We're not done yet!

Of course there's more...

JUST A FEW MORE

'cause I really do love these little guys

*****

Check out this precious GEM created by SallyAnn

It seems to me that this guy is an old PARTY ANIMAL
(perhaps it's the style of horns which give me this feeling)

I feel that he has been around the block a few times,

but he still knows how to celebrate

and have a good time

He doesn't party as much as he used to

(as evidenced by the cob-webby strands from his horns, of course!)

but he does like to give the younger kids a run for their money

(it's possible I'm making all of this up, but it seems likely to me)

click here for SallyAnn's project page

 

*****

Sarah says that she began this project thinking she would

 do battle with her inner beast and try to beat him!!!

But instead she has learned to LOVE her inner beast

(even the undesirable qualities)

and also to love the INNER BEASTS of others

click here to more photos of Sarah's beast

including his rat tail

Apparently, people with wide set eyes are very tolerant and broadminded...

 but they also possess a flagrant disregard for authority and advice.

I wonder if this is true?

These eyes are VERY wide set!

(and tiny, I wonder what that indicates?)

*****

 This delightful character from Sue

really puts a smile on my face...

I can't pin point EXACTLY what it is that I find so appealing

but I think it's because he's so damn hairy!

He just looks like a giant shaggy ball of yarn ends grew a face

and some horns

* I really do love him *

Sue was originally planning to trim away some of that excess hair,

but I'm so glad she changed her mind and left him au naturel

 click here for Sue's project page

 *****

Now this one looks like I do, after a rough day at work! 

More than a little disheveled, with eyes that just don't look like a match...

Kajsa has crafted this FEISTY inner beast, known as

THE GREAT GOOBERLICIOUS

You'll notice rather a healthy beard happening,

and if you check out the project page

there's a whole lot of hair around back, too!

 (PS. the beard wasn't even intentional, just a brilliant accident of yarn placement)

Can you believe that this is Kajsa's FIRST CROCHET PROJECT???

What an incredible effort!

*****

The final INNER BEAST I'd like to share is Melba's

CHEERLEADER BEASTIE

(complete with pom poms)

I love Melba's intention with this glorious creature...

I'll paraphrase a little, but here is what the cheerleader beastie means to her:

* REMINDER - enjoy life more, and shake out that negativity *

* CHEER LEADING SUPPORT - to complete all those unfinished projects *

* REMINDER to appreciate what you have, and not focus on what you don't *

There's something in that for all of us, I think!

click here for Melba's project page

*****

and here's my little guy who started it all...

I can't tell you how happy it is to see his TRIBE gathering!

A HUGE THANKS TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU
 WHO HAS CREATED AN INNER BEAST TO SHARE WITH THE WORLD

IT REALLY DOES MAKE MY HEART HAPPY TO SEE THEM ALL
(and I am enormously proud)

If you are inspired by these wonderful projects, and want to make
an INNER BEAST of your own,

be sure and link your project to the pattern on Ravelry

so that we can all enjoy your creativity

*** INNER BEAST PATTERN HERE ***

Inner Beast

Could I possibly design an INNER BEAST DOLL? she asked

One that would represent your voice from within...

the one which which fills you with doubts… 

makes you question your decisions, 

your happiness, and your ability to succeed. 

A nameless, faceless creature – who needs to be tamed! 

A creature you can pinch and poke, and throw across the room.

Scream at, jump on, and bite on the butt if you need to.

 

A creature with the following characteristics...

(most of which I managed to stick to)

human shaped

no face
horns
crazed eyes
big butt
could sit on a desk
legs that are easy to grab
use crazy yarn and solid held together
worked in crochet

I love how the crazy yarn blurs the edges of his shape, 

even if it made him really difficult to photograph clearly!

The eyes were actually added as an afterthought,

as it was so difficult so see any details in the photos, 

and you just needed something to pinpoint where the face was.

I actually loved the anonymity of him without eyes… 

and may end up removing them again…

This piece was designed to complement the Magic Ball Swap 

held in December 2016 at the International Freeform Forum.

The pattern is available as a PDF download from Ravelry

(currently free)

here is the link

If you'd like to chat with others working on the same project,

head on over to this Ravelry thread and join in the fun 

(or just check out the other INNER DEMONS as they are released!)

and if you're new to the idea of Crazy Yarn - check this out

Video Tutorial - Crazy Yarn Knots

Since I posted about my Scrappy Blanket, I've had oodles of questions about how I tie my knots in the yarn. Of course it seems so straight forward to me - I mean, they're just knots, right?

It's funny, because this is the only way I would consider making these joins... but I've heard from a number of people who are tying their knots as you would tie a double or triple knot in your shoelace...

Don't do it that way! It will take you FOREVER!!!

My method is a simple overhand knot.

It's easy, fast, and super secure...

It's not especially pretty - but that's okay - you'll be so distracted by all the sticky-outie tails in the finished project that you won't pay any attention to the actual knots.

So here it is:

My first video tutorial...

Hope it helps!

... and the Cat Next Door

Messy.

This version of the Earflap Hat feels really, really messy.



I think that it's the combination of the 'crazy yarn' with the popcorn stitches - it's just all a bit too much visually.

 

Oh What A Mess...



But I kind of love it anyway!



These hats are NOT my own design. If you're looking for the pattern, it's available for sale here.
The designer is Leslie Nelle-Urinyi from Wool Mountain Studios.

return of the crazy yarn

You didn't think I had abandoned the crazy yarn, did you???



No Siree! In fact, I made this adorable shawl for Little Miss Four...



I love the way it looks when secured with a brooch or large pin... but she is not to be trusted with sharp objects at the moment. Ahhhh, the joys...

So we settled for tying the front with a recycled ribbon. She still feels like a princess... and I don't need to watch out for pins when I sit down anywhere!

a scrap happy scarf for knitters

Listen up knitters... this one's for you.

Many of you loved the original scrap happy scarf - except for the minor detail of it involving crochet! Well, this is my knitted version.

I've decided that when using a multitude of colours like this, it it best to keep the pattern as simple as possible. And what could be more simple for knitters than garter stitch?



These scarves are worked sideways. I'm an old fashioned kind of girl, and prefer to use straight needles, but there are a lot of stitches here, so to accommodate them all you might want to work the scarf flat using those 'new fangled' circulars.

The yarn being used here is crazy yarn. Click here to see what that is all about.

At the end of each row I have left a tail, and joined on a new colour. If you use a firm knot to join in the new yarns, then those tails can just become the tassel of the scarf. Yes... I know you've always been taught not to join with knots... blah, blah, blah... forget about all that... this is LOW STRESS knitting!

I've experimented with a number of different needle sizes, and these are the results:





^^ scarf #1 - my absolute favourite! ^^
worked on 4.0mm needles
cast on 250 stitches and then worked about 35 rows in garter stitch
(this gave me an approximate length of 180cm and a width of 9cm)







^^ scarf #2 ^^
worked on 8.0mm needles
cast on 200 stitches and then worked about 20 rows in garter stitch
(this gave me an approximate length of 200cm and a width of 9cm)







^^ scarf #3 ^^
worked on 15.0mm needles
cast on 125 stitches and then worked about 12 rows in garter stitch
(this gave me an approximate length of 200cm and a width of 9cm)

crazy curlicue

You guessed it! I just had to test out the '3-2-1 and you're done' curlicue scarf pattern using my crazy yarn...

It's a little busy, and at first I found it a bit too full on... but I'm starting to like it... just a little

scrappy happy scarf...

Much as I love the elegance of those beaded scarves, I also adore the 'scrappy look'. I guess there's a time and a place for both, really. A dressier look for 'going out' and a more casual feel for 'running about'

These scrappy scarves aren't everyone's cup of tea. Mr Goldfish is really not a fan. He hasn't gone so far as to say that he hates them... but I can tell that he does! He can't cope with the unfinished look of the loose ends. As for me... I think they're FUN

And if you love the idea of a scrappy scarf, but would prefer to knit... click here to see the knitted version.





Instructions:

These scarves are just as easy as they look! They're made using my crazy yarn and an 8.0mm crochet hook. Work a row of chain stitches, the length you want the scarf to be. Then work a row of dc. At the end of each row, join in a new colour, leaving a tail which will become the tassel (just tie a firm knot to join) Then continue working in rows of dc, working between the posts (rather than into the top of the stitches) When you are happy with the width of the scarf... you are finished! Just trim the tassels, if desired.

Click here for more information on crazy yarn.

Below is a neck warmer. Made the same way as the scarf, just shorter... and worn with a pin to hold it in place. I think I worked this one on a 10.00mm hook, but it's a bit too 'gappy' for my liking. If I was to make another one, I would go down to a smaller size.





So there they are, my scrappy scarves... not exactly elegant... but then again, neither am I!

sprout scarf

I was playing around with my crazy yarn the other day, and decided to test it out on a quick scarf pattern. I crocheted the sprout scarf by Lisa Gentry, using three strands of crazy yarn held together. It's a super speedy pattern and is also available in a knit version, although I haven't tried that yet.

As I was working it up, it reminded me of a chain of shamrocks... I think it would look fabulous worked up in green as a St Patrick's Day scarf.

Here it is being modeled by Little Miss Four... she adores it!

finished object #3 - experimenting with crazy yarn

Wondering what 'crazy yarn' is?

Well... I took all my bits and bobs of leftover yarns which have been accumulating. I then cut them into assorted lengths (no greater than six metres) then mixed them all up and knotted them together randomly. No fancy knotting technique, just leaving a tail of about an inch or so. Regardless of fibre type and thickness. There's cottons, acrylics, wools, novelty yarn, and every possible blend in between. All mixed in together.

I was astounded when I ended up with 18 balls of 'crazy yarn'



What would I make with all this yarn?

You don't get any prizes for guessing that I started on an easy peasy crochet bag!



Using three strands held together.



I ended up working this bag 20 rounds tall. I didn't worry too much about all those knots, just kept them to the inside of the bag as much as possible. Any that 'escaped' were just woven back to the inside before I added the lining.



I didn't have a thread colour which was remotely suitable for sewing on the lining. So that left me with a number of choices. Option One - go shopping for the perfect match? NO WAY... that's not what I'm all about! Option Two - Use a completely contrasting colour and make a feature of the stitching? A definite possibility, but then I thought of a third option... Option Three - raid Mr Goldfish's garage, and 'borrow' some fishing line? YES, YES, YES... strong, invisible, perfect!

look closely... you can only JUST see a hint of where those stitches are! YAY for fishing line! I'm keeping the reel with my craft supplies now. I craft way more often than Mr Goldfish goes fishing...



here's the finished bag...



you won't be at all surprised to see that I have embellished with a felted heart...