A Very Hungry Caterpillar and His Hat

This pattern is a Two-4-One. One pattern is for the Caterpillar Toy and the other pattern is the Caterpillar Hat.

I made the Caterpillar Toy for my neighbor boy’s 3rd Birthday and gave it to him with a copy of The Very Hungry Caterpillar book. The hat wasn’t quite done yet, but he didn’t know . . he was enthralled with his toys, and the poor caterpillar and book were pushed aside … OPEN IT NEXT became the joke of the day … unless it was a toy he knew, he was on to the next package, just like all kids.

A couple of days later when I took the hat over, he was napping. Later on that day his mother sent me the picture of him in the hat holding his caterpillar toy.

The patterns are both written so the sizes are adaptable … you may add or delete “body balls” to make a caterpillar the size you desire. Personally, I like them long … maybe as long as the child, if the child is a baby.

Their is a chart to show the normal sizes of heads from preemie to adult men. So you will refer to that chart (if you don’t have the head you need to fit available) to make your patter.

I ended up making two Caterpillar Toys (both about the same length) from the 1 skein of each color. The Caterpillar Hat took less than a skein of the colors used.

I just LOVE the fuzzies on the back of his body.

I had two buttons that would fit together to make a 2 dimensional eye so I used them on two of the three caterpillars I made. On the last one, I used safety eyes, Honestly, I like the buttons better … they add depth to the face.

Now isn't that the cutest caterpillar face you have ever seen?

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If you would like to buy the pattern, it is available for $ 4.99 in my Ravelry Store, "The Fur~Babies Momma." Just click the buy now button to be transported to my shop.

   

 ***100% of the purchase price for the pattern goes to no-kill animal shelters in Western New York  and in my home state of Indiana.***

Miss Lydia's Crown

Becky and Kenny have been waiting for a baby to adopt. The call came, the mother gave birth last week (Becky was in the delivery room, they are participating in an open adoption) and they are now the parents of a bouncing baby girl.

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I knew I had to make Becky something special . . not only did I have her as a student, her Momma and I taught together for ears, and for a lot of those years, we were in a Euchre Club together.

You have already seen the Tulip Cocoon and hat. I wanted to get a piece of light weight pink flannel to make the receiving blanket. When I found the ballet slippers, I knew I had a winner. Becky studied ballet all through school . . . so she will know I picked this material out specially for her baby.

 

I call this pattern, Lydia's Crown.

(The pattern includes a photo tutorial on how to add a finishing edge

 to an unfinished blanket so the edging may be added.)

Don't you think it has a resemblance to a crown? 

Since Miss Lydia will be treated as a queen . . .

what a perfect name.

If you would like to buy the pattern, it is available for $1.99 in my Ravelry Store, "The Fur~Babies Momma." Just click the buy now button to be transported to my shop.

 ***100% of the purchase price for the pattern goes to Natalie's 2nd Chance Shelter, a no-kill dog shelter in my home state of Indiana. It is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization***

Miss Lydia's Hat and Cocoon

Becky and Kenny received the BEST news . . the baby they were planning on adopting would be born 08 April 2013. The adoption is an open adoption . . . Becky was in the delivery room when Miss Lydia was born and, I believe, she cut the cord.

Becky is the daughter of an acquaintance from high school who became a close friend from the school I taught in. She is also a former student, so I consider her special . . . and, to top it all off, she is just "a good kid!"

I knew I wanted to make something special . . probably a receiving blanket and then look and see what's available.

The hubster and I made a trip to Joanne's to look at soft flannel . . . I found the PERFECT flannel . . . light pink with dark pink ballet slippers shadowed in gray. Since Becky was a ballerina all of the years she was in school, I knew this would be perfect.

I had them cut a square of the material, so it is probably 45" x 45" . . . I know it is larger than a normal blanket, but I wanted a square. I know it is larger than 36' x 36", but I am too lazy at the moment to measure it, so you will have to take my word for it.

I am doing a gray Blanket Stitch round the edging (folding the selvage under to make a hem) and have 3 sides done and will finish the fourth side after I finish what I am doing now. 

When the 4th side is finished, I will have to find an edging I like and who knows how long that will take to put it around this monster receiving blanket.

Here is the photo I fell in love with.

Tulip Cocoon
Tulip Hat 

Here's my finished project.

Adaptations to the hat:

1. I left off the white edging . . why? I have no white yarn and I wanted to finish it.
2. I added two extra rounds to the hat. I wanted to make sure it was long enough to fit over the head. It fits my 15" ball, but just in case . . I'd rather have it longer that sliding up the baby's head.

Adaptations to the blanket: 

1. I made the cocoon "sack" 14" long.
2. I couldn't figure out the Crocodile Stitch pattern for the cocoon. I Googled the stitch and found a GREAT photo tutorial on My Merry Messy Life. (It is a two part tutorial . . foundation row and first row of actual crocodile stitches. Part 2 shows how to add the 2nd and 3rd rows and explains how to continue.) I changed the dc crocodile stitch on the pattern to the hdc crocodile on the tutorial. . . . I liked the smaller look for the blanket.
3. I made three rows of crocodile stitches instead of the two shown on the original cocoon.
4. I'm on my 3rd round of crocodile sts . . I think I will finish the cocoon with a round of sc.

Now, back to work . . . maybe I will get the cocoon finished today. I want to buy some pink ribbon to weave through the ribbing. I think it would soften it up some.

Butterfly Cloche

I have always been intrigued in the hats made with the little "butterflies" formed by making chains and then puling them together to look like a butterfly.

I like how the butterflies look from the side.
The hat is made to have a butterfly over each ear
and one in the front.

But, if you have followed me long enough, you know I can't make something the normal way. I wanted my butterflies to be a different color, and texture, than the hat, so I combined sock yarn (because that was what I had in the basket next to my chair) and some #3 thread for the butterflies. 

A little better look at the side of the hat.

Pretty happy with the outcome. What do you think?

Here's the front . . .
reminds me of the old fashioned turban hats women wore.

If you would like to buy the pattern, it is available for $1.99 in my Ravelry Store, "The Fur~Babies Momma." Just click the buy now button to be transported to my shop.

 ***100% of the purchase price for the pattern goes to Natalie's 2nd Chance Shelter, a no-kill dog shelter in my home state of Indiana. It is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization***

Jessika's Square

In the Softly Spring Swap, in Vanna's Choice Fan Club, on Ravelry, I had made eleven of the twelve 9" x 9" squares I needed. Ten of the squares have been mailed out, #11 is blocked and in it's envelope and I was searching for a pattern for #12.

I remembered a square I had made quite a while ago for Merrian in another swap in Vanna's Choice. I designed it for her. I really liked how it turned out.

Merrian's Square

There was something about the simplicity of the stitches and the colors that I like.

I tried to copy it for my last Softly Spring square, but I only had soft pink, pink, olive and chocolate to work with, She only wanted olive and chocolate for accents. It would have worked had I not run out of the white that was one of the colors we were using.

So, I took two steps back and punted. Here is the square I came up with.

Jessika's Square

If you would like the pattern for either square, just click on the name below each picture and enjoy your pattern :)