Koningsdag (King’s Day) is just around the corner. Time to make some more crowns!

 

 

 

I followed the same tutorial as I did for Things 2, 3 and 4. However, I didn’t realize that I actually changed the pattern slightly then — instead of beginning with a chain of 80 stitches, resulting in a 10-point crown, I reduced the chain to 72, giving 9 points.

When I made the first of these new crowns, I followed the pattern and ended up with a 10-point, man-sized crown. Won’t my husband be thrilled?  I made the next one 9-point. Both are crocheted with a 5mm hook and bright orange acrylic.

 

 

Just to clarify, this is not the queen of the Netherlands. This is my sister, Heather, who is visiting from Canada. I made her model for me. (If you visit me I will put you on my blog. You can take that as a threat or a promise.)

 

 

 

Doesn’t she make a great queen?

 

Cost of these Things:  €5.98 (2 balls of orange yarn, enough for 5 or 6 crowns)
Cost of all Things to date: €120.69

 

Last year my yarn lady gave Esther a big stack of knitted yarn samples. She loves that Esther is crafty and learning to crochet. She doesn’t get a lot of ten-year-olds in the shop.

Esther made a patchwork quilt out of the blue, green and purple ones, leaving a stack of reds, oranges and browns for me. The wool is beautiful — soft and richly coloured. But what am I going to do with a bunch of knitted squares? Pull them apart, of course.

 

 

And turn them into hats!

 

 

Using a 5mm hook, I crocheted rounds of half double crochet until the last few rows and switched to single crochet for the band. I finished off with a row of crab stitch and improvised a flower with some gold cotton.

 

 

Then I made Martina model it for me. Good thing I work quickly…

 

 

…because I think this photo shoot is over.

 

Cost of this Thing: 0
Cost of all Things to date: €100.61

I found a couple of mobile phone hangers in my beading supplies. I bought them on a whim once several years ago but didn’t know what to do with them. My recent loitering at Lucy’s blog gave me an idea: teeny tiny turtle charms.

Using green cotton, brown acrylic and a 2mm hook, I had these little guys done in under an hour and attached to the hangers.

I’ve made these turtles before, but this time I got the shell right (tidy little ridge around the edge).

 

 

These Things get tossed in the gift stash. Do you have a birthday coming up? Maybe if you’re really lucky you’ll get a turtle hanger. You know you want one.

 

Cost of these Things: 0
Cost of all Things to date: €100.61

Today I made a turtle family keychain. That wasn’t my original plan. I was going to make a single turtle keychain, to add to the frogs, elephant, cat and octopus.

The pattern is Teeny Tiny Turtle from Lucy’s blog. (Do I even look anywhere else right now?)

I made the first one with dark green cotton, and he was, well, teeny tiny. Like an inch across. So I made another in light green. And then I decided they needed a mother.

 

 

The babies are made with cotton and a 2mm hook, and Mama Turtle is acrylic, crocheted with a 3.5mm hook. I attached them all to one keyring. I made the same mistake on both babies, so their shell doesn’t have the edge that Mama’s has.

 

 

Turtles may be slow, but I can whip these ones up in less than half an hour. That’s a lot faster than the hare.

 

Cost of this Thing: 0
Cost of all Things to date: €91.61

 

Today I added to the collection of crocheted animal keychains. I went back to Lucy’s list of tiny amigurumis, and knocked off another two .

First I made another Octopus, but this time the long-legged version in navy blue.

 

 

And then I made the Witch’s Cat…

 

 

I used cotton, a 2mm hook and 9mm safety eyes for both of them.

 

 

They make an unlikely pair: The Octopus and The Cat. There’s a story in there somewhere.

 

Cost of these Things: 0
Cost of all Things to date: €88.61

 

Here comes Peter Cottontail
Hoppin’ down the bunny trail,
Hippity hoppin’,
Easter’s on its way…

 

Tiny Rabbit comes from, you guessed it, Lucy’s blog.

 

 

I crocheted him with a 2mm hook and the brown acrylic yarn from Anna’s hair.

 

 

And of course I finished him off with a white cotton tail.

 

Bringin’ every girl and boy
Baskets full of Easter joy
Things to make your Easter bright and gay…

 

Cost of this Thing: 0
Cost of all Things to date: €88.61

I had planned to write about my new Renfrew shirt I was going to make today, but it appears I was overly optimistic. Tomorrow, maybe? I’m making it in stripes, which is a whole new challenge. I followed Tasia’s tutorial on sewing with stripes and prepared all the pieces, and I’m hoping it comes together quickly (and with matching stripes) when I sit down at my machine tomorrow.

So, taking the spot of Thing 64…

 

 

This is another one of Lucy’s patterns, the Incy Wincy Elephant. I used the silver grey cotton I bought for Darth, and crocheted with a 2mm hook. I added a loop and hung him from a keyring.

 

 

I started a pale pink sister for him but only got as far as the trunk before I abandoned her. Next week, maybe. No promises. I have a striped shirt to finish.

 

Cost of this Thing: 0
Cost of all Things to date: €88.61

 

 

A few weeks ago, at the request of my oldest daughter, I started a crocheted panda (pattern from Angie’s Art Studio). I  wasn’t really enjoying it. It’s a good pattern, but it was a bigger project than I realized. It wasn’t enough instant gratification. Also I don’t like crocheting with black — I can’t see what I’m doing.

I like small amigurumi projects that finish up in an hour or two. (Darth Vader was the exception, of course, and he had the virtue of having not too many pieces to attach.)

However, the end result is just what it’s supposed to be, so I should stop complaining.

 

 

I crocheted it in white and black acrylic with a 3.5mm hook. The eyes are little patches of black felt pierced with a 9mm safety eye.

If it weren’t for a promise made to Martina I’m not sure I would have finished this, but she loves her new panda so it was worth it. 🙂  Martina named her Mei-Lin.

 

 

 

Cost of this Thing: 0
Cost of all Things to date: €88.61

A few years ago, two very special little girls were born. As their first birthday approached, I wanted to make them a handmade keepsake. I bought a pattern for monogrammed crocheted baby blankets, picked a soft cotton yarn, and got to work. My optimism and enthusiasm were short-lived. I was a few rows into the first one, an A, when I had an honest conversation with myself. There was a small chance I might finish the A, but there was no chance I was making a C.

So the started blanket, rolled up and tucked in the bottom of my yarn basket, was mostly forgotten. Every once in a while, while digging about in search of yarn, I would see it and my conscience would suffer a pang.

Then recently another little “A” baby girl was born, and I was offered a chance at redemption. I seized it.

I finished that A blanket, a few rows at a time, and delivered it when Baby A was just over a month old.

 

 

I didn’t notice until I looked at these pictures a week later that there is a slight colour change near the end. I ran out of yarn and had to buy two more balls to finish it off. The yarn lady warned me that unless the yarn is from the same dye lot there would be a difference in colour. I held up the nearly completed blanket to the new yarn and said “Pshaw.” It looked like an exact match to me. Turns out my yarn lady knows a thing or two about dye lots.

With some of the leftover pink I whipped up a duck. I can almost make these in my sleep as long as they’re not of the micro-variety.

 

 

The ducky is for Baby A’s big sister.

 

 

 

 

What an accomplishment to finally finish this! I wonder which half-finished project will prick my conscience next…

 

Cost of these Things: €4.60 (2 more balls of yarn)
Cost of all Things to date: €88.61

Today’s Things were made in honour of St. Patrick’s Day. Actually, that’s not true. I made these before I even realized what day it was.

I went back to Lucy’s blog, this time for the Mini Frog. Using cotton and a 2mm hook, I finished these two little guys in just under two hours. Ribbit.

 

 

And because I’m on a keychain kick, I crocheted a loop to the the top of each frog and added a key ring.

 

I said to Martina and Esther, “Look, tree frogs!” They weren’t amused.

Never mind. I laughed.

 

Cost of these Things: 0
Cost of all Things to date: €84.01