Poodle

This is another pattern from "Knit Your Own Dog", knit on commission. I really like the way it turned out.

Penguin Amigurumi

Penguin is for sale in my Etsy shop.

Based on this pattern by Lion Brand.

Hula Hoop Rug!

When I ran across this tutorial on Pinterest (I know, I'm an addict), I just KNEW I HAD to make it!! I have always wanted to try my hand at weaving, and I needed a rug to tie the colors of my room together. Besides, I already had all the materials, so if it didn't look so great after I was done, its no big loss.  So I brought up my hula hoop from the basement, found some old shirts to cut up (I used this tutorial to make my yarn), and set to work. I followed the tutorial pretty much exactly, using grey for the warp and grey, blue and orange as the weft. I used orange bulky yarn because I didn't have an orange shirt to use. Be sure not to pull the weft too tight, or you will make a bowl (like I did, but hey, it worked out!). I used a simple over-under style, but in another project I'd love to experiment with chevron or other patterns!

To make T-Shirt Yarn:

This is the shirt I started out with.

First, cut the hem off the bottom.

Next, cut the shirt into strips from side to side, but don't go all the way across, as shown.

Put your arm through the shirt, with the intact part laying against your arm, then cut diagonally to the first cut on the top left. I know, it is sort of confusing. Just watch the video if you have questions.

Continue cutting diagonally and you will have one long strip that looks like this.

Stretch the strips. It will fold in on itself to make yarn!

Wind the yarn into a ball

To Make the Weft:

Cut 11 strips from a shirt and stretch them around the hoop, equal distance apart.

Start by tying one piece of yarn to one spoke of the weft, then continue around in an over-under pattern. When one piece runs out, simply tie on another and keep going. You could be creative and incorporate ribbon, yarn, or fabric. 

You can see here how I tied the ends of the peices together in one section. I simply pushed them through to the back to hide them. Once got done, I cut the weft, one spoke at a time and tied them together. Unfortunately, my rug curled a little bit (It'll be our little secret), and it ended up looking like this:

But hey, it was OK! I simply flipped it over and let the edges curl, creating a nice edge. A happy accident!

I put it under my desk area and it is SO soft and squishy. It feels really nice against my toes, and it totally goes with all my colors!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Pattern

I had an order for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle amigurumi dolls, so I made up this pattern.

Yarn weight: Worsted
Skill level: Beginner +
Gauge: Does not matter, just be sure it is tight so the stuffing doesn't show through.

Materials needed:
Head, arm and leg color, or MC1, about 50 yards
Torso color, or MC2, about 20 yards
Shell color, 10 yards
Mask color (varies, depending on which Turtle you are making), 2 yards
Stitch Marker
Yarn needle
Poly-fil

Head:

Using MC1, create Magic Circle, SC 6, Pull tail tight to close, PM in last SC
Round 1: Work 2 SC in each Sc around. 12 Sts
Round 2: *2 SC in first St, 1 SC in next st. Repeat from * around. 18 Sts
Round 3: *2 SC in first St , SC in next 2 Sts. Repeat from *around. 24 Sts
Round 4: *2 SC in first St , SC in next 3 Sts. Repeat from * around. 30 Sts
Round 5: *2 SC in first St, SC in next 4 Sts. Repeat from * around. 36 Sts
Round 6: *2 SC in first St, SC in next 5 Sts. Repeat from * around. 42 Sts
Round 7: *2 SC in first St, SC in next 6 Sts. Repeat from * around. 48 Sts
Round 8-12, SC around. 48 Sts.
Round 13: *Dec, SC in next 6 Sts. Repeat from * around. 42 Sts
Round 14: *Dec, SC in next 5 Sts. Repeat from * around. 36 Sts
Round 15: *Dec, SC in next 4 Sts. Repeat from * around. 30 Sts
Round 16: *Dec, SC in next 3 Sts. Repeat from * around. 24 Sts
Stuff tightly.
Round 17: *Dec, SC in next 2 Sts. Repeat from * around. 18 Sts
Round 18: *Dec, SC in next St. Repeat from * around. 12 Sts
Round 19: *Dec. Repeat around. 6 Sts
Finish off.

Arms, make 2:

Using MC1, create magic circle. SC 6, Pull tail tight to close. PM in last SC.
Round 1: Work 2 SC in each SC around. 12 Sts.
Round 2: *2 SC in first St, SC in next St. Repeat from * around. 18 Sts
Round 3-8: SC around. 18 Sts
Round 9: *Dec, SC in next 7 Sts. Repeat from * around. 16 Sts
Round 10: SC around. 16 Sts
Round 11: *Dec, SC in next 6 Sts. Repeat from * around. 14 Sts
Round 12: SC around. 14 Sts
Stuff arm lightly.
Round 13: *Dec, SC in next 5 Sts. Repeat from * around. 12 Sts
Round 14: *Dec, SC in next 4 Sts. Repeat from * around. 10 Sts
Round 15: *Dec, SC in next 3 Sts. Repeat from * around. 8 Sts
Pinch work top of work together, and working in both sides, closing the top of the work. Work 3 SC across. 3 Sts.
Finish off. Leave long tail for sewing to body.

Legs, make 2:

Using MC1, create magic circle. SC 6, Pull tail tight to close. PM in last SC.
Round 1: Work 2 SC in each SC around. 12 Sts.
Round 2: *2 SC in first St, SC in next St. Repeat from * around. 18 Sts.
Round 3: *2 SC in first St, SC in next 5 Sts. Repeat from * around.  21 Sts.
Round 4-12: SC around. 21 Sts.
Round 13: Dec, SC in next 9 Sts, Dec, SC in next 9 Sts. 19 Sts.
Round 14: SC around. 19 Sts.
Round 15: Dec, SC in next 7 Sts, Dec, SC in next 6 Sts. 17 Sts
Round 16: SC around. 17 Sts.
Stuff leg lightly.
Round 17: Dec, SC in next 6, Dec, SC in next 7 Sts. 15 Sts.
Round 18-19: SC around. 15 Sts.
Round 20: Dec, SC around. 14 Sts.
Finish off, leaving long tail for sewing to body. Finish stuffing leg.

Torso:

Using MC2, create magic circle. SC 6, Pull tail tight to close. PM in last SC.
Round 1: Work 2 SC in each SC around. 12 Sts.
Round 2: *2 SC in first St, SC in next St. Repeat from * around. 18 Sts.
Round 3: *2 SC in first St , SC in next 2 Sts. Repeat from *around. 24 Sts
Round 4: *2 SC in first St , SC in next 3 Sts. Repeat from * around. 30 Sts
Round 5: *2 SC in first St, SC in next 4 Sts. Repeat from * around. 36 Sts
Round 6-11: SC around. 36 Sts
Round 12: *Dec, SC in next 4 Sts. Repeat from * around. 30 Sts.
Round 13-14: SC around. 30 Sts.
Round 15: *Dec, SC in next 3 Sts. Repeat from * around. 24 Sts.
Round 16-17: SC around. 24 Sts
Round 18: *Dec, SC in next 2 Sts. Repeat from * around. 18 Sts
Round 19: SC around. 18 Sts
Finish off, leaving long tail for sewing to head and stuff tightly.

Sew the torso to the head, and the legs and arms to the body.

Shell:

Using shell color, Ch 9
Round 1: SC in second ch from hook, SC in next 6 Sts, 3 SC in next St. Working on the opposite side of the chain, work 6 SC across, in the starting SC, work 2 more SC. PM. 18 Sts.
Round 2: Work 2 SC in first St, 2 SC in next St, SC in next 6 Sts, 2 SC in next 2 Sts, SC in next 8 Sts. 22 Sts.
Round 3: 2 SC in first St, SC in next 10, 2 SC in next St, SC in next 10 Sts. 24 Sts.
Round 4: SC in first St, 2 SC in next St, SC  in next 11 Sts, 2 SC in next St, SC in next 10 Sts. 26 Sts.
Round 5: Sc in first 2 Sts, 2 SC in next St, SC in next 12 Sts, 2 Sc in next St, Sc in next 10 Sts. 28 Sts.
Round 6: Working in front loops only, *SC, 2 SC in next st. Repeat from *around to last St, SC. 41 Sts.
Round 7: Working in both loops, *SC in next 2 Sts, 2 SC in next St. Repeat from * around. 55 Sts.
Sl St in next St, finish off, leaving long tail for sewing onto body.
Optional: Sew shell detail with contrasting color yarn as shown.

Sash:

 Ch 45, Finish Off.
Tie around waist and tack down with Sash colored yarn in several places.

Mask:
Ch 45, PM in center Ch. Sl St in second Ch from hook, and in each Ch, until 5 Sts from center. SC, HDC, DC, HDC, SC, then Sl St in center St. Then, SC, HDC, DC, HDC, SC, then Sl St to the end.
Finish off, leaving long tail to sew onto head. 

DIY Fabric Yarn Basket

I was inspired by several posts on Pinterest about crocheting or braiding baskets out of t shirt material. I had this "yarn" in my stash and decided it was the perfect thing to experiment with.