Category: Stories

Stories

A flying one

Sonja

Brutus-post1Currently I am working on my new project, a crochet bat. Every night, when I look out of our bedroom window, I see little bats flying around the courtyard, their wings lighted up by a single lamppost. It all looks so mystical.

As autumn is drawing nearer every day now, I have to get on with designing the bat pattern. As well as a bat makes a perfect autumn pattern, I want my bat to be ready in time for Halloween. That means, the pattern must be finished before October.

The bat I am making belongs to the group of ‘megabats’, which most of us know as fruit bats. The little bats I am seeing around my house aren’t megabats but microbats. They are insect eating small bats. However, for a crochet version I just find the fruit bats more suitable.

 

Art, Stories

A red one

Sonja

Hello! I already mentioned in my previous post my next project was going to be a red panda and I was trying out a new look for this animal. After some shaping experiments I wasn’t happy at all about the results. It wasn’t a doll anymore and it felt like I kind of abandoned my own style. Furthermore, everybody I told I was going to try something different replied with a big ‘why?’

So, a red panda playful & happy doll it will be!

Both

Art, Stories

Something wet

Sonja

My next crochet pattern will be one of an otter (European kind). Normally I post just a simple sketch, but this time I felt like drawing the pattern image and posting it here. At the top of each of my patterns is an illustration of the animal the pattern is for. Usually it is an improved and coloured version of my first sketch. For the otter pattern, this illustration you will find at the top.

Basil

Otters are very entertaining and whimsical animals. Every time I’ve seen them in a zoo, they always make me laugh with their curious and playful attitudes. I doubted about the shape of my crochet version. Otters their features aren’t very suitable for a doll shaped animal, so it had to be either standing on two feet, or four feet. As you can see I decided to go for the two feet option. I believe that is the most representative position to make the otter as I described above.

I hope all of you who have asked me to make an otter pattern, will be looking forward to this crochet otter as much as I do!

 

Stories

It’s duckling time, SALE!

Sonja

This time of year ducklings are born all around us and that is why the pattern for Jonesy the duckling is on sale this week! (Till the 5th of May). The pattern is easy and quick to crochet and in no time you can make your own brood of ducklings.

Go and get the duckling pattern with a one dollar discount in my shop or in my shop at Ravelry and celebrate spring with ducklings!

yellow crochet duck pattern, duckling.

Stories

London, Oxford & pandas

Sonja

PandasketchIt has been a while since my last entry, that is because I did some exciting things. For a short holiday, we visited London and Oxford and it was wonderful. I’m not that much of a people person and especially London is one of the busiest places in the world to visit, but it was such a great experience. The parks, historical buildings and musea where a delight to see.

I insisted on going to Oxford as well, because I love historical places and Oxford has these dreamy towers and the oldest university of Europe. And because it is only an hour by train and the trip also gives a small glimpse of the ever so beautiful British countryside, it was the perfect opportunity to go. Oxford was stunning.

In London we saw these very cute and cheeky park squirrels and of course much more, below are a few pics.

Now, back to panda crochet. I’ve made a rough sketch and already have finished the head. I’m working on the rest of the panda. In the Natural History Museum in London, we saw the stuffed panda Chi Chi, who was a well known giant panda in London Zoo and died in 1972. It was helpful to see a ‘real’ panda.

 

Art, Stories

Upcoming spring pattern

Sonja

And now for something completely different. Well, perhaps not completely but a bit. My next pattern will be my first bird pattern. Last year I thought of making a duckling and decided to wait till spring this year. Yes, a duckling! I love ducks and especially mallards and white ducks and do think a pattern for a crochet duckling will make a perfect crochet spring project.

If the duckling is going to meet my expectations, I will also make his father someday. I very much hope I can make my duckling as whimsical as he looks in the second sketch. Looking forward to present my first little bird.

Eendjes

A little surprise pattern will follow soon……

 

Stories

A little too late

Sonja

Marmot2A while ago, someone suggested that I should make a marmot. I agreed with her and already had thought of making an Alp marmot. It was after my vacation to Switzerland, where I had seen and heard, many of these adorable little fellows.

However, I never actually got to making one, because I simply had other animals in mind to make first and was not quite confident about the shape I should give a crochet marmot. I decided to wait until the period around Groundhog day, which I thought to be somewhere in the end of February or begin March. I should have Googled it.

Last week I discovered it is Groundhog day the 2nd of Februari, oops. Nevertheless, I am working on a marmot pattern at this very moment. I’ve already made some sketches and picked suitable yarn colours. There is one dilemma though, I don’t know what kind of marmot I am going to make, in colour that is. There is the Alp marmot, the woodchuck, the groundhog and my favourite but more uncommon variation, the Vancouver Island marmot with its bear-ish appearance.Marmot1

The Vancouver Island marmot is an endangered species and has beautiful chocolate brown fur and contrasting white patches. I think he’s absolutely stunning, but I am afraid many people won’t immediately recognize my crochet version of one to be a marmot. So I think I will stick to a more traditional coloured marmot and make the chocolate brown coloured one for myself.

Here are some pictures of this lovely animal. The first picture I have found online and in it you see the stunning Vancouver Island marmot. Look at him, what an absolute beauty! The second picture is made by my boyfriend. This marmot we encountered in Switzerland at the Abula pass. When we passed him after we had just started our hike, he quickly fled into his hole, which led into a cold war shelter. When he called out to warn his friends, he made our ears ring. Anyway, we knew where he was, so on our way back, we silently approached his little territorium and there he was. We quickly took his picture, he fled into his little dug out again and made our ears ring some more. We enjoyed ourselves very much.

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Screen Shot 2014-02-04 at 17.18.22

This post is a bit longer than I had anticipated and I hope you enjoyed reading it.

 

Stories

The long longed project

Sonja

SketchThis animal is one of the first I wanted to make when I started designing crochet animal patterns. Somehow it got postponed again and again, for animals I thought should have priority.

But now I’m finally going to make him, one of our cutest looking, but not always loved animals, the beautiful raccoon. I do love raccoons and cannot blame them for their bad image. We took away their natural habitat and they had to cope with that.

Every time I’m starting a new project I’m worried I won’t succeed in getting the result I desire. I really hope I’ll get the raccoon’s head right….that is the hardest part. I have three beautiful warm colours of Lopi yarn lie ready, so I’m not worried about that. Let’s start and see.

There will be a new pattern here soon!