Don’t Tell Mom

I had so much fun making the hermit crab for my friend Colleen that I just had to play around with a couple more of these little guys.   So now that he’s done there are a couple more knit amigurumi in the pipeline.  So I suppose it’s time to do a book review.

The Book

The source book for these little guys is “Amigurumi Knits” by Hansi Singh.  As I said before, these projects are all skill enhancing, they work on middling small needles with worsted weight yarn, and there’s plenty of fiddly bits involved. There are lots of different processes covered here, in a great deal of detail.  As I mentioned before, there is only one type of short rows detailed, and no description of kitchener for ribs, but that’s actually a pretty minor issue.

All of the patterns are written for smooth yarns in worsted weight, but it’s not actually that hard to use something with a little bit more interest to it.  Here is my go at the Earthworm, which I knit up in two days using some of my own (rather primitive) handspun yarn.  I think he turned out just fine, although he’s definitely more ‘fuzzy’ than slimy looking.   I’m giving him to my mother for her birthday.

The earthworm is one of the easier patterns in the book, it being a straightforward matter of short rows and grafting.  The hermit crab, which also involves picked up stitches, ‘chenille stems’ and sewing several parts together is labeled as being more challenging.  It was certainly more time consuming, but doable.  I’ve just started my third knitted amigurumi project, the praying mantis, which is listed as the most difficult project of the three.  We’ll see how he comes along.

I’d recommend this book for the adventurous knitter who wants to focus on small projects and who thinks that realistic, multi legged (or leggless) critters can be beautiful (or at least cute) too.

Blog Contests and Giveaways

I entered a drawing for 3 skeins of Patons Divine Yarn from All Free Crochet Afghan Patterns. (20 March)  One for the Munchkinland Socks pattern and skein – believe me, the pattern is every bit as exciting as the sock yarn.  I also joined a name the button contest at Nichols Buttons (deadline 18 March)

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Everybody Loves Amigurumi

My Sister-in-Law and her new husband gave me a gift certificate to JoAnn’s this past Christmas.  I already knew that they only sold yarn-ball-winders online, so I decided to see what else they carry that isn’t available in their brick-and-mortar store. I discovered that they sell a lot of books which are definitely worth checking out.  I fell in love with Hansi Singh’s Amigurumi Knits, and apparently so did Comet -

Apparently the book is as cuddly as the project

The book has a “top 10 list” of reasons to love Amigurumi knitting. #4 is that it “helps you become a precise, highly adept knitter”. This seems to be the case, as I’ve never been much for Kitchener before, but look at this seam -

I impressed myself with my awesome grafting skillz

Now that the shell is done I’ve started on the chelipods (claws), which use a lot of short row shaping.  I did the first one as written, but since I’m knitting with two different yarns (Wendy Aran with Wool and Filatura di Crosa Baby Pom Pom) held together this got a bit tricky.  So for the second claw I used a yarn over short row method, which I like doing a bit better but is still a bit awkward and I don’t think the results are as polished.

Here is a sample before closing the gaps. The novelty yarn makes short rows a particular challenge.

I’d like to try the Japanese short row method next, but I don’t know if I have enough split ring stitch markers on hand…

Blog Contests and Giveaways

I didn’t win the Phat Fiber yarn giveaway, but that’s OK, as I put in for this week’s Sample Box giveaway. I entered Yarn Lover’s bumper sticker giveaway (7 March)

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WIPping Along

Since I’m on a posting jag, and I have some yarn giveaways to follow up on (and new ones to link to) I think it’s time to get all my readers caught up on my current project list.

What I’m Doing Now

Yarn Work

Chuppah

Yes, it was used in the wedding.  Yes, it was beautiful.  No it’s not ‘properly finished’.  Yes, this is another example of me being lame…

As you can see, it was light enough to be caught by the wind, which was a good thing.  Now I just need to finish putting the little flower motifs between all the bigger ones.  Not difficult, but it’s large enough to be unwieldy and unportable.

Hopefully I can give it to them on their first anniversary!

Hermit Crab Amigurumi

My friend Colleen has hermit crabs.  Last fall, when she went on vacation, she asked DD#2 to crab sit.  She gave us all the instructions, and an isolation tank to use if one of the three was unwell or being bullied.

We ended up using it when “Wonton” began to bury himself.  Poor DD kept digging him up, and was eventually convinced that he was dead, but kept misting him daily because she didn’t want to admit defeat.  When Colleen came back she was impressed that DD had nursed him (successfully) through a molt!  I am making her this little guy,

It’s the Hermit Crab from Hansi Singh’s Amigurumi Knits (it’s a Goodreads link, you can use the Amazon link from within Ravelry and give them the referrer’s cut…)

Unfortunately, the tight gauge makes my hands hurt, and it’s definitely not driving knitting anyway, so I’ve got a third project.

Les Miserables Shawl

I’m using the  Old Maiden Aunt “Moody” laceweight yarn I won in a giveaway from Knitting Pipeline back in 2010, and I’m knitting Les Miserables (by Cynthia Parker, published in Handheld Knitting).

Useful Resource

I’ve found that the amigurumi knitting is both physically and mentally intensive, so that I can’t do it for too long at a go without my hands complaining.  So far I’ve just switched to the less intense shawl project, but thanks to a post I found at Knitfreedom, now I have 5 Stretches to Relieve Knitting Pain.  Of course, I first read this as “5 Stitches to Relieve Knitting Pain”, which was even more exciting, but I’m still happy to have found it.

Other Projects

March is National Novel Editing Month (NaNoEdMo).  Since I finished NaNoWriMo last year I’ve signed up for it.  Here’s hoping that in April I’ll have a draft I feel confident in showing to others…

Blog Contests and Giveaways

I didn’t win the Retrobaby giveaway, or the Twist & Twine giveaway, but Earthmama 101 has a giveaway which will be of interest to parents of young children.  Natalie Servant Designs is giving away a wonderful skein of yarn hand dyed by Indigodragonfly, but I’m not sure I can write a limerick for yarn, so I’m holding off on this one (I’ve tweeted about it though, that’s worth something, right?).  Also followed up on the Knitfreedom handspun giveaway and free pattern. I entered the Red Heart Yarn of the Month giveaway as well (after checking out projects made with it on Ravelry)  If I actually had any Malabrigo I’d join Mr. Yarn’s Malabrigo March giveaways – but you have to have some to win some. 

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