Friday, March 27, 2015

Free Pattern Friday: Sitting Alligator Amigurumi


A 6" tall amigurumi of a sitting alligator. The pattern is available on Ravelry or you can find it written below. If you have any questions, feel free to email me at icrochetthings@gmail.com.

This is a super old pattern, probably around 3 years old. I remember thinking it was one of my first original patterns that wasn't entirely awful. Looking at it today, it could definitely use a lot of work.

When I picked this one for Free Pattern Friday, I felt obligated to do a few repairs to it. The body was a bit narrow at the top, making the head flimsy, so I fixed that. Also for some reason when I made this pattern I decided not to stuff the arms, so if you plan on making this I would try stuffing them to see if it looks better. Another change I might make is getting rid of the eyelids to make it look a bit cuter.

This is one of the patterns that I may update it the future. I think it has the potential to be cute if a couple adjustments were made. Plus I kind of want to see what it would look like in some different colors, maybe blue or pink. Anyway, TGIF and happy crocheting!



Materials:
▪  Worsted weight yarn in light green, medium green, dark green, black
▪  Stuffing
▪  9 mm safety eyes
 F hook (3.75 mm)
 Scissors
 Tapestry needle
Difficulty: Medium-Easy
You should know how to work in the round, increase, decrease, change colors, slip stitch, and triple crochet.

Pattern:
This is an icrochetthings original pattern © 2014-2015. Do not claim as your own. Do not copy, sell, or distribute this pattern. Do not sell any products made from this pattern.


Key


Head
Starting with medium green

1.  ch 2, 6 sc in 1st ch  (6)
2.  [inc] around  (12)
3.  [sc, inc] around  (18)
4.  [2 sc, inc] around  (24)
5.  [3 sc, inc] around  (30)
6.  [4 sc, inc] around  (36)
7.  [11 sc, inc] around  (39)
8 – 12.  [sc] around  (39)
13.  [11 sc, dec] around  (36)
14.  [4 sc, dec] around  (30)
15.  [3 sc, dec] around  (24)
16.  [2 sc, dec] around  (18)
Stuff and attach safety eyes (I placed mine between rounds 11 and 12 at about 10 sts apart)
17.  [sc, dec] around  (12)
16.  [dec] around  (6)

F/O, sew shut

Body
Starting with medium green

1.  ch 2, 6 sc in 1st ch  (6)
2.  [inc] around  (12)
3.  [sc, inc] around  (18)
4.  [2 sc, inc] around  (24)
5.  [3 sc, inc] around  (30)
6.  [9 sc, inc] around  (33)
7 – 10.  [sc] around  (33)
11.  [9 sc, dec] around  (30)
12.  [3 sc, dec] around  (24)
13 – 14.  [sc] around  (24)
15.  [2 sc, dec] around  (18)
16.  [sc] around  (18)
Stuff

F/O, leave long tail for sewing


Snout
Starting with medium green

1.  ch 2, 9 sc in 1st ch  (9)
2.  [2 sc, inc] around  (12)
3.  11 sc, inc  (13)
4.  12 sc, inc  (14)
5.  13 sc, inc  (15)
6.  14 sc, inc  (16)
7.  15 sc, inc  (17)
8.  16 sc, inc  (18)

F/O, leave long tail for sewing


2 Arms
Starting with dark green

1.  ch 2, 6 sc in 1st ch  (6)
2.  [2 sc, inc] around  (8)
3.  [sc] around  (9) – Break off dark green
4 – 8.  Attach medium green – [sc] around  (8)

F/O, leave long tail for sewing


2 Feet
Starting with medium green

1.  ch 2, 6 sc in 1st ch  (6)
2.  [sc, inc] around  (9)
3 – 5.  [sc] around  (9) – Break off medium green, leave long tail for sewing
6.  Attach dark green – [sc] around  (9)
7.  Fold in half and [sc, ch 2, sc, sc in original st] across  (9)

F/O


2 Eyelids
Starting with medium green

1.  ch 4, [sc] across  (3)

F/O, leave long tail for sewing



Tail
Starting with medium green

1.  ch 2, 3 sc in 1st ch  (3)
2.  2 sc, inc  (4)
3.  [sc, inc] around  (6)
4.  [sc, inc] around  (9)
5.  8 sc, inc  (10)
6.  [4 sc, inc] around  (12)
7.  [5 sc, inc] around  (14)
8.  13 sc, inc  (15)
9.  14 sc, inc  (16)
10.  [7 sc, inc] around  (18)
11.  [5 sc, inc] around  (21)
12.  [6 sc, inc] around  (24)
13.  [sc] around  (24)

F/O, leave long tail for sewing


Small Belly Patch
Starting with light  green

1.  ch 8, [sc] across  (7)

F/O, leave long tail for sewing



Medium Belly Patch
Starting with light  green

1.  ch 9, [sc] across  (8)

F/O, leave long tail for sewing




Large Belly Patch
Starting with light  green

1.  ch 10, [sc] across  (9)

F/O, leave long tail for sewing



Back Ridge
Starting with dark  green

1.  ch 36, ss, [tr, ss] across  (35)

F/O, leave long tail for sewing




Assembly
See pictures above if you need help with placement

▪  Sew the snout onto the head, stuffing as you go
▪  Use black yarn to embroider nostrils and a mouth onto the snout
▪  Use dark green yarn to embroider 3 ridges onto the snout
▪  Use dark green yarn to embroider eyebrows onto the head
▪  Sew the eyelids above the eyes
▪  Sew the body onto the bottom of the head
▪  Sew the small belly patch onto the top of the body
▪  Sew the medium belly patch below the small belly patch
▪  Sew the large belly patch below the medium belly patch
▪  Sew the arms on either side of the body
▪  Sew the feet onto the front of the body
▪  Sew the tail onto the back of the body, stuffing as you go
▪  Sew the back ridge down the back of the head to the tail

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Pattern: Fluffy Otter Amigurumi


A 9" long amigurumi of a fluffy baby otter. This pattern is available on Ravelry and on my Etsy shop. If you have any questions, feel free to email me at icrochetthings@gmail.com.

I got a bunch of Bernat Pipsqueak super bulky yarn a couple Christmases ago and had yet to do anything with it, so yesterday I decided that I would finally make something fluffy. Initially this little guy was going to be a teddy bear, but once I put the nose and eyes on the head I thought he looked a bit more otter-like and went with it. The yarn was a little annoying to work with, but luckily since it's so fluffy you could make a bunch of mistakes and no one would be the wiser.

I've been on a pattern-making binge and have a bunch of new ideas that I want to get done. I've got a couple that are almost ready to be put up, so expect those soon. No Free Pattern Friday last week as I was super busy, but I should definitely have it up this week. Happy crocheting!


Friday, March 13, 2015

Free Pattern Friday: Sitting Fox Amigurumi


Welcome back to Free Pattern Friday! This week's item is a 6" tall fox amigurumi. You can download the PDF pattern for free on Ravelry or you can find it written below. If you have any questions, feel free to email me at icrochetthings@gmail.com.

This is a really old amigurumi. Not a huge fan of it, but it's cute. I remember I saw a picture online of a cute stuffed fox and I based this amigurumi heavily off that. This is also one of the patterns I am planning on updating eventually.

One think that I do like, which was a complete pain in the butt when making him, is his ears. I recall that I didn't want to sew the white part on for some reason, so I decided to try and switch colors in just the right way to make the white part appear like a triangle in the ear. It wasn't fun, but I did it, and it turned out well.



Materials:
▪ Worsted weight yarn in orange, dark brown, cream, black
▪ F hook (3.75 mm)
▪ Stuffing

▪ 6 mm safety eyes
▪ Scissors

▪ Tapestry needle
Difficulty: Medium
You should know how to work in the round, increase, decrease, change colors, and work in the back loops.

Pattern:
This is an icrochetthings original pattern © 2014-2016. Do not claim as your own. Do not copy, sell, or distribute this pattern. Do not sell any products made from this pattern.


Key


Head

Starting with orange
1.  ch 2, 6 sc in 1st ch  (6)
2.  [inc] around  (12)
3.
 [sc, inc] around  (18)

4.
 [2 sc, inc] around  (24)

5.
 [8 sc, inc, 2 sc, inc] around  (28)

6.
 [9 sc, inc, 3 sc, inc] around  (32)

7.
 [10 sc, inc, 4 sc, inc] around  (36)

8.
 [11 sc, inc, 5 sc, inc] around  (40)

9 – 10.
 [sc] around  (40) – Break off orange

11 – 12
.  Attach cream – [sc] around  (40)

13.
 [11 sc, dec, 5 sc, dec] around  (36)

14.
 [4 sc, dec] around  (30)

15.
 [3 sc, dec] around  (24)

16.
 [2 sc, dec] around  (18)

Stuff and attach safety eyes (I placed mine between rounds 8 and 9 at about 7 sts apart)

17.
 [sc, dec] around  (12)

18.
 [dec] around  (6)


F/O, sew shut

2 Ears
Starting with orange

Remember: Anything underlined must be worked in the same stitch

1.  ch 2, 3 sc in 1st ch  (3)
2.  [inc] around  (6)
3.
 [sc] around  (6)

For the next part, all sts marked in orange should be done in orange yarn, and all sts marked in cream should be done in cream yarn

4.
  2 inc, inc, 3 inc  (12)

5.
 4 sc, 3 sc, 5 sc  (12)

6.
 sc, inc, sc, inc,   sc, inc, sc, sc  sc, sc, inc , sc, inc  (18)

7.  6 sc, 6 sc, 6sc  (18)

F/O, leave long tail for sewing



Snout
Starting with orange

For the next part, all sts marked in orange should be done in orange yarn, and all sts marked in cream should be done in cream yarn
1.  ch 2, 3 sc  3 sc in 1st ch  (6)
2.  3 inc, 3 inc  (12)
3 - 4.  6 sc, 6 sc  (12)


F/O, leave long tail for sewing



Body
Starting with orange

1.  ch 2, 6 sc in 1st ch  (6)

2.  [inc] around  (12)
3.  [sc, inc] around  (18)
4.  [2 sc, inc] around  (24)
5.  [3 sc, inc] around  (30)
6 – 8.  [sc] around  (30)
9.  [8 sc, dec] around  (27)
10.  [sc] around  (27)
11.  [7 sc, dec] around  (24)
12.  [2 sc, dec] around  (18)
13.  [sc, dec] around  (12)
Stuff

F/O, leave long tail for sewing



Belly Patch
Starting with cream

1.  ch 2, 6 sc in 1st ch  (6)

2.  [inc] around  (12)
3.  [sc, inc] around  (18)

F/O, leave long tail for sewing



2 Arms
Starting with orange

1.  ch 2, 6 sc in 1st ch  (6)

2.  [sc, inc] around  (9)
3 – 8.  [sc] around  (9) – Break off orange, leave long tail for sewing
9.  Attach dark brown – [BLO: sc, dec] around  (6)
10 – 13.  [sc] around  (6)

F/O, sew shut



2 Haunches
Starting with orange

1.  ch 2, 6 sc in 1st ch  (6)

2.  [inc] around  (12)
3.  [sc, inc] around  (18)
4 – 5.  [sc] around  (18)

F/O, leave long tail for sewing



2 Legs
Starting with dark brown

1.  ch 2, 6 sc in 1st ch  (6)

2 – 3.  [sc] around  (6)

F/O, leave long tail for sewing



Tail
Starting with cream

1.  ch 2, 3 sc inc 1st ch  (3)

2.  2 sc, inc  (4)
3.  [sc, inc] around  (6)
4.  [sc, inc] around  (9)
5.  [sc] around (9) – Break off cream
6.  Attach orange – [2 sc, inc] around  (12)
7.  [sc, inc] around  (18)
8 – 11.  [sc] around  (18)
12.  [sc, dec] around  (12)
Stuff
13.  [dec] around  (6)

F/O, leave long tail for sewing



Assembly
See pictures above if you need help with placement

▪  Use black yarn to embroider a nose and mouth onto the snout
▪  Sew the snout onto the face, stuffing as you go
▪  Flatten ears and sew them on either side of the head
▪  Sew the belly patch onto the body
▪  Sew the arms on either side of the belly patch
▪  Sew the haunches on either side of the body, stuffing as you go
▪  Sew the legs onto the haunches
▪  Sew the tail onto the back of the body

Thursday, March 12, 2015

Pattern: Link and Accessories from Legend of Zelda

A 9" tall amigurumi of Link from Legend of Zelda, with five accessories: a sword and sheath, Navi, Makar, a bomb, and a ChuChu. The pattern is available on Ravelry and on my Etsy shop. If you have any questions, feel free to email me at icrochetthings@gmail.com.

Gonna admit, I was quite proud of this one. Normally I am terrible at crocheting humans, but I think Link turned out pretty well. The Wind Waker style is easier to replicate in crochet than a realistic person. I also picked a couple of random items from the series to go with him. A sword and a bomb as some weapons, Navi and Makar because they're (some of) his partners, and a ChuChu because they're my favorite enemy for some reason.

Despite his giant head, Link will stand up on his own, though he is a bit finicky about it. The sheath fits comfortably around his body (make sure you put in on from the bottom up, it won't fit over his head), and his sword fits snug in the sheath.

If you like this and are a fan of the Zelda franchise, you might want to check out one of my (free!) patterns, a mini version of Link, here.