Happy Hippo!

Well, we're more than two weeks into March, which is National Crochet Month...


...and I've finished exactly one crochet project.
(Well, technically two, but the other is for a magazine so I can't show you just yet.)

And this might be the only crochet project that actually gets finished this month.

Hugo the Not So Hungry Hippo

He was a lot of fun to make! It took no time at all to crochet the pieces, but then it took over a week to stuff & sew them together. I blame the time change and my son's refusal to nap for the past week. His naps are the only time that I really have to work on these things.

By the way, my promotion is still running for my crochet tea wallet pattern, until Easter Sunday!

Oenfpp

Meet Oenfpp, the One-Eyed, Non-horned, Flightless Purple People-eater.

My husband hates him. My son likes him. I think he's rather cute.
I might be a little attached to him, since he's the first amigurumi pattern I've improvised. I took Stacey Trock's Craftsy class on designing amigurumi monsters, and this was my first attempt.

And, because it's the new year and I like to share things, I've written out the pattern! So without further ado, here it is!

You will need:

Yarn – worsted weight, MC: approx. 100g/220yards/200m (I used Stitch Nation Washable Ewe in Currant. This yarn has been discontinued, but any worsted weight will do.)

small amount of white yarn for eye, small amount of black yarn for pupils and mouth

Hook – size G/4mm

Polyfil

Notions – stitch marker, scrap yarn for eyes and mouth

Skills needed: Magic circle, single crochet, single crochet 2 together

Abbreviations: sc : single crochet

sc2tog: single crochet 2 together (decrease)

This pattern is worked continuously in-the-round, without joining.

Body:

Round 1: Using MC and magic circle, 6sc and join to work in round. (6)

Round 2: 2sc in each stitch (12)

Round 3: [2sc in first stitch, sc in next stitch] around (18)

Round 4: [2sc in first stitch, sc in next 2 stitches] around (24)

Round 5: [2sc in first stitch, sc in next 3 stitches] around (30)

Round 6: [2sc in first stitch, sc in next 4 stitches] around (36)

Round 7: [2sc in first stitch, sc in next 5 stitches] around (42)

Round 8: [2sc in first stitch, sc in next 6 stitches] around (48)

Round 9: [2sc in first stitch, sc in next 7 stitches] around (54)

Round 10-18: Sc in each stitch (54)

Round 19: [sc2tog, sc in next 7 stitches] around (48)

Round 20: [sc2tog, sc in next 6 stitches] around (42)

Round 21: [sc2tog, sc in next 5 stitches] around (36)

Round 22: [sc2tog, sc in next 4 stitches] around (30)

Round 23: sc in each stitch (30)

Round 24: [2sc in first stitch, sc in next 4 stitches] around (36)

Round 25: [2sc in first stitch, sc in next 5 stitches] around (42)

Round 26: [2sc in first stitch, sc in next 6 stitches] around (48)

Round 27: [2sc in first stitch, sc in next 7 stitches] around (54)

Round 28-36: sc in each stitch (54)

Round 37: [sc2tog, sc in next 7 stitches] around (48)

Round 38: [sc2tog, sc in next 6 stitches] around (42)

Round 39: [sc2tog, sc in next 5 stitches] around (36)

Round 40: [sc2tog, sc in next 4 stitches] around (30)

Round 41: sc in each stitch (30)

Round 42: [2sc in first stitch, sc in next 4 stitches] around (36)

Round 43: [2sc in first stitch, sc in next 5 stitches] around (42)

Round 44: [2sc in first stitch, sc in next 6 stitches] around (48)

Round 45: [2sc in first stitch, sc in next 7 stitches] around (54)

Round 46-55: sc in each stitch (54)

Round 56: [sc2tog, sc in next 7 stitches] around (48)

Round 57: [sc2tog, sc in next 6 stitches] around (42)

Round 58: [sc2tog, sc in next 5 stitches] around (36)

Round 59: [sc2tog, sc in next 4 stitches] around (30)

Round 60: [sc2tog, sc in next 3 stitches] around (24)

Stuff with polyfil.

Round 61: [sc2tog, sc in next 2 stitches] around (18)

Round 62: [sc2tog, sc in next stitch] around (12)

Round 63: sc2tog around (6)

Break yarn and thread through all 6 stitches, pull tight and fasten off.

Arms:

Round 1: Using MC and magic circle, 6sc and join to work in the round. (6)

Round 2: 2sc in each stitch (12)

Round 3: [2sc in first stitch, sc in next stitch] around (18)

Round 4: [2sc in first stitch, sc in next 2 stitches] around (24)

Round 5-22: sc in each stitch (24)

Break yarn, leaving a long tail. Stuff arms with small amount of polyfil and sew to body.

Eye:

Round 1: Using white yarn and magic circle, 6sc and join to work in the round. (6)

Round 2: 2sc in each stitch (12)

Round 3: [2sc in first stitch, sc in next stitch] around (18)

Break yarn, leaving a long tail. Using black yarn, embroider pupil (or use a safety eye if you prefer)

Sew eye to body.

Mouth: Using scrap yarn, embroider mouth as desired.

And enjoy! Oenfpp makes an awesome bookshelf guardian, couch buddy, or just add to your monster menagerie!

This pattern is also available as a Ravelry download.

Weekend Wind-up

Well, I'm back from my two-week hiatus. And you know what? I managed to accomplish what I set out to do...and then some!

If you recall from this post, my challenge to myself was knitting two items that wrap around the neck.
They haven't been blocked yet, but that is due to weather in Sasebo, which has been switching between raining and very high winds. I can't use the floor inside for anything thanks to three cats and a crawling baby, so blocking has had to wait.
But here's the Common Bean:

And the Windsor Warmer:

And I also decided to make a sock monkey. It's crocheted, so not technically a sock monkey, but it's still handmade, which is better than the cheap piece of yuck that I saw on a friend's baby registry. (Yes, the sock monkey will be a shower gift. Along with a diaper cake, because I'm a show-off like that.)
His ears aren't sewn on yet, for some reason they've been giving me issues, but here he is:

Pretty neat, huh? But wait, there's more! Since the expectant friend is also planning to use cloth diapers, I had to knit her some diaper covers as well:

So there it is. Two weeks of yarnalicious activity!
The next two weeks are supposed to be dedicated to motifs. Hopefully I can do this!

Sunday's Trials (and Errors) part I

I'm having a not-so-lazy Sunday. Actually, it bordered on manic for a few hours. The result of my productivity is a multi-part post.

PGX8HEFSZQHH (<----yes, that looks weird. It's for the folks at technorati, so they know this is my blog. Please forgive it.)

This morning entailed a major shopping trip, during which I spent most of the yen in my wallet. However, I got the office Secret-Santa gift taken care of, and found an awesome gift for my sister.
I also found myself at Nishizawa, a department store that has a pretty nice fabric and crafts floor. I've found some yarn there (Note: 40g worsted weight does not go very far. At all.), and I finally picked up extra purple yarn to finish my amigurumi elephant. See, here he is:

When I said 40g of worsted weight doesn't go far? I meant it. Back in September, I found the yarn section at Nishizawa. I was on a budget, wanted to make some amigurumi, and I figured, this little guy isn't that big, one ball of yarn should be enough for the elephant, with maybe some left over.
I was wrong.
For several months, this is what sat in my yarn box:

Sad, isn't it? He had no legs, no tail...for months! Tim was even asking when I was going to finish this project; I think he felt sorry for it. But today, at last, he can walk!
In case you're curious, this is what the yarn looks like:

 

I honestly never saw that part on the label where it says "51m" until just now. Huh. I might have saved myself some trouble if I'd looked closer...but then again, I think at the time I was too scared of the kanji and hiragana to look for something that made sense.


I still have no clue what kind of yarn this is; I know that it is very fuzzy and works quite well with a "G" hook. It's pretty cheap, too; less than $2. (The current exchange rate is about $1=75 yen.)

Check out part II of today's post to see where I am on the Quest for the Perfect Motif.