My First Amigurumi Project

 

    Well, this has been interesting. Never having done this before, and not being that good at crochet, it has been a fun experiment. I don't think it took too long. I had to watch  a bunch of videos first. Then I read several websites on amigurumi. I found out some really interesting and useful information. For instance, I did not know there was a right side and a wrong side to the crochet. I did not know how to sew it together but I found several helpful videos to guide me. So now I have it done. Will I do another? Probably not for an hour or two. I already have the next pattern and yarn waiting. I don't know when I will start it. I do have a doily to finish. This Snoopy goes with the rest of my collection. I have about a dozen or so Snoopys on top of the china hutch. This one goes front and center.

    Oh, since the pattern did not call for it, I did not do the spot on the back. I wasn't sure where to add it if I crocheted it into the white and I think adding now would look tacky, so I left it off.

    The pattern is at: https://amigurumi.space/snoopy-the-dog-free-amigurumi-pattern/

And Now, For Something Completely Different

 

I almost never crochet. If I cannot tat, I would rather knit. I just think they are easier. I have been seeing the term "amigurumi" around a lot, so for a change of pace. I thought I would give it a go. I am obviously not a professional at crochet, but I think it will turn out ok. So far I have Snoopy's head done. The worst of it was stitching the mouth on. I will do the body, legs, arms, and tail, probably in that order, then attach to the head and add the collar. The pattern does not call for the spot on the back. I am trying to decide if I should crochet it into the body or add it later. And yes, I am still working on the doily.

Oh, and doesn't the word amigurumi sound like you want a French friend (ami) to teach (guru) you (mi)? Almost?

Round 11 Done

 Finally got this round finished. Its getting to be a long way around and I am getting slower now. Tore up my right hand in a saw a little over a year ago and I am still dealing with it. Cut 4 tendons. Had to have surgery. At least I can tat. 7 rounds to go. 

Round 9 Done

    This type of round can be a bit irritating. It is pretty common so I do know how to deal with it. When the rings point outward, the thread tries to catch on them. I find that I can lay the doily across my hand, then fold it back across itself so it is out of the way. At least it works for me.

    Round 10 will be easier. The rings connect to the round 9 rings. They are smaller so it should not take as long. My neighbor that I am making this four is really impressed with it. With half the rounds done it is right on 12" across. 

    I have been working round 9 while watching college football. My team (WVU) just won. It's a fine day.

Renulek 2020 Round 8 Done

    I am now back from the Tatting Corner Tat Days. I had a great time and met some new friends. It was a 14 hour drive up, stopping at my brother's house overnight after the first 8 hours, then continuing to Indiana the next morning. I got there on Wednesday so I helped with some setup. I got to meet Carolyn Craig. I have some of her books and was pleased to get to meet the author. I wish I had taken them to get autographs, but then, I am not an autograph collector. She is a very nice lady. Her ability to design, especially in 3d, amazes me. It was also Kaye Judt's birthday that weekend and it was nice to be able to tell her happy birthday. No, I won't tell how old.

Now that I am back, after a 2 hour ride to see someone in Ohio, then 12 more hours home, I am working on this doily again. The 2020 Renulek Spring Napkin. Remember, I'm doing it for a friend. I just finished round 8. This round is so simple it is tricky. You chain with one picot in the middle, then the ring has several picots that I tried so hard to forget until I was almost half way around. I kept having to take out a stitch or two because of forgetting its a ring, I need picots. Submitted for your approval: Round 8. Now, who's line was that?

Round 6 and Something fast.

     I have round 6 done now on the Renulek Spring Napkin for 2020. It went pretty well. I pulled off the same stunt again, though. One shuttle had only about 8" left when I got through with the round. Now to round 7, which, honestly, I am already 1/4 of the way finished with. The photo doesn't show any of round 7.

    I will be taking this and the pattern with me this coming week. Turns out I am going to Tat Days after all. Oh, I went to Palmetto Tat Days. Now I am going to Indiana for Tatting Corner Tat Days. Lisa Adams at the Tatting Corner (a good place for supplies!) asked for some assistance and it ended up with an invitation so I am taking her up on it and will be attending. Fun, fun, fun. See you there if you're going.

    On another note, and just for interest is the photo below. You may know I like to watch "cab view train ride" videos while I tat. I think they are relaxing and I get to see places I will most likely never have the chance to visit. This photo is from a video trip in France. They have high speed trains there.

The small white text says 320. That is the maximum km/h the train is allowed to go. See the actual speed in red? 317km/h. That means this train was moving at 197 miles per hour. That engineer should drive for NASCAR!

    If you would like to see this video, it is the trip from Toulouse to Paris. It is on YouTube.

The Renulek 2020 Scare

     I am making pretty good progress on the doily for my neighbor. I have just completed round 4. That was a simple round, just a chain, a ring, a chain, a ring, on and on around. I ran out of thread about a third of the way around and joined in with a fresh thread from a ball core that had just about a bobbin-full on it and continued. As I got closer to the end of the round I began to wonder if I would run out. It turned out that I had just enough on the shuttle.

    When I got to the last chain,ring,chain sequence the thread pulled off the shuttle. I was determined to use what I had so I removed the bobbin and pinched the thread in the hole for the pin. I knew I had enough for the chains, but could I make the ring? When I go to the ring, I easily made the first half, but then the thread started to run out. I finished the second side using 2 fingers to hold the ring open and for the last 2 stitches I barely had room to pass the shuttle through. It closed. Now I had enough to make the last chain and get done. The photo shows how much was left. The last chain only took an inch. Whew! Now to hide a couple of tails and wind up a CTM for round 5.