Riot of Daisies

I wanted to have this pattern ready sooner but today was the first day in over a week that I’ve been able to make it to the craft store.  This ornament was inspired by by this cartoon by Megan Murphy.  Please feel free to use this pattern to make items for yourself, as gifts, or for charity but do not sell items made from this pattern or the pattern itself .  Happy Holidays!

Note: This pattern is untested.  For questions or corrections please contact me.

Tools, Materials, Etc.

• All pieces made with size F hook
• Small amounts of white, red, and green worsted weight yarn.
• 6mm black plastic safety eyes
• Black cotton embroidery thread

Ball (White)

1. Row 1:   crochet 6 sc in a magic ring
2. Row 2:   * 2 sc in next st * Repeat 6 (12 sts)
3. Row 3:   * sc 1, 2 sc in next st* Repeat 6 (18 sts)
4. Row 4:   * sc 2, 2 sc in next st* Repeat 6 (24 sts)
5. Row 5:   * sc 3, 2 sc in next st* Repeat 6 (30 sts)
6. Row 6-8: sc 30
7. Row 9:   *sc 3, dec in next 1st* Repeat 6 (24 sts)
8. Add eyes and mouth.  Stuff with fiberfill.
9. Row 10:  *sc 2, dec in next 1st* Repeat 6 (18 sts)
10. Row 11:  *sc 1, dec in next 1st* Repeat 6 (12 sts)
11. Row 12:  *dec in next st* Repeat 6 (6 sts)
12. Finish stuffing with fiberfill.  More is better.
13. Fasten off and cut yarn leaving a long tail.
14. Weave tail through the last six stitches and pull tight to close.
15. Weave in tail.

Top (Green)

1. crochet 8 sc in a magic ring
2. *5 sc in first st, sl st in next st* rep 4 (24 sts)
3. Fasten off and leave a long tail for sewing.

Leaf (Green) x 2

The leaves are worked in ovals.

1. Chain 7
2. sc in 2nd chain from hook
3. sc in next 4 sts
4. 2 sc in 6th st
5. Turn, working up the back of the foundation chain sc 6
6. Fasten off, weave in the starting bit of the chain but leave a long tail from the end

Stem (Green)

1. Chain 20 with a long starting tail.
2. sl st in 10th chain to make a loop.
3. Fasten off and weave in ends.

Assembly

1. slip the tail of the stem through the center hole of the top and then fasten the stem to the top of the ball.
2. Slide the top down and then sew to the top of the ball to secure.
3. Sew the leaves to each other through the 6th st of the stem.
4. Take two lengths of red yarn and make a bow at the base of the stem.

UPDATED: Forgot to add you should stuff the ball. Thanks Suzetta!  Instructions added above.

Elisabeth Doherty is without a doubt one of the trail-blazers in terms of taking amigurumi from a hobby to an art form.  In fact, it was one of her creations that originally inspired me to start crafting them.  Her book, Amigurumi: Super Happy Crochet Cute, was released in September of 2007.  I was a little apprehensive at first because there are only 14 patterns, but the first 32 pages alone makes it worth the price.

In the first section of the book she gladly shows all her cards.  Her list of materials contain not only a what but a why and goes beyond the basic tools to the things she uses to take her creations to a professionally finished level.  She describes (with illustrations) many more crochet stitches than are found in the typical amigurumi tutorial.  She also broaches the subject of gauge which is practically a taboo in the amigurumi world but goes on to explain why it’s so important in getting a precise replication of her patterns.  She even shares several of her techniques for adding the emblishments that are so key to her designs and also my primary reason for purchasing the book.  My only disappointment was the section on assembly.  Her instructions were brief and lacked the useful illustrations found elsewhere in this section.  Still, it’s a staggering amount of knowledge that you’re not likely to find in other books or internet tutorials.

The book is designed so that the patterns increase in difficulty from a simple carrot to Strawberry the cutely-punk kitty girl.  The beginner patterns are all foods and might be a little disappointing to people hoping for more intricate patterns but they’re worth reading just for the great techniques.  She shows that even for something that seems typical she’s got something new to offer in terms of techniques and details.

This is followed by a brief section of small animals which includes a portly mouse, a spunky weiner dog, a sweet pig, and an adorable fawn.  The last section of the book contains the four humanoid patterns: Hep Cat, Benny the Monkey, Punk Bunny, and Strawberry.   However, all of the patterns begin with detail information about finished size, materials, gauge, and techniques used.  Her instructions for completing the faces is extremely precise down to the exact position and expression to be conveyed.  Although there are no in-progress shots, there are shots of every pattern from multiple angles.  The patterns end with a list of the brands and colors of yarns used to help answer that universal newbie question “What kind of yarn should I use?”

Alas, this is not the first book I would recommend to someone wanting to learn crochet and amigurumi at the same time, but it is definitely the first book I would recommend to someone wanting to take their amigurumi to a higher level.   Don’t get me wrong, I think the book is excellent, but I don’t think the early patterns are sufficient to instill the sense of confidence that will be needed for her advanced techniques.  It’s an excellent resource and I’m very grateful to the author for sharing so many great insights both in the creation and design of amigurumi.

This is just a collection of random notes about what I’ve been up to this week.  I completed my daisy pattern but I’m uhappy with the results.  I’ll try to post pics this weekend but I plan to redo it when I have time. It ended up being larger and heavier than I anticipated so it couldn’t stand up on the stem.

I started working on the teapot pattern to go along with my teacup but I’m having difficulty deciding how I want the base to look so I’ve frogged it a few times.  Hopefully it’ll go better this weekend since I was really grumpy last night about something on the computer that wasn’t working well.  I ended up just watching CSI instead of working on my projects.

I’ve also started adding some pages to this website.  So far I’ve got an About page and some info on the tools/materials use for doing amigurumi. I plan on adding a section for tips and tricks next.

I am also going to start working on a free pattern for an amigurumi christmas ornament that I can hopefully post in the next few days.  I have to make a trip to the craft store for some supplies though (oh darn! ).

That’s it for my ramblings. Stay tuned for more pictures and free patterns soon!