stitches
sc = single crochet (US), double crochet (UK)
hdc = half double crochet (US), half treble crochet (UK)
ss = slip stitch
tog = together
sc2tog = decrease by working two sc together
FO = fasten off

This chick is made in rounds. Do not join rounds, use a stitch marker to mark the start of a round - a small piece of different coloured yarn placed under the stitch at the start of the round will do.

Round 1: Ch 2, work 6 sc into 1st ch - 6 st.
Round 2: 2 sc in each st around - 12 st.
Round 3: [2 sc in next st, sc in next st] 6 times – 18 st.
Round 4 – 7: (4 rounds) Sc in each st around – 18 st.
Round 8: Sc in next 4 st, [make wing: ss into next st, ch 4, hdc into 2nd ch from hook, hdc in next 2 ch, ss back into original st], sc in next 8 st, [make wing as before], sc in next 4 st - 18 st.
Round 9: Sc in each st around – 18 st (you sc into the first ss used to make each wing).
Round 10: [2 sc in next st, sc in next 5 st] 3 times – 21 st.
Round 11: [2 sc in next st, sc in next 6 st] 3 times – 24 st.
Round 12 – 13: (2 rounds) Sc in each st around – 24 st.

Start to stuff. Embroider eyes and beak with French knots - wind the yarn round the needle twice for the eyes, and four or five times for the beak.

Round 14: [Sc2tog] 6 times – 12 st.
Round 15: [Sc2tog] 6 times – 6 sc. FO.
Complete stuffing and sew up hole neatly.

Chubby Gnomes

2011-04-06T15:17:00.001+01:00

I was thinking of something to make for Easter that was egg-shaped, when I realised that Gnomes, with their pointy hats, were perfect. I wanted them to be chubby and simple, so I started with one with a classic red hat and a little beard.

I was really happy with the way he turned out, and I decided that he needed a little girl friend. I couldn't give her a beard (she's not a dwarf!) so she's got cute little pigtails.

I made another to check the pattern and changed the colours for a bit of variety.

I think Gnomes like gardens so they seem appropriate for spring when everything starts growing so madly. These little Gnomes are only 3.5" tall and fit nicely in your hand.

They'd look cute on a windowsill next to some plants, or maybe they'd like to go travelling? And they have another, more modern, talent. My 10 year-old son discovered that they're the perfect shape for break-dancing!

The pattern is now available in my Etsy shop.

Woolly Jumpers! Rabbit and Lamb amigurumis

2011-03-20T16:03:00.000Z

I was asked to make some toys for our school's Easter raffle and so I picked two of the animals I most associate with spring - rabbits and lambs. I've been wanting to come up with a pattern for animal toys wearing clothes, so this was a good opportunity to give it a try. I started with a boy rabbit wearing a jumper (or sweater), then made the boy lamb with a really stripy jumper (I love stripes!).

Since I have boys I don't usually make girly toys, but I thought I'd give it a go this time and made a girl rabbit and lamb wearing little dresses, which made a nice change for me.

When I started making them the weather was still quite wintery, but but by the time I got round to photographing them it was getting much more spring-like, and I was pleased to be able to use some daffodils and primula as a backdrop.

The pattern, which gives instructions on how to make all the variations, is available in my Etsy shop.

Obi-Wan Kenobi - Mini Amigurumi

2011-02-02T17:38:00.002Z

I've just finished my latest Star Wars amigurumi figure - Obi-Wan Kenobi. So far I've only done characters from the Original Trilogy, so I made a little mini version of old Ben Kenobi, complete with a brown hooded robe.

I'd forgotten, until I rewatched Episode IV, quite how much I liked the character, but Sir Alec Guinness did a great job, bringing a lot of class and gravity to the whole film, and he gets some great lines. When Ewan McGregor was cast in the prequels I was pleased, as he's a decent actor (who's very easy on the eye!), and he did a good impression of Guinness which helped connect the new films to the old. With that in mind, I thought I'd make his version of the character too. The pattern is written with just a few variations - old Obi-Wan wears a long robe whereas young Obi-Wan has a shorter one so you can see his trousers and boots, and obviously the hair colour is different.

I was very pleased with how the hooded robe turned out. Nearly all the crochet I do these days is amigurumi in the round, so it was a bit different making something in rows. I was worried that something so small would end up far too stiff, but it worked just fine. I might even try making a version of Yoda from the prequels with a little hooded robe.

The pattern, including both versions of Obi-Wan, is now available in my Etsy shop.

Boba Fett - Mini Amigurumi

2011-01-12T15:01:00.002Z

I was delayed a bit by Christmas, but I've finally finished my pattern for a miniature Boba Fett. This bounty hunter with the fearsome reputation is only 3.5" tall, and the pattern to make him is available in my Etsy shop.

It was difficult to get his helmet right, but in the end I was very happy with it. It was also hard to find the right colour for his armour - every photo I looked at for reference looked slightly different, and for my first prototype I used an olive green. Then I found this colour, I would describe it as a sage green, which I think works well. I decided against making his rocket backpack, because I felt it would overwhelm him, given his size, but he had to have his little ragged cloak.

I'm hoping to come up with a few more Star Wars characters - I'm working on Obi Wan Kenobi at the moment, then I think I'll have a go at Admiral Ackbar and a Jawa.

....And The Pussycat

2010-11-18T14:57:00.001Z

Here's the pattern to make a tiny little cat - only 1.5" tall - that's the perfect pet for my mini amigurumi Witch. Make in the traditional black, or use and colours you like for a different type of cat.

See the previous post for general instructions and abbreviations for the pattern, and details on how to make a mini owl.

Witch's Cat

You will need:
Small amount of black yarn.
1 Pair of 7.5mm green safety eyes, or green yarn to embroider them.
Small amount of stuffing.
3.5mm (E) hook.

Special stitch instructions:
3 dc pop: popcorn stitch for ears. Work 3 dc into 1 st, take hook out leaving loop, put hook through 1st dc & pull loop through.

Start at top of head:
Round 1: Ch2, work 6 sc into 1st ch - 6 st.
Round 2: 2 sc in each st around – 12 st.
Round 3: [2 sc in next st, sc in next st, 2 sc in next st, 3 dc pop in next st, 2 sc in next st, sc in next st] 2 times - 18 st.
Round 4 - 7: (4 rounds) Sc in each st around – 18 st.

Fit eyes between rounds 5 and 6, treating the start of the round as the back of the cat.

Round 8: [Sc2tog, sc in next st] 6 times – 12 st.
Round 9: [2 sc in next st, sc in next st] 6 times – 18 st.
Round 10 - 13: (4 rounds) Sc in each st around – 18 st.
Round 14: Sc in each st around until you get to the middle back, [tail: ss in next st, ch 10, ss into 2nd ch from hook, ss in next 8 ch, ss back into original st], sc in each st to the end of the round – 18 st.
Round 15: Sc in each st around (work into the first ss of the tail, not the second) – 18 st.
Round 16: [Sc2tog, sc in next st] 6 times – 12 st.
Round 17: [Sc2tog] 6 times – 6 st.

FO, leaving a length of yarn. Embroider eyes if you haven't used safety eyes. Stuff and use length yarn to sew up hole at bottom, pulling it tight up through the body to ensure that the cat will sit on a flat surface.

The Owl.....

2010-11-18T14:44:00.000Z

After I'd designed my Witch and Wizard amigurumis, I felt that they could both do with little pets, or familiars. So I made the witch a little black cat (pattern in the next post) and made a mini snowy owl for the wizard. Of course, when I started taking photos of them, I realised that I'd made the Owl and the Pussycat!

These guys are pretty small, only about 1.5" tall, so that they match with their owners. Even if you don't have a witch or wizard to make them for, they'd still be cute little mini pets. Maybe I'll take my tiny Hedwig to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows!

General instructions for both patterns:

Work in rounds unless otherwise stated and do not join rounds unless told to. Use a stitch marker to mark the start of a round - a small piece of different coloured yarn placed under the stitch at the start of the round will do. To start a round, you can use the magic ring method, but I prefer (ch2, work 6 sc into 1st ch). If you work the 6 sc over the tail of yarn as well you can use that to pull the hole tight.

Work through both loops of stitches unless otherwise indicated.

Abbreviations:
ch = chain
st = stitch or stitches
ss = slipstitch

sc = single crochet (US), double crochet (UK)

dc = double crochet (US), treble crochet (UK)
tog = together
sc2tog = decrease by working two sc together

FLO = work in front loop only

FO = fasten off

Wizard's Owl

I have made a snowy owl here but you could use different colours to make a different type of owl.

You will need:
Small amount of white yarn.

Small amount of black yarn for beak.

1 Pair of 7.5mm amber safety eyes.

Small amount of stuffing.

3.5mm (E) hook.

Start at top of head:

Round 1: Ch2, work 6 sc into 1st ch - 6 st.

Round 2: 2 sc in each st around – 12 st.

Round 3: [2 sc in next st, sc in next st] 6 times - 18 st.
Round 4 - 7: (4 rounds) Sc in each st around – 18 st.

Fit eyes between rounds 5 and 6, treating the start of the round as the front of the owl.

Round 8: [Sc2tog, sc in next st] 6 times – 12 st.
Round 9: [2 sc in next st, sc in next st] 6 times – 18 st.
Round 10 - 13: (4 rounds) Sc in each st around – 18 st.

Find the stitch in the last round that is exactly in the middle of the back of the owl. Count back 5 stitches along the round (not including the middle stitch) and mark this stitch.

Round 14: Sc in each st around until you get to the marked stitch, [FLO sc in next st, hdc in next 2 st, dc in next 5 st, hdc in next 2 st, sc in next st], working through both loops again sc in each st to the end of the round – 18 st.

Round 15: Sc in each st around (work into the back loops of the st in the previous round that were in FLO) – 18 st.

Round 16: [Sc2tog, sc in next st] 6 times – 12 st.

Round 17: [Sc2tog] 6 times – 6 st.

FO, leaving a length of yarn. Using black yarn sew a beak. Stuff and use length yarn to sew up hole at bottom, pulling it tight up through the body to ensure that the owl will sit on a flat surface.

Free Pattern: Tiny Rabbit Amigurumi

2010-10-31T17:23:00.001Z

Here's a simple little pattern to crochet a tiny rabbit, about 2" long. You crochet the ears and the feet as you go along, so the only sewing is for the features and the tail.

Tiny Rabbit Amigurumi

Abbreviations:
ch = chain
st = stitch or stitches
ss = slipstitch
sc = single crochet (US), double crochet (UK)

dc = double crochet (US), treble crochet (UK)

tog = together

sc2tog = decrease by working two sc together
FO = fasten off

General instructions:

Work through both loops of stitches unless otherwise indicated.

You will need:

Small amount of light brown yarn.
Small amount of white yarn.

Black yarn for features.

Small amount of stuffing.
3.5mm (E) hook.

Special stitch instructions:
4 dc pop: popcorn stitch for legs. Work 4 dc into 1 st, take hook out leaving loop, put hook through 1st dc & pull loop through.

Body:
Start at nose using light brown yarn.
Round 1: Ch2, work 6 sc into 1st ch - 6 st.
Round 2: [2 sc in next st, sc in next 2 st] 2 times – 8 st.
Round 3: Sc in each st around - 8 st.
Round 4: [2 sc in next st, sc in next st] 4 times – 12 st.
Round 5: Sc in next 4 st, [ear: ss in next st, ch 6, sc into 2nd ch from hook, dc in next 3 ch, sc in next ch, ss back into original st], sc in next 2 st, [ear: as before], sc in next 4 st – 12 st.
Round 6: Sc in each st around (work into the first ss of the ears, not the second) - 12 st.
Round 7: Sc in next 4 st, [2 sc in next st, sc in next st] 3 times, sc in next 2 st – 15 st.
Round 8: Sc in next 4 st, [2 sc in next st, sc in next 2 st] 3 times, sc in next 2 st – 18 st.
Round 9: 4 dc pop in next st, sc in next st, 4 dc pop in next st, sc in next 15 st – 18 st.
Round 10 - 11: (2 rounds) Sc in each st around - 18 st.
Round 12: Sc in next 17 st, 4 dc pop in next st – 18 st.
Round 13: Sc in next 4 st, 4 dc pop in next st, sc in next 13 st – 18 st.
Round 14: Sc in each st around - 18 st.
Round 15: [Sc2tog, sc in next st] 6 times – 12 st.

Round 16: [Sc2tog] 6 times – 6 st.

FO, leaving a length of yarn.

Use black yarn to sew eyes, nose and mouth, stuff and use length of light brown yarn to sew up hole at bottom.

Tail:

Using white yarn.

Ch 3, work 6 dc into 1st ch, join to first dc with ss. FO leaving a length of yarn and sew to bottom. Use the length of white yarn to sew front teeth if you wish.

Witches and Wizards

2010-10-20T11:28:00.001+01:00

Fantasy has always been my favourite genre of books and films, so I thought I'd design some cute lttle amigurumis of various classic fantasy characters. Given that it's nearly halloween it seemed like a good idea to start with witches and wizards.

There are lots of great books featuring witches and wizards - Terry Pratchett's Discworld books have brilliant witches like the formidable Granny Weatherwax and the young but powerful Tiffany Aching, and Unseen University is home to a wonderful collection of bickering wizards. One of the great things about the Harry Potter books is the fun J K Rowling has with all the eccentric characters in their amazing outfits and Tolkien, of course, created a classic and iconic character with Gandalf, the archetypal old, wise wizard.

One of my favourite books when I was little was The Witch Family by Eleanor Estes (if you've never heard of it you can take a look at some of it here: http://tiny.cc/wpl9p). It has lovely line drawings by Edward Ardizzone of a little witch girl, and the most adorable witch baby, which were definitely an inspiration for my designs.

My pattern is now for sale in my Etsy shop - http://www.etsy.com/listing/59426451/pattern-for-witch-or-wizard-mini - and with it there are instructions for all the variations to make a mini witch or wizard (just 4.5" tall) with several different looks.

My patterns for sale on Etsy

2010-08-20T17:04:00.005+01:00

Just for reference, I'm putting a list here of the crochet patterns I usually have for sale on Etsy. These are all normally available, with all the details about the materials and skill level needed to make them, at lucyravenscar.etsy.com. If any of them are missing from my shop, just contact me and I'll relist them.

**Updated July 2011**

Star Wars Mini Amigurumi Patterns:

Single Patterns $3.50 each.

You can also buy two patterns for $6 or all 12 patterns together for $31.50.

Boba Fett

Obi-Wan Kenobi

Yoda

Ewok

Chewbacca

R2-D2

C-3PO

Darth Vader

Stormtrooper

Princess Leia

Luke Skywalker

Han Solo

Dragonet Amigurumi Pattern: $6

Adorable Monster Amigurumi Pattern: $4
Also available to download from Ravelry: Adorable Monster

Small Spirit Pattern: $4

Flora the Elephant Amigurumi Pattern: $4
Also available to download from Ravelry: Flora the Elephant

Witch and Wizard Amigurumi Pattern: $4

Also available to download from Ravelry: Witch and Wizard

Woolly Jumpers Amigurumi Pattern - Rabbit and Lamb: $4

Also available to download from Ravelry: Woolly Jumpers

Chubby Gnomes Amigurumi Pattern: $3.50
Also available to download from Ravelry: Chubby Gnomes

Adorable Monsters

2010-07-10T17:29:00.000+01:00

After I made an Adorable Snow Monster way back in January (http://lucyravenscar.blogspot.com/2010/01/adorable-snow-monster.html) I decided to write up the pattern. I made another Snow Monster to test it, and then I was given some lovely extra fluffy mohair so I made a variation which I decided was a Wildly Adorable Snow Monster.

Then I thought I'd better try making one without using a mohair yarn, because they're not always easily available. I wasn't sure what it would look like - using the same pattern apart from the ruff around its face, it ended up quite different looking. Without the fluff the big hands and feet were more noticeable, but I thought it was just as cute. I wasn't quite sure what kind of monster he was, but since he is green and brown he's ended up being an Adorable Tree Monster.

Having bought some self-striping yarn, I though I'd give that a go, and made an Adorable Rainbow Monster. I thought I was finished then but my son begged me to make him a fire monster. I used three different tones of red (I'm not sure they all show up in the photos, but I used the darkest colour at the bottom) and I brushed the fur on his head upwards to give him a more fiery effect. And so was born the Flaming Adorable Fire Monster.

I really like the way the same pattern can make quite different looking creatures - it would be quite easy to add details like spines, horns, wings or spots to make them even more varied.

The pattern is now up for sale in my Etsy Shop.

Dragonet Pattern

2010-05-20T16:33:00.002+01:00

Have you ever wanted your own pet dragon? Well, generally they're a bit big to fit in the house, so what you need is a Dragonet, a small or young dragon. I've finally finished my latest pattern, so now you can crochet yourself a Dragonet, a fantastical friend who will hang around your home.

Small for a dragon, but pretty big for an amigurumi - they are about 17.5" long and have a wingspan of 22". Of course, if you're a Lego person, they are just the right size for a ride, as one of my pattern testers discovered:
http://tossedcookies.wordpress.com/2010/05/17/just-another-bedtime-story/

I'm very happy, after a certain amount of experimentation, with the wings. I managed to make them fairly stiff without using any wire or anything else apart from crochet and stuffing. I also tried out different eyes - they can be made with either safety eyes (ones with a slit rather than a round pupil look best, I think) or with round beads - the red Dragonet has clear glass ones.

If you want to make your own Dragonet, the pattern is for sale in my Etsy shop:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/lucyravenscar

Two Spirits and One Pattern

2010-04-29T18:04:00.000+01:00

Getting my Star Wars patterns sorted finally allowed me to get on with all the other things I had been meaning to make. One of them was from a request I had quite some time ago to make a Water Spirit, with no particular directions on what it should look like. I decided to give it the feel of some kind of water-loving mammal, such as an otter or a seal, so it has a long, streamlined head and two tail-like flippers. I wanted to use lots of different watery colours so I chose three different mohair-type yarns, two of which were multicoloured, to give a nice mix. I was really pleased with the way it turned out, and luckily, so was the patient recipient.

I also got a request to do a pattern for another type of Spirit I have made. Using the same basic pattern but with different details I have made a Rock Spirit, a Hedgerow Spirit and a Dream Spirit. These are great little creatures to use interesting yarns on - they have bodies made with a mohair-type yarn - which you can customise to be the sort of Spirit you want with different features and any colours you like.

I wrote up the pattern, and to test it I made a Moon Spirit. This little creature gazes up at the full moon, absorbing its gentle rays, and then reflects them back in the darkest nights to guide other animals.

The pattern for the Small Spirit, with details of how to make the different variations, is now for sale in my Etsy shop - http://www.etsy.com/listing/45355995/pattern-for-small-spirit-amigurumi.

Star Wars Mini Amigurumi

2010-02-18T15:59:00.000Z

Well, I've finally done it! I've designed all my Star Wars amigurumi to my satisfaction, written up the patterns, photographed them, put the patterns together and put them all on Etsy!

I've been working on these little Star Wars guys on and off for a couple of years. Partly inspired by my and my children's love of Star Wars, and the way Star Wars Lego looks so cute, I realised that I wanted to crochet mini versions of all my favourite characters. It's taken so long because of wanting to keep them stylistically similar even though the characters are very varied. I also wanted them to be different sizes, so that Leia is taller than R2-D2, and Vader is taller than Han, for example, but not perfectly proportionally, or Chewie ends up being too tall. As it is, Yoda is 2.5" tall and Chewbacca is 4.5" tall, with the rest fitting in between them.

I made Yoda first, he's pretty simple and easily identifiable, then Leia (my favourite character, the one I identify with) whose iconic hairstyle is perfectly suited to be reproduced in crochet. Neither of these two had legs, Yoda with his robe and Leia her dress, so when it came to most of the other characters I wasn't sure how to make them. I knew I wanted them to have big feet, and to stand up easily, and so I made them without separate legs, but simply defined them with yarn afterwards, a solution which I'm really happy with.

Some of them took longer than others to perfect. I wasn't sure if C-3PO would work, but I was happy with him straight away. Vader, on the other hand, I just couldn't get right. His head, his face mask, how much detail to give him. Since his costume is almost entirely black it's very hard to define any details. I made him several times with a flat triangular mask and it wasn't until I made it more three-dimensional that I was satisfied.

The Ewok was tough, too. I made him in a completely different way with his hood as part of his head, which I thought I liked, but when I came to write the pattern up it just seemed too unnecessarily complicated. since I'd just been making my crocheted cork knights I realised I could use a similar technique to make a simple separate hood, which I much preferred.

Apart from fine-tuning his height, I liked my Chewbacca, which I made with an alpaca mix yarn then brushed, but I realised that finding that particular type of yarn might be difficult. So I also made him using a normal smooth acrylic yarn that had various different browns in it and which brushed up just as nicely with a wire pet brush.

Anyway, I'm very happy with the finished patterns. If they prove to be popular I'll have to work on some more characters - I think I'll do Boba Fett and Obi Wan next. If you want to see more photos, check out my Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/96575205@N00/), and if you'd like to buy any of the patterns just go to my Etsy shop (http://www.lucyravenscar.etsy.com/).

Cork and Crochet: Gnomes

2010-02-07T23:21:00.000Z

You will need:
Small amounts of yarn: for example red for hat, white for hair, blue for top, brown for trousers.
Black yarn for mouth.
A cork, approx 1.75" (4.5cm) long.
Black permanent marker pen (Sharpie).
4 mm (F) hook.

Abbreviations:
ch = chain
st = stitch or stitches
ss = slip stitch
sc = single crochet (US), double crochet (UK)
BLO = back loop only
FLO = front loop only
FO = fasten off

General instructions:

Work through both loops of stitches unless otherwise indicated.

Start with hat colour yarn.
Round 1: Ch2, work 6 sc into 1st ch - 6 sc.
Round 2: [2 sc in next sc, sc in next 2 sc] 2 times - 8 sc.
Round 3: [2 sc in next sc, sc in next 3 sc] 2 times - 10 sc.
Round 4: [2 sc in next sc, sc in next 4 sc] 2 times - 12 sc.
Round 5: [2 sc in next sc, sc in next 3 sc] 3 times – 15 sc.
Round 6 - 7: (2 rounds) Sc in each sc around - 15 sc.
Sc in next 8 sc, change to hair colour yarn, sc in next sc, then mark as start of round.
Round 8: Sc in each sc around - 15 sc.
Ch1, turn.
Row 1: Sc in next 10 sc, ch1, turn - 10 sc.
Row 2: Sc in next 10 sc, ch5.
Round 9: Sc into 1st sc of row 2, sc in next 9 sc, 5 sc over ch5 - 15 sc.
Round 10: Sc in next 2 sc, change to top colour yarn but carry the hair colour yarn under. Sc in next 8 sc, change to hair colour yarn.
Beard:
Row 1: FLO Sc in next 5 sc, ch1, turn.
Row 2: Miss 1st sc, sc in next 3 sc, ch1, turn.
Row 3: Miss 1st sc, sc in next sc, ss in next sc. FO, leaving short length of yarn.

Pick up top colour yarn and continue Round 10 working in the back loops behind beard. Pull yarn through 1st back loop, yarn over hook and pull through. Sc in same back loop and each of next 4.
Round 11 - 12: (2 rounds) Sc in each sc around - 15 sc
Change to trouser colour yarn.
Round 13 - 14: (2 rounds) Sc in each sc around - 15 sc.
Ss in next sc, FO and weave in end.

Use yarn from beard to secure it to the body with a couple of stitches

Fit over cork and carefully draw face in the gap.

Cork and Crochet: Ninjas

2010-02-07T23:11:00.002Z

You will need:
Small amount of black yarn.
Grey yarn to embroider throwing stars.
A cork, approx 1.75" (4.5cm) long.
Black permanent marker pen (Sharpie).
4 mm (F) hook.

Abbreviations:
ch = chain
st = stitch or stitches
ss = slip stitch
sc = single crochet (US), double crochet (UK)
BLO = back loop only
FLO = front loop only
FO = fasten off

General instructions:
Work in rounds unless otherwise stated and do not join rounds unless told to. Use a stitch marker to mark the start of a round - a small piece of different coloured yarn placed under the stitch at the start of the round will do. To start a round, you can use the magic ring method, but I prefer (ch2, work 6 sc into 1st ch). If you work the 6 sc over the tail of yarn as well you can use that to pull the hole tight.

Work through both loops of stitches unless otherwise indicated.

Round 1: Ch2, work 6 sc into 1st ch - 6 sc.
Round 2: 2 sc in each sc around - 12 sc.
Round 3: [2 sc in next sc, sc in next 3 sc] 3 times – 15 sc.
Round 4 - 5: (2 rounds) Sc in each sc around - 15 sc.
Ch1, turn.

Row 1: Sc in next 10 sc, ch1, turn - 10 sc.
Row 2: Sc in next 10 sc, ch5.
Round 6: Sc into 1st sc of row 2, sc in next 3 sc, [to make ties: ss in next sc, ch3, ss into 2nd ch from hook, ss in next ch, ss back into original sc] 2 times, sc in next 4 sc, 5 sc over ch5 - 15 st.
Round 7: Sc in each st around (work into 1st ss for each of the ties) - 15 sc.
Round 8 - 12: (5 rounds) Sc in each sc around - 15 sc.
Ss in next sc, FO and weave in end.

Use grey yarn to sew two throwing stars onto body.

Fit over cork and carefully draw face in the gap.

Cork and Crochet: Knights

2010-02-07T23:02:00.003Z

One of the ideas I tried out for the bazaar was to use corks and crochet 'skins' for them. It's a fun way to recycle old corks and makes cute little guys. Here is the first of the patterns: feel free to make these for your own personal use, or to raise money for good causes.

You will need:
Small amounts of grey and bright coloured yarn (red, green, blue or yellow) yarn.
Small piece of felt and length of yarn, both different colours to the main body of the knight.
A cork, approx 1.75" (4.5cm) long.

Black permanent marker pen (Sharpie).
4 mm (F) hook.

Abbreviations:
ch = chain
st = stitch or stitches
ss = slip stitch
sc = single crochet (US), double crochet (UK)
BLO = back loop only
FLO = front loop only
FO = fasten off

General instructions:
Work in rounds unless otherwise stated and do not join rounds unless told to. Use a stitch marker to mark the start of a round - a small piece of different coloured yarn placed under the stitch at the start of the round will do. To start a round, you can use the magic ring method, but I prefer (ch2, work 6 sc into 1st ch). If you work the 6 sc over the tail of yarn as well you can use that to pull the hole tight.

Work through both loops of stitches unless otherwise indicated.

Start using grey yarn:
Round 1: Ch2, work 6 sc into 1st ch - 6 sc.
Round 2: 2 sc in each sc around - 12 sc.
Round 3: [2 sc in next sc, sc in next 3 sc] 3 times – 15 sc.
Round 4 - 5: (2 rounds) Sc in each sc around - 15 sc.
Ch1, turn.
Row 1: Sc in next 10 sc, ch1, turn - 10 sc.
Row 2: Sc in next 10 sc, ch5.
Round 6: Sc into 1st sc of row 2, sc in next 9 sc, 5 sc over ch5 - 15 sc.
Sc in next 2 sc, change to bright coloured yarn and mark as start of round.
Round 7 - 11: (5 rounds) Sc in each sc around - 15 sc.
Change to grey yarn.
Round 12: Sc in each sc around - 15 sc.

Ss in next sc, FO and weave in end.

Cut felt into small shield shape and use contrasting yarn to sew onto body with a cross shape.

Use black yarn to sew a little mouth on the beard.
Fit over cork and carefully draw face in the gap.

Bazaar Patterns: Incy Wincy Elephant

2010-02-07T13:40:00.002Z

Here's another pattern from last year's school bazaar, check out this previous post for full details:
http://lucyravenscar.blogspot.com/2010/02/bazaar-patterns-teeny-tiny-turtle.html

Incy Wincy Elephant

You will need:
Small amount of grey yarn.
Black yarn for features.
Small amount of stuffing.
3.5mm (E) hook.

Special stitch instructions:
4 dc pop: popcorn stitch for legs. Work 4 dc into 1 sc, take hook out leaving loop, put hook through 1st dc & pull loop through.

Round 1: Ch2, work 6 sc into 1st ch, join to first sc with ss - 6 sc.
Round 2: BLO Sc in each sc around - 6 sc.
Round 3 - 6: (4 rounds) Sc in each sc around - 6 sc.
Round 7: [2 sc in next sc, sc in next sc] 3 times – 9 sc.
Round 8: [2 sc in next sc, sc in next 2 sc] 3 times – 12 sc.
Round 9: [2 sc in next sc, sc in next sc] 6 times – 18 sc.
Round 10: Sc in each sc around - 18 sc.
Round 11: [Ear FLO: ss into next sc, ch 2, 2 dc in same sc, 2 dc in next 2 sc, ch 2, ss into last sc], sc in next 6 sc, [Ear FLO: ss into next sc, ch 2, 2 dc in same sc, 2 dc in next 2 sc, ch 2, ss into last sc], sc in next 6 sc - 18 st.
Round 12: 3 sc in the next 3 back loops (of the sc the ears are worked into), sc in next 6 sc, 3 sc in the next 3 back loops, sc in next 6 sc - 18 sc.
Round 13: Sc in next 4 sc, 4 dc pop in next sc, sc in next 2 sc, 4 dc pop in next sc, sc in next 10 sc – 18 st.
Round 14 - 16: (3 rounds) Sc in each st around - 18 sc.
Round 17: Sc in next 5 sc, 4 dc pop in next sc, sc in next 2 sc, 4 dc pop in next sc, sc in next 9 sc – 18 st.
Round 18: Sc in each st around - 18 sc.
Round 19: [Sc2tog, sc in next sc] 6 times – 12 sc.
Round 20: [Sc2tog] 6 times – 6 sc.
To make tail: Ch 4, ss into 2nd ch from hook, ss in next 2 ch.
FO, leaving a length of yarn.

Use black yarn to sew eyes and a mouth as you wish, stuff and use length of grey yarn to sew up hole at bottom

Bazaar Patterns: Little Lucky Pig

2010-02-07T13:27:00.004Z

Here's another pattern from last year's school bazaar, check out this previous post for full details:
http://lucyravenscar.blogspot.com/2010/02/bazaar-patterns-teeny-tiny-turtle.html

Little Lucky Pig

You will need:

Small amount of pink yarn.

Black yarn for features.

Small amount of stuffing.

3.5mm (E) hook.

Special stitch instructions:

4 dc pop: popcorn stitch for ears and legs. Work 4 dc into 1 sc, take hook out leaving loop, put hook through 1st dc & pull loop through.

Round 1: Ch2, work 6 sc into 1st ch, join to first sc with ss - 6 sc.

Round 2: BLO Sc in each sc around - 6 sc.

Round 3: [2 sc in next sc, sc in next sc] 3 times – 9 sc.

Round 4: [2 sc in next sc, sc in next 2 sc] 3 times – 12 sc.

Round 5: [2 sc in next sc, sc in next sc] 6 times – 18 sc.

Round 6: Sc in each sc around - 18 sc.

Round 7: Sc in next 6 sc, 4 dc pop in next sc, sc in next 4 sc, 4 dc pop in next sc, sc in next 6 sc – 18 st.

Round 8: Sc in next 16 sc, 4 dc pop in next sc, sc in next sc – 18 st.

Round 9: Sc in next sc, 4 dc pop in next sc, sc in next 16 sc – 18 st.

Round 10 - 11: (2 rounds) Sc in each st around - 18 sc.

Round 12: Sc in next 17 sc, 4 dc pop in next sc – 18 st.

Round 13: Sc in next 2 sc, 4 dc pop in next sc, sc in next 15 sc – 18 st.

Round 14: [Sc2tog, sc in next sc] 6 times – 12 sc.

Round 15: [Sc2tog] 6 times – 6 sc.

To make tail: Ch 9, ss into 2nd ch from hook, ss in next 7 ch.

FO, leaving a length of yarn.

Use black yarn to sew eyes and a mouth/nostrils as you wish, stuff and use length of pink yarn to sew up hole at bottom.

Bazaar Patterns: Teeny Tiny Turtle

2010-02-07T13:11:00.006Z

Every Christmas my sons' school holds a craft bazaar for the children, and I use every spare moment in the weeks beforehand making things to sell. I try to come up with things that are quick to make, so they tend to be small with minimal sewing together. I use popcorn stitches to make legs, ears and even heads. I'm posting a few of the patterns here - feel free to use them for personal use or to make money for good causes.

General instructions:
Work in rounds unless otherwise stated and do not join rounds unless told to. Use a stitch marker to mark the start of a round - a small piece of different coloured yarn placed under the stitch at the start of the round will do. To start a round, you can use the magic ring method, but I prefer (ch2, work 6 sc into 1st ch). If you work the 6 sc over the tail of yarn as well you can use that to pull the hole tight.
Work through both loops of stitches unless otherwise indicated.

Abbreviations:
ch = chain
st = stitch or stitches
ss = slip stitch
sc = single crochet (US), double crochet (UK)
dc = double crochet (US), treble crochet (UK)
hdc = half double crochet (US), half treble crochet (UK)
BLO = back loop only
FLO = front loop only
tog = together

sc2tog = decrease by working two sc together

FO = fasten off

Teeny Tiny Turtle

This turtle really is small - I don't have one to check with because they all sold, but I think they were about 1.5" across. They can be tiny toys, or turn them into keyrings.

You will need:

Small amounts of green (shell) and brown (body) yarn.

Black yarn for eyes and mouth.

Small amount of stuffing.

3.5mm (E) hook.

Special stitch instructions:

4 dc pop: popcorn stitch for legs. Work 4 dc into 1 sc, take hook out leaving loop, put hook through 1st dc & pull loop through.

Start using green yarn.

Round 1: Ch2, work 6 sc into 1st ch - 6 sc.

Round 2: 2 sc in each sc around - 12 sc.

Round 3: [2 sc in next sc, sc in next sc] 6 times – 18 sc.

Round 4 - 5: (2 rounds) Sc in each sc around - 18 sc.

Ss and change to brown yarn.

Round 6: BLO Sc in next 2 sc, 4 dc pop in next sc, sc in next 3 sc, 4 dc pop in next sc, sc in next 2 sc, [head: 3 dc in each of next 2 sc, take hook out leaving loop, put hook through 1st dc & pull loop through.], sc in next 2 sc, 4 dc pop in next sc, sc in next 3 sc, 4 dc pop in next sc - 17 sc.

Round 7: [Sc in next sc, sc2tog] 3 times, sc in next 2 sc, [sc2tog, sc in next sc] 2 times – 12 sc.

Round 8: [Sc2tog] 6 times – 6 sc. FO, leaving a length of yarn.

Use black yarn to sew eyes and a tiny mouth on the turtle's head, stuff and use length of brown yarn to sew up hole at bottom.

Dusk and Hedgerow Spirits

2010-02-01T18:42:00.008Z

Over the last few months, whenever I've been going somewhere I might have a bit of spare time to crochet (like visiting relatives for a few days), I've taken a bag with an interesting furry yarn, a couple of contrasting yarns and my faithful 3.5mm hook. I take my scribbled notes for a creature I've made before (it's too awkward to make up an entirely new pattern and make notes when I'm on the go) and make a different version.

Here are the two creatures that I made: a Dusk Spirit and a Hedgerow Spirit. I made them then decided what they were once they were completed.

The little Hedgerow Spirit reminds me of the colour your fingers go when you pick blackberries, and the fur around his face looks a bit like Old Man's Beard, so I felt that he belonged in the hedgerows. He lives there and looks after the all the small creatures that live there too, with his horns helping him push through the undergrowth.

The Dusk Spirit matches my Dawn spirit (appropriately enough! See a picture of her here: http://lucyravenscar.blogspot.com/2009/07/earth-spirits.html). The colour of her fur seemed right for that time of day, and her face seemed very calm. Since dusk is when many animals feel safe to feed, I think of it as a quiet safe, time, and it seemed right that she would be their guardian.

Adorable Snow Monster

2010-01-29T11:21:00.008Z

Where I live we hardly ever get snow - at most one fall a year that disappears within 24 hours. So it was very exciting when we got proper snow a couple of weeks ago that lasted a whole week! With the children off school what could I do (apart from going sledging) but make a snow creature?

I present: the Adorable Snow Monster. He's related to the Abominable Snowman, but clearly he can't possibly be described as abominable - he's only seven inches tall for a start! Also, he's not a man, he's definitely a monster, though he's more likely to hug you than scare you. He has a fat little tummy, soft white fur and short, stubby legs. He loves the snow - those big, six-fingered hands are perfect for making snowballs, and he's really looking forward to the Winter Olympics.

Golden Dragonet

2010-01-19T20:02:00.012Z

I made this last autumn for a 'Dragonriders of Pern' swap on Craftster. The series of books by Anne McCaffrey, which are about dragons and their riders, also feature miniature dragons, or firelizards, which make very intelligent pets. I tried to make my crochet version roughly life-size as they are described in the books, although I think she's quite young. Golden ones are the queens and consider themselves the most important!

It took quite a long time to work out the right dimensions and shape while I was crocheting her, and I remade the wings about four times! I think this will be my next project to write up as a pattern, so I'll have to start making it again soon. I will do a few variations for the details on the head - shape of the eyes, ears or horns, and so on. Hopefully it won't take me too long.

Mini Fuzzy-haired Troll - Free pattern

2009-11-13T14:39:00.008Z

I made these for our school's Christmas Bazaar last year - they're quick, easy and fun to make.

Materials:
Some mohair yarn for the hair
Plain yarn for the body
Black yarn to embroider the features
3.5mm hook
Stuffing
A wire pet brush to make the hair fuzzy

Abbreviations:
ch = chain
st = stitch or stitches
sc = single crochet (US), double crochet (UK)
dc = double crochet (US), treble crochet (UK)
ss = slip stitch
tog = together
FO = fasten off

Special stitch instructions:
3 dc popcorn stitch: Work 3 dc into 1 sc, remove hook from working loop, push through both loops of first dc and pull working loop through.
3 dc bobble stitch: Work first part of dc 3 times into 1 stitch, leaving 4 loops on hook, pull through all 4.
This troll is made in rounds. Do not join rounds, use a stitch marker to mark the start of a round - a small piece of different coloured yarn placed under the stitch at the start of the round will do.

Mohair yarn:
Round 1: Ch 2, work 6 sc into 1st ch - 6 sc.Round 2: 2 sc in each sc around - 12 sc.Round 3: [2sc in next sc, sc in next sc] 6 times – 18 sc.
Plain yarn:
Round 4 – 5: (2 rounds) Sc in each sc around – 18 sc.
Round 6: To make ears: Sc in next 4 sc, 3dc popcorn stitch into next sc, sc in next 8sc, 3dc popcorn stitch into next sc, sc in next4 sc – 18 sc
Round 7: Sc in each sc around – 18 sc
Round 8: [Sc 2 tog, sc in next sc] 6 times – 12 sc.
Round 9: Sc in each sc around – 12 sc
Round 10: To make arms: Work sc in each sc around until you get to the sc under the first ear then make arm as follows: ss into sc, ch7, 3dc bobble stitch into 3rd ch from hook, ss into next 4 ch, ss back into original sc. Work sc in next 5 sc, make the other arm, sc in each sc until the end of the round - 12st.
Round 11: Sc in each sc around – 12 sc (you sc into the first ss used to make each arm).
Round 12: Sc in each sc around – 12 sc.
Round 13: [2sc in next sc, sc in next 3 sc] 3 times - 15sc.
Round 14: Sc in each sc around – 15 sc.
Round 15: [2sc in next sc, sc in next 4 sc] 3 times - 18sc.
Round 16: Sc in each sc around – 18 sc.
Round 17: To make feet: Find the stitch in the front middle of your troll. Then count back 4 stitches before that (not including the middle stitch) and mark this stitch. Work sc in each sc around until you get to the marked stitch. Make toes: [3dc popcorn stitch] 3 times, sc in next 3 sc, [3dc popcorn stitch] 3 times, sc in each sc around to the end of the round.
Now stuff your troll and embroider the eyes and mouth with black yarn.
Round 18: [Sc 2 tog, sc in next sc] 6 times – 12 sc.
Round 19: [Sc 2 tog] 6 times – 6 sc. FO.
Complete stuffing and sew up hole neatly.
Use the wire brush on the mohair to make it fuzzy, and your troll is now complete!

Flora the Elephant

2009-09-16T04:54:00.004+01:00

I've finally finished my first pattern to go in my Etsy shop. She's a cute little elephant that I'd made a couple of times before so I knew I'd be able to recreate her. Having two little boys means I don't usually make things wearing pink dresses, but I do love elephants and it's fun to combine them together. I love the shape of her head and I think she looks very shy.

Dream Spirit

2009-09-06T14:42:00.012+01:00

Here is my latest creature.

She is a Dream Spirit, she herds the dreams that float through the air to make sure that each dream gets to the right dreamer. Not just for humans, either. Animals and, who knows, maybe even plants dream, and she has to make sure that dreams do not go astray.

I made her using one my favourite yarns, an alpaca mix. She's a simple shape (using the same basic pattern as my Rock Spirit) that I enjoyed embellishing with various scraps of fuzzy yarns to make her 'whiskers' and then I gave her curved horns/ears. I got a kind of witchy/shaman vibe from her when she was finished and then I could see what she was.

Here's her relative, the Rock Spirit:

Yubbla

2009-08-21T16:03:00.007+01:00

Here's my latest creature - a Yubbla. These are creatures that live in mossy areas around the roots of trees and rocks. They hop around, eating bugs and fungi, their horns giving them a good defence against any predators. They are very friendly and should be encouraged into gardens, as they are great at eating up pests such as slugs.

I got the idea for him back in the spring when I was looking at some very knobbly trees in Petworth Park.

It made me think of a creature that was faintly frog-like with bulgy eyes and big, round haunches. I drew a quick sketch and added in horns since they seemed to fit. Then I got busy making other things and didn't think any more about it.

Recently I started to make another creature using the green mohair but the shape was wrong. I looked at what I'd done and realised it would make the perfect body for my Yubbla. I found the old sketch and even though I tried out a few different ideas, it ended up looking pretty similar, although I did add a tail to make it less froggy. When it was finished I found it very endearing. There's something about the positioning of the eyes that means they seem to foloowing you around, but in a puppy way, not a creepy way.

This Yubbla is now up for sale in my Etsy shop.

Fuzzy Monkey

2009-08-15T13:40:00.004+01:00

I love monkeys - toy ones are cute, and I could watch the real ones for hours. Whenever I go to a zoo I especially like the little guys such as spider monkeys, tamarins and marmosets. I watch their tiny little almost human faces and really want to translate that into amigurumi. The only trouble is that I've made a few amigurumi monkeys, but I don't always feel that I succeed completely, I think I try too hard with the faces and get them wrong.

So for my latest attempt, I kept it simple and didn't try to copy a real monkey. I have some neon green mohair-type yarn that I've been wanting to use, so I decided that would be perfect for the head and body. I made a very simple face, and decided that quite large eyes looked best but with no other features. I gave him long arms and short legs, which probably is more appropriate for an ape, but again it just seemed to work. He ended up with a stripy tail, because I thought a bit of blue mixed in with all the green would look nice, so that makes me think of a lemur. Anyway, I'm really happy with him, even if he is some bizarre primate mix, and he's up for sale in my Etsy shop now.

Earth Spirits

2009-07-18T16:36:00.018+01:00

I've just completed these custom Mother and Child Earth Spirits. I tried out a new yarn (Paton's Spirit, appropriately enough) and it comes out lovely and fuzzy when you brush it. It was a mix of autumnal colours, and then I also used a deep red mohair to give a bit more variation.

Dawn Spirit and Tumpkin

I was asked to make the creatures with some similarities to my Dawn Spirit and Tumpkin, so I decided to try doing them with pointed heads, but ones which are angled backwards, and with ears and horns somewhat like the Dawn Spirit.

I was really pleased at the way the mother came out - you can never tell when you start crocheting, whether the idea you have in your head is going to work, but it seemed to this time.

It was fun to try and make the child, to do it not just smaller, but differently proportioned so that, hopefully, it seems childlike. I used the same sized eyes, so that they would seem bigger - I think eyes are the only part of the body that never grow. I also gave him much smaller ears, and no horns - he's too little to have those yet.

Well, I was very happy with them both, and so was my 7 year-old son. He looked at the child just after I'd finished it and said, "Can I have him?"

I explained that I'd made him especially for someone else, so no, he couldn't. He then said, "All right, I'll have the Mummy one then!"

He was none too pleased when I said that they were both already taken - I think I'll have to make him something soon!

Wicket the Ewok

2009-06-23T23:31:00.008+01:00

A few years ago I made my Star Wars mad son an Ewok amigurumi, Wicket to be precise. I posted it up on Craftster, and even managed to write a tutorial on how to make it. It was fairly rough, so in an attempt to practice my pattern-writing skills and try out making PDFs (in the hope that I will be able to put some of my patterns on Etsy) I now present the latest updated version:

Download PDF

**Edited to add**

I know the link above can be a bit unreliable, so I've now also put up a recently updated version of the pattern as a download in my Ravelry store: http://www.ravelry.com/stores/lucy-ravenscar-designs

Party Time!

2009-06-13T19:34:00.008+01:00

It was my son's 9th birthday not too long ago, and although he was only having a few friends round he wanted me to decorate a bit. I've been making decorations for his and his brother's parties all their lives - in fact I think that was the first thing that got me into being more crafty. That or the fact that I'm cheap, I hate paying for rubbish party stuff that won't last.

I've made rockets out of toilet rolls, a crocodile out of egg boxes, and a Dalek pinata that I liked so much I made sure only the bottom half got destroyed, and I made a Dalek costume later with the top half.

This year my son wanted a medieval theme - he was getting Little King's Story for the Wii so it seemed to fit. I painted lots of coats of arms a few years ago for a Knights and Princesses party, so I stuck those up, but I thought it would be nice to make something that could be put up for any birthday. So I crocheted some bunting (I'm not sure what else to call it). I already did this for Christmas in green and red, so I made this one multicoloured. It's pretty easy to make, so here's the pattern:

Crochet Bunting

You will need:

Yarn (cheap acrylic is fine) in whatever colour or colours you want. How much you'll need will depend on how long you make it, but if you use two colours, 100g ball of each should get you quite a long way.

6mm hook (US J/10)

Method (using US notation):

Using just two colours is the simplest way to do this.

Work 2 strands together to start.

Ch 48

* Using only 1 strand ch 16, turn.

Miss 1st ch, [sc, hdc in next ch], [2 dc in next ch] 13 times, [hdc, sc in last ch].

Join back into the double strand by working a slipstitch with both strands.

Ch 15 *

Work from * to *, alternating which colour you use to form the spiral, as many times as necessary to fit your room.

Ch 48, Fasten off.

The lengths of chain at the beginning and end are long enough to make loops to go round the end of curtain poles (which is how I secure them), or tie around whatever is handy.

For multicoloured bunting, I changed one yarn after every 4 spirals and simply knotted the new colour to the old, crocheting over the ends.

I also decided, the day before his birthday, that it would be cool for my son to have a crown, so he could be king for a day. I didn't think I had time to make anything so I went along to a toyshop to get a plastic one. Unfortunately it was just a bit too small, so instead I grabbed some yellow felt, sew-on jewels and gold braid and made one. I just folded the felt over three times, cut some points and glued those together, to make them a bit stiffer. I sewed on the braid and the jewels, and put a bit of elastic in the back so it would fit him for longer (and fit his little brother who has a bigger head!). I will sew the points together to make them a bit stronger, but I haven't had time yet.

He loved it and wore it all day, and has worn it several times since, so I was really pleased with my last minute crown.

Dandelion Dragon

2009-06-12T22:13:00.005+01:00

I've been thinking vaguely about making some kind of Chinese dragon for a while now. I like their sinuous bodies and the fact that they're usually seen as good-natured rather than fierce. I decided I wanted to make one that was sitting up, so it would seem curious and not so active. This is what I came up with.

I gave him a ruff, which, particularly with addition of horns, gave the impression of venerable white hair and a beard. That made me think of him as a very old, peaceful dragon. I imagine that he moves slowly about the garden, bending his long neck to peer at all the plants and contemplating the world.

I like that Chinese dragons often seem furry rather than scaly, so I gave him a soft, fuzzy mohair spine frill.

I'm very fond of his face and pleased at how it came out, it seems quite youthful and innocent (maybe it's those big blue eyes), but I still feel he's been around for a long time.

My claim to fame

2009-06-11T17:56:00.000+01:00

I never know how to start the first post of a blog, and this is my first proper blog, so I don't have much experience. Why have I started this? Well, I like making things, and whilst I already post photos up on Flickr and show things off on Craftster (as Angry Angel), I thought it would be nice to have one place where I could keep everything together.

I have a few projects that I've been working on - I'm re-writing my free patterns and will post them here, I've recently finished a new crochet creature ready to go into my Etsy shop, and I'm busy designing cute little Star Wars amigurumis - but for my first post I thought I'd share my geeky crochet claim to fame.

Nearly two years ago I was contacted by a television production company asking if they could use a photo of Wicket the Ewok that I had crocheted. I said yes, but never heard anything else from them.

Then, last autumn an eagle-eyed crafter contacted me and said she'd seen him on a Channel 4 programme, Bring Back.... Star Wars, with Justin Lee Collins. I checked out the repeat, and there he was! The show has Justin contacting the various actors from Star Wars and trying to get them back together. He had a big board with photos with all the actors, generally publicity shots from their agents. But bizarrely, for Warwick Davies they had a copy of my picture! Anyway, I was very excited to see my Ewok on telly. Here it is on YouTube, you can see the picture after 4m 30s : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhdbFVMY6DM&feature=related

However, this was just the beginning. Not long after that I had an email from Hat Trick Productions, asking if they could use my photo of a crocheted Dalek and Doctor Who for an episode of Have I Got News For You with Tom Baker as the guest host. Of course, I said yes (they paid me too, which was even better!), and since HIGNFY is filmed only a day before it's shown, I soon got to see my creations up on screen. Having advance notice was good because I got to tell a few friends and family so they could watch too.

Here's the clip on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pYj82q2SDQ - my photo turns up 1m 20s in. I was rather pleased that none of the panellists were rude, it even got a couple of jokes!

So, that's got me started. If anyone would like to make their own Wicket the Ewok watch this space. I originally put up a simplified tutorial on Craftster, but I've written into a more conventional format and as soon as I've given it a test, I'll be posting my pattern here.