Amigurumi Monday: Star-Crossed Lovers

 Hey folks, Sarah here welcoming you to another Amigurumi Monday!

One of my favorite things about amigurumi is the speed of which you can finish a one skein project, and how accomplished you feel once it's finished. Pair that with my need to sniff out bargains like a blood hound and you have clearance-bin amigurumi creations like this:

(´・ω・`)

Sorry Godzilla, I didn't mean to imply you're cheap...

I found this super chunky purple yarn on clearance and knew right away what to do with it! Our building from last week was a little lonely, so I decided to make 'em a friend.  Ahem, "friend".

 

Tower-senpai~

It's nice to take a break from longer projects/garments and just relax with some free-form amigurumi. Building off of my post on yarn weight and gauge, I used a chunky weight yarn and size N hook and was able to knock out this lil monster in no time. The super thick stitches also make a cool bumpy scale texture for this mini Godzilla. 

I look forward to refining this Sunday evening project into a share-able pattern, but until then... see you next week for more Amigurumi Monday!

Kniturday!

Rachel here! Gang, I know it has been a while since I made a post, but, I'm here now to fix that. Starting this month, the last Saturday of the month we will be posting on what we are knitting, whether it be a pattern for you fine folks or a technique we are attempting to master. If we really like you (like today) you'll get a finished product! Feel free to email us your questions, corrections and comments!

Rolled Brim Super Slouchy Hat

This hat is pretty simple and after you're done working on the brim, you'll be able to chat-away at knit night or focus on the latest TV drama.

Supplies:

1 Skein of DK weight yarn
1 Skein of Aran weight yarn
1 pr of 16" #10 circular needles, #10 DPNs after decreases if you don't want to magic loop
1 needle to finish


CO 80 sts using the Cable Cast On (or your own, preferred method)
Knit for 4 rows (this should be enough to give you a rolled brim)
K1, P1 for 5 rows
Knit from the rolled edge for 8"

Note: this will give you a very slouchy hat, feel free to only knit for 7" if you want it to be less slouchy.

Decreases:
*K2tog, K3, rep from * across
Knit for 4 rows
*K2tog, K2, rep from * across
Knit for 3 rows
*K2tog, K1 rep from * across
Knit for 2 rows
*K2tog rep from *across
Knit 1 row
Break yarn and pull though.


Ta-dahhhhhh!

Amigurumi Mondays: Tunisian Crochet!

 For the past two weeks, the yarn shops of North Eastern Ohio had decided to roll in fall with a yarn tour. In a small shop owned by a sweet elderly German knitter I found something not too common with the American crochet scene: Tunisian crochet hooks. This weeks Amigurumi Monday features the simple Tunisian crochet stitch!

A simply sweet skyscraper.

Using the simple stitch I crocheted two 5x5 (13x13cm) inch squares, followed by four 5x9 (13x23cm) inch rectangles for this building. I'm excited to discover all the possibilities Tunisian crochet can bring to my future amigurumi creations!! 

Amigurumi Monday: Yarn Weight and Gauge

Just a tub full of squidly squishies. 

This week for Amigurumi Monday, let's discuss yarn weight! Want to add variety to your amigurumi creations? Have you considered changing yarns? For this week I made two squids from the same pattern.

Up top, in red, is a squid made from worsted weight cotton yarn and E/4 (9/3.5) hook. 

Below, in light pink, is a squid made from chunky yarn and I/9 (5/5.5) hook. 

Both squids have the same number of stitches but different gauges due to the yarn's weight. Adjusting the yarn and hook for your projects will allow you to create giant (or even mini) versions of your favorite amigurumi creatures! For even larger creations, try combining yarns and using a large hook! For even smaller creations, why not use embroidery floss and a steel hook?

Amigurumi Monday: Rosy Cheeks Tutorial

Sarah here for another Amigurumi Monday! This week I want to reintroduce an old friend, François. Notice anything different? He doesn't have his cute little blush! This was my first time painting a blush onto an amigurumi creation, so I decided to document the process.

Materials Used:

finished amigurumi

swatch/gauge of yarn from amigurumi
paint brush
watercolor paints
water

I used a palette of children's watercolors for my paint. François's face is crocheted from white cotton yarn, so I crocheted an extra swatch of the same yarn for practice. 

While practicing it is important to note how much water you want to use. One the left, only a drop or two of water was used to paint the blush. On the right, a few extra drops of water were added afterwards to help soften and blur the blush. However, please note that when using cotton yarn, the water absorbs quickly and may spread larger than intended if too much water is used. But that's what the practice swatch is for!

For François I ended up using very minimal water to give this little piggie a more masculine blush. 

Amigurumi Monday Introduces.....Beatrice and Howard!

For this week's Amigurumi Monday we have some beary special friends to introduce:

Beatrice the Bear and Howard the Tiger:

* * *

Beatrice simply adores reading books, lavender sugar cookies and, of course, honey. If she had it her way, every day would start with honey in her tea and end by falling asleep reading a nice book. Discover more about Beatrice here!

* * *

Howard gets a little chilly in colder climates so his coat is made of wool and polyester fill. Howard is a huge fan of samgyeopsal, fuzzy slippers and bubble baths. Although Howard may come across a little shy, he actually loves spending time with his friends. You can find Howard and all his playmates over at Crooked River Crafts's Etsy shop! 

* * *

AMIGURUMI MONDAY: Meet François

Hello, Readers! Sarah here bringing you a new segment for Crooked River Crafting Co.'s blog: Amigurumi Monday. Every Monday we'll be posting content related to this yarn craze. Stick around for new creations, patterns, and even tutorials on how to make your own amigurumi! 

For our inaugural Amigurumi Monday it's a pleasure to introduce to you our special snooty-snouted friend, François:

Made out of 100% vegan materials, such as cotton yarn and polyester fill, it's hard to turn your  up snout on this cute little piggie. 

François loves tea, truffles, and biscuits! His perfect day consists of drinking tea in the garden, then napping in the sun. You can find your new best friend on Etsy, please make your home his forever home.