Wednesday 30 October 2019

Little Monster Finger Puppets - free crochet pattern


Here's a little treat for Halloween that's quick and simple to crochet.


You will need:
Small amount of yarn for the body, any colour you like (I think green or purple looks good).
Small amount of red yarn for the mouth and eyes.
Small amount of black yarn for eyes.
Tapestry needle.
3.5mm crochet hook (US E hook).

Finished size: approximately 4 cm/1.5” tall.

Abbreviations:
ch = chain
st = stitch or stitches
ss = slipstitch
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
bob = bobble (see special stitch instructions)
FO = fasten off

General instructions:
This pattern is written using US crochet terms. For the UK equivalents, see abbreviations list.

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. You can find a detailed tutorial on how to do this here on my blog.

Work through both loops of stitches unless otherwise indicated.

Special stitch instructions:
3 dc bob: bobble stitch for nose. YOH (yarn over hook), insert hook into next stitch, 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.



Start with yarn for body.
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 3 st] 3 times – 15 st.
Round 4: sc in each st around - 15 st.
Round 5: sc in next 6 st, 3 dc bob in next st, sc in next 8 st – 15 st.
Round 6: sc in next 4 st, [FLO: sc in next st, 2 hdc in next st, hdc in next 2 st, 2 hdc in next st, sc in next st], sc in next 5 st – 17 st.
Round 7: sc in next 4 st, change to red yarn, [work in back loops remaining from working in front loops in previous round: hdc in next 6 st], change to body yarn, sc in next 5 st – 15 st.
Cut red yarn, leaving a length to sew the eyes. Sew 4-5 lines vertically over rounds 3 and 4 on either side of the nose. Use black yarn to sew a dot in the centre of each eye. Secure ends of yarn.
Round 8: sc in next 5 st, [FLO: sc in next st, 2 hdc in next st, hdc in next st, 2 hdc in next st, sc in next st], sc in next 5 st – 17 st.
Round 9: sc in next 5 st, [work in back loops remaining from working in front loops in previous round: hdc in next 5 st], sc in next 5 st – 15 st.
Round 10: sc in next 3 st, [arm: ss into next st, ch 7, turn, ss into next 2 ch, (ch 3, turn, ss in next 2 ch) 2 times, ss into next 4 ch, ss back into original st on round], sc in next 7 st, [arm], sc in next 3 st - 15 st.
Round 11: sc in each st around (work into the first ss used to make each arm, not the final ss) - 15 st.
Round 12: sc in each st around - 15 st.
Ss in next st, FO and weave in end of yarn.

Stick it on your finger and have some monstrous fun!





Thursday 10 October 2019

Harry Potter Crochet - yarn used



My latest book of patterns, Harry Potter Crochet, has just been released in the US! It comes as part of a kit which includes the yarn to make Harry and Dobby, and a crochet hook shaped like Harry's wand. If you want to watch me opening up the kit, check out this video on YouTube.



To help in finding the right colours of yarn to make the characters, I've made a list of all the yarns I used, and the approximate amounts needed for each figure. I live in the UK, so that's where I get all my yarn from. I use double knitting (DK) weight yarn, equivalent to 3:light weight in the US, and 8 ply in Australia/NZ - there's a yarn thickness guide on Ravelry which is very helpful. (By the way, the yarn I used is not the same as the yarn in the kit. That isn't a particular brand, and was sourced by the publisher separately.)

If you can't get hold of the yarns listed below, you can at least look at them in an online store such as Wool Warehouse or LoveCrochet, which might help you find equivalents closer to home.

I used mostly Hayfield Bonus DK (HBDK) and Stylecraft Special DK (SSDK). Hayfield is a great yarn for making amigurumi (toys worked in the round) as it's quite sturdy and doesn't get squashed by working tightly, which you have to do when you're crocheting like this. Stylecraft is a little lighter and works better for clothes (when you're not working so tightly) as it gives a little bit more drape at this very small scale. I also used it for some hair, but not Hagrid's, as it wasn't very easy to brush out.

Harry Potter
5g pale peach yarn - HBDK Flesh Tone (963).
5g mid grey yarn - HBDK Silver Grey (838).
5g dark grey yarn - HBDK Dark Grey Mix (790).
5g black yarn - HBDK Black (965).
5g dark brown yarn - SSDK Dark Brown (1004).
Small amount of white yarn - HBDK White (961).
Small amount of maroon yarn - HBDK Claret (841).
Small amount of yellow yarn - HBDK Sunflower (978).

Hermione Granger
10g pale peach yarn - HBDK Flesh Tone (963).
5g mid grey yarn - HBDK Silver Grey (838).
5g dark grey yarn - HBDK Dark Grey Mix (790).
5g black yarn - HBDK Black (965).
10g  light brown yarn - yarn used now unavailable, try HBDK Walnut (927) or Stylecraft Life DK Bark (2448).
Small amount of white yarn - HBDK White (961).
Small amount of maroon yarn - HBDK Claret (841).
Small amount of yellow yarn - HBDK Sunflower (978).

Ron Weasley
All the same as Harry, apart from yarn for hair:
5g russet yarn - SSDK Copper (1029).

Student robe and Scarf Pattern
10g black yarn - SSDK Black (1002).
5g maroon yarn - HBDK Claret (841).
5g yellow yarn - HBDK Sunflower (978).

Dobby
15g pale peach yarn - HBDK Flesh Tone (963).
10g mid grey yarn - HBDK Silver Grey (838).
Small amount of black yarn - HBDK Black (965).

Rubeus Hagrid
15g pale peach yarn - HBDK Flesh Tone (963).
10g medium brown yarn - HBDK Chocolate (947).
10g maroon yarn - HBDK Claret (841).
10g black yarn - HBDK Black (965).
25g dark brown yarn - Robin DK Brown (51).
25g light brown yarn - yarn used now unavailable, try HBDK Walnut (927) or Stylecraft Life DK Bark (2448).
Small amount of silver grey yarn (for belt buckle) - HBDK Silver Grey (838).
Small amount of beige yarn (for buttons) - HBDK Walnut (927).

Norbert The Dragon
25g green yarn - HBDK Orchard (904).

Albus Dumbledore
10g pale peach yarn - HBDK Flesh Tone (963).
20g purple yarn - HBDK Velvet Plum (906).
20g magenta yarn - SSDK Plum (1061).
5g black yarn - SSDK Black (1002).
10g white yarn - HBDK White (961).

Minerva McGonagall
10g pale peach yarn - HBDK Flesh Tone (963).
30g black yarn - HBDK Black (965).
15g dark green yarn - SSDK Bottle (1009).
10g beige yarn - HBDK Walnut (927).

Sorting Hat
15g medium brown yarn - HBDK Chocolate (947).
Small amount of black yarn - HBDK Black (965).

Voldemort
10g pale peach yarn - HBDK Flesh Tone (963).
35g black yarn - HBDK Black (965) for body (optional 15g SSDK Black (1002) for the robe only).

Severus Snape
10g pale peach yarn - HBDK Flesh Tone (963).
20g dark blue yarn - HBDK Navy (971).
10g black yarn - HBDK Black (965).
Small amount of white yarn- HBDK White (961).

Ginny Weasley
5g pale peach yarn - HBDK Flesh Tone (963).
5g red yarn - HBDK Classic Red (833).
5g medium brown yarn - HBDK Chocolate (947).
5g black yarn - HBDK Black (965).
10g russet yarn - SSDK Copper (1029).
Small amount of yellow yarn - HBDK Sunflower (978).

Broomstick
2g light brown yarn - yarn used now unavailable, try Robin Mink (0143) or Stylecraft Life DK Bark (2448).
Small amount of beige yarn - HBDK Walnut (927).
Small amount of grey yarn - HBDK Silver Grey (838).

Hedwig
10g white yarn - HBDK White (961).
Small amount of black yarn - HBDK Black (965).

*Edited to add errata:
Unfortunately the instructions for a 2 dc bob and a 3 dc bob (bobble stitches) were missed out of the book. Here they are:
2 dc bob: YOH (yarn over hook), insert hook into next stitch, 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, YOH, pull through all 3 loops on hook.

3 dc bob: YOH (yarn over hook), insert hook into next stitch, 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.

Rubeus Hagrid pattern, p38. Just before instructions to make the left leg it should read "First, to split the body in half, find the front middle of your figure between two stitches on round 40", not round 35.
To make a foot, p39, it should say 'find the stitch in round 52 that is in the front middle.', not round 47.

Harry's hair, p21, Row 12 should read 'sc in next 16 st, ch 1, turn - 16 st.'

Minerva McGonagall:
Arms, p54, Rnd 2 should read '[2 sc in next st, sc in next st] 3 times - 9 st.'
Robe, p55, Rows 12 - 14 should read '(3 rows) sc in next 26 st, ch 1, turn - 26 st.'

Voldemort, robe, p63, Rows 12 - 14 should read '(3 rows) sc in next 26 st, ch 1, turn - 26 st.'