Works in Progress Update

Works in Progress 8/29

 

So I know I just said I was going to be updating Monday/Thursday, but I changed my mind. I will be getting my second update on Friday instead. We usually go out on Thursdays to play boardames with friends so I don't have as much time in which to write a post. Also, I usually get most of my sewing work for the week done while playing games (because I find it really boring and it's nice to have friends and games to keep me entertained) so I will feel more accomplished than just showing you a bunch of half finished pieces Thursday. 

Anyway new post, talking about the things I've been working on this week. I was finishing up a bunch of Cthulhus to send with my friend to a pirate event this weekend so I don't have pictures of those (maybe if they don't sell I will show you pictures next week, hopefully not). I decided not to go to the event as it's adult only and, well, obviously most of my stuff is more geared towards children and teens. Next year I will be trying for the local anime convention this weekend instead (wish my luck it's really hard to get into)

Then of course there are hats, because there are always hats. I'm having fun using up my Deaborah Norville Everyday striped yarns, though I'm not sure about some of the colors. I guess I will see what does well before buying anymore. It's such a nice yarn to work with I hope they do well so I can keep making them.

Not much done on pokemon this week, they are frustrating me and I didn't want to start a 3rd one before at least one of them is finished. Just need to sew on the ruff on the Vaporeon and I can finally do so. The Jolteon is going backwards as I had to pull off three of the legs to put them back on in the right spots. You can see why I hate sewing.

And finally, most of my work time this week has gone into ponies. I'm trying to finish another couple of sets of my little ponies for the next event (November, though hopefully we can find something in October!) and finally started something I have been wanting to do for a long time. I picked up Nerdy Knitter's Princess Pony Patterns. They are amazing and look fantastic and much more complicated 

 than anything I have made before. Also they are huge. Just look at this picture.

That pony is going to be nearly two feet tall! Needless to say it has been taking up most of my time this week, especially because I had to make one of those legs three times and the other one twice. It's not even that complicated just repetitious and I hate counting rows. I also ended up doing the neck on a hook .75mm too small but decided not to scrap it and just add an extra three rows. I'm really hoping my math is right on that, if not oh well, at least it wasn't something like the head...which was surprisingly easy. Hopefully the back legs follow suit. 

That's about it this week. Still need to finish up Groot and I have a few more baby hats to make. Thanks for taking a look and have a great weekend.

The Octo-Kitty (with pattern)

The Octo-Kitty

So finally as promised, I want to tell you about my namesake, my little octo-kitties. The octo-kitty is half octopus half cat and all adorable. I found and fell in love with a pattern for easy little amigurmi octopi about a year and a half ago and just started making them like crazy. I've probably made almost 100 of the little guys (you can see some of them over  on my Pinterest) and over time I have changed and adapted the pattern a lot and had a lot of fun making different themes for them.

plain, chef, pirate, dapper, and octo-kitty (the first one, they look better now)

Octo-poke-ball, Racoon, Pumpkin, and tiny

 

and usually just wearing adorably tiny top hats

At this point I mostly just make the little pokemon, dapper, and kitty octopi because they make me happy. And because I love them so much I want to share my pattern with you all. It's a very basic amigurumi using single crochets (sc), increases (Inc), decreases (dec) (I prefer invisible decreases), the Magic Circle (MC), Working front loop only (FLO), Back loop only (BLO) and working in the round.

Octo-Kitty Pattern

Giant Octo-kitty in Bernants Softee Chuncky in white (pelase excuse crap in the background, my office is in my bedroom)

Use a g hook with Red Heart super Saver yarns or scale appropriately (chunky yarns use a J, sock weight uses a C)
yarn/tapestry needle
safety, googly, or felt eyes
stuffing

1.  MC 6 (make sure it's tight, this is the top of your plushie and will show)
2. *Inc* around (12)
3. *1sc, Inc* around (18)
4. *2sc, Inc* around (24)
5. *3sc, Inc* around (30)
6. *4sc, Inc* around (36)
7. *sc* around (36)
8. *sc* around (36)
9. *sc* around (36)
10.  *sc 6, dec* x4 sc 4 (32)
11.  *dec* around (16)
12. *sc FLO 2 chain 16 (or any variable of 3 and add 1 (ex. 19, 22, 25 etc)) inc in second chain from the end, sc2 down the length (you should have a loose spiral that will not straighten) sc into base of stitch.* Repeate around so you have 8 tentacles with 1 sc in between each.
    pause here to attach eyes and stuff. You can also wait to stuff until after the next row if your opening is wide enough  to avoid pulling stuffing into your stitches
13. working back loops of previous row, *sc3, dec* around (12)
14. *dec* around (6) 

bind off 

 For Ears
make two

1. MC3
2. *Inc* around (6)
3. *Sc, Inc* around (9)

bind off leaving 6inches to sew onto head. You don't need to stuff but can if you like.

Please let me know if you have any questions and I would love if you wanted to share your own octo-kitties on my Facebook Page!

Octo-Tiger Made by weaving black yarn front and back alternatively after every stitch

Small Update

Just Some Things I'm Working On

So I meant to have a post to you on Thursday but it's been a rough week. Between doctors appointments (everyone is fine) and our kitty running off (he came back this morning or you wouldn't have a post) I've been a bit distracted. So just a quick post talking about some things I've been working on and on Monday I'll share you a pattern!

So on everyone's suggestion I started a Groot. I'm not loving making it and my brown isn't right but he is super cute. Just need to get some pipe cleaners so I can finish. I know, what kind of crafter doesn't have pipe cleaners? Groot Pattern Here

Then I've been making more hats, always more hats.

And of course more Cthulhu. I'm sending them with a friend to sell at an event next weekend so I can start making less of them soon. But I really do love making them. Cthulhu Pattern Here

Making a giant pony (because pretty soft chunky yarn) this one is actually my pony, still working on a name for her. I am terrible at naming things. Pony Pattern Here.

And Pokemon Plushies, I'm learning to felt and I absolutely love it for additions on amigurumi but that's a post for another time. I will be very sad when Vaporeon (the blue one) goes to his new home.

And that's all I have for now. Join me next time as I talk about my namesakes, the little Octo-kitties I love to make and share their pattern with you.

So after my last post I was asked about where I get the eyes I use in my plushies, so I thought I would tell you a bit about that. This post is not payed for in any way, I just want to share the products I have found very useful with fellow crafters. I started off just using plastic googly eyes glued on (I suggest Elmer's Craft Bond while I'm talking about craft supplies I love) and they are cute but they like to fall off and I wanted something that looked a bit nicer.

So I went ahead and invested in some plastic safety eyes. They look a lot better I think, are easier to get even because you aren't working with glue that will shift around, and they don't fall off, they are almost impossible to get off if you wanted to (unless you are an adorable corgi who somehow managed to dislodge and eat a pair without otherwise damaging the plushie). Using safety eyes also made me a lot more comfortable for my toys going to children.

I used those for about a year. A few months ago I was at a con and a friend was showing me her cthulhu dice bag which was covered in tentacles and purple glass eyes. They looked great so I asked her where she got them and she told me to check ebay. I took a look and found some great bulk deals to try some different ones out. I ended up picking up a huge lot of different colors and sizes to try out and really enjoy working with them.

I now by specifically from that sellers shop, Glass Eyes Online they offer deals in bulk and shipping and have been very nice when I got stupid and forgot to add something to my order. My husband likes to tease me that I have an addiction for the eyes (I only have one 8x14 plastic case, and 4 round jars of them, it's not THAT bad and at least I use them on plushies? Yeah I'm not convincing anyone here.) but I really enjoy having a big stock on hand to pick from when I make different colored plushies. I definitely want to pick up more of the cats eyes in the future

But for now I'm trying to use up my stock. Hope this has been helpful to some of you and if not I enjoyed talking about my weird little hobby of collecting glass safety eyes. Thanks for reading and happy crocheting.

Dr. Strangelove

Cthulhu Army, Or: 

How I learned to stop worrying about yarn weight and love the Different Sized Plushies

 

Well not that I don't worry about yarn weight at all, it is important to make sure you yarn weight and hooks scale together, but I make a lot of plushies (as you may have noticed) and I make them in bulk because I sell at conventions and craft shows. As much fun as they are to make, you can only spend so much time making a pea green cthulhu plushie before it gets boring.
 

I love you but if I have to make one more of you I'm going to start stabbing things

So I tried making them in the same worsted weight, same f hook... 

I know you're chaos gods, but this is ridiculous

and forgot that different companies have very different definitions of "worsted weight" (thats a rant for another day. ) I was all ready to give up when I thought, why should I care? They are all adorable and with the different sizes they have their own personalities. 

I took off them there and I haven't stopped. Cthulhus in fingering to chunky weight yarn...

Goblins in a small worsted and a bulky weight

You can tell we were still working on proper eye placement

Octopus in a variety of weights 

Even a couple of ponies in worsted and bulky weight

Rainbow Dash, and Chaos Reins

I no longer dread finding a new pattern, knowing I will go mad making the same pattern in the same size until my brain oozes out my ears. Of course I make sure all the parts on a plushie are the same weight and I would always make sure to follow gauge for clothing. But getting to be creative and have fun with the patterns is a big reason why I mostly make plushies (and hats apparently). 

So I'm off to make another cthulhu he's dark green, and I have no idea why he's bigger than that little pea green one at the start of the post (the weight really feels the same) but I don't care. I will love him just the same.

Click for Babies Charity Project

Click for Babies Charity Project

Today I want to talk to you about a charity project I am working on, Click for Babies. weird name, I know, but the cause is one I find important. Click for babies gives a little purple hat to parents of new babies along with information on Shaken Baby Syndrome and how to handle the large amount of crying a new baby does. My husband and I are hoping to be parents soon so babies are very close to my heart right now.

If you are interested in getting involved, please take a look at their site and you can find a project in your area and get involved. I would also be more than happy if anyone wanted to send me hats, to get them to my local drop off. You can find the guidelines for the hats here.

I've never made baby hat before so this has been interesting for me. I can't believe how tiny they are! I've just been doing basic HDC in the round in different soft purples that I have. The first couple came out a little big so I switched from an H hook to and F.

This was my first, and I love the stripes! It's a little big though. Yarns used are Red Heart Soft: Grape and Bernat Satin: Lagoon

This one was also a bit big, I started making them smaller after this, I like how the colors came out though. Yarn used is Red Heart With Love: Plum Jam

Started making them a bit smaller (hopefully the first two can make a bigger baby happy) The stripes didn't quiet come out how I wanted, but a scalloped edge on anything makes me happy. Yarn used is Deborah Norville's Everyday: Plum Jam (yep both yarns have the same name, interesting)

I tried working in rounds instead of amigurumi with this one, and I hate it. You can still see the seam (not in the picture, on the back) I'm going back to amigurumi style and will just try and figure out something. either way I like how the colors came out. Yarn are Knit Picks Brava: Haze Heather and Bernant Satin: Foliage.

I'm trying to get one finished every day until the project wraps up at the end of  September, so expect a post with a lot of pics then. Until then please feel free to share your own hats and please consider giving this project a try. Next time I talk about why I don't usually care about yarn weight when making plushies, and maybe you shouldn't either. Until then, Happy crafting!

The Post About Hats

The Post About Hats

 

So as I said last time, I've been working on a lot of hats lately. I have a bit of a love hate relationship when it comes to making hats. Every time I make one I like, the next one doesn't come out well, but hoping that's a thing of the past. I'm working on a bunch of kitty eared hats right now (pretty much the only hats I make) and just having fun playing with patterns and colors.

So all that said let's get to the pretty pictures. The new hat obsession started with my mum asking for a kitty eared hat (she randomaly decided it would be fun to have one, she kind be really silly sometimes) So I made her a hat...and it was too big and fits me perfectly, as I like a bigger/longer hat, so yay new hat for me.

Then I went ahead and made a new one for Mum.

Both are made in New Picks, Brava in Fairytale for the pink and Deborah Norville's Everyday in black. My favorite soft acryllic yarns, if they were cheaper I would never use anything else!

Realizing how well the Everyday worked out I decided to pull out some of my patterned yarns from that collection. I bought a bunch of them for projects that have never sold well so I've been looking for something to re-purpose them for, and the hats look really cute. Raccoon hat I want to say this is the Antique Lavender, but I can't find the label.

And finally I'm trying to get a set of hats in black and a basic color with ears to take to cons (I also sell them in my shop) I started with a black and blue.

I'm now working on another one in Everyday: Smoothie and some baby hats for a charity project that I will talk more about tomorrow.
I'm thinking of throwing up my basic hat and ears patterns, let me know if that is something you would like.

Have a great day and thanks for reading.

Welcome and First Post!

Welcome and Crocheted Ponies

Hello and welcome to my newly created craft journal. I'm Kitty and I make crocheted and knitted things, mostly toys and accessories, and sell them online and at local craft fairs, conventions, and pretty much anywhere that will have me. I wanted to start this as a place I can talk about what I'm working on, share patterns I really like, and make comments on those patterns while I work on them. You can also see my work and interact over at my Facebook Page. Hope you enjoy and I will try and update regularly.

Today I will be talking about a My Little Pony plushies I have been working on. A young lady commissioned me to make her a pony at a pirate event last weekend, and this has been a really fun one. I was asked to make this pony, Vinyl Scratch, Using the pattern for my normal plushies

 

The pattern is a paid pattern but totally worth it, and can be found On Ravelry. I've made a lot of these little guys, 3 each of the main cast, a little grey pony (Derpy for all you Bronies) and am working on a pattern for once of the villains (It's a pain in the butt, I'll talk about it eventually) so this wasn't a very hard project. Getting the glasses was my big focus as I had no pattern for it. Here's what I ended up doing

Same size hook as used for body, pink yarn in same weight as used for body. I used knit picks brava in fairytale for the lenses and Deborah Norville's everyday in black for the frames

Make 8 sc in magic ring with pink

Sc in first stitch, HDC and DC in 2nd stitch,  TRC and DC in 3rd stitch, HDC and SC in 4th stitch, 1.slp st. and SC in 5th stitch, HDC and DC in 6th stitc, TRC and DC in7th stitch, HDC and SC in 8th 2.stitch, finish with a slip into the first stitch. switch to black

3.sc around all stitches chain 3

4. repeat 2

5. continue in the black around the second lense and SC back over the 3 chain stitches. 

Bind off and attach to head with glue or by sewing. 

Here's the finished product!

Then I had another commission to work on. Another person I met at Seadogs contacted me o make her daughter's custom pony. I've been really wanting to work on other people's custom designs for the fun of playing with new designs and colors.This one was pretty basic, yellow body with red curly mane and green eyes. Less creative work than Vinyl Scratch but she was still a lot of fun.

Working on a lot of hats right now but I will talk more about that next time. In the meantime hope you enjoyed and happy hooking!