Saturday, December 19, 2015

...Star Wars all the way!

Just a quick post today.
We went to see new Star Wars yesterday. My hubby in his All-Terrain Awesome Tank and me holding our very own...

...BB-8!


I made this sweetest of droids almost a month ago. It is improvised from top to bottom and I'm not really planning on releasing the pattern.

Antennas are made from pipe cleaners and I trimmed the fluff excess :)


That's all for today because I'm busy with Christmas preparations. Today I'm making pierogi for my family.

Have a nice afternoon!

and (of course)

May the Force be with you!

Thursday, December 10, 2015

Box-o-Gnomes.

Time goes by so quickly when you have an "adult life"! Work-home-work-home... And just like that first part of my internship just comes to an end! I wanted to give my coworkers a nice goodbye present, which happens to also be a Christmas gift.

Since I needed something to work up quickly I thought of...

A Box-o-Gomes!

As you can see I took time to give each gnome an original outfit and different mustache/beard style.



How to make your own Box-o-Gnomes?
\
You'll need:

  • Yarn: I used Yarnart Etamin (sold in skeins of 30g): red, beige, green and grey - 1 skein of each color should be plenty for at least 12-18 gnomes.
  • Crochet hook: I used a 3mm one, my gnomes are 6cm/2,5inch tall. Use a hook that fits your yarn.
  • Stuffing material: I prefer using polyacrylic filling from pillows.
  • Black acrylic paint/safety eyes/black beads
  • Small scraps of grey felt.
  • ... and a box.

Gauge is not important.
Do not join rounds.
Numbers in brackets () indicate number of stitches after each round.
Abbreviations are in US crochet terms.

sc - single crochet
hdc - half-double crochet
inc - increase = sc2 into next sc
dec - decrease, I strongly recommend using invisible decrease!
BLO - working in back loops only

HAT (with red yarn):
1) sc 6 into magic loop
2) sc 6
3) *inc, sc* around (9)
4-5) sc 9
6) *inc, sc 2* around (12)
7-8) sc 12
9) *inc, sc 2* around (16)
10-11) sc 16


HEAD (beige yarn)
12) sc 16 - back loops only
13) sc 16
14) sc 7, popcorn st* into next sc, sc8
15) sc 16

*popcorn stitch - make 5 hdcs into next stitch, pull hook out, put hook through the first of 5 hdcs and drag the working loop through.

BODY (alternating between green and grey yarn)
16) *inc,sc7* around (18)
17) sc 18
18) *inc, sc2* around (24)
19) sc 24
20) *inc, sc3* around (30)
21-22) sc 30
23) *dec, sc3* around (24)
24) *dec, sc2* around (18)
25) *dec, sc* around (12)
26) *dec* around (6)

Fasten off  and sew remaining hole.


Paint on, embroider or sew on eyes.

Totally professional painter's kit.

Cut out a desired mustache/beard shape from grey felt. Sew on just below the nose.

Hulk Hogan & hipster!

© Copyright M. Machowska - Escherichia,  December 2015 
© Copyright for pattern remains with the designer. Intended for personal use only. Not for commercial use.
Please do not sell items made with this pattern. Unless it's for charity – feel free to do that :)

Pdf available on Ravelry: here.



Have fun creating you own gnome army!
And a nice afternoon!
Gosia.

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Christmas preparations start... today!

It's December already! Weather resembles early springtime, but you can tell holidays are just around the corner.

Today I promised to help with decorating my workplace for Christmas (isn't paediatrics the best?).
I made one blue owl from pattern by Moji-Moji Design... and I decided it shouldn't be lonely so I made her a little sister based on the same pattern.


Then I wanted to make one of those lovely half-circled birds I saw on Lucy's blog. Being to lazy to check out the exact pattern I decided to improvise. How hard it could be, right?

Well.. instead of an adorable birdie I ended up with a rare specimen known as a Failbird.

What a lovely plumage!

Despite his general quirkiness he seems to get along with my owls very well:


Speaking of preparations for Christmas I decided to clear my conscience.
6 years ago I made I promise I didn't really keep. I was supposed to make a Vault Boy for my classmate. I couldn't find a pattern then and my improvisation skills were far from good.
Last week I started to play Fallout Nev Vegas again and suddenly I remembered!

I found a nice Vault Boy pattern by Bryana Amaro. It's a shame to admit that actually fulfilling my promise took me less than two hours.


But hey, better late than never, right?
I also made some special, VERY SPECIAL preparations for the Star Wars premiere. I'll share them soon!

Have a nice evening!

Gosia