December 2015 Projects - Throwback

With another term of the HPKCHC behind me, I set off to complete those intended Christmas gifts that I hadn't managed to cram into the prompts!

But I also had some orders to finish up, so...let's just say it was an exciting month for me!

The Panda and I decided we would drive up to Virginia and spend Christmas with DSCA and her family, who had one of these outstanding orders with me.  Also, Mom W. (DSCA's mother and a good friend to all of us) had recently been diagnosed with cancer and had just started chemo, so we wanted to distract the family by being around to play games, watch movies, and just chill.

Mom W. had ordered a few gifts:

A kerbal from the game Kerbal Space Program, for Tir.

Daring Do; a pony made using Rainbow Dash's pattern

and part of Dr. Whooves pattern, for a great-niece.

And of course I wanted to make gifts for DSCA's family, too. (And not just to save money, but because it's rare that I get to fulfill crochet wishes without tons of guesswork.)  

A rocket ship to go with Tir's kerbal.

Bob Kerman is looking for science!

 

A sunflower hat and shawl set for Mom W.

DSCA's newsboy cap; she says she's gotten so many compliments!
(This was not DSCA's real gift, though...it was a decoy!
More on that in February's post, when the gals got together.)

And then of course I needed things to give to the Panda (other than the gigantic turtle) but he said all he wanted was a cover for his new Kindle:

 

This was a chance to play around with new stitches!

Oh, and lest I forget, I also wanted to make a little something for everybody in my office:

And then I had commissions to drop off, all before the district went on break for the Christmas holiday:

 

And finally, right after Christmas I had two outstanding Facebook Art Trades for 2015 to complete before the new year:

This is a moss stitch cowl/infinity scarf.

I want to release it as a free pattern sometime next year!

I should also release a pattern for this guy, since there are

no free Eeyore patterns; ridiculous!

If you're on Ravelry, my project notes are pretty good.

Looking forward to a new year of crafting, and I hope you are, too!  

Craft on!

August 2015 Projects - Throwback

August was another crazy month, but this time for a real life reason: my chica bonita April moved back from China!  She moved in with me and the Panda and began looking for all the things we Americans use to live: a car, a job, a canal, Panama...wait.

She'd sort of missed all of the previous My Little Pony madness, and I wasn't about to let that persist.  The Nerdy Knitter has a 10th Doctor Whooves pattern, and I got it for free during a buy 2 get 1 sale:

April also takes great photos with her tablet.  I just collage.

Some problems with this pattern include:

• uneven back legs; I added stitches to compensate
• lack of pictures for mane and tail construction
• lack of pictures for white collar construction

The eyes and cutie mark were iron-on patches (man, I love that trick!), and his little necktie/collar can be removed so he can be dressed up any way you want (like with a 4th Doctor scarf, let's say).

We then decided to hold a cutie mark ceremony in September when the 4 of us were together (DSCA, Deevius, and April/MerrySioux).

Other projects included a little bunny rabbit:

Free pattern, modified by me to make the arms and legs easier to attach.

A lot of my Not-Quite-First-Year (NQFY) friends sorted into Ravenclaw for the first term, and a couple more have made their way over to Ravenclaw since then.  We have a separate group on Ravelry that we chat in between terms, and one of the Ravenclaws started up a Top Secret project for one of the moderators over in The Tower (Ravenclaw's common room).

Her name is LASH and she was having another baby, but no shower.  The gals in Ravenclaw decided to go through her "baby favorites" tab on Ravelry and pick out projects to make and send to her.  It was really  nifty!  Four girls would agree to do one cardigan, so one girl would get the yarn, start it, leave it on her knitting needles, and then ship it to the next person.  The second and third person would then knit another section and send it on.  The fourth person was in charge of sending the finished project to LASH's friend and co-conspirator, who was putting the gift basket together, and then mailing the needles back to the first person.

It was completely, mind-blowingly intricate and fun!

As a crocheter, though, there were no patterns bookmarked that I could make.  So I found a bunny that LASH had wanted, and searched around for a crochet alternative.  LASH loved it!  She was surprised by everything!

I also learned a new craft: knitting stitch marker making!  

It's really just jewelry-making in disguise...

I gifted these to someone as a prize over in another knitting/crocheting forum; she loved them!  I've made a few more sets since then...really, only a few...

And finally, the butterflies.

These poor things are meant for a dear friend across the pond in the UK.  Her name is Piglottie, and we were thick as thieves during the spring term of HPKCHC.  Unfortunately, her mother was diagnosed with cancer and life got very complicated for Piglottie, and I've rarely heard from her.  We were making butterflies to send over, and of course I totally forgot to send mine.  I now have 4 and still they wait.  I had wanted to make something special for Piglottie, but haven't been able to.

In good time, I suppose.  All in good time.

Commissions Complete: My Little Ponies

A bit of a throwback, but still worthy of being shared...

I had a girlfriend of mine with three daughters ask me way early in 2015 if I knew how to do My Little Pony plushies.

Well, the answer (at first) was no.

Then I broke down and bought a pattern pack for the Mane 6 (the six main characters) from the Nerdy Knitter.

First I tried (as was previously posted) Rainbow Dash.  That quickly led to starting the first Twilight Sparkle, but I couldn't for the life of me figure out her mane at first.

So, I took a step back.  (Sort of.)

And then I informed said girlfriend that "Yes!  I have done the pony thing!"

(Word to the wise: don't ever volunteer when you haven't actually figured the whole pattern out first.)

Her little girls' favorite ponies are Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, and Shining Armor.

Right.  Noooooo problem.  Me and my big mouth.

I started with Rarity.

The one issue: not placing her neck higher so her head isn't down.

For the first try, I did eyes painted on wax paper and then glued to sewn-on felt bases.  I then painted on her eyelashes.  The cutie marks are felt, hand-embroidered.  Her mane and tail also have pipe cleaners attached inside, to help them curl.

 

For my next trick, I went on to try Twilight Sparkle again, this time with slightly more accurate colors.  (And of course, I didn't know it at the time, but Twilight has two forms: unicorn or alicorn.)

I had a lot of trouble with this pattern.  My main issue: her tail and mane.

This time, I got a little more crazy and instead of using waxed paper (which allowed me to trace Rarity's eyes directly from a print-out), I painted Twilight's eyes right onto the felt base with puffy paint.  I then vowed never to put that kind of pressure on myself again.

I cut the pink part of her cutie mark out of felt and sewed it on.  I then painted the white bits with puffy paint.

The great problem with Twilight's mane and tail as they're written in the Nerdy Knitter pattern is that there are no pictures to help you assemble them.

It's really very terrible, and for the price of the pattern, I expected better.  It ended up taking me three Twilight Sparkles to master the exact assembly of her mane and tail parts, and what I did does not follow the pattern, enough so that I'm tempted to release my own tutorial to help newbies out!

(Yes, this is a rant.  It's just about over.)

The last pony was Shining Armor, who has his own separate pattern for sale:

Main issue:  his tail.

Thanks to a helpful tip over in the Harry Potter challenge, I switched to printing out Shining Armor's eyes and cutie marks on white, iron-on twill patches (available at any Wal-Mart).  There followed a sizing and comparing process:

 

Which was well-worth the effort.  I still paint 'eye-liner' and the eyelashes on the girl ponies with puffy paint, but the exact science of accurate cutie marks is irreplaceable.  

The one thing Shining Armor taught me, however, is what happens to yarn when you scorch it.  

(Hint: It's not good.)

I didn't notice that my iron had shut itself off after an extended pause, and begun to cool.  Then when his eye wouldn't stick, I thought I just had to hold the iron down longer.  This resulted in a hard, brown crispy patch of yarn around his left eye.  I was nearly devastated.  

I say 'nearly' because I had the bright idea to paint over the patch with white paint so it would be less noticeable.  Well, I for sure notice.  But it was an experiment, as well as a gift that would not be too highly-scrutinized.

Finally, pictures of the three together:

So I went on my merry way, shared a few photos around on the social medias, and in general went back to Minecraft stuff.

Then I got a follow-up order for another Twilight Sparkle and my very first Fluttershy.

Apparently I wasn't done with perfecting Twilight's mane and tail assembly.

Fluttershy was relatively simple; all the base pony bodies are the same, barring a unicorn horn or pegasus wings.  (Once you get past the terrible neck directions - that's another rant.)

The issue:  mane and tail, again.

I actually went to the forum help group for the patterns on Ravelry and asked about her mane; I couldn't get it to form the curly shape of Fluttershy's mane as seen in the show.  I was told to add pipe cleaners (which is nowhere in the directions).  I still feel only marginally successful.  

In addition, her tail was too tall and it raises her back legs off of the ground.  I vowed in my next go-around with this pattern to remove some rows (in the repeated rows, not any of the shaping rows) to see if that would help.

Her eyes and cutie mark are 100% ironed on; the eyelashes in this case were colored at the edges with Sharpie before ironing them on so that the white of the patches wouldn't show on the edges.  You have to be very careful, however; the twill fabric likes to drink marker, and the color bleeds.

 

On to the second (technically third, but second ever completed) Twilight Sparkle.

I can safely say I am 98% satisfied with this one.

The 2% of dissatisfaction is my fault; I didn't change my printer settings back to "Best" when printing her cutie mark, so the pink is not dark enough.  My bad.

But her bangs stay down, her mane is all aligned, and wonder of wonders!  Her tail has great curvature.

 

The guy who ordered them was very happy, and I considered it a win!

This of course is not the last of my pony adventures; oh no!  But that's all I have time to share today.

Craft on!

HPKCHC : June Classes (S15)

Good morning, all!  

It was a terrifically busy month for me, as I participated not only in the SFAC (previously posted here), but also the TLT (the Doctor Who challenge), and of course the HPKCHC.

For those of you just joining us, the Harry Potter Knitting and Crochet House Cup is a fiber-crafting challenge game primarily for crocheters, dyers, knitters, and spinners.

I was able to turn in six classes and Detention this month:

Charms:  For your assignment this month you are to craft something that is light and airy.

From a free pattern on Ravelry, Butterfly Grace.

Professors, nothing is quite so light and airy as a butterfly. Well, I was out on a walk towards Hagrid’s when I spotted something colorful down by the lake. Sometimes if you can bring an interesting specimen to the CoMC professors, they might give you a bonus point or two…and of course I love bonus points! So I took out my wand and cast the nettius totalum spell in order to snare one or two of whatever it was I saw.

As I got closer, I saw that it wasn’t just a couple of creatures, it was one of every color! They were prismatic papillons, so named because they were first discovered by a French wizard by the name of Claude Montiderrie. I knew then that I didn’t want to catch them at all, since they are extremely rare and fragile magical creatures. So instead I used an image capture charm and decided to share the pictures here with you!

Thank you for taking the time to read my lengthy parchment, professors. Have a colorful day!

Care of Magical Creatures: “Breed” two projects together to make a new one! Let your creativity loose and master breeding. Then tell us all about your experience. This is extra credit stuff, this is. Generous bonus points for successfully breeding two different projects into a new one.

Professors, before I became a first-year student at Hogwarts, I delighted in many various and sundry other crafts, particularly to please my loving husband. He is a Muggle, and has a large collection of video games, most of which I know nothing about. For Christmas a few years ago, I crafted him a lovely sweatshirt featuring the distinct white and red striped pattern on the right sleeve only.

It wasn’t until a year or two later that I found an Etsy listing with a similar pattern (what will these Muggles and their ‘winter-net’ come up with next!). I immediately knew that I wanted to try and make something similar…but more accurate (and of course with magical properties of protection).

Thus I located the Kisses Fingerless Mitts pattern, and set out to modify it not only to include the same distinctive striping, but to add gussets to fit it to my own arms, and also to provide additional magical protection from the cold.

I can safely declare my breeding experiment a success! I hope you are as pleased with the results as I am!

 Shout out to my Mass Effect peeps!

Defense Against the Dark Arts: “Students,” Professor kims announces, “your assignment is to craft an object based on something you saw inside Borgin and Burkes. It may be a literal interpretation such as spinning a replica of a hangman’s rope or crocheting curtains similar to those from Tom Riddle’s boyhood home. But you may also craft something in the spirit of the artifact mimicking the color, texture, or shape.”

When I was poking about in the back of the store, professors, I came across a section of neatly-displayed table decorations, as if for a party. The tiny card with the linens indicated that these might be ‘cursed Muggle objects’--something the Ministry of Magic takes very seriously.

In particular, there was a set of coasters, and they appeared to be watching me from beneath the crystal stemware perched on top of them. I picked up one of the goblets to get a better look at the white, eye-like decorations that resembled half-moons (or half-closed eyes) and suddenly I found myself becoming very apathetic.

I didn’t care about the field trip anymore. I was unimpressed by the other things in the store, or even the thought of stopping by Fortescue’s later. I simply didn’t care.

It wasn’t until we returned to Hogwarts that the effects of the spell seemed to fade and I became myself again. I know because they were serving tuna for lunch and you haven’t seen me get excited until you’ve seen me around tuna fish. (No cat jokes, please, professors.)

Thus, for my homework I have chosen to represent the set of four table coasters as I saw them, and I now include a hearty warning for those that might drink from the glasses perched upon them. I believe they will cause (from left to right): shock, anger, apathy, and doubt.

Thank you for your time!

Divination:  Craft a representation of the Tarot Star card. You may depict the literal images you see in the card: the star, water or the woman, or you may interpret the meaning of the card: renewal, the bounty of spring, health and healing.

Professors, I have found that one of the equalizers between Muggles and the wizarding community is the need for sleep and revival of one’s energy. While there are spells that allow wizards and witches to stay awake longer, ultimately all will succumb to the need for sleep eventually.

 To that end, I have crafted upon request for a friend who attends Durmstrang a magical, restorative mask. While Durmstrang is (I’m sure) another wonderful magic school, they have a much more grueling physical aspect to their classes, and as a first year himself, he often finds himself in need of restorative slumber in order to renew his energy and be ready for his classes the next day.

Thank you for your time, professors!

Potions:  Your homework for this month is to study the effects of this potion by crafting something relaxing or soothing, or something to keep you sane.

Professors, this month I have been working hard to finish a trio of three ponies to send to my fairy goddaughters:

I didn’t meet my deadline for the purple pony on the end, and this month I worked very hard to start and finish the larger, white unicorn in the middle. With the help of Lepida (and my color printer) I was able to keep myself sane by using a new way to attach eyes and cutie marks to these pony models. I’m so happy (and now so relaxed because everything is done!) and now I will be able to rest and recoup a little bit before the new month begins!

(In all seriousness, I now only have 2 WIPs left; at the beginning of the term I must have had at least 8!)

If you’ll excuse me, I think I hear the blanket fort in the Den calling me…I’m officially taking the next two days off from crafting!

Transfiguration:  Professor Loneilteaches smiles and says, “For this month’s homework, we are asking you to transform your crafting self by practicing a new craft or technique or one that is less familiar to you.”

Professors, I have always admired universal instructions for wizarding things: potions, wandwork, etc. I’ve wished that I was able to understand the charts and graphs with relative ease.

This month, I chose to try my hand at interpreting a charted stitch guide and expand it into a brand new book cover, to protect my journal. I am very pleased with the results, and I even showed my appreciation by enchanting a Stardust Butterfly to decorate the cover.

Thank you for your time, professors!

Detention:  Hufflepuff was challenged to yarn-bomb again on June 1st, so a hexipuff was all I had time to do:

July promises to be even crazier than May and June put together!  I need to:

• Finish my Potions OWL (King PauseUnpause plushie)
• Finish my Order of the Phoenix Mission (4 stuffed monkeys)
• Craft Fluttershy and Twilight Sparkle (for a commission due in August)
• Try to keep my head on straight!

This is the final push to the end of the HPKCHC term, and I want to make it a good one.  Craft on!

The Rise of Rainbow Dash

Over this past weekend, I was able to drive up to Lynchburg (Virginia) and visit DSCA.  Deevius drove down from Michigan.

And I had this grand plan.

DSCA loves My Little Pony.  I picked it up late last year when it hit Netflix, and I enjoyed it far more than I thought I would.

My reasoning is simple: I have a small anxiety disorder.  Nothing in the MLP show is real and can stress me out.  It has cute animation, positive messages, and some pretty good songs.  (Even the Panda has been known to try out a couple of the more noteworthy episodes should he be in the room.)

I recently purchased "the Mane 6" crochet pattern from the Nerdy Knitter.  It has 45 pages in the PDF.  On Wednesday or Thursday of last week, I started in on Twilight Sparkle.

Wait, wait, let me back up.  Remember last year when I would talk briefly about playing Minecraft with my galpals?

One day I logged in and went to the little hidey hole we use for our beds, some extra storage...and basically just hiding from mobs.  I didn't know that DSCA had expanded it to have beds for all four of us...or that she had labeled them.

The signs read:  Fluttershy, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight Sparkle.

What are your guesses as to who's who?

Anyway, I started Twilight Sparkle.  I brought the pieces of the plushie with me to Virginia, and I showed them to DSCA and Deevius.

And I made Deevius this promise (since DSCA had to work a half day on Friday and we were going to be in the house alone for the morning):  if she watched the key selections of My Little Pony and learned to sing along, I would make her Rainbow Dash.

She did all that I asked of her, and I think we'll make her into a 'brony' yet.  Or an Equestrian.  However you come down on the issue.

Deevius was departing for Michigan Sunday morning.  That's how I managed to stay up until 5:40 a.m. the morning of Daylight Savings, hurriedly crocheting Rainbow Dash's mane and tail pieces.  My hands literally gave up on life for the next two days.

However...I'm pleased to say that a finished Rainbow Dash is now dwelling in Michigan (and I apparently have earned the unending respect of DSCA's family).

TA-DA!

And what's also awesome (other than getting nearly 150 positive karma on Reddit for this) is that I was able to submit the plushie as my Diplomatic mission for Starfleet (which is the Zimmermann's group mission):

Good evening instructors! I thought that gaining insight into the minds of other notable smuggling/swashbuckling types might help me to identify precisely what it is Mr. Mudd might want in trade for his fountain of youth potion. In my research, I identified a ship from a far distant galaxy known as the Serenity, and her captain and crew once smuggled a herd of cows successfully across space. However, it was noted in the log that Captain Mal Reynolds considered ‘black market beagles’ a far more profitable enterprise, given that they were smaller and easier to transport.

Well, I think we all remember Mr. Mudd’s other contribution to Starfleet records: the tribble. I think it’s fair to say from these studies that Mr. Mudd could be convinced to trade his potion for similarly small and rare animals. I found a unique breed of colorful miniature ponies, and I firmly believe Mr. Mudd would find them hard to resist, particularly if we get a Vulcan to do the bargaining.

Thank you for your time, instructors!

Dashie's been graded and accepted already!  I didn't get to finish Twilight, but that just means I can turn her in for a separate project of some description.  Not sure which yet.

Happy Saturday!  Craft on, my little ponies!

Etsy Spotlight: DuctTapeCreations17

Every once in awhile, since I sell on Etsy, I tend to look up forms of 'competition'.  (Thusfar, I've found no one else making and selling the huge Minecraft plushies I do.)

That's how I stumbled across this little shop.

Some of Kyle's other work includes Pokemon and My Little Pony:

Charizard Painting, $15

The 'Mane 6' Duct Tape Wallets, $12/ea, $48/all

But he also does popular YouTube personalities:

CaptainSparklez, $12

PauseUnpause, $12

DocM77, $12

So here's where it gets interesting.  At first, I browsed through his Etsy set-up to get ideas on how to improve my own store layout.  I actually added the "Custom Order" button to my own store, as well as discovered that I could put a banner up.

And then as the time grew closer for my first convention, I decided that rather than having my huge girl purse to lug about with me everywhere, I wanted to put some money forward into a personalized wallet I could carry just for nerdy cons.

So I submitted a custom order to DuctTapeCreations17 for a BlameTheController wallet.

Kyle was amazing; he suggested putting the Broken Buttons logo inside!

Though it wasn't ready for the con, here are a couple of the first look pictures the artist sent to me:

  

I of course sent him my profuse thanks and awe at his ability to transform the Broken Buttons logo into just duct tape.  He also posted a time-lapse video of him making the wallet:

So amazing!  Took a lot of time and it looks great!

DTC tweeted me the link, which I passed on to the Broken Buttons build chat--I think he earned himself some new subs from a few of the members!  (Is this what they meant by networking in college?)

@DTConyoutube @BlameTC It's fabulous! Thank you very much for the video and your great work!
— Katie (@Velvet_Key) May 20, 2014

So if you are looking for a new craft to try, or just like the look of his stuff, check out DuctTapeCreations on YouTube and on Etsy.  He's got several tutorials for many different items including the wallet, a backpack, and other various types of cases and protectors.

'Til next time (when we might get back to talking about Minecraft crochet...I keep promising, but other stuff just happens)!