Catherine Hirst - Teeny Tiny Crochet: 35 adorably small projects

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So to create these projects in miniature was a labour of love for me! The projects in this book are meant to inspire the imagination in the same way from Gus the dachshund chasing lizards on the farm where he lives, to the Russian doll sisters living in their onion dome in St Petersburg. Children will love playing with these pieces and creating their lives, and many of the projects make lovely gifts for the young or young-at-heart! Dont give them to babies or very small children though, as many items are tiny enough to swallow. The very tiny crochet hooks used for the projects are steel hooks, which come in smaller sizes than aluminium hooks. If youve never used small hooks and thin crochet cotton, it may take some patience until it feels natural. Try to loosen your tension if you make tiny stitches too tight, you wont be able to insert your hook. Many projects do not have exact yarn amounts specified because such a tiny amount was used it was almost impossible to measure.

Suffice it to say that I didnt finish a single skein of yarn while making the projects in this book, even using the same colours for many different projects. There are three main sizes of yarn used: No.8 crochet cotton : this is the thinnest yarn used (the larger the number, the thinner the yarn), for the very tiny pieces and requires some getting used to. A few projects are crocheted with embroidery thread, which is about the same thickness. No.5 crochet cotton : I used this for the majority of the projects; its a manageable size and because most crochet cotton is mercerised and so slightly shiny, it gives a lovely sheen to the projects and makes them look very neat. I can highly recommend DMC Petra No.5 cotton, which is lovely and silky to work with. Baby (4-ply) yarn and sock yarn : these yarns are used with a smaller hook than usual to make the tight stitches needed.

Throughout the book I have given the yarn weight allowing you to make substitutions. You can scale these projects up by using a larger yarn and hook if desired, but remember to use a smaller hook than usual for the yarn for a tight tension. Stuff the projects firmly, but do not overstuff or you will pull the stitches apart and the stuffing will show through. Crochet cotton is much easier to stuff firmly because cotton is not elastic so the stitches will not tend to stretch as much; be more careful about overstuffing when you are using either the 4-ply yarn or the sock yarn. Most of the projects in this book are made using the spiral method, so the ends of rounds are not joined with a slip stitch. Use a stitch marker to mark the first stitch of each round I used a very small safety pin slipped through the stitch because a larger stitch marker would get in the way.

Any projects not made with the spiral method are clearly noted in the pattern, including the slip stitch and chain 1 needed for the joined method. Almost all the projects start with a magic circle. This method of beginning a 3-D crochet project is brilliant because it results in no hole whatsoever in the top of the piece. If youve never used the magic circle method before, you can find clear instructions in the Basic Techniques section on . You could also look online for video tutorials of the technique. Using safety eyes or embroidering eyes is essential if you are giving the item to a young child.

If the recipient is an adult (or yourself!) you can insert the safety eyes at the end without putting on the backs they will stay in place once inserted. I had a wonderful time creating these projects and I know you will too. Happy crocheting! From the tiniest ducks you have ever seen to wee owls, robins and butterflies, this chapter is all about our sweet winged friends. Why not make a pair of lovebirds to show someone you really care? Or perch some robins on your kitchen windowsill to remind you that spring is just around the corner? Theres even a nest pattern included so your flying friends can have their own little home.