Yarn party, and ideas for Christmas

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to be invited along to LoveKnitting/LoveCrochet's Flock launch party, a get together for various craft bloggers. You can find more information about it here, but basically it was a great chance to meet the lovely people at LoveKnitting and other designers and bloggers - a real treat for someone who works at home, getting to chat to people who love crochet and knitting. Oh, and there was lots of prosecco!

That's me, checking out all the lovely yarn samples, chatting about crochet, and drinking prosecco!

I've been impressed with LoveKnitting as a company - they sell yarn and all the accessories you need to knit or crochet, but they also sell patterns, (you can find all of mine on there, just search for 'Lucy Collin') and now they've produced their own range of yarn, Paintbox.

Paintbox comes in acrylic DK, aran and chunky, and cotton DK, and all of them in a really good range of colours that makes them perfect for making amigurumi. If you want to try out the acrylic DK they are currently selling an advent calendar with a 10g ball of yarn behind each window (get it here in the sale that ends tonight). They had jars full of these tiny balls at the party, and I think everyone who saw them immediately squealed with happiness at seeing them, they look so cute! They very kindly let me have some to try out, and I really like the feel of the yarn for making amigurumi, soft and smooth.

The cute little mini balls with a 100g ball for comparison

You might be wondering what on earth you can make with such tiny balls of yarn, but apart from the free patterns you get with the advent calendar, I've got loads of free patterns here that would be perfect. There's a full list of my free patterns on the right, but here are a few that you will be able to make with one of those tiny 10g balls, with some of them you'd only use half of one, or even less. Of course, you could just use any scraps of yarn that you have.

Since the point of an advent calendar is to lead up to Christmas, any of my Christmas amigurumi patterns would be perfect to make as decorations, including my Little Christmas Mouse, Tiny Crochet Penguin, Mini Snowman, Tiny Christmas Robin and Mini Father Christmas.

Other cute little things to make, maybe as stocking fillers, would be my mini Teddies, Frogs, Monkeys, Octopuses, Elephants and Turtles.

Hopefully these little things will be quick and easy to make in the 24 days before Christmas. Have fun!

Little Monkey Amigurumi

For my latest amigurumi pattern I've designed a pair of cute little monkeys, a boy in a top and trousers, and a girl in a dress with puffed sleeves.

They are about 13 cm/5" tall, which I think makes them the perfect size to carry around and play with. They're made with the legs worked continuously from the body, and they stand up on their own, so you can have them standing on your shelf or desk if you want.

I've made them in a selection of different colours for the fur and the clothes to show the sort of variations you can choose, but of course, you can pick any colours you like to make them.

I'm intending to make a range of different animals using the same basic pattern, in different styles of clothes, so if you have any ideas about what you'd like to see, do let me know in the comments.

Mini Monkeys - Free Amigurumi Pattern

If you've been following my blog you'll know that every year I make lots of little amigurumi for our school's Christmas Bazaar. I've been gradually putting the patterns on here, but I've still got quite a few to go.

 

 

I've made mini monkeys over several years, and tried all sorts of variations of the pattern, but this is the one I'm happiest with. You can make these little monkeys in two ways: either follow the main pattern to give them long legs or use the alternative instructions to have them sitting down with their little feet sticking out. Either way they're about 2"/5.5mm tall, not including legs. Make them in natural browns like mine or use any colour you like.

Abbreviations:

ch = chain
st = stitch or stitches
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)
pop = popcorn (see special stitch instructions)
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 1^st 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.

The faces for these monkeys are made by changing the yarn colour as you crochet. Carry the body colour yarn under the face colour by crocheting over it every couple of stitches. Don't carry the face yarn under the body yarn, just leave it hanging and pick it up when you need it in the next round.

Special stitch instructions:

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

3 dc bob: bobble stitch for face, hands and feet. 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.

You will need:

Small amount of double knitting or worsted weight yarn for the body of your monkey, any colour you like.
Small amount of double knitting or worsted weight yarn for the face of your monkey, pale brown or any colour you like.
Small of black yarn for eyes and mouth.
Small amount of stuffing.
3.5mm (E) hook.

Start with yarn for body.

Round 1: Ch 2, work 6 sc into 1^st 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: Sc in each st around - 18 st.
Round 5: Sc in next 6 st, change to face yarn, sc in next 5 st, change to body yarn, sc in next 7 st – 18 st.
Round 6: Sc in next 4 st, 4dc pop in next st, sc in next st, change to face yarn, sc in next 5 st, change to body yarn, sc in next 2 st, 4dc pop in next st, sc in next 4 st – 18 st.
Round 7: Sc in next 7 st, change to face yarn, 3dc bob in next 4 st, change to body yarn, sc in next 7 st – 18 st.
Round 8: [Sc2tog, sc in next st] 6 times – 12 st.
Round 9: [Sc2tog, sc in next 2 st] 3 times – 9 st.
Round 10: [2 sc in next st, sc in next 2 st] 3 times – 12 st.
Round 11: Sc in next 4 st, [arm: ss into next st, ch 7, 3dc bob into 3rd ch from hook, ss into next 4 ch, ss back into original st], sc in next 4 st, [arm], sc in next 2 st - 12 st.
Round 12 - 15: (4 rounds) Sc in each st around - 12 st.
Round 16: Sc in next 5 st ,[leg: make as arm], sc in next 4 st, [leg], sc in next st - 12 st.
Round 17: Sc in next 2 st, [tail: ss into next st, ch 13, miss ch next to hook, ss into next 12 ch, ss back into original st], sc in next 9 st - 12 st.
Round 18: [Sc2tog] 6 times – 6 sc. FO, leaving a length of yarn.

Stuff head and body. Push the bobbles on the face outwards and embroider eyes and mouth using black yarn. Use length of yarn to sew up hole at bottom.

Alternative sitting monkey

Make as above up to round 14.
Round 15: [2 sc in next st, sc in next 3 st] 3 times – 15 st.
Round 16: Sc in next 8 st, 4dc pop, sc in next 3 st, 4dc pop, sc in next 2 st - 15 st.
Round 17: Sc in next 3 st, [tail: ss into next st, ch 13, miss ch next to hook, ss into next 12 ch, ss back into original st], sc in next 11 st - 15 st.
Round 18: [Sc2tog, sc in next 3 st] 3 times – 12 st.
Round 19: [Sc2tog] 6 times – 6 sc. FO, leaving a length of yarn.

Finish off as above.

 

Keep watching this space, I'll put up a pattern for a mini frog tomorrow.

 

Woolly Monkeys

I've been working on all sorts of things over the summer, but not getting many of them finished. Now the children are back at school I'm finally getting on top of everything again, so I'll probably do several posts in quick succession.

 

I started on these monkeys a few months ago, trying to refine a design I came up with back in 2009 (Fuzzy Monkey). I made that with a fuzzy yarn that isn't always easy to get hold of, so I wanted to make the design workable in both smooth and fuzzy, mohair style yarns. For the smooth ones I used a nice yarn that had a bit of texture and a mix of colours to give a bit of extra interest (James C Brett Marble), and I found a nice variegated mohair yarn for the fuzzy ones (King Cole Luxury Mohair).

I tried to keep the design nice and simple, without any detail in the faces. I experimented with embroidered features but it just didn't work. With no particular expression you can imagine they are looking however you want - sometimes they look cheeky, or confident, or friendly, or sometimes a little sad.

Woolly Monkeys are a real species of monkey, but my Woolly Monkeys are a lot more bright, and the stripy tails are just for fun. They are made out of wool (or acrylic that looks woolly!) though, so it seemed a good name.

The pattern is available to buy from my Etsy shop  or on Ravelry.

My patterns for sale on Etsy

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.

You can also buy most of my patterns, and download several free ones, from Ravelry. and  LoveCrochet


**Updated May 2016**

Star Wars Mini Amigurumi Patterns:

 Slave Leia

Dragonet Amigurumi Pattern:

More details here.

Adorable Monster Amigurumi Pattern:

More details here.

Small Spirit Pattern:

More details here.

Flora the Elephant Amigurumi Pattern:

Witch and Wizard Amigurumi Pattern:

More details here.

Woolly Jumpers Amigurumi Pattern - Rabbit and Lamb:

More details here.

Chubby Gnomes Amigurumi Pattern:

More details here and here.

Tooterphants Amigurumi Pattern:

More details here.

Mother and Child Spirits Amigurumi Pattern:

More details here.

Flappy Owl Amigurumi Pattern:

More details here.

Little Folk Amigurumi Pattern:

More details here.

Finn and Jake Amigurumi Patterns: 

More details here.

Woolly Monkey Amigurumi Pattern:

More details here.

Wee Mousie Amigurumi Pattern:

More details here.

Baby Elephant Pattern:

Halfling Pattern:

More details here.

Elf Pattern:

More details here.

Dwarf Pattern:

More details here.

Alpaca Family Pattern:

More details here.

Yeti and Bigfoot Pattern:

 More details here.

Cuddly Dragon Pattern:

More details here.

Little Monkey Pattern:

More details here.

Bracken The Fox Pattern:

More details here.

Mini Pets Patterns - Snails, Bugs and Frogs:

More details here.

Roman Soldier Pattern:

More details here.