Trock - Cuddly crochet : adorable toys, hats, and more

Cuddly
Crochet Adorable
Toys, Hats,
and More Stacey Trock Cuddly Crochet: Adorable Toys, Hats, and More
2010 by Stacey Trock Martingale
19021 120th Ave. NE, Suite 102
Bothell, WA 98011-9511 USA
ShopMartingale.com eBook Edition: 2013 No part of this product may be reproduced in any form, unless otherwise stated, in which case reproduction is limited to the use of the purchaser. The written instructions, photographs, designs, projects, and patterns are intended for the personal, noncommercial use of the retail purchaser and are under federal copyright laws; they are not to be reproduced by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, including informational storage or retrieval systems, for commercial use. Permission is granted to photocopy patterns for the personal use of the retail purchaser. Attention teachers: Martingale encourages you to use this book for teaching, subject to the restrictions stated above. The information in this book is presented in good faith, but no warranty is given nor results guaranteed.

Since Martingale has no control over choice of materials or procedures, the company assumes no responsibility for the use of this information. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request. eISBN: 978-1-60468-096-6 Original Source ISBN: 978-1-56477-985-4 Acknowledgments I was a very energetic child. My mom, no doubt anxious for a daughter who was quietly occupied, taught me to crochet when I was six years old. And look where I am! Thanks, Mom, for wanting some quiet. It worked out really well for both of us.

I am immensely grateful to Tim, who is not only amazingly caring, but is ceaselessly excited about my work. A soft ball of yarn and a Tim are the most inspiring things on Earth. I have been delighted to work with the folks at Martingale, who have taken my (admittedly cute) animals and turned them into a book of my dreams. Ursula Reikes (editor extraordinaire), Karen Soltys, Regina Girard, Brent Kane, and Tina Cook have all done wonders at various stages of the process, while also being a complete pleasure to work with. It wouldnt be a book without you guys! And last but not least, thanks to everyone at A Tangled Skein (my LYS in Hyattsville, Maryland), where Ive sit-and-stitched as well as gotten much encouragement and ooohs and aaahs. You make my Wednesday nights rock! Dedication To Tim, Mom and Clyde, and Dad, who are endlessly supportive of my zany ideas.

Contents Introduction Welcome to my book. Since youre reading it, you probably agree with me that stuffed animals and kiddie accessories are cute. But you may not know that theyre also fun to make! Whether youre a beginning crocheter or someone with years of experience under your belt, this book provides lots of adorable patterns and tips to make crocheting them a joy. I love stuffed animals; theyre cute, cuddly, and everyone from children to adults can enjoy them. But when I looked around for crocheted stuffed animal patterns (also called amigurumiroughly meaning knitted doll in Japanese), I noticed that most patterns make tiny animals, about 2" to 3" tall. Theyre cute, but impractical for small children.

So I started designing my own animals: full-sized stuffed animals that you can really cuddle. This book features 10 stuffed toys, each with an accompanying project. The projects include blankets to snuggle in, hats to keep a little ones head warm, and bibs to keep kiddies clean at mealtimes. My philosophy in designing baby items is that variety is key. Some crocheters are looking for a blanket pattern made by assembling squares so that they can crochet on the go. Others despise assembling and want a blanket with miles of single crochet.

Some want a blanket made with a bulky yarn so that it can be crocheted in a snap. Others are looking for an intricate design to expand their crochet abilities. No matter your style, this book contains patterns for you! And, because not all parents choose to find out the gender of their baby before birth, this book includes many unisex baby items to make gift giving a snap. I believe that crocheting should be fun and creativeyou dont have to do exactly what I do! Does your daughter love purple? Make the pig in her favorite lavender. Is your best friend having a little boy? Ditch the green and yellow in the teddy-bear blanket and crochet it up in blue and white. What you do with these patterns is up to youas long as you enjoy them! So, whip out your crochet hook and get stitching! Stacey Getting Started Choosing the right tools and understanding some basic guidelines will help you make the adorable toys and projects in this book.

Also, understanding how yarns work will make personalizing the patterns fun and easy.

First of all, you dont have to use the yarns that I used. I selected the yarns I did because I liked them and I think theyre well suited for the project, but there are thousands of yarns out there, so I encourage you to experiment. That said, you shouldnt use just any old yarn. So here are a few tips for successful yarn substitution. There are three key considerations in selecting a yarn: weight, care, and fiber content.

If, by the way, you havent become acquainted with yarn labels, take a look. This is where manufacturers list information that is crucial for successful yarn substitution. Weight refers to how thick the yarn is. In general, unless you love doing swatches and tweaking patterns, stick with the weight recommended in the pattern. Luckily, weight is often listed on the yarn label. If the pattern recommends a worsted-weight yarn, then most yarns with on the label should be a suitable substitution.

For those yarns without a weight label, refer to the Standard Yarn Weights chart on and look for a yarn that works up to a similar gauge. Three yarn weights (from left): light weight, medium weight, and bulky weight How to care for a finished item is particularly important when choosing a yarn for baby items. It may be tempting to crochet a baby blanket out of that gorgeous, soft alpaca wool, but alpaca needs to be hand washed. In my experience, new moms running on three hours of sleep would rather throw a blanket in the washing machine than hand wash it every time the little babe spits up on it. (And, yes, your adorable crocheted creation will be on the receiving end of spit-up!) So I recommend using yarn that is washable: if the label says handwash only, steer clear. Washable yarns include acrylics, superwash wool (wool that has been specially processed so that it wont shrink or felt in hot water), and plant fibers, such as cotton, soy, and bamboo.

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