Sailor Ted

Isn't he gorgeous?  I'm so proud with my self for managing to get the vision that was in my head onto my hook.

Again, big thanks to Rachel H of Little Yarn Friends for making her pattern free and available to all.

Teddy

My latest effort.  Big thanks to Rachel at Little Yarn Friends for being so kind as to make her patterns free.

The golden coloured yarn for this little guy was incredibly soft, weird since his jumper colour was the same brand, ply and 100% acrylic  Funny how much variation can be in the one brand!  Anyway I'm really happy with how he turned out and he now resides in my spare room for my guests to cuddle up with.

Cupcake Pattern

Who doesn't like cupcakes?  This pattern is an adaptation of a few patterns made into my own.  I'm not terribly happy with how the icing ended up so pointy but that just means I get to make another one a different way :)

Shonamigurumi Cupcake

There are many cupcake patterns out there and this is an adaptation of a few that I like. Check out Bethan David's pattern for my main inspiration. I have, however, changed the icing structure and used a different amount of stitches for the cake base and Back Loops Only for ribbing.

US crochet terms are used throughout this pattern and gauge is not important, just keep your stitches tight so stuffing doesn't show through.

 Stitches used:

• Chain
• Single Crochet
• Slip stitch
• Magic Ring
• Single Crochet Back Loop Only
• Single Crochet Increase
• Single Crochet Decrease

You will need:

• 3.5mm hook
• 3mm hook
• Scissors
• Stuffing
• Stitch Marker (whether you put this in first or last stitch doesn't matter, whatever works for you)
• Tapestry needle
• Cake coloured yarn
• Icing colour yarn of your choice
• Red yarn for cherry
• Single strand sewing thread

Abbreviations:

• MR – Magic Ring
• Ch – chain
• sc – single crochet
• sl st – slip stitch
• 2sc – 2 single crochet in one stitch (increase)
• sc2tog – Single crochet 2 stitches together (decrease)
• BLO – back loop only
• rep – repeat

CUPCAKE BASE

Rnd 1. MR, 5 sc in ring, pull tight to close (5)

Rnd 2. 2sc each st (10)

Rnd 3. *2sc next st, sc next st; rep from * around (15)

Rnd 4. *2sc next st, sc next 2 st; rep from * around (20)

Rnd 5. *2sc next st, sc next 3 st; rep from * around (25)

Rnd 6. *2sc next st, sc next 4 st; rep from * around (30)

Rnd 7. sc BLO around (30), sl st next st.

Now we will be making the paper ribbed and will be working in ROWS not rounds.

*This may be confusing so contact me if you need to and I will try and talk you through it.*

The important thing here is to make sure you do the slip stitch at the beginning AND end of each row so there will be 2 slip stitches next to each other.

Row 8. Ch 8, sc BLO 2nd ch from hook, sc to end in BLO, sl st next st (this is the base of the cake)(7)

*the slip stitches do not count as a stitch*

Row 9. sl st in next st, TURN, sc BLO (7)

Row 10. ch1, turn, sc BLO to end, sl st (7)

Repeat Rows 9 & 10 until they meet up and join by sewing or slip stitching them together. Finish off. The cupcake base is now finished.

ICING

Work back loops only.

Grab your Icing yarn and your single sewing thread and crochet the 2 strands together.

Rnd 1. MR, 5sc in ring, pull tight to close (5)

Rnd 2. sc each st (10)

Rnd 3. *2sc, sc next st; rep from * around (15)

Rnd 4. sc ea st (15)

Rnd 5. *2sc, sc next 2 st; rep from * around (20)

Rnd 6. sc around (20)

Rnd 7. *2sc, sc next 3 st; rep from * around (25)

Rnd 8. sc around (25)

Rnd 9. *2sc, sc next 4 st; rep from * around (30)

Rnd 10. sc around (30)

Rnd 11. *2sc, sc next 5 st; rep from * around (35)

Rnd 12. *3sc next st, sl st next st; rep from * around and FO.

Leave a long tail for sewing onto base.

CHERRY

Using 3mm hook

Rnd 1. MR, 5 st in ring, pull tight to close (5)

Rnd 2. 2sc each st (10)

Rnd 3. sc each st (10)

Rnd 4. sc each st (10)

Rnd 5. *sc2tog; rep from * around (5)

Stuff.

Cut yarn leaving a long tail.

Weave yarn through FLO of each stitch inserting needle from back to front and pull tight to close, thread leftover yarn through the centre of the cherry to other side to create stem.

ASSEMBLY

Attach cherry to icing by sewing or gluing.

Sew Icing to cupcake base ¾ around, stuff firmly, finish sewing and admire your handiwork!

©2012 This pattern is an original pattern by Shona T of Shonamigurumi. Please do not claim this pattern as your own. If you would like to share this pattern, you may link to this pattern but do not reprint it on your site. You may keep a copy for your own personal use but you cannot sell or distribute it. I am more than happy for you to sell items made from this pattern but please credit and let me know. Cheers!

Wine

Mmmmm........wine.

I love wine and I have recently moved to the Hunter Valley in NSW.  About a 15 minute drive from home are some of the best wineries that Australia has to offer.  Can't believe my luck!

My tipple of choice to the moment is Branrock Station Frizzante.  Small bubbles, sweet but not too sweet and low alcohol.  Just so drinkable.

I tried a McGuigan's Moscato the other night.  Very tasty but with a bit more punch than the Frizzante.  After one glass I was feeling it!  Or maybe that was the lack of food throughout the day...

My favourite white wine has to be Margan's Frizzante.  Introduced to me by a fabulous chick, this stuff is to die for.  I've only started drinking whites this year (I've been drinking red for years) and what an introduction to white this was!

New Pattern Underway

I was really pleased with the way my hammer turned out, and have the itch to create something new.  I'm really crappy at drawing but I have a grid book that I use for sketching out new ideas.  The graph paper helps get me get dimensions right and I can get an idea of when to start increasing and decreasing.

I drew out a few shapes but wasn't happy with any of them.  I was having a whinge about this to my partner as we were sitting on the lounge while I played Metal Gear Solid and he starts randomly pointing out things around our house that could be turned in amigurumi and lo, the new pattern idea was hatched.  A rhinoceros!

I'm very excited! For once I managed to sketch the shapes easily and the notes and ideas just started flowing.  SQUEEE!

Una Unicorn

She's a little bit cute isn't she?  Credit goes to Rachel H, her pattern can be found at Little Yarn Friends.  I used "latch hook" to attach her mane and tail.  I had a hell of a time getting her to sit properly!  Worked out I just hadn't stitched enough of the back legs on.

Amigurumi Hammer

I'm a little bit proud...

I've just completed my first pattern!!!!!  It  was borne of a need to make something for my Dad for Christmas and I couldn't find a hammer pattern that I liked.  He's a builder so I think this is very appropriate. 

It took me ages to write and I actually stopped for about a week because I was totally stuck.  I made a couple of devil's from another free pattern in the mean time.When I picked up my hammer pattern again, the ideas just flowed and I completed it by the end of the night.  I'm so happy with how it turned out!!  So without further ado, here 'tis!

Amigurumi Hammer

You can purchase the pattern for this ami from either my Etsy store or Funky Bugs!

Amigurumi Essentials

The Ami supplies that come with me, whenever I leave the house (you never know when you'll have time to crochet!)

• Hook
• Yarn
• Scissors
• Bobby pin for a stitch marker

I carry my travelling crochet in a Harry Potter book bag.  Sometimes I think there is no hope for me at all =)

My stock of amigurumi supplies is always growing and now takes up 2 storage boxes.  I can never have enough yarn.  Ever.

I have a variety of hooks from 2.00mm up to 5.00mm.  My all time fave is 3.5mm.  I have a few issues with an old injury so I wrap my hooks with fabric to make them fatter to hold and so avoid cramps and sore hands.

I usually make amigurumi's so I find using acrylic works well, it holds it's shape and is machine washable.  The downside is that some acrylics are truly awful to hook with.  They squeak, they grip when you don't want them to, they aren't joined properly some are just tied with a knot in the skein.  That said, I have made many things that I really like with acrylic and will continue to use the cheap stuff until the budget will allow for cotton.  

They other supplies I have are a measuring tape, felt, safety eyes, googly eyes, Helmer glue (it's machine washable), beads and a round chopstick and I can tell you, the list goes on.

The chopstick made it's way into my ami supplies as I needed something to bore out the hole in some safety eyes I'd bought off eBay. The backing hole was too small to fit onto the eye and after trying several things around the house including pliers and a screw, I rememebered the chopsticks in the drawer that we don't like to use because they are too slippery for picking up food.  Turns out they are perfect for boring out the eye backing and stuffing fibrefill into small ami pieces!

Bookmarks

I am an avid reader and have more books than will fit on the shelves at home, so invariably, I end up with piles of books next to the bed and pretty much anywhere else I read.  For many years I have folded over the corner of the page I was up to, before putting a book down (or more likely falling asleep with it in my hand and being woken with a fright by my partner THEN folding the page).  I learned how to make 2-dimensional things like flowers and stars so I made a few very simple book marks.

You need your favourite hook (mine is 3.5mm), yarn, scissors and tapestry needle.

Make a chain to your desired length, finish off, leaving a length for attaching to the top piece.

Make a flower or star or whatever you like really and attach it to your chain with the tapestry needle.  I added a bead to the end of mine but getting them to stay on was/is a work in progress. I don't want a big knot at the base because I find it a bit uggs, but haven't come up with a better plan yet.

Buggin'....

Ladybug was made at the request of one of my Facebook liker's.  After I made one, I quickly had requests for another 2 which was really exciting! The pattern for these gorgeous girls come from the Lion Brand Yarn site.  They have tonnes of patterns for knitters and hookers (teeheehee, I've always wanted to use that term!) alike.  Mine are a little different to the ones on their page but very cute nonetheless!

Phone Cover Cozy

These phone covers are just so simple: a chain, single crochet around and around until it's the height you want and slip stitch the top row to finish.  The rainbow one I just did single crochet until I got it to the height I wanted, then chained one, turned and continued like this to create the length of the flap and added a button to close it.  The inspiration for these came from here.  It's a fabulous site =)