A few weeks ago, I was surfing the boards on Ravelry when I came across an idea that was novel to me. Amigurumi, the art of knitting or crocheting stuffed animals and other such things, is open to beginners.
Excited, I asked for some suggestions, and finally settled on the pattern Hearts by Tamie Snow. It seemed simple, yet more appealing than crocheting a ball, and the fact that it lacks limbs and more complicated accessories drew me in. Of course, this was also a week before Valentine's Day, so I was in the mood.
The fact that I had free red yarn in my stash didn't hurt either!
First, I had to teach myself the crochet version of the "magic adjustable loop technique," which is both easier and more difficult to master than my book suggested. Creating the loop and holding the yarn was super easy during the "difficult" first stage, and baffled me somewhat during the "easier" part where you actually begin to crochet.
A little bit of fiddling and some frogging over about a half hour period saw me making adjustable circles with ease. Whew!This was also my first time working in the round, and more specifically, in a spiral. I didn't find this difficult, although eventually, counting my stitches and rows did become more difficult. I was being very cautious with the stitch markers, until I had to frog a row. How far do I frog back? Where was the beginning of the row before last? Not good. So, I improvised.
I also think that I was crocheting quite tightly, so I omitted two rows and closed up early, which did leave me with the correct measurements.
Unfortunately, I can't find my miscellaneous button stash and I am concerned that it isn't going to crop up any time soon. Because of this, the "finished product" is currently naked. Once I've done a little shopping, I'll post the final photo! Michael's was extremely disappointing for buttons, so I might have to check out Wal-Mart or better yet, Fabricland. Heck, I might even be able to convince Mom that she wants to take a trip to G&G.
