tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76087739488883092142024-03-18T03:59:55.931+01:00Is it a toyamigurumi and other creatures
and a little bit moreaishakenzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11608130256713815629noreply@blogger.comBlogger154125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7608773948888309214.post-41066912543643225652015-04-08T21:21:00.000+02:002015-04-08T21:21:06.469+02:00Fun fan bookmark free pattern<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dgg8poWLYsI/VSV-_r_Ng9I/AAAAAAAAB3w/T_H5uJau0HQ/s1600/bookmarks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dgg8poWLYsI/VSV-_r_Ng9I/AAAAAAAAB3w/T_H5uJau0HQ/s1600/bookmarks.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></div>
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I love those bookmark designs that have a motif at each end, and the centre piece is a long crochet chain that stays inside the book. The other day I wanted to whip up a quick gift for a friend and I thought hmm, I'll make him a bookmark. So I got out some leftover yarn in bright orange and I got started. The result is this fun fan bookmark. It is incredibly quick and easy to make, I'd say it took me about 10 minutes. It was so quick and easy that I immedately made a green one too.</div>
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Here's how to make it:</div>
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Rnd 1 - 6 sc in a magic circle</div>
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Rnd 2 - 1sc, 1dc in each st around, join with ss to first stitch</div>
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Rnd 3 - ch 55</div>
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Rnd 4 - 7 dc in 3rd ch from hook, ch 3, turn</div>
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Rnd 5 - 2dc in each stitch. Fasten off, weave in ends.</div>
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And there you have a fun fan bookmark! Make lots of them and give them to your friends!</div>
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aishakenzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11608130256713815629noreply@blogger.com98tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7608773948888309214.post-26178456659832967502014-10-30T10:20:00.000+01:002014-10-30T10:20:22.942+01:00Five months later<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cDvXynpWgwQ/VFH917FlabI/AAAAAAAABWM/KPOriPE7VgM/s1600/monkey%2Bduck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cDvXynpWgwQ/VFH917FlabI/AAAAAAAABWM/KPOriPE7VgM/s1600/monkey%2Bduck.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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Hi folks, yes it's just over five months since my last post and I reckoned it was time to come back to my blog and get back up to date again.<br />
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First of all, I cannot crochet at all at the moment. A month ago, I fell in the street and broke my left wrist. My wrist is in a cast and will remain so until 19th November, when I go back to the hospital to have the pins removed. Then I'll need physio to get everything back to normal.<br />
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I can't go to work, I can't crochet, typing is a tedious one-handed job, and it takes me almost an hour to get up and dressed in the morning. Not to mention how my wardrobe is now limited to the clothes that are easy to put on (no zips!) and that fit over the cast.<br />
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But I decided not to whine about it. My husband helps me when I need it. I can still use my camera a bit. I at last took a photo of Charles in his finished state :) I can still write. And I can still draw. And drawing is what I've been doing most of. Here are some of my drawings. I hope you like them<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6FuT5eOuK6Y/VFICVIBUDXI/AAAAAAAABWY/o1O9dmHa-E4/s1600/drawing1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6FuT5eOuK6Y/VFICVIBUDXI/AAAAAAAABWY/o1O9dmHa-E4/s1600/drawing1.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L0fKYtPsv54/VFICgqJSmaI/AAAAAAAABWk/0J2rGqDhsPg/s1600/bluetit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L0fKYtPsv54/VFICgqJSmaI/AAAAAAAABWk/0J2rGqDhsPg/s1600/bluetit.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CB9BgJR5GU0/VFICglDIa9I/AAAAAAAABWg/n84G_Qj7Jug/s1600/littlegirl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CB9BgJR5GU0/VFICglDIa9I/AAAAAAAABWg/n84G_Qj7Jug/s1600/littlegirl.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LUo4z6gTBV8/VFICg6EREWI/AAAAAAAABWo/D8PE_zB5dNM/s1600/sparrow2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LUo4z6gTBV8/VFICg6EREWI/AAAAAAAABWo/D8PE_zB5dNM/s1600/sparrow2.jpg" height="540" width="640" /></a></div>
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aishakenzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11608130256713815629noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7608773948888309214.post-48693190944872471412014-05-25T08:51:00.001+02:002014-10-07T15:36:30.418+02:00Meet Charles<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cfEqfWUBn3w/U4GSLdFTQRI/AAAAAAAAA5Q/9BNCpvS3KIs/s1600/P1020096.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cfEqfWUBn3w/U4GSLdFTQRI/AAAAAAAAA5Q/9BNCpvS3KIs/s1600/P1020096.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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Hello there! This is Charles, a cheeky monkey. Actually, he's a prototype monkey for now. I have lots of ideas about how to improve the pattern, but he did insist on having his photo taken, even though his legs haven't been attached yet. He's a very impatient monkey, and the rather thin yarn I used to make him with is making me rather impatient too!</div>
aishakenzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11608130256713815629noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7608773948888309214.post-82442524091489270332014-04-19T20:24:00.000+02:002014-04-19T20:24:30.602+02:00Fun with felt<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kAB-rOsTazg/U1K2ckrj8dI/AAAAAAAAA48/qbPslLo61-U/s1600/feltphonecases.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kAB-rOsTazg/U1K2ckrj8dI/AAAAAAAAA48/qbPslLo61-U/s1600/feltphonecases.jpg" height="379" width="640" /></a></div>
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My mobile phone, which I've had since 2008 (yes, that's six years ago) has been on the blink for a while. It couldn't find the phone network any more, and in order to send texts from my home, I had to hold it out of the window.<br />
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So I decided to treat myself to a new phone and I found a reasonably-priced phone that suits me fine. And once I had the phone, it needed a case, of course. In the end I made three. Mine is the one on the left with a rabbit on it. The idea for the design came from the drawings I'd made for my crochet rabbit pattern. The middle design is for my husband. And the one on the right I made for a friend at work.<br />
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Felt is such a wonderful material. It's easy to cut, it doesn't fray, it's thick and soft. I've even received some orders for custom phone cases for my friends and colleagues. </div>
aishakenzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11608130256713815629noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7608773948888309214.post-66038508087593021912014-04-16T08:05:00.001+02:002014-10-07T15:30:34.874+02:00It's been a while...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've not written on this blog for a while, in fact I've been pretty quiet everywhere. But I've been busy too. Here's a little run-down of what I've been up to.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Hp6I6b3QlWw/U04ZtXezz-I/AAAAAAAAA4E/1lpGbl4Lh8o/s1600/KAS-March-2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Hp6I6b3QlWw/U04ZtXezz-I/AAAAAAAAA4E/1lpGbl4Lh8o/s1600/KAS-March-2014.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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First of all, here's what I made with the yarn I talked about in my last post. These squares, vest and baby sleeping bags have already gone to South Africa where they'll keep AIDS orphans warm. If you want to know how to do the same thing, check out <a href="http://www.knit-a-square.com/">www.knit-a-square.com</a>.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uUYioYjQS-M/U04Z4emedLI/AAAAAAAAA4g/7pL8Lq1fFTk/s1600/kenwood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uUYioYjQS-M/U04Z4emedLI/AAAAAAAAA4g/7pL8Lq1fFTk/s1600/kenwood.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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For many years now, I've been promising myself a Kenwood Chef and now I have one! I finally found a good bargain, which includes the meat mincer and the liquidiser, and compared to some other well-known more colourful models, this one was not expensive. You may notice a little creature up there...<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZGltzFcBVTY/U04ZuH86IyI/AAAAAAAAA4c/a8z1HuRJjbA/s1600/turtlesarecoming.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZGltzFcBVTY/U04ZuH86IyI/AAAAAAAAA4c/a8z1HuRJjbA/s1600/turtlesarecoming.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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Well he wasn't alone! I had rather an invasion of baby turtles! This is a<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/leatherback-sea-turtle" target="_blank"> free pattern on Ravelry</a>. You need to be a member of Ravelry to obtain it, but that's something I highly recommend, and it's free!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JrmipYaG728/U04dJYKlJuI/AAAAAAAAA4s/YN8BoWazluo/s1600/lemonbiscuits.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JrmipYaG728/U04dJYKlJuI/AAAAAAAAA4s/YN8BoWazluo/s1600/lemonbiscuits.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fNlfgYWUQjA/U04ZtC53lLI/AAAAAAAAA4U/FI3hzpF0Zo8/s1600/bread.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fNlfgYWUQjA/U04ZtC53lLI/AAAAAAAAA4U/FI3hzpF0Zo8/s1600/bread.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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And before I leave, here are some goodies I've made using my new Kenwood. Yummy yummy!</div>
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Next time I'll show you what else I've been making. Not crochet for a change... come back soon!</div>
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aishakenzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11608130256713815629noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7608773948888309214.post-65972681853057403072014-03-09T06:55:00.002+01:002014-03-09T06:55:52.082+01:00Why I crochet for charity<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tOvZaj0TaIw/UxwBgsQoucI/AAAAAAAAA3w/0OEqpkLkSqw/s1600/charitywool.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tOvZaj0TaIw/UxwBgsQoucI/AAAAAAAAA3w/0OEqpkLkSqw/s1600/charitywool.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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I picked up a great bargain in our local Red Cross charity shop the other day. For the meagre sum of 5 euros, I came out with a big bag full of brand new yarn. Red, pink and white yarn, with labels still intact, 34 balls in all. My, was I happy! I smiled all the way back home, and then set to work.<br />
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As soon as I saw that yarn, I knew exactly what I was going to do with it. I'd be crocheting items for <a href="http://www.knit-a-square.com/" target="_blank">Knit-a-Square</a>. KAS, as it's also known, is a charity based in South Africa that collects knitted and crochet squares and sews them into blankets for AIDS orphans throughout South Africa.<br />
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There are many associations and organisations around the world that accept crocheted goods. Many of them are based in the US, but I hail from Europe and hadn't seen the same level of interest from hospitals, care homes and charities over here.<br />
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But why did I choose Knit-a-Square? Well, like most things, it was a chain of events that led me there. It's almost as if Knit-a-Square chose me.<br />
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Early in 2012, a close friend of mine who knows how much I love to crochet sent me a link via Facebook. It was a short article about a group of women in Denmark who knit blankets, hats and clothes for babies and children in Tanzania. At the same time, at work we had started getting busy preparing a huge congress that would be held at the end of 2012 in Durban, South Africa.<br />
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I knew I would be leaving for South Africa a few months later. And I decided to have a look on the Internet if there were any charities there to which I could donate some crocheted goods. A quick search for "crochet charity South Africa" ensued, and the first link was, yes, Knit-a-Square.<br />
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To quote from their website: "It is estimated that there are 14.8 million orphans in sub-Saharan Africa. 1.9 million live in South Africa.<br />
Many of these children are AIDS orphans or have been abandoned. Many live in great poverty in informal settlements. Some head up families of their siblings together with other children. Some live alone, without shelter, in hills and dumps around the cities.The knit-a-square project was started as a family project in 2008 and is now a world-wide community numbering an estimated 12,000 people in 54 countries round the world.<br />
Together we work hard to help warm and comfort the children and we'd greatly value your contribution to this knitting project for the AIDS orphans of southern Africa. We ask the world's knitters and crocheters to send 8"/20 cm squares to South Africa, where we have them sewn into blankets for the children."<br />
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Local charities ensure the children are cared for, and Knit-a-Square works towards keeping them warm and happy. A group of KAS volunteers in South Africa collects the squares that are sent from all over the world and sews them into blankets for the children. KAS then deals with distribution. There are some beautiful photos on their website of the distributions, showing the children wrapped in their blankets. KAS also accepts donations of knitted and crochet vests, hats, pull-overs and baby sleeping bags, as well as toys, socks, gloves and stationery for the children. You can also make a financial donation via the website.<br />
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Why crochet for charity? After all, crochet can be a lucrative business. There is a market for patterns, and crocheted goods sell well. I make and design crochet toys, and even though my patterns are available for free, I do sell a few finished articles, mostly so that I can buy more yarn to make even more. Some people have made crochet their business and make their lives from it.<br />
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But I wanted to help. And I believe that's what drives people to crochet for charity. Here in the western world, we hardly ever see poverty. Of course there are people who are less well off than others, but a vision of real poverty is rare.<br />
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I knew how fortunate I was to live in relative ease. I was going to visit a country thousands of miles away. I would be staying in a comfortable hotel, and after the conference I would be going on a great safari. But away from the tourist routes and the posh hotels, there were 1.9 million orphans who needed my help.<br />
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So I started crocheting. And in the few weeks before I left for South Africa, I managed to crochet 15 squares and a hat. I also added six crocheted or sewn toys to my parcel. In December, I flew over to Durban and from there, I posted my parcel to Knit-a-Square. When I got back home, I carried on crocheting squares.<br />
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I continue to design, make and sell crochet toys. But I set aside some time and yarn to continue to crochet for charity. Making the squares is quick and easy and a great way to try out some new techniques and designs. And most of all, while I'm crocheting, I imagine the face of a child, far away, for whom my very small act of kindness may be making a huge difference.<br />
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<a href="http://www.knit-a-square.com/">www.knit-a-square.com</a></div>
aishakenzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11608130256713815629noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7608773948888309214.post-30037398575342713502014-02-11T09:41:00.004+01:002014-11-08T07:24:33.398+01:00Little jacket and other toy clothes <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KPWoT_rh2UQ/UviEsM6ZM3I/AAAAAAAAA3Q/DOEXZrRQrfU/s1600/dollclothes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KPWoT_rh2UQ/UviEsM6ZM3I/AAAAAAAAA3Q/DOEXZrRQrfU/s1600/dollclothes.jpg" height="640" width="547" /></a></div>
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Sorry I've not posted for so long. A recent shoulder injury has meant I've been unable to crochet or type, and I'm just about getting on top of everything again.<br />
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It's rather overdue, but here at last is the pattern for the little jacket mentioned in my previous post (where you'll find a <a href="http://isitatoy.blogspot.fr/2013/12/a-dress-for-bunny.html" target="_blank">pattern for a toy dress</a>). I've also made some more, very simple clothes for a doll, teddy or rabbit. These are ideal stash-busters too. For some of the items I'm giving instructions rather than an actual pattern, so that you can easily adjust each item to the size required. The main stitch used is dc (tr in UK terms). This stitch isn't what I'd use for amigurumi, but for doll's clothes it is fine, and it makes them very quick to make.<br />
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The jacket pattern is based on the pattern I used for the baby cardigans I blogged about <a href="http://isitatoy.blogspot.fr/2013/10/more-baby-crochet.html" target="_blank">here</a>, for which the pattern is available <a href="http://bellabambinaknits.blogspot.fr/2008/03/cardigan-for-babies.html" target="_blank">here</a>. However, as this is for dolls, the whole thing is a lot smaller. I have included instructions for two sizes, and you can again alter them by using thicker or thinner yarns, larger or smaller hooks. Once you get the idea of how the jacket is constructed, you can make it in several sizes, and alter the length, the borders, and so on.<br />
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Here's the pattern. This little jacket is made from the top down.<br />
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<b>Smaller size </b>(underarm measurement 28 cm) -<br />
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Ch 27.<br />
1 dc in 3rd ch from hook, 1 dc in next 2ch. 3 dc in next ch. 1 dc in next 4 ch. 3 dc in next ch. 1 dc in next 6 ch. 3 dc in next ch. 1 dc in next 4 ch. 3 dc in next ch. 1 dc in next 4 ch to end. Turn.<br />
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For the next 3 rows, you will gradually increase and shape the top of the jacket as follows:<br />
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ch3 (replaces 1st dc). 1 dc in each st, but work 3 dc in the centre stitch of each 3 dc group, to the end of the row. Turn.<br />
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Next row:<br />
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xh 3 (replaces 1st dc). 1 dc in each stitch until you reach the centre stitch of the 3 dc group. Skip to next 3dc group, work 1 dc in centre stitch of that group, then continue 1 dc in each stitch to the centre stitch of the following 3dc group. Skip to next 3dc group, work 1 dc in centre stitch of that group, then continue to end. Turn.<br />
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Continue working straight until the jacket is as long as you wish it to be. You may like to add an extra row at the bottom to make it flare out a bit. To do this, just work 1 dc in first st, 2 dc in next st, to end.<br />
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Now work a row of sc along the front borders and the neckline. Sew a button close to the neckline. You don't need to make a button hole, just use a gap between the stitches.<br />
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<b>Larger size </b>(underarm measurement 32 cm)<br />
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The larger size is made the same way, just starting with a longer starting chain and altering the first row as follows:<br />
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Ch 35.<br />
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1 dc in 3rd ch from hook, 1 dc in next 3 ch. 3 dc in next ch. 1 dc in next 5 ch. 3 dc in next ch. 1 dc in next 10 ch. 3 dc in next ch. 1 dc in next 5 ch. 3 dc in next ch. 1 dc in next 5 ch to end. Turn.<br />
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You should also increase for 4 rows before starting on the straight part.<br />
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<b>Trousers</b><br />
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This pattern for doll's trousers is very simple. You just make two identical pieces and sew them together, adding a "waistband" at the end. You can easily adjust the pattern to fit your doll or other toy.<br />
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Start by making a chain the approximate required length of the trousers. Then work in rows of dc until you obtain a rectangle that is wide enough to fit around your doll's leg easily. Next work one row of dc, but stopping about half-way down the leg, then another row if dc (or more, or less, depending on the size of your doll), still finishing half-way down. This makes the gusset. Finish off.<br />
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Make a second identical piece.<br />
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Now fold your pieces with the gusset piece at the top, and place them so that one gusset piece is in front and the other at the back. They should look like a piar of trousers! Sew the two pieces together, making sure you obtain the trouser shape.<br />
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To make the waistband, attach the yarn to the top, and work 1 dc, 1 ch around the top. Weave a ribbon through the waistband and pull to fit.<br />
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<b>Hat</b><br />
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The hat is newsboy style. You can easily adjust it to fit your doll by adding extra increase rows.<br />
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In a magic circle, ch 3 and 14 dc into the circle. Ss to top of first st. Turn<br />
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Ch 3, 2 dc in each st. Turn.<br />
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Ch 3, 1 dc in next st, 2 dc in next st, around. Turn.<br />
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Ch 3, 1 dc in each st around. Turn.<br />
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Work 2 more rows of dc, turning at the end of each row.<br />
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Work 2 rows of sc, without turning.<br />
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Work 1 row of sc, decreasing every 5 stitches or whatever is necessary to reach the size required.<br />
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Make the brim: ch 2, 1 dc in next 16 sts, 1 hdc in next st. Fasten off.<br />
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I hope you enjoy making these simple items. Feel free to embellish and alter them to your taste!<br />
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aishakenzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11608130256713815629noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7608773948888309214.post-77265569839127542522013-12-30T18:40:00.002+01:002014-11-08T07:26:10.070+01:00A dress for a bunny<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I had a lot of fun making clothes for my bunnies. Here's Lalla wearing her lovely purple number, and here's the pattern so you can make one too. The dress would also be great for a doll.<br />
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The dress is worked in rows, and you will turn at the end of each row. It is worked from the top down.<br />
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You will join the two sides to make the skirt in row 6, but still turning at the end of each row to give the skirt its striped effect.<br />
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I used 4 ply (sportsweight) cotton yarn for the dress, and a 4 mm hook. My experiments with thicker yarn didn't come out as well.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a89mSMWrAi0/UsGvGFhrL8I/AAAAAAAAA2w/QTi04SVaVj0/s1600/P1010961.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a89mSMWrAi0/UsGvGFhrL8I/AAAAAAAAA2w/QTi04SVaVj0/s320/P1010961.JPG" height="624" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lI8mxMg1GBM/UsGvGNry0wI/AAAAAAAAA20/vEY7Mbz_ucM/s1600/P1010962.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lI8mxMg1GBM/UsGvGNry0wI/AAAAAAAAA20/vEY7Mbz_ucM/s320/P1010962.JPG" height="630" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>Row 1</b> - ch 25, 1 dc in 3rd ch from hook, 1 dc in next st, 3 dc in next st, 1 dc in next 4 sts, 3 dc in next st, 1 dc in next 6 sts, 3 dc in next st, 1 dc in next 4 sts, 3 dc in next st, 1 dc in last 3 sts. Turn.<br />
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<b>Row 2-5</b> - ch 2 (counts as first st), 1 dc in each dc, continuing the shaping with 3 dc in the centre st of each 3 dc group. Turn.<br />
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<b>Row 6</b> - ch 2, 1 hdc in each st to centre st of 3 dc group, skip to centre st of next 3 dc group (this forms the sleeve). Continue hdc to centre st of next dc group, skip to centre st of next 3 dc group, hdc to end, <b>sl st to first hdc.</b> Turn.<br />
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<b>Row 7 - </b>ch 2, 1 dc in each st around, sl st to top of first st, turn.<br />
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<b>Row 8</b> - ch 2, 1 hdc in top of dc, 1 hdc in between dcs, repeat to end, sl st to top of first st, turn. (effectively doubling the number of stitches. This leaves a gap between each dc, for the belt.)<br />
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<b>Row 9</b> - ch 2, 1 dc in each st, sl st to top of first st, turn.<br />
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<b>Row 10</b> - ch 2, 1 hdc in each st, sl st to top of first st, turn.<br />
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<b>Rows 11-14</b> - repeat rows 9-10 twice. Fasten off, weave in ends.<br />
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Weave a ribbon between the dcs of row 7. Or you can make a belt with a crochet chain in a contrasting colour.<br />
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The pattern for the jacket will follow very soon. Actually, if you make the dress you'll know how to make the jacket. Here are some more photos. just because.<br />
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aishakenzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11608130256713815629noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7608773948888309214.post-11672218976482390582013-12-22T12:11:00.000+01:002014-11-08T07:25:09.048+01:00Lalla and Lily - the pattern<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Sorry for the delay, but here at last is the pattern for Lalla and Lily (and Yasmine, see below).<br />
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The first part of this pattern is for Lalla - the one-piece rabbit with lop ears on the right in the photo above. You can also make the body up to rnd 59, finish off and sew on the oval head like Lily's (she's standing on the left). The patterns for the oval head and pointed ears are at the very end of the pattern, just scroll down to find them.<br />
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Please note that the body pattern for the left-hand rabbit has not been written up, as I replaced it by the one-piece version. The left-hand version contains too much sewing for my taste!<br />
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<b>Please do not sell this pattern. Do not post this pattern to any website, but link directly to my blog. No file sharing of this pattern. </b><br />
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I used Pingouin Pingo 4, 60% cotton, 40% acrylic (which doesn't seem to be available any longer). It's quite a sturdy yarn, I'd say it's worsted weight, somewhere between DK and Aran. I used between two and three 50g balls, and a 4mm crochet hook. You'll also need stitch markers, a tapestry needle and some embroidery thread for the nose and mouth. You may also need safety eyes, though embroidering the eyes would be just fine too. I also lined all my pieces with an old pair of tights before stuffing, but if you crochet tight enough this may not be necessary. Anyone who reads my patterns regularly will know that I always line my toys, to avoid any fluffy surprises after washing.<br />
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There is a tiny bit of sewing involved, even though the pieces are crocheted together.<br />
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Are you ready? Here's the pattern:<br />
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<b>Terms used: </b><br />
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<b>sc </b>single crochet (dc in UK terms)<br />
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<b>sc2tog</b> single crochet two stitches together. I suggest you use the invisible decrease, very well explained here: http://www.planetjune.com/blog/amigurumi-help/invisible-decrease/<br />
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<b>magic circle</b> : see the video here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHYVutk2iYY<br />
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The total number of stitches per round is indicated in brackets at the end of each round, like this (12 sts)<br />
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When there are several rounds without change, I've also indicated how many rounds need to be counted.<br />
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Start with the arms and the ears, so that these can be easily crocheted in when the time comes.<br />
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<b>Arms (make 2)</b><br />
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Rnd 1 - 6sc in a magic circle (6 sts)<br />
Rnd 2 - 2 sc in each st (12 sts)<br />
Rnd 3-17 - sc around for 15 rnds (12 sts)<br />
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Stuff only to rnd 17<br />
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Rnd 18 - [sc in 4 sts, sc2tog] twice (10 sts)<br />
Rnd 19-23 - sc around for five rnds (10 sts)<br />
Rnd 24 - press two sides together, work 5 sc through both thicknesses. Fasten off and weave in end.<br />
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<b>Lop ears (make 2)</b> (for straight, sew-on ears, scroll down to end of pattern)<br />
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Rnd 1 - 6 sc in a magic circle (6 sts)<br />
Rnd 2 - [1sc in next st, 2 sc in next st] three times (9 sts)<br />
Rnd 3 - [1 sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next st] three times (12 sts)<br />
Rnd 4 - [1 sc in next 3 sts, 2 sc in next st] three times (15 sts)<br />
Rnd 5-9 - sc around for five rnds (15 sts)<br />
Rnd 10 - [1sc in next 3 sts, sc2tog] three times (12 sts)<br />
Rnd 11-15 - sc around for five rnds (12 sts)<br />
Rnd 16 - [1 sc in next 2 sts, sc2tog] three times (9 sts)<br />
Rnd 17-23 - sc around for seven rnds (9 sts)<br />
Rnd 24 - press two sides together, work 4 sc through both thicknesses. Fasten off and weave in end.<br />
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<b>Tail </b>(optional)<br />
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Rnd 1 - 6 sc in a magic circle (6 sts)<br />
Rnd 2 - 2 sc in each st (12 sts)<br />
Rnd 3 - [1 sc in next 3 sts, 2 sc in next st] three times (15 sts)<br />
Rnd 4 - sc around (15 sts)<br />
Rnd 5 - [1 sc in next 3 sts, sc2tog] three times (12 sts)<br />
Rnd 6 - [sc2tog] six times (6 sts). Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.<br />
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<b>Feet and legs (make 2)</b><br />
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Rnd 1 - 6sc in a magic circle<br />
Rnd 2 - 2 sc in each stitch (12 sts)<br />
Rnd 3-10 - sc around for eight rnds (12 sts)<br />
Rnd 11 - ch 1 (counts as 1st sc), turn, 1sc in each of next 6 sts<br />
Row 12-16 - as rnd 11, but do not turn at the end of row 16<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-phEggZYHLJk/UrbEA4Lei5I/AAAAAAAAA1Y/RQ4jpXQdT_0/s1600/foot3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-phEggZYHLJk/UrbEA4Lei5I/AAAAAAAAA1Y/RQ4jpXQdT_0/s320/foot3.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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Rnd 17 - 1sc in last st of previous row. Now work 4sc along the side of the rectangle to the corner, 1 sc in corner st, 5sc across the front of the foot, 1 sc in corner st, 5 sc along the remaining side of the rectangle (17 sts)<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y5SDlKp06ro/UrbEKn-cdZI/AAAAAAAAA1g/R3e9b2f2ckY/s1600/foot2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y5SDlKp06ro/UrbEKn-cdZI/AAAAAAAAA1g/R3e9b2f2ckY/s320/foot2.jpg" height="312" width="320" /></a></div>
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There will be a hole at the heel end. This will need sewing together at the end.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CSTAmvGVfPY/UrbEKUlncKI/AAAAAAAAA1s/4BdqQMqI5lo/s1600/foot1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CSTAmvGVfPY/UrbEKUlncKI/AAAAAAAAA1s/4BdqQMqI5lo/s320/foot1.jpg" height="220" width="320" /></a></div>
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Rnd 18 - sk 6, 1 sc to join the two corners together (mark this stitch and first stitch of each row from now on). 1sc in next 3 sts, sc2tog, sc in next 5 sts, sc2tog, sc in 4 remaining sts (15 sts)<br />
Rnd 19-28 - sc around for ten rnds (15 sts)<br />
Rnd 29 - [1 sc in 4 sts, 2 sc in next st] three times (18 sts)<br />
Rnd 30-33 - sc around (18 sts)<br />
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<b>Gusset</b> (continuing from top of first leg only) - ch1, turn, 6 sc, turn, ch 1, sc 5, turn, ch 1, sc 5. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.<br />
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Make a second leg and foot, finishing at the end of row 33 and DO NOT FASTEN OFF<br />
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Flatten the two legs, and join them in the middle, using the long tail to sew the edge of the gusset to the corresponding stitches on the other leg (see photo) Weave in the end. Now continue with the last loop worked on the first leg.<br />
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Continue to mark your first stitch for each row.<br />
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Stuff feet and legs.<br />
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<b>Body </b><br />
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Rnd 34 - work 34 sc evenly around. Try 1 sc in next 9 sts, sc 3 across the edge of the gusset, 1 sc in next 14 sts, sc 3 across the edge of gusset, sc 5 to end or however it works best for you (34 sts)<br />
Rnd 35 - sc around (34 sts)<br />
Rnd 36 - [1 sc in next 3 sts, 2 sc in next st] repeat around, finishing with 1 sc in last 2 sts (42 sts)<br />
Rnd 37 - sc around (42 sts)<br />
Rnd 38 - [2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 6 sts] repeat around (48 sts)<br />
Rnd 39-45 - sc around for seven rnds(48 sts)<br />
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Sew on tail at the centre back, between rows 38 and 42 (optional)<br />
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Rnd 46 - [1 sc in next 6 sts, sc2tog] six times (42 sts)<br />
Rnd 47-48 - sc around for two rnds (42 sts)<br />
Rnd 49 - [1 sc in next 5 sts, sc2tog] six times (36 sts)<br />
Rnd 50-53 - sc around for four rnds (36 sts)<br />
Rnd 54 - [1 sc in next 4 sts, sc2tog] six times (30 sts)<br />
Rnd 55-56 - sc around for two rnds (30 sts)<br />
Rnd 57 - sc in next 8 sts (or until you reach the stitches approximately on the side, level with the side of the leg), join in arms with 5 sc, sc in next 10 sts, join in second arm with 5 sc, sc in next 2 sts (30 sts)<br />
Rnd 58 - [sc in next 3 sts, sc2tog] six times (24 sts)<br />
Rnd 59 - [sc in next 2 sts, sc2tog] six times (18 sts) For Lalla, DO NOT FASTEN OFF. For Lily, fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing head.<br />
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Stuff the body<br />
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<b>Head</b><br />
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Rnd 60 - sc around (18 sts)<br />
Rnd 61 - [sc in next st, 2 sc in next st] nine times (27 sts)<br />
Rnd 62 - [sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next st] nine times (36 sts)<br />
Rnd 63-64 - sc around for 2 rnds (36 sts)<br />
Rnd 65 - [sc in next 5 sts, 2 sc in next st] six times (42 sts)<br />
Rnd 66-67 - sc around for 2 rnds (46 sts)<br />
Rnd 68 - [sc in next 6 sts, 2 sc in next st] six times (48 sts)<br />
Rnd 69-74 - sc around for six rnds (48 sts)<br />
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Embroider insert safety eyes on rnd 70, embroider nose and mouth<br />
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Rnd 75 - [sc in next 6 sts, sc2tog] six times (42 sts)<br />
Rnd 76 - [sc in next 5 sts, sc2tog] six times (36 sts)<br />
Rnd 77 - sc around, joining in the ears with 4sc on each side of the head<br />
Rnd 78 - [sc in next 4 sts, sc2tog] six times (30 sts)<br />
Rnd 79 - [sc in next 3 sts, sc2tog] six times (24 sts)<br />
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Stuff the head<br />
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Rnd 80 - [sc in next 2 sts, sc2tog] six times (18 sts)<br />
Rnd 81 - [sc in next st, sc2tog] six times (12 sts)<br />
Rnd 82 - [sc2tog] six times (6 sts)<br />
Rnd 83 - [sc2tog] three times<br />
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Fasten off, leave a long tail and weave in ends, making sure you close the hole completely.<br />
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<b>Alternative ears pattern</b><br />
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<b>Pointed ears</b> (make 2)<br />
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Rnd 1 - 6 sc in a magic circle (6 sts)<br />
Rnd 2 - sc around (6 sts)<br />
Rnd 3 - [1 sc in next st, 2 sc in next st] three times (9 sts)<br />
Rnd 4 - [1 sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next st] three times (12 sts)<br />
Rnd 5 - sc around (12 sts)<br />
Rnd 5 - [1 sc in next 3 sts, 2 sc in next st] three times (15 sts)<br />
Rnd 6-11 - sc around for six rnds (15 sts)<br />
Rnd 12 - [1 sc in next 2 sts, sc2tog] three times (12 sts)<br />
Rnd 13-15 - sc around for three rnds (12 sts)<br />
Rnd 16 - [1 sc in next st, sc2tog] three times (9 sts)<br />
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Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xH_e0gszp_k/UrbFQiXbqmI/AAAAAAAAA10/c9enmP8jLns/s1600/bunny-mix.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xH_e0gszp_k/UrbFQiXbqmI/AAAAAAAAA10/c9enmP8jLns/s320/bunny-mix.jpg" height="400" width="218" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's the bunny with the alternative head. Her name is Yasmine.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>Alternative head pattern</b><br />
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Rnd 1 - 6 sc in a magic circle (6 sts)<br />
Rnd 2 - 2sc in each st (12 sts)<br />
Rnd 3 - [1 sc in next st, 2 sc in next st] six times (18 sts)<br />
Rnd 4 - [1 sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next st] six times (24 sts)<br />
Rnd 5-7 - sc around for three rnds (24 sts)<br />
Rnd 8 - [1 sc in next 3 sts, 2 sc in next st] six times (30 sts)<br />
Rnd 9 - [1 sc in next 4 sts, 2 sc in next st] six times (36 sts)<br />
Rnd 10 - sc around (36 sts)<br />
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Attach safety eyes on rnd 8. Embroider nose and mouth.<br />
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Rnd 11 - [1 sc in next 5 sts, 2 sc in next st] six times (42 sts)<br />
Rnd 12-17 - sc around for six rnds (42 sts)<br />
Rnd 18 - [sc in next 5 sts, sc2tog] six times (36 sts)<br />
Rnd 19 - sc around (36 sts)<br />
Rnd 20 - [sc in next 4 sts, sc2tog] six times (30 sts)<br />
Rnd 21 - sc around (30 sts)<br />
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Sew on ears between rnds 17 and 18 - Only leave three or four stitches between the ears or they will stick outwards instead of upwards!<br />
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Rnd 22 - [sc in next 3 sts, sc2tog] six times (24 sts)<br />
Rnd 23 - sc around (24 sts)<br />
Rnd 24 - [sc in next 2 sts, sc2tog] six times (18 sts)<br />
Rnd 24 - [sc in next st, sc2tog] six times (12 sts)<br />
Rnd 25 - [sc2tog] six times (6 sts)<br />
Rnd 26 - [sc2tog] three times. Fasten off, leave a long tail and weave in ends, making sure you close the hole completely.<br />
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Sew head onto body after body rnd 59.<br />
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I've also created a little jacket and a dress for the rabbits, but you'll have to wait a little longer for the patterns.<br />
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Please don't hesitate to leave me any comments or questions about this pattern. Some adjustments may need to be made, but I need you to tell me :)<br />
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aishakenzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11608130256713815629noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7608773948888309214.post-42364642533008413762013-11-13T07:57:00.001+01:002013-11-13T08:02:43.289+01:00Lily and Lalla<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I'd been wanting to design a new ami for a while. And it had to be a bunny, named Lily. I had the image of Lily in my head. I doodled several pictures of her in margins. I wanted Lily to be a doll bunny. I wanted to make her clothes, shoes.<br />
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So I made my bunny. I made her legs, with feet. I made her chubby tummy. I make her arms, her head, her ears. And then I sewed her together. Hmm. I hated sewing her together. I couldn't get her legs on straight. She suddenly reminded me of the first ever ami I published, chubby teddy, who was made in the same way but was smaller and softer and easier to sew together. She was cute, but her legs were decidedly wonky.<br />
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I made her a cute jacket. But those wonky legs bothered me.<br />
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Since my early beginnings in amigurumi, I have been trying to simplify the construction of the toys I make. I know I'm not the only one who hates sewing pieces together. Crocheting them in as you go is the solution! Of course it's not always possible. It depends on the pieces and how they lie (ears for example can only rarely be crocheted in).<br />
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So Lily (with her wonky legs and cute jacket) sat and waited. And I started on Lalla. Lalla is worked from the bottom up. You'll start with her feet, that are crocheted as part of her legs, that are crocheted straight on to her body, then you'll crochet in her arms.<br />
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Then you'll increase for her head, then you'll crochet in her ears, add a face, and keep on crocheting right to the top of her head. Lalla is a lop-eared rabbit and her head is round. Some people tell me she looks more like a dog than a rabbit. Lalla can also stand unaided!<br />
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I think my third rabbit may well be a mixture of Lily and Lalla (Lila?) She'll have the same one-piece body as Lalla with the same head as Lily.<br />
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I'm busy writing up the pattern for Lalla, and I'll also include the options for the sew-on head and ears. It may take me a while because it's a long pattern. I'll include the cute jacket pattern too. I'll post to my facebook page as soon as it's done. You can see another photo of Lily with her jacket on facebook too!</div>
aishakenzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11608130256713815629noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7608773948888309214.post-1933809508004939522013-10-26T17:16:00.001+02:002013-10-26T17:16:47.432+02:00More baby crochet<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Oz31lzK7H08/UmvZ_-4i3lI/AAAAAAAAA0U/gqmnAT2JJtY/s1600/arnside_sunset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Oz31lzK7H08/UmvZ_-4i3lI/AAAAAAAAA0U/gqmnAT2JJtY/s400/arnside_sunset.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Hello there!<br />
I'm so, so sorry that I haven't been on this blog for ages. I hope you all had a great summer and are enjoying a colourful autumn.<br />
I had a wonderful time over the summer. In June I went to Brittany for the first time and it was great. Then later in the summer I went to visit family in the UK and my son and I made a trip to Arnside (I'd read about the place on Attic24 and it was really beautiful). The sunsets were particularly gorgeous. There's my boy having a great time just as the sun was setting.<br />
Then it was a very busy time getting my son off to university, then I had a lot of work, including a trip to Rabat, Morocco, earlier this month.<br />
And now here I am :).<br />
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On the crochet front, things have been rather busy too.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_bMBdC_soL0/Umva0qhqvNI/AAAAAAAAA0c/2N5QJVcuMM0/s1600/sherbert_ripple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_bMBdC_soL0/Umva0qhqvNI/AAAAAAAAA0c/2N5QJVcuMM0/s400/sherbert_ripple.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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After I'd finished the Daisy baby blanket, I still had a lot of pastel DK acrylic baby yarn and decided to make another baby blanket. This time I used Lucy's<a href="http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/neat-ripple-pattern.html" target="_blank"> neat ripple pattern</a>. My brother-in-law and his wife had a baby girl at the end of August, so she received the blanket.<br />
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More babies are due any day now! Some friends are expecting their first children - twins! So I got crocheting tiny little baby cardigans and boottees.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--3WkN3QFnEU/Umvb9xZSs4I/AAAAAAAAA0w/zeBP9EzN1Jw/s1600/twins-things.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--3WkN3QFnEU/Umvb9xZSs4I/AAAAAAAAA0w/zeBP9EzN1Jw/s400/twins-things.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I used some lovely soft James C. Brett pure merino yarn I got in the UK for 2.99 a ball. It's nice and springy, and machine-washable. I crocheted them quite long so that they will cover the babies down to their nappies and I chose my favourite colours. I don't know if the twins are girls or boys or one of each, but I reckoned the babies wouldn't mind what colours they wear. My UK readers might appreciate the black and red Dennis the Menace stripes top left :)<br />
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The pattern for the cardigan is <a href="http://bellabambinaknits.blogspot.fr/2008/03/cardigan-for-babies.html" target="_blank">here</a>. And I made some tiny bootees with the leftover yarn, with a really quick and easy pattern, <a href="http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/bevsbooties2.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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Well it is nice to be back! I'll try to come here more often.</div>
aishakenzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11608130256713815629noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7608773948888309214.post-24518816274632461452013-08-01T07:13:00.001+02:002014-11-08T07:26:58.966+01:00Daisy baby blanket<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TmSBrwDNQxw/UfnpWwiJHTI/AAAAAAAAAz0/ja93Q6IMTsU/s1600/babyblanket1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TmSBrwDNQxw/UfnpWwiJHTI/AAAAAAAAAz0/ja93Q6IMTsU/s400/babyblanket1.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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Hello there!</div>
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Do you remember the<a href="http://isitatoy.blogspot.fr/2013/06/daisy-baby-afghan-square.html" target="_blank"> daisy baby square</a> I made in June? Well, it ended up being my project for the summer, and came out as a very cute little blanket.</div>
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Because I ran out of blue yarn, the blanket is small, 84 cm long and 64 cm wide, but fine for a carry cot, moses basket or car seat. It would be easy to make it bigger just by adding more squares. I joined the squares using the <a href="http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/joining-asyougo-sqaures.html" target="_blank">"join as you go" method</a>, which was so easy and works beautifully!</div>
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So, I made ten daisy baby squares and ten more blue and white granny squares (1 round blue, 3 rounds white, 1 round blue) and joined them with a further round of white yarn. For the border, I did one round of dc in yellow, then one round in white of puff stitches, but the border came out a bit too big for the blanket so I might change it. It would look nice with a simple shell border too.</div>
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Here's another picture of the whole blanket (which I've just noticed I took on the "wrong" side, oops!):</div>
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aishakenzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11608130256713815629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7608773948888309214.post-86091152281227141272013-07-22T13:18:00.001+02:002013-07-22T13:25:08.361+02:00Remembering a special friend<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Maria was an ex-colleague who had moved to Brittany several years ago. I'd always wanted to go and see the house and garden she was so fond of, but I didn't manage to until after she'd died, last month. So this is a special tribute to her. She was funny, creative, and also had a stubborn streak that I particularly appreciated. Special thanks to Maria's partner Mike who welcomed me in their home. <br />
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Here are some photos of Maria and Mike's house and garden. Let's start with the house. It's a beautiful big Breton house on three stories. I could see my friend all over the house, in the decoration and little objects she loved.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k2XdW7883AQ/Ue0O_rYa4MI/AAAAAAAAAxE/eoHvjupQrko/s1600/P1010199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k2XdW7883AQ/Ue0O_rYa4MI/AAAAAAAAAxE/eoHvjupQrko/s640/P1010199.JPG" width="356" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The staricase</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6i_ZczU9lms/Ue0PEqQtCPI/AAAAAAAAAxM/Zv40_1tk554/s1600/P1010191.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="356" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6i_ZczU9lms/Ue0PEqQtCPI/AAAAAAAAAxM/Zv40_1tk554/s640/P1010191.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful bathroom</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jBgmjQptcC8/Ue0PM3bzOoI/AAAAAAAAAxU/fcz3NA1s3zI/s1600/P1010192.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jBgmjQptcC8/Ue0PM3bzOoI/AAAAAAAAAxU/fcz3NA1s3zI/s640/P1010192.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The house is full of old French furnishings</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pJ8G9qskvFI/Ue0PNYL8pwI/AAAAAAAAAxY/yEe4O4ukf8k/s1600/P1010193.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pJ8G9qskvFI/Ue0PNYL8pwI/AAAAAAAAAxY/yEe4O4ukf8k/s640/P1010193.JPG" width="358" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Each windowsill tells a story</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_DDGboV3oek/Ue0PNlXZ7RI/AAAAAAAAAxg/FvcWdSsd-xI/s1600/P1010196.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_DDGboV3oek/Ue0PNlXZ7RI/AAAAAAAAAxg/FvcWdSsd-xI/s640/P1010196.JPG" width="358" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of Maria's many tapestries</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-c55LtMUTtsQ/Ue0PODjhzhI/AAAAAAAAAxo/smJTKLnUYhI/s1600/P1010217.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-c55LtMUTtsQ/Ue0PODjhzhI/AAAAAAAAAxo/smJTKLnUYhI/s640/P1010217.JPG" width="358" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another beautiful tapestry decorates the fireplace</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BFAMFsf6jRY/Ue0QhZq-OxI/AAAAAAAAAyE/sgNSFHrJKGs/s1600/P1010216.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BFAMFsf6jRY/Ue0QhZq-OxI/AAAAAAAAAyE/sgNSFHrJKGs/s640/P1010216.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A closer look at the fireplace tapestry.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-c3OzPDUYBxU/Ue0POb9C1rI/AAAAAAAAAx4/0HAMZHO2MfE/s1600/P1010233.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-c3OzPDUYBxU/Ue0POb9C1rI/AAAAAAAAAx4/0HAMZHO2MfE/s640/P1010233.JPG" width="358" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More art by Maria and her friends in the hall. I love the little stencilled lizards!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aglhdTIWHTQ/Ue0UvFRwXjI/AAAAAAAAAzg/vRoUbnkbSCo/s1600/P1010201.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aglhdTIWHTQ/Ue0UvFRwXjI/AAAAAAAAAzg/vRoUbnkbSCo/s640/P1010201.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More embroidery, and more lizards</td></tr>
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Now let's visit the garden... It's a glorious walled garden, beautifully maintained. The day we visited, we were lucky to have sunshine. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LfxtDHRahOA/Ue0SV_ZLj1I/AAAAAAAAAyU/5GDk-jD-Ttc/s1600/P1010197.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LfxtDHRahOA/Ue0SV_ZLj1I/AAAAAAAAAyU/5GDk-jD-Ttc/s640/P1010197.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view of the garden from the first floor. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NXHlRhvyJSM/Ue0S1jApBGI/AAAAAAAAAyc/k2t0kf7YSN8/s1600/P1010234.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NXHlRhvyJSM/Ue0S1jApBGI/AAAAAAAAAyc/k2t0kf7YSN8/s640/P1010234.JPG" width="358" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from the back door. Did you spot more stencils?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-exsZijFhkl0/Ue0S-2xWJhI/AAAAAAAAAyk/2ADRVfnsMGw/s1600/P1010213.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-exsZijFhkl0/Ue0S-2xWJhI/AAAAAAAAAyk/2ADRVfnsMGw/s640/P1010213.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The apple tree</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9FJFmOyuuXY/Ue0TBdWw1rI/AAAAAAAAAys/ttUAZrycWzo/s1600/P1010207.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9FJFmOyuuXY/Ue0TBdWw1rI/AAAAAAAAAys/ttUAZrycWzo/s640/P1010207.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful yellow roses</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Uuj-KKNEvZw/Ue0TF7VDzTI/AAAAAAAAAy0/e36r6DjwagQ/s1600/P1010208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Uuj-KKNEvZw/Ue0TF7VDzTI/AAAAAAAAAy0/e36r6DjwagQ/s640/P1010208.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The raised beds</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UICR3KVTz9U/Ue0TIbGfMWI/AAAAAAAAAy8/kBPLqKPb4DE/s1600/P1010212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UICR3KVTz9U/Ue0TIbGfMWI/AAAAAAAAAy8/kBPLqKPb4DE/s640/P1010212.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glorious.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-07z70jgPMYg/Ue0TNlOm73I/AAAAAAAAAzM/v8hYvVHwuRs/s1600/P1010219.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-07z70jgPMYg/Ue0TNlOm73I/AAAAAAAAAzM/v8hYvVHwuRs/s640/P1010219.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The terrace. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bEMpvoU2M6w/Ue0UKDALGrI/AAAAAAAAAzY/qhWAmmNz2E4/s1600/P1010211.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bEMpvoU2M6w/Ue0UKDALGrI/AAAAAAAAAzY/qhWAmmNz2E4/s640/P1010211.JPG" width="358" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And finally, the view of the house from the garden. </td></tr>
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aishakenzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11608130256713815629noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7608773948888309214.post-66433443978543021542013-06-20T21:15:00.000+02:002014-11-08T07:28:01.641+01:00Daisy baby afghan square<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kL2oWhQuw9c/UcNIiihEzEI/AAAAAAAAAwk/SjhMMv89MNw/s1600/daisyblanketbits.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kL2oWhQuw9c/UcNIiihEzEI/AAAAAAAAAwk/SjhMMv89MNw/s400/daisyblanketbits.jpg" height="513" width="640" /></a></div>
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Hello there!<br />
I so love making granny squares. I had great fun with those I finished last week for Knit-a-square. I had another delve into my stash, and came across some yarn I bought on a whim once when I was in the UK. It was so cheap, it's acrylic/polyamide (I think) but it still feels soft and cosy. The colours are a bit too pale for knit-a-square so I decided that I'd make a baby blanket either to give away or to sell.<br />
I'd noticed cute daisy squares on some other blogs, and I decided to make my own pattern. After a few attempts I think I got it, so here it is. I've not yet finished the whole blanket, but I thought you might like to join me :-)<br />
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You will need:<br />
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DK yarn in three colours<br />
4 mm crochet hook<br />
a tapestry needle<br />
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It's best to finish off and sew in the ends after finishing each part (as you can see on the photo).<br />
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Rnd 1 (yellow). Make a magic circle, 3 ch (counts as first dc) and 11 dc in the magic circle (12 dc). Slst into the 3rd ch of first stitch. Fasten off, weave in ends.<br />
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Rnd 2 (white). Puff stitches make up this row. To start, pull a loop of white yarn about 1 cm long through the top of one of the dcs, *yrh and pull another loop (3 loops on hook), repeat from * three more times (9 loops on hook), yrh, pull through all nine loops, yrh, pull through remaining loop. Initial puff stitch finished. Ch 1. For the next and subsequent puff stitches, pull a loop of yarn about 1 cm long through the top of the next dc, yrh, and pull another loop through, repeat three more times, yrh, pull yarn through 8 loops on hook, yrh, pull through remaining loop. Ch 1.<br />
Continue until the end. You should have 12 puff stitches with 1 ch space between each. At the end, make one extra ch and slst to the top of the first stitch. Fasten off and weave in ends.<br />
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It may take you a while to get all your puff stitches to the same size. The first ones I made were a bit uneven, but you soon get into the rhythm.<br />
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Now the real "granny" part begins. You'll work into the ch spaces between the puff stitches.<br />
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Rnd 3 (blue). Attach yarn between two puff stitches, 3ch (counts as first dc), 2 dc in first ch sp, ch 1, 3 dc in next ch sp, ch1, 3 dc in next ch sp, ch 2.<br />
*3 dc followed by ch 1 in each of next 2 ch sps, 3 dc followed by 2 ch in next ch sp.<br />
Repeat from * to end. Slst to top of beginning 3 ch. Turn.<br />
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Rnd 4 : ch 3, in 2ch sp, work 2 dc, 2 ch, 3 dc. *3 dc in next ch sp, repeat form * twice. Then in corner 2 ch, work 3 dc, 2ch, 3 dc.<br />
Carry on the rnd in the same manner. When you reach the end of the rnd, sl st in top of beginning 3ch. Turn.<br />
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Rnd 5: 3 ch, in ch sp work 2 dc, then carry on the round, working 3 dc into each sp, and 3dc, 2ch, 3dc in each corner. At the end of the rnd, slst into top of beginning 3 ch. Fasten off and weave in ends.<br />
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And there's your daisy baby afghan square. I can't wait to see how yours work out. I'll be back with a taa daah moment as soon as I've made enough to join them into a blanket. </div>
aishakenzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11608130256713815629noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7608773948888309214.post-29130864460753587422013-06-15T20:09:00.001+02:002013-06-15T20:09:41.283+02:00A special day and more charity crochet<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hello there!<br />
Today is a special day in our house. My dear husband of nearly thirty years celebrated his 60th birthday today! We've had a lovely peaceful day and enjoyed the sunshine and a delicious chocolate cake from our favourite French baker's... yum yum :)<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zeZtsnHN1E8/UbyskhWkY7I/AAAAAAAAAwE/9I1cs5-LpA8/s1600/gateau_60.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zeZtsnHN1E8/UbyskhWkY7I/AAAAAAAAAwE/9I1cs5-LpA8/s320/gateau_60.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And I've made nine more squares for Knit-a-square. Remember <a href="http://isitatoy.blogspot.fr/2012/11/crocheting-for-charity.html" target="_blank">the last ones</a> I took with me to South Africa? This time I used the yarn I had left over from my <a href="http://isitatoy.blogspot.fr/2013/04/granny-ripple-ta-daaah.html" target="_blank">granny ripple blanket</a>, so they all match except for the ninth which I made with lots of little scraps of other leftover yarn.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H6Bha3OBx30/Ubytmen4LTI/AAAAAAAAAwQ/nfnm1iG8en4/s1600/kas_squares_June13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="337" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H6Bha3OBx30/Ubytmen4LTI/AAAAAAAAAwQ/nfnm1iG8en4/s400/kas_squares_June13.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Are you enjoying the sunshine? Eating cake? Having fun?</div>
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aishakenzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11608130256713815629noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7608773948888309214.post-84176129373218540152013-06-08T22:48:00.002+02:002013-06-08T22:48:50.785+02:00Finger puppets and rattles<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hello there!<br />
Well it's been a long time, again. Almost a month since my last post, naughty me.<br />
The thing is, I've been so very, very busy. I've been busy at home, busy at work, and... busy crocheting! <br />
Would you like to see what I've been making?<br />
Here you are then.<br />
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<a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/p480x480/971104_563708567003194_303636150_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/p480x480/971104_563708567003194_303636150_n.jpg" width="372" /></a></div>
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Yes, finger puppets! They're so much fun to make. Quick and easy :) I've written up the pattern for the bear, just need to transfer it to the right computer. They're all crocheted with sportsweight yarn and a 3mm hook though you could go down to 2.5 mm. </div>
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<a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/6028_568765329830851_1190794295_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/6028_568765329830851_1190794295_n.jpg" width="308" /></a></div>
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I've made another<a href="http://isitatoy.blogspot.fr/2012/10/teddy-rattle-free-pattern.html" target="_blank"> teddy rattle</a>. This one's ecru and navy and has already gone to a new home!</div>
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<a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/994909_571461002894617_1237686616_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/994909_571461002894617_1237686616_n.jpg" width="391" /></a></div>
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And a ducky rattle! I followed the same pattern as the<a href="http://isitatoy.blogspot.fr/2012/10/teddy-rattle-free-pattern.html" target="_blank"> teddy rattle</a>, adding wings and a beak. </div>
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Here's the pattern for the wings:</div>
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Rnd 1: 6sc in a magic circle (see the teddy rattle pattern for details of the magic circle)</div>
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Rnd 2: 1 sc in next st, 2 sc in next st, around (9 sc)</div>
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Rnd 3: 1 sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next st, around (12 sc)</div>
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Rnd 4: 1 sc in next 3 sts, 2 sc in next st, around (15 sc)</div>
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Rnd 5-6: sc around (15 sc)</div>
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Rnd 7: 1 sc in next 3 sts, sc2tog, around (12 sc)</div>
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Rnd 8-9: sc around (12 sc)</div>
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Rnd 10: 1sc in next st, sc2tog, around (9 sc)</div>
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Fasten off.</div>
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And the beak:</div>
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Rnd 1: 6sc in a magic circle</div>
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Rnd 2: *[1sc in next 2 st, 2sc in next st] repeat from * (8 sc)</div>
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Rnd 3-4: sc around</div>
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You can add a further rnd of you want a longer beak.</div>
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Fasten off, leaving a long end for sewing.</div>
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I hope you enjoy my patterns. I would love to see your creations, please send me a link or share them on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/IsItAToyCrochet" target="_blank">facebook page</a>. </div>
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aishakenzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11608130256713815629noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7608773948888309214.post-43479527454670927262013-05-10T07:27:00.002+02:002013-05-10T07:27:44.064+02:00Meandering in May<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hello there!<br />
In May in France we have several national holidays, well at least three. This year, two of them came together on 8th and 9th and I've taken today off too, so that means a very, very long weekend of five days!<br />
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We'd planned to do some furniture shopping and assembling. But the car is in bad need of repair and can't be used, so we've had to put the new furniture off for another day. Instead, I've been doing a little bit of crochet, some cooking and tidying up, but the best thing is that the weather has been sunny (at least for part of the time). So we went off for a wander.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xw1JBwLd4Go/UYyBlVA8jyI/AAAAAAAAAsI/7FanpnNT_d4/s1600/Spring1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xw1JBwLd4Go/UYyBlVA8jyI/AAAAAAAAAsI/7FanpnNT_d4/s400/Spring1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I so love to see these bright yellow fields, they look so gorgeous against the blue sky.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3W5bX7wC7oE/UYyBlz_2BiI/AAAAAAAAAsQ/WmIvSkOwYDo/s1600/Spring2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3W5bX7wC7oE/UYyBlz_2BiI/AAAAAAAAAsQ/WmIvSkOwYDo/s400/Spring2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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A bit further down the path and the view changes. Can you see there's still some snow on the mountains?<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YCHAzCTU2s4/UYyBnDwPfTI/AAAAAAAAAsg/hBPHZDWnRew/s1600/Spring4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YCHAzCTU2s4/UYyBnDwPfTI/AAAAAAAAAsg/hBPHZDWnRew/s400/Spring4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I love the contrast of the thick ridged bark and the delicate leaves and dandelions. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fXfom_87o5I/UYyBl40ZDaI/AAAAAAAAAsM/2Yh7auimFiY/s1600/Spring3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fXfom_87o5I/UYyBl40ZDaI/AAAAAAAAAsM/2Yh7auimFiY/s400/Spring3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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And these new leaves were calling out for me to take their picture. Rebirth. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XYE1z3i270c/UYyBn38Q8TI/AAAAAAAAAsw/vbeRQ76r2fs/s1600/Spring6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XYE1z3i270c/UYyBn38Q8TI/AAAAAAAAAsw/vbeRQ76r2fs/s400/Spring6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I took this one by accident as I was walking along. I like it.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lek6j2dZz7A/UYyBp05S3oI/AAAAAAAAAtA/rnoujlexs0E/s1600/woods.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lek6j2dZz7A/UYyBp05S3oI/AAAAAAAAAtA/rnoujlexs0E/s640/woods.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And last of all, the green carpet of leaves and flowers. We had a lovely time. Pity it's raining again today. </div>
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aishakenzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11608130256713815629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7608773948888309214.post-52047057406525614902013-05-02T12:56:00.001+02:002013-05-02T12:56:45.031+02:00May Day cushion<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hello everyone!<br />
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I hope you had a great Labour Day yesterday. Here in France it is a national holiday so I didn't go to work, but I did finish off some crochet work. And here's the result, my May Day cushion! (scroll down for the pattern).<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3EFUEHDHMUc/UYJFHvWubaI/AAAAAAAAArs/tYlkljTVh-o/s1600/cushion1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3EFUEHDHMUc/UYJFHvWubaI/AAAAAAAAArs/tYlkljTVh-o/s400/cushion1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Isn't it just lovely? It was one of those things - I bought the yarn in a sale, then saw a similar cushion on one of the blogs I read, and realised I just HAD to make a cushion with that yarn!<br />
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I didn't follow exactly the <a href="http://pinkmilkjewels.blogspot.fr/2013/02/how-i-crocheted-my-round-cushion.html" target="_blank">same pattern as Heather on Pink Milk</a>, who joined her rounds with a slipstitch. I just made two simple hdc circles and crocheted them together with a shell border. Like Heather, I did use the lovely <a href="http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/may-roses.html" target="_blank">May rose from Attic24</a> to decorate my cushion. My cushion is also quite big, so the central rose does look a bit small. But I love it anyway. We needed new cushion and I think it looks particularly nice on my armchair.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sBIheXwfxUc/UYJFSC5RDMI/AAAAAAAAAr0/u3RsIc14C80/s1600/cushion_on_chair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sBIheXwfxUc/UYJFSC5RDMI/AAAAAAAAAr0/u3RsIc14C80/s400/cushion_on_chair.jpg" width="245" /></a></div>
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Here's how I made it:<br />
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1. Start with a magic circle and 6 sc.<br />
2. 2 hdc in each stitch.<br />
3. *1 hdc in next st, 2 hdc in next st, rep from * to end. (it's a good idea to use a stitch marker on the first stitch throughout)<br />
4. * 1 hdc in next 2 sts, 2 hdc in next st, rep from * to end.<br />
5. * 1 hdc in next 3 sts, 2 hdc in next st, rep from * to end.<br />
6. * 1 hdc in next 4 sts, 2 hdc in next st, rep from * to end.<br />
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Continue the pattern, increasing the number of single hdc in between each set of 2 hdc until you reach the required diameter for your cushion.<br />
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Then make a May rose from the cute and easy pattern by Lucy at Attic24, and sew it to the centre of one of the circles.<br />
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You can use a cushion pad you have bought or upcycled, or you could make your own. I made mine from an old sheet and filled it with polyfil. It's 40 cm across and the final row of my crochet circle has 20 hdc in between each 2 hdc. Make sure your cushion pad is washable, as the cover isn't removeable.<br />
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For the border, I did the following:<br />
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* slip stitch in first st, 5 dc in next st, slip stitch in next stitch, repeat from * to end.<br />
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Remember to put your cushion pad in place while you still have room for it! If you have a very fat cushion pad as I did, you'll have to do quite an amount of the border with the pad in situ.<br />
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To finish, sew in the ends and you're done!<br />
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aishakenzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11608130256713815629noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7608773948888309214.post-35937004501925153052013-04-23T13:22:00.000+02:002013-04-23T13:22:12.128+02:00Granny ripple Ta daaah!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xxEeLCdpiRY/UXZsA_UuGKI/AAAAAAAAArY/MoNCAON-w6w/s1600/blanket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xxEeLCdpiRY/UXZsA_UuGKI/AAAAAAAAArY/MoNCAON-w6w/s640/blanket.jpg" width="422" /></a></div>
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Some early followers of my blog, and I mean REALLY early followers, may remember me talking about starting this blanket ages and ages and ages ago. It's so long ago that I cannot find the original post. I've been making it on and off for well over a year. And the good news is: It's done! Finished! </div>
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This is a really easy pattern and goes very quickly (believe it or not). The reason I took so long was that I've been sidetracked by lots of other little projects, but if I'd worked solely on the blanket it would have probably taken me three months at most. Anyway, it's now finished and has gone to its new owner. I made it with Schachenmayr nomotta Bravo yarn, it's 100% acrylic but very soft and not at all scratchy. </div>
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Here's the pattern if you want to try it <a href="http://thelazyhobbyhopper.blogspot.fr/2011/08/how-to-crochet-granny-ripple.html">http://thelazyhobbyhopper.blogspot.fr/2011/08/how-to-crochet-granny-ripple.html</a>.</div>
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I took the photo on the stairs because it was the easiest way to see the whole blanket but the blanket is single bed size. And please ignore that loose thread. I did weave it shortly after taking the pic.</div>
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aishakenzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11608130256713815629noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7608773948888309214.post-85418108206638709482013-04-09T08:24:00.001+02:002013-04-09T08:24:21.540+02:00Here's Zippy!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gThaHR0WNdY/UWOzYhDV1DI/AAAAAAAAAq4/lGtDbhJrmLs/s1600/monster1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gThaHR0WNdY/UWOzYhDV1DI/AAAAAAAAAq4/lGtDbhJrmLs/s400/monster1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kTdl9bctWA4/UWOzY4gTk0I/AAAAAAAAArA/LZxFg38eneE/s1600/monster2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kTdl9bctWA4/UWOzY4gTk0I/AAAAAAAAArA/LZxFg38eneE/s400/monster2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Isn't he fun? Zippy has been on the go for quite a while and at last I got around to finishing him! No pattern yet but I might be able to remember how I made him. He wasn't too complicated. And he's so, so cuddly.</div>
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aishakenzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11608130256713815629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7608773948888309214.post-9357813509771980162013-04-07T10:43:00.002+02:002013-04-07T13:06:27.793+02:00My flapjacks recipe<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gTwCQ7HkzEY/UWEuUnxyWxI/AAAAAAAAAqY/cg6wDNPfZiY/s1600/flapjacks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gTwCQ7HkzEY/UWEuUnxyWxI/AAAAAAAAAqY/cg6wDNPfZiY/s400/flapjacks.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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For me, flapjacks are such an <i>English </i>treat. I have images of Quaker oats, golden syrup and good English butter. And tea, of course. You can't eat them without a steaming cup of tea. </div>
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Luckily, and despite living in France, I always keep a can of Lyles Golden Syrup in my supply cupboard. The organic oats I buy for porridge are probably better than Quaker, and French butter is almost as good as its English counterpart. The resulting flapjacks are crispy, sweet and buttery. They're best if your let them go completely cold before eating them, though more than half of the ones I made were consumed while still warm. They aren't for dieters but they are <i>sooooo</i> delicious. And so even easy a (supervised) child could make them. </div>
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Here's the recipe. Simple and quick.</div>
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Ingredients</div>
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125g salted butter</div>
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125g soft brown sugar</div>
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2 tbsp golden syrup</div>
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350g rolled oats</div>
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In a small saucepan, melt the butter and add the sugar and golden syrup. Heat until it just starts to boil, then add it to a mixing bowl where you'll have placed the rolled oats.</div>
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Using a wooden spoon, mix well until all the oats are covered with the syrupy mixture. </div>
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Press into a shallow baking tray and bake at 200 degrees C for 15 minutes or until golden.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hfHDDCsLQ8s/UWFTH3akO8I/AAAAAAAAAqo/yKd2MwD--X8/s1600/flapjacksintray.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="203" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hfHDDCsLQ8s/UWFTH3akO8I/AAAAAAAAAqo/yKd2MwD--X8/s320/flapjacksintray.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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While it's still warm, mark into squares with a wooden or heat-proof spatula. Leave to cool completely before eating (if you can wait that long!)</div>
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Recommneded: Drink with tea poured from a real a teapot.</div>
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aishakenzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11608130256713815629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7608773948888309214.post-50120597138857395382013-04-05T23:13:00.000+02:002013-04-05T23:13:04.388+02:00Fun with photos<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
While I was planning to buy a new camera, one of the options that existed on the more expensive cameras I looked at (but didn't buy) was a gadget that meant you could obtain a black and white photo with just a bit of colour. For example, one red strawberry....<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xtUsjSkM1OE/UV89C5aLBWI/AAAAAAAAAqA/0r1onaV2mXM/s1600/strawberryeffect.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xtUsjSkM1OE/UV89C5aLBWI/AAAAAAAAAqA/0r1onaV2mXM/s400/strawberryeffect.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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or why not one pink bunny...</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rZHtDczMxTw/UV89eNark_I/AAAAAAAAAqI/MMFq6Cnm3wk/s1600/cuties2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rZHtDczMxTw/UV89eNark_I/AAAAAAAAAqI/MMFq6Cnm3wk/s400/cuties2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Well as you can see, I didn't need the more expensive camera. I found <a href="http://www.picmonkey.com/" target="_blank">PicMonkey</a>!</div>
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Abby on While She Naps has a great <a href="http://whileshenaps.typepad.com/whileshenaps/2013/04/picmonkey-tutorial-selective-coloration-.html" target="_blank">tutorial </a>on how to achieve these fun effects. Enjoy!</div>
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aishakenzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11608130256713815629noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7608773948888309214.post-53978050215407676212013-03-16T21:51:00.001+01:002013-03-16T21:51:54.190+01:00Spring at last?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I don't know if where you live it has been quite so cold and grey as it has been here. It felt as if winter had been around for months and months. And I was quite ill this winter, with a bad cough and cold that kept coming and going, and coming back again, and a horrible week with a very sore back.<br />
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But enough whingeing. Today I went out to the market, as I usually do on a Saturday morning, and the sun was shining! The sky was blue! It even felt a tiny weeny bit warm. Yay! The mountains I can see from our flat are still capped with snow, but with a beautiful blue sky above them. It's amazing how much a sunny sky can lift your spirits!<br />
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Here's something else that made me feel happy. Lovely, cute baby goats.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RjlLmqjeZoI/UUTZyoAjskI/AAAAAAAAApg/6xW4jb2UNzQ/s1600/goats1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RjlLmqjeZoI/UUTZyoAjskI/AAAAAAAAApg/6xW4jb2UNzQ/s400/goats1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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"Hmm what a tasty post"</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vq2nDo4w7iI/UUTZ5wtybMI/AAAAAAAAAp0/mFw23qqzf-Y/s1600/goats2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vq2nDo4w7iI/UUTZ5wtybMI/AAAAAAAAAp0/mFw23qqzf-Y/s400/goats2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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This one kept jumping on its mum's back. It was so funny.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RtpNOF0O6X4/UUTZ55glCcI/AAAAAAAAApw/QEZZjguHtnk/s1600/goats3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RtpNOF0O6X4/UUTZ55glCcI/AAAAAAAAApw/QEZZjguHtnk/s400/goats3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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"There's only room for one"</div>
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On the crochet front, I'm desperately trying to finish off some crochet gifts that I'll be taking to England in April. Hoping to show them to you very soon!</div>
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I hope Spring has started to show its pretty face wherever you are. Keep smiling!</div>
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aishakenzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11608130256713815629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7608773948888309214.post-8498221626184989862013-03-09T19:55:00.000+01:002014-11-08T07:40:43.827+01:00Cedric Crab<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gZBj6oniGJM/UTt_mSrasGI/AAAAAAAAApI/eb8ynb-PRKE/s1600/cedric4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gZBj6oniGJM/UTt_mSrasGI/AAAAAAAAApI/eb8ynb-PRKE/s400/cedric4.jpg" height="585" width="640" /></a></div>
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When a friend asked me to crochet him a crab for a crab-loving friend of his, I decided to have a go at designing one. After several attempts, frogging and starting again (which meant he had to wait longer than planned), I'm pleased to introduce Cedric the crab.<br />
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Cedric is a happy little chap. He can bend his claws thanks to pipe cleaners, and he peers out from beneath his African flower shell, bordered with (yes, you guessed), crab stitch!<br />
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To make Cedric, you'll need a small amount of DK yarn in two colours (more for the claws colour than for the body colour), a 3mm crochet hook, a small amount of polyfil, two 6mm safety eyes, a tiny strand of black embroidery thread (for the mouth), and a blunt tapestry needle or bodkin.<br />
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As I mention in most of my patterns, I have chosen to enclose the polyfil in a piece of old tights.<br />
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However, the construction of the crab means that if you crochet tightly, you may not need to do this. There are holes in the African flower, but the crab body is closed up beneath the flower so you may be able to get away with not lining.<br />
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Please note that because of the pipe cleaners in the legs, this toy is not suitable for very young children. You can stuff the legs instead of using pipe cleaners, but this will not obtain the same result. And if you want to offer it to young children, you may prefer to replace the safety eyes with embroidered eyes.<br />
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<b>You are welcome to sell any crabs you make, but please do not sell this pattern. Do not post this pattern to any website, but link directly to my blog. No file sharing of this pattern. Please respect my designer rights.</b><br />
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Special thanks to Heidi Bears for her tutorial for the African flower pattern, which is an integral part of this design. And thanks to Tamara Kelly for her video explanation of the crab stitch. You'll find links at the relevant points in the pattern below.<br />
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If you make a crab using this pattern, it would be great to see it on our flickr page, or share it on the Is it a toy crochet Facebook page. Likes, shares and comments guaranteed!<br />
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I shall refer to red yarn and yellow yarn as those are the colours I chose and that correspond to the photo. The crab would look great in other colour combinations too.<br />
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Finally, there may still be some errors or incongruences in the pattern. If you have any questions, tips or comments, please post them below.<br />
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The ten legs/claws are the longest part of this pattern, so I suggest you start with those. The rest is plain sailing.<br />
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If you want to stuff the legs, do so as you go along. If you choose to use pipe cleaners, that's explained below.<br />
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<b>Big claws (make 2)</b><br />
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With red<br />
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<b>Rnd 1</b> - Start with a magic circle and 6 sc (for a tutorial on how to make a magic circle, see this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLuSVyKvoUg)<br />
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<b>Rnd 2-3</b> - Sc around (6 sts)<br />
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<b>Rnd 4</b> - [2sc in next st, 1sc in next st] three times (9 sts)<br />
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<b>Rnd 5 </b>- [1sc in next 2 sts, 2sc in next st] three times (12 sts)<br />
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<b>Rnd 6-8 </b>- sc around (12 sts)<br />
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<b>Rnd 9</b> - [1sc in next st, sc2tog] three times (9 sts)<br />
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<b>Rnd 10</b> - In back loops only: [1sc in next st, sc2tog] three times (6 sts)<br />
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<b>Rnd 11</b> - In both loops: [2sc in next st, 1sc in next st] three times (9 sts)<br />
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<b>Rnd 12-14</b> - sc around (9 sts)<br />
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<b>Rnd 15</b> - [1sc in next st, sc2tog] three times (6 sts)<br />
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<b>Rnd 16</b> - sc around (6 sts)<br />
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<b>Rnd 17</b> - [2sc in next st, 1sc in next st] three times (9 sts)<br />
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<b>Rnd 18-19</b> - sc around (9 sts)<br />
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Now make the "thumb"<br />
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With red<br />
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<b>Rnd 1</b> - Start with a magic circle and 6 sc<br />
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<b>Rnd 2-3</b> - sc around (6 sts)<br />
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<b>Rnd 4</b> - [2sc in next st, 1sc in next st] three times (9 sts)<br />
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<b>Rnd 5</b> - sc around<br />
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<b>Rnd 6</b> - [1sc in next st, sc2tog] three times (6 sts)<br />
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Finish off, leaving a tail of yarn for sewing. Press sides together and sew through both layers and on to three of the visible loops on Rnd 10.<br />
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<b>Back legs (make 6)</b><br />
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With red<br />
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<b>Rnd 1</b> - Start with a magic circle and 6 sc<br />
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<b>Rnd 2-3 </b>- Sc around (6 sts)<br />
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<b>Rnd 4 </b>- [2sc in next st, 1sc in next st] three times (9 sts)<br />
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<b>Rnd 5</b> - sc around (9 sts)<br />
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<b>Rnd 6</b> - [1sc in next st, sc2tog] three times (6 sts)<br />
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<b>Rnd 7-8</b> - sc around (6 sts)<br />
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<b>Rnd 9 </b>- [2sc in next st, 1sc in next st] three times (9 sts)<br />
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<b>Rnd 10-11</b> - sc around (9 sts)<br />
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<b>Rnd 12</b> - [1sc in next st, sc2tog] three times (6 sts)<br />
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<b>Rnd 13-15</b> - sc around (6sts)<br />
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Finish off, leaving a long tail of yarn for sewing<br />
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For each leg, fold a pipe cleaner in two and enter the folded end into the leg, pushing it to the tip. Trim the ends, folding them back into the leg to avoid pointed ends sticking out. You don't need to put pipe cleaners into the very back legs:<br />
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<b>Very back legs (make 2)</b><br />
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With red<br />
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<b>Rnd 1</b> - Start with a magic circle and 6 sc<br />
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<b>Rnd 2-3 </b>- Sc around (6 sts)<br />
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<b>Rnd 4</b> - [2sc in next st, 1sc in next st] three times (9 sts)<br />
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<b>Rnd 5</b> - [1sc in next st, sc2tog] three times (6 sts)<br />
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Rnd 6-11 - sc around (6 sts)<br />
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Finish off, leaving a long tail of yarn for sewing<br />
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<b>Body (make 1)</b><br />
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With yellow<br />
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<b>Rnd 1</b> - Start with a magic circle and 6 sc<br />
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<b>Rnd 2</b> - 2sc in each st around (12 sts)<br />
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<b>Rnd 3</b> - [2sc in next st, 1 sc in next st] rep around (18 sts)<br />
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<b>Rnd 4</b> - [2sc in next st, 1sc in each of next st 2st] rep around (24 sts)<br />
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<b>Rnd 5</b> - [2sc in next st, 1sc in each of next st 3st] rep around (30 sts)<br />
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<b>Rnd 6</b> - [2sc in next st, 1sc in each of next st 4st] rep around (36 sts)<br />
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<b>Rnd 7</b> - [2sc in next st, 1sc in each of next st 5st] rep around (42 sts)<br />
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<b>Rnd 8</b> - [2sc in next st, 1sc in each of next st 6st] rep around (48 sts)<br />
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<b>Rnd 9</b> - In back loop only: sc around (48 sts)<br />
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<b>Rnd 10-12</b> - In both loops: sc around (48 sts)<br />
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<b>Rnd 13</b> - In back loop only: [sc in each of next 6st, sc2tog] rep around (42 sts)<br />
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<b>Rnd 14</b> - [sc in each of next 5st, sc2tog] rep around (36 sts)<br />
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<b>Rnd 15</b> - [sc in each of next 4st, sc2tog] rep around (30 sts)<br />
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Attach the safety eyes betwee row 11 and 12. Embroider mouth between rows 9 and 10.<br />
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Sew on the legs, starting with the big claws, placing each one about 1 cm from the face. Continue to sew the legs on, one on each side at a time, keeping them as symmetrical as you can.<br />
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Place stuffing pillow (made from 2 round pieces cut out from a pair of old tights, sewn together, stuffed and close up the hole) or start stuffing.<br />
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<b>Rnd 16</b> - [sc in each of next 3st, sc2tog] rep around (24 sts)<br />
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<b>Rnd 17</b> - [sc in each of next 2st, sc2tog] rep around (18 sts)<br />
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Finish stuffing.<br />
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Rnd 18 - [sc in next st, sc2tog] rep around (12 sts)<br />
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Rnd 19 - sc2tog to end (6 sts)<br />
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Sew the hole closed, fasten off and bury the end of yarn inside the body.<br />
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<b>African flower shell</b><br />
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Make a two-tone African Flower. You can follow Heidi Bears' tutorial here, but please note that it is slightly different towards the end, so check the round-by-round instructions below too.<br />
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<a href="http://heidibearscreative.blogspot.fr/2010/05/african-flower-hexagon-crochet-tutorial.html">http://heidibearscreative.blogspot.fr/2010/05/african-flower-hexagon-crochet-tutorial.html</a><br />
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Some of these instructions are copied from Heidi Bear's website, with her permission.<br />
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<b>Rnd 1</b> - With yellow - Make a magic circle. Ch 3, 1 dc, 1ch. [2dc 1ch] five more times, so you end up with six 2dc groups, separated by a ch. Make 1 final ch and sl st into the 3rd ch of the initial 3 ch. Cut yarn<br />
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<b>Rnd 2 </b>- With red - Insert hook into the space just to the right of the 3ch leg from the previous round. Yarn around hook, pull yarn through, ch3 (counts as 1dc). 1dc into the same space, ch 1 and make 2dc into the same space again.<br />
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Work the same 2dc, ch1, 2dc into each ch sp around. You will have six groups. Sl st to the 3rd chain to finish the round<br />
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<b>Rnd 3</b> - With red - Insert your hook into the space created by the chain stitch between the 2dcs. Ch 3 (counts as 1dc)<br />
Make 6 further dc into the same space. There should be 7 dc. Continue with 7dc in each ch sp. You will have six 7dc groups. Sl st into top of 3ch.<br />
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Cut yarn, join yellow.<br />
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<b>Rnd 4</b> - with yellow - 1 sc into each of next 7 sts. Now work a long dc into the space just above the<br />
yellow "petal" of Rnd 1. Look at Heidi Bear's tutorial for guidance :)<br />
<br />
Continue to work you way around the hexagon...7sc, dc, 7sc, dc etc, until you get back to the beginning...as always, join the round by slip stitch into the first sc.<br />
<br />
Cut yarn, join red.<br />
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<b>Rnd 5</b> - with red - Working in front loop only. Sc around, but working 2sc in the fourth stitch at the centre of each "petal".<br />
<br />
(In rnd 5 I may have used hdc rather than sc, but sc will make a smaller shell, which may look better. Please feel free to experiment!)<br />
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<b>Rnd 6 </b>- with red - crab stitch around (see Tamara's great video explaining how to do crab stitch, here: <a href="http://www.mooglyblog.com/reverse-single-crochet-crab-stitch/">http://www.mooglyblog.com/reverse-single-crochet-crab-stitch/</a>)<br />
<br />
Fasten off and weave in the last yarn end. The others can be simply trimmed as they will not be visible when the crab is completed.<br />
<br />
Now, using the two visible lines of stiches made which stitching into front stitch or back stitch only, sew the shell onto the crab's body. And you're done!<br />
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aishakenzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11608130256713815629noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7608773948888309214.post-39949874662263591232013-02-20T17:10:00.001+01:002013-02-20T17:10:27.252+01:00Pink and pretty shawl<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GpVkgFrfD2Q/USTz6d4ZshI/AAAAAAAAAog/Lp0WRVFpy0M/s1600/pink_shawl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GpVkgFrfD2Q/USTz6d4ZshI/AAAAAAAAAog/Lp0WRVFpy0M/s400/pink_shawl.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Do you remember when I went to Paris? It was back in November, and I told you that I visited La Droguerie, a beautiful old-fashioned yarn shop. I bought some gorgeous wool, and here's what I made with it.<br />
This shawl is for my Mum. I don't see her very often because she lives in England and I live in France, but I do try to go over at least twice a year. My next visit is planned for April and I'm looking forward to giving her this lovely soft shawl.<br />
If you want to make one, the pattern is by the very talented Just-In on Ravelry. You can also find it on Just-In's website<a href="http://www.cuteandkaboodle.com/" target="_blank"> cuteandkaboodle.com</a>.<br />
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I do have quite a lot of yarn left over and I'm thinking of making a little vintage baby bonnet. What do you think?</div>
aishakenzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11608130256713815629noreply@blogger.com1