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Sweet Softies | Amigurumi and Crochet

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Good day, my fellow crocheters!

I'm excited to share with you some news! AllFreeCrochet has compiled a lovely roundup of different crochet bunny patterns in preparation for the upcoming Easter holiday!


Does this little bun look familiar?  My bunny lovey pattern is included in the roundup!  It's so nice to see her with her group of bunlets!! 

Please check out AllFreeCrochet's roundup below:

Hop to It: 17+ Free Crochet Bunny Patterns




If you'd like to add another bunny on your list of Easter items, feel free to check out:
  • Jane the Jumbo Bunny
  • Remi the Rabbit
  • Some-Bunny To Love (FREE)

Also, stay tuned for another free pattern in the works! I'm working on a colorful Easter eggs and basket pattern! 💝

Wishing everyone a wonderful Spring! 

Warmly,

February 28, 2019 No comments

Dear fellow crocheters,

I've had a number of free pattern designs on my website since the start of this year, and I thought I'd make a quick roundup of them in case you've missed any!

These are current patterns from January and February 2019, and I definitely have more coming up in March and the rest of the year, of course!

Below are the free pattern links to the individual patterns:
  • Hooded Fox Cowl
  • Owl Bean
  • Merry-Go-Round Rug (Video Tutorial available!)
  • Merry-Go-Round Blanket
  • Textured Basket
  • Sapphire Love Shawl
  • Cute Cactus Couple
Stay tuned for more freebies coming up! <3

Warmly,

February 26, 2019 No comments

Dear crafters,


Have you ever considered adding your own, custom touch to your room's walls?

My husband and I decided to try it out by painting a mountain range as an accent wall in one of our bedrooms.  We wanted to pick a scene that would remind us of nature that beautiful, woodsy Pacific Northwest sort of feel.  We thought of painting a forest, but it seemed a little ambitious in terms of artistic talent.  We thought of doing some grassy hills, and then decided on a neutral mountain range that varied in peaks and shades!

This was our first time painting any sort of image on our walls, and I had to admit, I was pretty nervous about it.  I've painted before, but only on paper and canvas, and I wasn't sure what to expect with a project like this.  I worry about messing up the wall, but my husband convinced me that we could always cover up our mistakes with a new layer of paint.

Whew, it's nice having a back-up plan as the big "undo" button that I desperately need in real life!

In the words of Bob Ross: "No mistakes, just HAPPY ACCIDENTS"!  


With that, we decided to go for it and bought two quarts of Valspar paint: one very light grey ("Ghost Ship"), and one very dark grey ("Night View").


Here's a clearer look at the colors, taken from the Valspar website.


I got a regular-Joe pencil and sketched out the shape of our mountain ranges.  We wanted to have some layering and depth, so I drew a total of six different layers.  Since we aimed for an organic, natural-type of look, I used that as an excuse for all my lines to be wobbly... :)

Just for the record, I can NOT draw a straight line for the life of me!

My husband then set up the room so that it was ready for painting.  To do so you, you'll probably want to look up some tutorials or Youtube videos to explain how that's done.  My husband, for example, used blue tape along the ceiling edge and bottom edge (to cover the crown molding), as well as the left and right edges of the wall.  He also had brown paper covering the floor to keep our paint splatters from making a mess of the room.

After that, we were ready to paint!

We opened the light grey can of paint and painted the sky without mixing the color at all.

Giving the sky layer a few moments to dry, we then poured a bit of the dark grey paint into the light grey can of paint.  The key is to add just a bit of dark grey at a time, because remember: you can always go darker, but you can't go lighter!

We stirred the mixture until the color had become an even shade, now slightly darker than the sky's light grey.  We then painted the first layer of the mountain.


Once that first layer was done, we went back to mix a bit of that dark grey into the lighter shade.  Repeating the process, we painted the second layer of the mountain.


This process of mixing a slightly darker grey, and then painting on a closer layer of the mountain range, continued!


While we followed the pencil sketch of the mountain range for the most part, little and clumsy mistakes were and there ended up not being very noticeable at all.  After all, the mountains didn't have an exact shape to fill; it was all natural and however we wanted it to be! 


Finally, we were finished with ALL the mountain layers!  After letting the wall dry, this is what it looked like:


It turned out to be a lot of fun!  The other walls in the room were left in their original colors in our photos, but we ended up painting them in a light grey to match with the more neutral tone of the accent wall.



Check out our video below to see the painting in action!  It's a start-to-finish, time-lapse perspective of our painting technique (or lack thereof)...


Thanks for reading (or watching), and hope this has been helpful to anyone who's looking to create a lovely set of mountain ranges on the wall!

Happy crafting and DIY-ing!

Warm regards,


February 25, 2019 18 comments

Hello, my sweet crochet friends!

I'm so excited to announce that my buddies (#wonderwoolmen) and I are teaming up for this super fun Instagram Challenge for the month of March!

Tell a crafty friend (or two or three!) about this challenge and join in on the Crochet Madness 😝

All you'll need to do is post a photo or video on Instagram, that goes with the theme of that day and use the hashtag #crochetmadness so that we can see your awesome posts!

You can follow my sweet maker friends on Instagram to see their amazing stuff, too 💕

  • @aspottedllama 
  • @casalecrafts 
  • @cozylittlemess 
  • @loopsandlovecrochet 
  • @onceuponacheerio 
  • @modesty.by.laura 
  • @thecozychipmunk

Don't miss out on the fun!  I will be sharing throughout the month on my Instagram. You can also read about my blog post containing all the photos and responses I've shared!

Stay tuned, and hope to see you as part of this Instagram Challenge!

Warmly,


February 22, 2019 No comments

Hello fellow crafters!

Looking for something quick, easy, AND cute to crochet?  Take a look at my newest design!


Hooded cowls have been a pretty popular trend lately.  I've seen a few around with animal ears, such as fox and teddy bear ears, and they are just TOO adorable not to make!

I used Lion Brand Hometown USA® Yarn, which is a soft easy-care yarn (machine washable and dryable!) and works up quickly as it's super bulky!
I used 4 skeins of Cincinnati Red and 1 ball of Oakland Black!

Since sewing lots of crocheted parts together isn't my favorite thing in the world to do, I designed the cowl so that there's minimal sewing involved.  The hood and the cowl are crocheted in one piece, and the ears are sewn on at the end!

There are a variety of basic crochet stitches used in this pattern to create a lovely texture in both the hood and cowl, and I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I do!

I'm also very glad to have crocheted this hooded cowl, because it's not only cozy for the head and neck, but also a whimsical accessory that is fun to wear during this chilly winter season.  The added fox ears make it an adorably unique clothing item~

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hooded-fox-cowl-2

Scroll down for the free, written crochet pattern.  If you'd like to download the beautifully-formatted, ad-free, and easy-to-read PDF version with large photo references (see preview below), click here to purchase it for a small fee in my shop.  Thank you for supporting Sweet Softies designs!

Bonus: The regular 10-page PDF pattern with full photo references also comes with a two-page, print-friendly version!



The Hooded Fox Cowl



Copyright Notice -- © 2019 Sweet Softies (www.sweetsofties.com). You have permission to sell finished products made from this pattern, but you must credit Sweet Softies as the owner/creator of this pattern by linking to my website (www.sweetsofties.com) or Facebook page (www.facebook.com/SweetSofties). No wholesale. You may not copy, alter, or sell my patterns in part or in whole in any way. My patterns may not be used in teaching online classes. My patterns may be used in teaching in-person classes ONLY with written consent from me. You may link to this pattern but you may not copy any part of the pattern instructions on other websites.

Introduction:
The Hooded Fox Cowl is a super warm and whimsical accessory that you’ll love wearing in the cooler Fall and Winter seasons! It’s both a hood and a cowl, to keep your head and neck warm! Add those fox ears and it makes for an adorably unique clothing item. The Hooded Fox Cowl is a great Christmas, holiday, birthday, or special occasion gift for anyone who loves this cute and fashionable design!

There is minimal sewing involved in this pattern, as the hood and cowl are crocheted in one piece and the ears are sewn on at the end. There are a variety of basic crochet stitches used in this pattern to create a lovely texture in both the hood and cowl. The pattern is written with clear instructions and has accompanying photo references that make it easy to understand and follow along to!

Level: 
  • Familiar Beginner / Intermediate. Requires familiarity with stitches used (below, such as the "Suzette stitch" with sc and dc), changing colors, attaching yarn, sewing parts, working in joined rounds, and working in continuous rounds.

Stitches/Terms Used (US Terminology):
  • MR: magic ring (a.k.a. magic circle, magic loop)
  • YO: yarn over 
  • St: stitch
  • Sk: skip
  • Sl st: slip stitch (insert hook, yarn over, pull through both loops)
  • Sc: single crochet 
  • Inc: increase (two sc in one stitch) 
  • Hdc: half double crochet 
  • Dc: double crochet
  • Dc-inc: double crochet increase (two dc in one stitch)

Materials:
  • Super bulky weight 6 yarn in red (~330 yards) and black (~85 yards)
    (I used Lion Brand Hometown USA® Yarn: 4 balls of Cincinnati Red, 1 ball of Oakland Black)
  • 9.00 mm hook
  • Yarn needle
  • Scissors

     

     

    ~ IMPORTANT NOTES ~

    Please read before beginning the pattern!

    • The pattern begins with the hood section.
    • After finishing the hood, the cowl portion is crocheted to the hood. (No sewing needed.)
    • The ears are crocheted separately and then sewn to the hood.

     

    ~ PATTERN INSTRUCTIONS ~

    Hood

    Notes: The starting chains ("Ch 2"or "Ch 1") do not count as a stitch.

    Begin with red yarn.

    R1: Ch 2. Insert 12 dc in a magic ring. *Join with a sl st to the first dc. (12 sts)
    R2: Ch 2, dc-inc around. *Join. (24 sts)
    R3: Ch 2, (dc, dc-inc) x 12. (36 sts)
    R4: Ch 2, (dc 2, dc-inc) x 12. (48 sts)
    R5: Ch 2, (dc 3, dc-inc) x 12. (60 sts)
    R6: Ch 2, (dc 4, dc-inc) x 12. (72 sts)

    At this point, the diameter of the flat circle you've crocheted should measure around 12 inches.
    You will no longer be joining for the hood section from here on out!

    R7: Ch 1, hdc 70. (This leaves the last 2 sts unworked. Do not join.)
    R8: Ch 1, turn. Hdc in the same st, sk next st. (Sc, dc in next st, sk next st) all the way across. Hdc in the last st.
    R9-R18: Repeat R8.


    Switch to black yarn.
    R19-R21: Repeat R8.

    Do not fasten off yet.


    Cowl

    Continue from the end point in R21, but switch to red yarn. 
    You will be joining each round for the cowl section.

    R1: Ch 2. Dc across the bottom of the hood. Once you get to the end of row, join with a sl st to the first dc.

    (Dc across the bottom of the hood, to the end of the row.)

    (Once you get to the end of row, join with a sl st to the first dc.)


    R2: Ch 1. Hdc in the same st, sk next st. (Sc, dc in next st, sk next st) all the way around. Hdc in the last st. *Join.

     

    R3-R13: Repeat R2.

    Fasten off at R13 or when you feel that your cowl is long enough for your liking. Weave in the ends.


    Ears (x2)

    Use black yarn.

    R1: 6 sc in magic ring. (6 sts)
    R2: (Sc 2, inc) x 2. (8 sts)
    R3: (Sc 3, inc) x 2. (10 sts)
    R4: (Sc 4, inc) x 2. (12 sts)
    R5: (Sc 5, inc) x 2. (14 sts)
    R6: (Sc 6, inc) x 2. (16 sts)
    R7: (Sc 7, inc) x 2. (18 sts)

    Fasten off with a long tail for sewing to the hood later.



    ~ FINISHING DIRECTIONS ~

      Sew the ears on R15 of the hood.

       

          That's it, you're done! 

          Congratulations on finishing your hooded fox cowl!


          If you enjoyed this free project and would like to make a donation to support my work, please click here!  Any amount is greatly appreciated and will go towards the yarn and supplies I use to keep creating new designs!

          Also, If you'd like to download the beautifully-formatted, ad-free, and easy-to-read PDF version with large photo references (see preview below), click here to purchase it for a small fee in my shop.  Thank you for supporting Sweet Softies designs!

          Bonus: The regular 10-page PDF pattern with full photo references also comes with a two-page, print-friendly version!

          If you made this project and would like to share photos, I'd absolutely love to see!  Here are links for sharing your finished creation:
          • Sweet Softies Facebook Page
          • Sweet Softies Amigurumi & Crochet Community Facebook Group
          • Instagram, @SweetSofties
          • Email: sweetsofties [at] gmail.com
          • Or, feel free to share in the comments below! :)

          As always, you are more than welcome to SHARE this post with any fellow crocheters who'd like to try this pattern!  Thank you for reading, and I wish you all a wonderful day! 

          Best wishes,

          February 20, 2019 5 comments

          Hello fellow crafters,

          Have you seen the Merry-Go-Round Blanket yet? I really loved all the pretty colors I got to use for that design, and crocheting a large project seamlessly in continuous rounds was super therapeutic and fun to do!

          Since I loved the Merry-Go-Round crochet technique so much, I decided to make another project with this stitch!  Behold... the Merry-Go-Round Rug!


          This is a square rug that measures 24" x 24", so it's not huge, but it also took only 160 yards of yarn and a couple of hours to make!

          I used 5 skeins of Chunky Luxe Big Yarn by Loops & Threads, in the color 'Cream'.  Each skein is 32 yards.


          Let me tell you -- this yarn is so fluffilicious and soft... it's dreamy to the touch!


          This is a Jumbo Weight (7) yarn as well, which is muuuuuch bulkier than what I'm used to working with, especially amigurumi!  Thus, instead of using my regular 2.75mm crochet hook for dolls and stuffies, I used a whopping 15mm crochet hook!


          Look at the size of that hook!!


          And here's a 15-second clip of me tackling that jumbo yarn with my monster hook...


          Anyhow, for this design, I used the Merry-Go-Round crochet technique, which is demonstrated in the video tutorial part of the pattern (scroll down to see, or click on the link above).

          It's a repetitive pattern that you'll get a hang of after just a few rounds.  What I love about that is being able to set down the project and pick it back up later on without having to look back at the pattern instructions!  Since it doesn't require intense concentration or any sort of counting, it's perfect for multi-tasking as well.  For me, that would be listening to music, watching television or videos, and chatting!

          https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/merry-go-round-rug

          Scroll down for the free, written crochet pattern, as well as the video tutorial!  If you'd like to download the beautifully-formatted, ad-free, and easy-to-read PDF version (see preview below), click here to purchase it for a small fee in my shop.  Thank you for supporting Sweet Softies designs!





          Copyright Notice -- © 2019 Sweet Softies (www.sweetsofties.com). You have permission to sell finished products made from this pattern, but you must credit Sweet Softies as the owner/creator of this pattern by linking to my website (www.sweetsofties.com) or Facebook page (www.facebook.com/SweetSofties). No wholesale. You may not copy, alter, or sell my patterns in part or in whole in any way. My patterns may not be used in teaching online classes. My patterns may be used in teaching in-person classes ONLY with written consent from me. You may link to this pattern but you may not copy any part of the pattern instructions on other websites.

          Introduction:
          The Merry-Go-Round Rug is a lovely design that is quick to work up with jumbo weight (7) yarn and a large, 15mm crochet hook! It's the perfect extreme crochet home decor project to add a beautiful touch to your room! Like a Merry-Go-Round, this pattern’s rounds go around and around, worked in continuous spirals without joining. The repetitive pattern is both fun and therapeutic to crochet, and easy to get a hang of in just a few rounds. The size of the rug can easily be adjusted to be however large or small as you'd like, depending on how much yarn you use.

          Note: If you get stuck, check out the Merry-Go-Round Crochet Technique Video Tutorial on the Sweet Softies Youtube Channel. 

          Finished Measurement: 
          • Using the materials below, my rug came out to be a 24" x 24" square.
          • The size is easily adjustable by adding or decreasing rounds! You can make this rug as large as you want. More yarn = bigger rug!  

          Level: 
          • Beginner. Requires familiarity with stitches used (below).

          Stitches/Terms Used (US Terminology):
          • MR: magic ring (a.k.a. magic circle, magic loop)
          • Ch: chain
          • Sc: single crochet

          Materials:
          • 5 skeins of Chunky Luxe Big Yarn by Loops & Threads, in the color 'Cream'. (This makes 160 yards of Jumbo Weight (7) yarn.)
          • 15mm crochet hook 
          • Scissors 

           

          ~ VIDEO INSTRUCTIONS ~

          Below is the video tutorial for this pattern's crochet technique.



          ~ WRITTEN PATTERN INSTRUCTIONS ~

          Notes (Read Before Beginning!)

          • This pattern is worked in a continuous spiral! The only time you will "join" a round is at a corner of your very last round. 
          • The ch-2 spaces in this pattern make the corners of the rug.

          R1: In a magic ring (MR): Ch 1, (sc, ch 2) x 4. Pull the MR to tighten and close, but do not join.

          R2: In the first ch-2 space: sc, ch 2, sc, ch 1. (In the next ch-2 space, sc, ch2, sc, ch 1) x 3. Do not join.

          R3: In the first ch-2 space (ch-2 spaces are the corners): sc, ch 2, sc, ch 1. In the ch-1 space: sc, ch 1. (In the ch-2 corner space: sc, ch 2, sc, ch 1. In the ch-1 space: sc, ch 1.) x 3. Do not join.

          R4: In the first ch-2 corner space: sc, ch 2, sc, ch 1. (Sc, ch 1) in each of the ch-1 spaces until you reach the next corner. In the next ch-2 corner space: sc, ch 2, sc, ch 1. Repeat around. 

          R5 and onwards: Continue working this pattern in rounds until it reaches the desired size.

          Once you are satisfied with the size of your rug, you will fasten off in one of the corners. To do so, insert just ONE sc when you reach your last corner (it can be any of the four corners), and cut the yarn.


          Fasten off and weave in the ends. 



          That's it, you're done! 

          Congratulations on finishing your Merry-Go-Round Rug!




          If you enjoyed this free project and would like to make a donation to support my work, please click here!  Any amount is greatly appreciated and will go towards the yarn and supplies I use to keep creating new designs!

          Also, if you'd like to download the beautifully-formatted, ad-free, and easy-to-read PDF version with large photo references (see preview below), click here to purchase it for a small fee in my shop.  Thank you for supporting Sweet Softies designs!



          ~ ~ ~

          Love the Merry-Go-Round crochet technique?

          Check out the free Merry-Go-Round Blanket Pattern!

          Want to make the little Owl Bean pictured on my rug? 
          Check out the free Owl Bean Pattern!


          If you made this project and would like to share photos, I'd absolutely love to see!  Here are links for sharing your finished creation:
          • Sweet Softies Facebook Page
          • Sweet Softies Amigurumi & Crochet Community Facebook Group
          • Instagram, @SweetSofties
          • Email: sweetsofties [at] gmail.com
          • Or, feel free to share in the comments below! :)

          As always, you are more than welcome to SHARE this post with any fellow crocheters who'd like to try this pattern!  Thank you for reading, and I wish you all a wonderful day! 


          Best wishes,



          February 13, 2019 No comments
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