Crochet Oak Leaves and a Finger Puppet

Yarn Along! Yarn along! Tra-la-la-la-la! I love Yarn along!

I love to see all the other things that are being made, book recommendations, and mainly because I just love Ginny’s Blog and seeing what she is getting up to. Her photographs are always superb.

So this month I am making the finishing touches for the Squirrel Nutkin Woodland Blanket.

There will be leaves and squirrels appliqued onto the blanket

The little oak leaves are from Lucy’s Pattern here.

The larger ones are on Charlotta’s blog In the Yarn Garden

Charlotta makes them with 4ply cotton. I made them with the Stylecraft Special DK and they turned out to be monsters!

The one on the left is made with a 4.5mm hook, the middle one with a 4mm hook and the monster on the right is made with a 3 mm hook.

I have felted the two biggest ones. Click  felted to see how I do that.

Here they are compared with Lucy’s oak leaf made with a 4.5mm hook

I’m planning a cascade of leaves in the bottom left-hand corner of the blanket

Not sure how many yet.

Squirrels will scamper all over the blanket and a few leaves and an owl, Old Brown, will be in the top right hand corner.

If you would like to make a Squirrel motif you can find my free pattern with photo tutorial here.

And look!

If you sew two together – you can make a finger puppet! Ta Dah!

~

Ginny adds a book she is reading to her Yarn Along post.

I don’t read much, as it takes up too much crafting time, but I do love to listen to podcasts or music whilst I’m crafting and this is making me so happy right now

 

I’ve been wondering about making these characters in crochet, what do you think?!

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Squirrel Nutkin and Old Brown

Click on the link for the free Squirrel Motif Pattern – I still have more photos to add, but I’m glad to have heard from a couple of people who have been able to make a squirrel.

The throw measures 1m60cm, 5’3″ long, and I have decided to stop here (just short of the end of Part5) as this will be just the right size to go on Little Bro’s bed and for him to carry it downstairs to the sofa for snuggling under with his Big Bro. Any bigger and I think it might be too cumbersome for him.

We Attic24 Woodlanders eagerly await the intructions for the edging, which will be posted on Friday. I have been loosely following Lucy’s Random Colour Order and have substituted Mocha with Walnut (brown)

Toooo-whit-tooooo-whoooooo-hooo-hooo!

Crochet Squirrel Motif

As the Woodland Blanket is being made for Little Bro aged 5, I wondered if he would like a few leaves and squirrels.

He would!

and so it seems would some of you!

I was pleasantly taken aback by the squirrel-love that poured in when I posted a picture on Facebook and Instagram, with lots of people asking for the pattern.

Oh my goodness – creating a squirrel is relatively quick and easy compared with creating a pattern for others to follow.

These mischievous little creatures have led me a merry dance, but at last I have arrived at a pattern.

Feel free to contact me with any questions.

Pattern for the Squirrel Motif

Stylecraft Double DK

4.5mm hook

US crochet terms. I am left-handed so the photos will show work from a LH perspective, but the pattern should work just fine for right-handers. Working with the right hand the squirrels will face the other way.

Starting with the back leg

Make a magic loop, Ch1, 8sc into the loop, pull loop together, sl into the 1^st ch. to join.                                                  8 sts

2^nd Round

Ch1, 2sc into each st, sl into the first ch. to join.                                          16 sts

3^rd Round

Ch1, 2sc, 2sc into next st,

(back foot) ch4,

sc into 3rd and 4th st from the hook, sc into same st as the 2scs

sc into the next 4sts.

2sc into each of the next 3sts, sc, 2sc into next st, 2hd into next st, 2dcs into next st, 2 tr into next st.

(neck) Ch4 

work 4dc into the 4^th ch from the hook

** please note that is between the bottoms of these stitches that you will work scs in Round 4. See Picture 6 in Round 4**

sl into same st of Round 2, 2sl, sl to join.

4^th Round

Sl into next 3sts. sl into next 2 loops (back foot)

Picture 1

2sl into next st, which takes you round the end of the ‘foot’,

Sl into next 9sts, 4sc,

Picture 2

(tail) 4sc into back loops (if you can find another loop lower down, at the back of the work, to work into as well this stabilises the back loop stitches), 2hd into back loops, ch7,

Picture 3

3hd in 3^rd ch from hook,

2dc, 2tr, dtr (yarn 3 times round the hook)  in next ch,

miss 1ch,

Picture 4

2dtr, tr in next ch

2tr, dc, in next ch, sl into next st of Round 3

Picture 5

2sl, Work 5 sc in the gaps between the next sts. (also covering the thread at the base)

Picture 6  **

Here are a few more photos to explain where the single crochets go

and in a different colour for clarity

Hope that helps.

Picture 7

At last it begins to look like a Squirrel

(head) ch3, sl in 3^rd ch from hook,

sl into one of the ch3 (into, not over), sl into first dc of the neck,

Working into the gap between: 4sc, hd, sc.

Picture 8

2sl, hd.

Picture 9

(front foot)

2sl, ch2, sl in 2^nd from the hook, sl into the body at base of front foot . Cut yarn and pull through to the front, then take the end to the back (leave a long tail of thread if you will be sewing this on as applique), or sew in the ends.

Pin to shape and block.

How did you get on? I’d love to know. 🙂

See the finished blanket here: Squirrel Nutkin and Old Brown

Warm

Here we are at the first Tuesday of February with our Photographic Monthly Meet Up.

The theme this month is WARM, so join us by leaving links in the comments to any photographs and/or posts both current and archive. Let’s all meet up for a huddle to keep warm – cos ‘baby it’s cold outside’! At least it is here. Any photos of warmer climes will be much drooled over and appreciated!

It might be frosty outside this morning but inside I’m indulging in some cosy hooky time before getting out of bed!

I’m loving the warm colours of Attic24’s Woodland Cal and in the 5th week of the Cal the blanket is big enough to keep me warm whilst crocheting.

I’m already thinking of new projects using these scrummy colours.

Going back to February 2013 I found this post – and the colours fit with the Warm theme

And this post from February 2014 when I was in Abu Dhabi for two gloriously WARM weeks.

In February 2015 I was keeping cosy under the Attic24 Cosy Cal

In February 2016 I knitted 14 bobble hats to keep my family warm

In February 2017 the Attic24 Cal was once again keeping me warm with my Hedgerow version of Lucy’s Moorland Blanket.

How are you keeping warm?

The theme stays open all month, just leave your links in the Comments.

I’m really looking forward to seeing your take on WARM.

Now I’d better get up!

 

Update:

This photo is of Bentley, a very warm dog, trying to cool off on a hot summers day. Sent to me by my sister, you can see her wonderful paintings and silver jewellery on Instagram

 

 

Woodland CAL: 3

Attic24 Woodland CAL.

Part Three finished, eagerly awaiting the colour order for Part 4.

I am closely following Lucy’s Random Colour Order with a few changes to accommodate the dark brown Walnut yarn which I have put in instead of the beige Mocha.

Fancy a crafty natter? Pop along to Cathy’s for a Yarny chat.

Joining in with Postcard From Gibraltar’s Photo Challenge: Hobby

 

Woodland WiP Wednesday

The Woodland CAL created by Lucy at Attic24 is growing on me!

Week 1.

I struggled to get the pattern to work at first – my own fault – it looked so simple I just steamed ahead. After masses of counting, re-counting and undoing (or frogging) The penny dropped = LOOK AT LUCY’s TUTORIAL!!!!

Lucy does the best photo tutorials I know – I trust her implicitly – and there was the answer. Check that every third stitch in the ‘valleys’ lines up with the third stitch in the corresponding row below – sorted! Now I can wander along and enjoy the Woodland Walk.

Stylecraft Special DK and a 4.5mm hook

I have substituted Mocha (beige) with Walnut (brown) and I’m following Lucy’s Random colour order with slight adjustments to accommodate the Walnut.

My colour order so far: Lime, Cypress, Meadow, Mustard, Tomato, Spice, Storm, Duck Egg, Copper, Walnut, Gold, Pistachio, Grey, Lincoln

4 more colours to go, for this week – we get the next 18 on Friday.

Taking a walk in the Woodland today is a sweet creature made by Little Miss M out of self-hardening clay and some sticks.

The biggest joy is that I have joined the Attic24 Moorland and More Group again. It started up during last year’s CAL and has continued since. It is a brilliantly friendly and supportive group. I revel in all the detailed yarny chit-chat and practical tips.

How are you getting on with your WiPs this Wednesday?