Tag Archives: amigurumi

Knit and Crochet Inspiration for Valentine’s Day

I don’t usually worry too much about Valentine’s Day.  When I was younger I was chronically single (and liked it that way), and we’ve never really made a big deal about it in the 10 years we’ve been together.  I mean, it’s lovely to celebrate, but it’s not important to me if it’s on the 14th of Feb or the 14th of September, if you know what I mean?  My husband is a total romantic anyway, so he doesn’t need a special day to remind him.

But because I love to celebrate love, I’ve found some gorgeous Valentine’s Day inspired projects and ideas for you – focusing on spoiling yourself!

My Instagram friend Vanessa has made a series of gorgeous project bag and hand dyed yarn kits.  I’m absolutely in love with this one – the hearts even look crocheted.  and the yarn, wow.  It’s gorgeous red with sparkle, and I love me some sparkle! Check out the full range here.

Bigli Migli Amigurumi by Autumn Leaflet http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/bigli-migli-amigurumi

This little Bigly Migly is just the sweetest! The pattern is a free Ravelry download by Autumn Leaf, here.

Cup Full of Love Crochet Coffee Cozy by The stitchin Mommy: http://thestitchinmommy.com/2015/01/cup-full-love-crochet-coffee-cozy.html#_a5y_p=3275841

I love mug cozies.  I’m not often out and about drinking coffee, but when I am, I want something this cute to stop my fingers from burning!  It’s a free pattern from The Stitchin Mommy.

Will you be my Valentine? Ombre Heart Coaster – Free Pattern

Aren’t these coasters cute?  Tatsiana at Lillabjorn made these and they look gorgeous.  They’d make a great stash-buster project, don’t you think?

Valentine's Day DIY Yarn Wreath from Love of Family and Home: https://loveoffamilyandhome.net/2013/02/valentines-day-yarn-wreath-felt-rose-tutorial.html

While not knit or crochet, I had to include this tutorial by Tonya at A Love of Family and Home.  Tonya shows us how to make those gorgeous felted roses, I think I’ll have to do it too…

I heart bootcuffs by Felted Buttons: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/i-3-boot-cuffs

Don’t these look lovely and snuggly?  Susan from Felted Button has designed these and they’re on Ravelry as a free download.  They’re perfect for that romantic Valentine’s Night out in this freezing weather!

crochet flip flops https://missneriss.com/2015/08/07/bloom-flip-flops-free-pattern/

Ok Aussies.  I realise that it’s a massive heatwave there right now, so even though these aren’t Valentine related, they’re hot weather related!  And in all honestly, when I lived in Alice Springs I had thongs (flip flops) for all occasions.  These can totally be “Date Night Thongs,” right?  These are my own design.

Have a great Valentine’s Day, whether you’re married, single, in love or out of it.  Just use it as an excuse to eat great chocolate!

Too Cute Spooky Crochet Wreath for Halloween

My daughter is mad about Halloween.  She’s been talking about this year’s costume since last Halloween.  She’s been planning this longer than her birthday party!

lamueurte.png

We’re away on holidays in the lead up to this year, so I won’t have the time to replicate last year’s epic La Muerte costume so instead this year I’ve channelled my energies into making a Halloween wreath.

Halloween Wreath by @missneriss. Scheepjes Panda Sparkle available from http://bit.ly/woolwarehouse

I used a foam circle which I picked up at my local craft store, and a ball of the new Scheepjes Panda Sparkle and went for it!

Halloween Wreath by @missneriss. Scheepjes Panda Sparkle available from http://bit.ly/woolwarehouse

I first wrapped the foam in the sparkle yarn (using about half of it) and then I made some cute little amigurumi Halloween critters for decoration.

Halloween Wreath by @missneriss. Scheepjes Panda Sparkle available from http://bit.ly/woolwarehouseHalloween Wreath by @missneriss. Scheepjes Panda Sparkle available from http://bit.ly/woolwarehouse

I’m especially happy with the spider web and little redback spider in the middle.

Halloween Wreath by @missneriss. Scheepjes Panda Sparkle available from http://bit.ly/woolwarehouse

Raina insisted on there being a vampire and a witch, and would have been happy if it had been completely covered in pumpkins, but one has to draw the line somewhere!

Halloween Wreath by @missneriss. Scheepjes Panda Sparkle available from http://bit.ly/woolwarehouseHalloween Wreath by @missneriss. Scheepjes Panda Sparkle available from http://bit.ly/woolwarehouse

To make the amigurumis I picked up some Scheepjes Catona 25g balls in Halloween colours and rifled through my Catona stash for anything that I had missed (It’s quite the stash!). I only used small amounts, so this is where the 25g balls are just the best.

The Panda Sparkle is a great decoration or amigurumi yarn.  It’s loads of fun and the wee one is already making more plans for the leftovers.  A spooky spider garland, perhaps….

The Panda and Catona yarns are available from Wool Warehouse* globally, and great Scheepjes retailers in the Benelux  I’ve seen it at Ria’s Style here in Almere actually!

I saw This on Pinterest Today

Beautiful Free Crochet Flower Patterns – time to think spring!

The Flopsy Bunny Amigurumi Reveal and Free Crochet Pattern!

Well, Hello There!

Flop-Eared Bunny free pattern by @MissNeriss made with Scheepjes Catona mini-skeinsThe cutest little flop-eared bunny is ready to be shared with you, along with the instructions as to how to make him for yourself.

I’ve created the pattern as a handy pdf file which you can safely download from here and enjoy.  But before that, here are some more photos:

Flop-Eared Bunny free pattern by @MissNeriss made with Scheepjes Catona mini-skeinsFlop-Eared Bunny free pattern by @MissNeriss made with Scheepjes Catona mini-skeins Flop-Eared Bunny free pattern by @MissNeriss made with Scheepjes Catona mini-skeins Flop-Eared Bunny free pattern by @MissNeriss made with Scheepjes Catona mini-skeins

He’s right at home there amongst my daughter’s favourite stuffed animals, but sadly he can’t stay.  He’s about to be bundled up into luggage and sent of to Perth to a new home with the son of my oldest friend.  I know he’ll be well loved.

Right, so let’s get to it.  To start making your own bunny, click this PDF file:

Flopsy Bunny Pattern

Or, clicking on any of the images in this post will take you straight to the pattern too.  If you have any problems opening the pdf, shoot me a message via my Contact page.

Edited to add: I forgot to mention the size!  Flopsy bunny is about 20cm tall when finished.  A great size for toddler hands.

Don’t forget to share your finished bunnies on social media, you can tag and follow me just about everywhere: on Instagram, Pinterest, Ravelry and Facebook.  I love seeing your finished results!

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Happy crocheting!

Revisiting my First Love: Amigurumi. A Project begins…

It’s been ages since I made any Amigurumi.  There was a long time there where it was all I made.  I have a few favourite designers, including A Morning Cup of Jo Creations and Local Legend Dendennis.  I’ve also long been a fan of the Zoomigurumi books, with just about all of them in my collection.

But amigurumi and I have been on a break.  It was only recently when I posted a photo on Instagram for #ThrowbackThursday that the desire reignited.

So I got online and ordered myself a few of the brand new Scheepjes Catona minis so I could get cracking.

25g Mini Skeins of Scheepjes Catona - perfect size for amigurumi projects!

I ordered three, as usually one 50g skein of yarn is not quite enough and two is too many.  What a gap Scheepjes has managed to fill here, seriously!  I hate having leftovers.  I never use them and I always buy too many different types of yarn to be able to make a scrap project, so these mini skeins suit me right down to the ground.

I couldn’t wait to get started on my project, which is going to be a floppy-eared bunny.  I’ve already made loads of progress, with only the final touches to be made before I can show you the end result and share the pattern with you!

Ears, arms and legs for the flop-eared bunny made with Scheepjes Catona mini-skeins by MissNeriss

I’ve really struggled with the ears though.  I wanted them to be long and floppy, but not too wide and not too narrow.  I think I’ve finally nailed it (on the left).

Ears, arms and legs for the flop-eared bunny made with Scheepjes Catona mini-skeins by MissNerissAnd the assembly is easy, but sewing all the bits and pieces on takes the time and I have to be extra vigilant not to prick my finger and get blood all over the lovely vintage yellow.

Ears, arms and legs for the flop-eared bunny made with Scheepjes Catona mini-skeins by MissNeriss

So, wish me luck keeping my fingers prick-free, I’m off to sew him all together and makes sure the pattern makes sense for you in time to share this time next week!

If you want to pick up the Catona mini-skeins for yourselves, you can at your local retailer in NL and BE, or via Deramores.com, who ship worldwide.

2014 was Amazing, 2015 will be Better!

I’ve had one of the best years of my life in 2014.  My daughter well and truly left baby-hood behind and seems to be bypassing being a toddler and diving straight into threenager territory.  My husband just keeps getting more handsome as he gets older (poor thing’s quite a bit younger than me), my mortgage paying job is going from strength to strength with the most growth this year than in the last five combined, and crochet has just been an absolute joy.

Because I’ve had such a great time this year, I want to reflect on some of the most fun I’ve had, and my favourite projects.  Let’s get to it, shall we?

No.5 Rhinka the Rhino

Rhinka the Rhino, faux-taxidermy amigurumi pattern by Pepika. Spotted by @missnerissI had such a blast making this faux-taxidermy rhino.  Every time I look at this photo I have a little chuckle.  The ridiculousness of a crochet animal head hanging off my wall is only equalled by the ridiculousness of hanging an actual stuffed animal head off the wall!

No.4 The Bucketful of Sunshine Hat

Bucketful of Sunshine hat on missneriss.com, made with Scheepjeswol Cotton 8. #scheepjeswol #cotton8 #scheepjesThis was one of my first original designs.  Well, as original as a crochet hat can be, anyway!  I made it as a sun hat for my daughter, who wore it all summer long.  It was also the start of my ombre obsession.

No.3 My Christmas Wreath

Christmas Wreath for the Scheepjes Christmas Blog Hop - see all ten amazing designs and their free patterns, including how to make this wreath for yourself!I love this so much that I’m not going to take it down!  I love that it can be Christmassy, yet can be everyday welcome at the same time.  I think I’ll hang it above my desk, actually.

No.2 The Spring Shawl

Spring Shawl made with Malabrigo Silky Merino on missneriss.com #crochet #yarnI’ve made about half a dozen of these now, but this one remains my favourite.  I filled it with all the love I have and sent it to my dearest friend whom I haven’t had much contact with lately thanks to life getting in the way.  I hope that when she wears it she feels all the love that it contains.

No.1 The Jasper V

This was a seriously steep learning curve for me!  It was my first time making a complete garment, and even more ambitiously, I designed it myself!  I wear it all the time, and always receive comments about it.  It’s just a great top.  I’m supposed to be making one for my aunt, and as I’m going to see her in a few weeks I’d better get cracking!

And as for 2015, I know it’s going to be even better.  This coming year is the Year of the Sheep (or Ram, or Goat) and I’m a sheep myself, so it’s going to be an even luckier year for me.  And then on top of that, the new Chinese Year begins on my birthday (feb 19), so I’m going to be the luckiest sheep in town. Baa!

Happy New Year!  Enjoy the fireworks, wherever you are, and don’t forget to pop the Champagne.  I will be!

How beautiful are all the Christmas ideas on Esty?  A couple of days ago I finished making the amigurumi elf by Buttonbeautiful and I went back to her shop to browse more patterns (they’re THAT good).  While I was there, I thought that I should make a Christmas Treasury to showcase other amigurumi patterns.  I was reading maRRose regular Treasury Tuesday post the other day where she shared her own Christmas inspiration and something sort of clicked in my head – I should share my treasury on the blog for all of you who don’t necessarily spend as much time on Etsy as you should!

So, here it is, what do you think?  I’m not sure I could pick a favourite if I have to be honest.  Maybe the Christmas Deer Doll, or the slightly wonky Christmas Tree?  I do know that I seem to have a thing for Reindeer though!


Amigurumi Crochet PDF Patter…

$3.8

Rudy The Reindeer Amigurumi …

$4.5

Rudolph reindeer plush – cro…

$24

Amigurumi Pattern – Frosty t…

$5

Christmas lights amigurumi /…

$15.95

Knit your own amigurumi Chri…

$4

Amigurumi Crochet PDF Patter…

$4.5

Christmas Deer Doll. – pdf …

$5

Crochet Pattern – Christmas …

$3.99

Christmas Friends Pattern

$8

Pattern, Christmas tree, Cro…

$3.5

3 Gnomes – pdf knitting patt…

$6

Waldorf Christmas Babies – p…

$4

Santa’s Reindeer Crochet…

$5

PDF Tree Pattern, Ornament P…

$3.9

If you want to, you can import your own Etsy treasury to your blog too.  This little piece of magig is powered by Handmadeology and took about 20 seconds to make, including the copying and pasting here.  It’s so simple, I’m going to make the treasury sharing a regular thing!

Faux-Taxidermy Fun

Seriously, how cool is the word “faux-taxidermy”?   I just love how something that I personally find so creepy can be turned into something, well, awesome!

Over this last week I’ve been busy working on the coolest faux-taxidermy project – Rhinka the Rhino by Pepika Designs and it has been seriously so much fun to watch it come together.

Rhinka the Rhino, faux-taxidermy amigurumi pattern by Pepika.  Spotted by @missnerissI was chuckling as I mounted him on the wall, thinking that any little kid will find this to be the most funky decoration ever!

Rhinka the Rhino, faux-taxidermy amigurumi pattern by Pepika.  Spotted by @missneriss Rhinka the Rhino, faux-taxidermy amigurumi pattern by Pepika.  Spotted by @missneriss

I’ve boxed this one up and he’s ready to charge off (see what I did there) to his new home in Amsterdam.

If you want to make one for yourself, you absolutely can.  Just head over to the Pepika website and you can pick up any of her fabulous designs in her store.

Meanwhile, this isn’t the first Pepika design I’ve made.  Remember Johnny the Monkey from this time last year?

Johnny the Monkey from #Zoomigurumi on missneriss.com

Miniman’s Nursing Necklace – The Tutorial

As promised, I’ve put together a tutorial on how to make your very own nursing necklace, which is designed to keep small ones occupied while nursing, saving mama’s sensitive skin from sharp fingernails, hair from being yanked, and general mischief making while baby is nursing.  Of course this is not only for nursing mamas; it’s such a lovely necklace that it looks stylish on everybody!

Minimans Nursing Necklace isnt just for nursing mamas! Its a beautiful accessory in its own right! Free crochet tutorial

What you’ll need

Scheepjeswol Cotton 8* in four shades.  I used 527, 711, 652 and 700.  In the Netherlands you can pick Cotton 8 up at just about any great yarn seller, and internationally you can buy via deramores.com*.

A 3mm crochet hook, scissors, and you’ll also need wooden beads in varying sizes.  I used five 35mm balls and two 25mm balls.  For added interest, you can also add a wooden ring or two – babies love the different elements and textures.

IMG_1826Abbreviations

(American terms)

CH – chain stitch
SC – single crochet (UK double crochet)
INC – increase; two single crochet stitches into the same stitch
DEC – decrease; two single crochet stitches together
STS – stitch count

Notes

This project is worked in the round.  You will also need to crochet your stitches very tightly to ensure that they keep the form of the beads.  If you crochet loosely, use a smaller hook.

Don’t forget, I’m a leftie so you might have to flip the images in your mind.  I like to keep the images for us lefties because there just aren’t that many left handed tutorials out there.  If you need help, ping me using the contact page or on Facebook.

Make one ball in the darkest colour, two in the second darkest, two in the third darkest, and two in the lightest (the 25mm balls).

Babies can't resist Miniman's Nursing Necklace from missneriss.com

35mm Bead

Round 1

CH 5, close with a slip stitch, CH 1.

Round 2

SC x 6 into the ring (6 STS)SC x 6 into the ring (6 STS)

Round 3

INC in each stitch around (12 STS)INC in each stitch around (12 STS)

Round 4

(INC, 1 SC) x 6 (18 STS)(INC, 1 SC) x 6 (18 STS)

Round 5

(INC, 2 SC) x 6 (24 STS)(INC, 2 SC) x 6 (24 STS)

Round 6-10

SC x 24 (24 STS).  Insert the bead to measure how progress is going at each round.SC x 24 (24 STS)SC x 24 (24 STS)SC x 24 (24 STS)

Round 11

(DEC, 2 SC) x 6 (18 STS).  Make sure the bead is inserted here and continue working around it.(DEC, 2 SC) x 6 (18 STS).  Make sure the bead is inserted here and continue working around it.

Round 12

(DEC, 1 SC) x 6 (12 STS).

2014-09-04 19.47.03-1

Round 13

DEC in each stitch around (6 STS)DEC in each stitch around (6 STS)

Finish off and hide the tail.

For the 25mm bead, follow the same instructions, skipping round 5 (and round 11 as a consequence).

Once you’ve finished all five balls in the colour combination of your choice, it’s time to thread them onto a chain.  First you need to make yourself one.  I used the lightest shade and chained stitched until I had about 90 cm.  This way the necklace would have plenty of room to become longer or shorter as necessary.

Thread the beads and tie the ends into a little knot and then together using a slip stitch so that one end can slip easily (but not too easily) to adjust the length of the necklace.

Tie the ends, then join together using a slipknot.

And you’re all done!  Looks beautiful, doesn’t it? Miniman necklace - photo tutorial on missneriss.comI love seeing projects by others, so don’t forget to brag about what you’ve made on my Facebook page or upload to Pinterest, tagging me @missneriss.  Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram while you’re at it!

*Affiliate link

Crochet Induced Insomnia

Last night I couldn’t sleep.  I’ve never been a great sleeper, but since my daughter was born two and a half years ago, my old friend insomnia hasn’t been around much.  Physical exhaustion has won the day mostly.  But last night I couldn’t switch off.  All I could think about were the mounting crochet projects that I have on the go, plus a mass of life business.

I’m in the process of applying for permanent residency here in the Netherlands, and I have to find the time to fit in a trip to Amsterdam to have my photo taken and to be fingerprinted (that’s new).  Plus a host of my actual career projects that have to be done all at once and some semblance of a social life that I need to keep going – If I don’t, I’ll be out of friends!  There’s only so long you can say “I’m so sorry, I’m just too busy!” before people stop believing you.

So needless to say, last night I was awake with my brain racing and trying to process everything that’s going on in my life while I was frantically adding items to my Must Do list.  In and in an attempt to distract myself, I did what any social media freak would do, I checked Facebook, Instagram and then Pinterest.  I had quite a few Pinterest alerts to check and was gobsmacked when I saw that one of my pins had been repinned 999 times!

I’ve talked about this pin before, back when it had around 200 repins and I was amazed at that number, but now this morning it has cracked 1000 repins, and just won’t stop!

I have a few pins that I see getting a lot of (P)interest daily, including

and

Incidentally, I’ve never made this monkey.  I just pinned it because I thought it was so cute.

The Dickie Birds are also doing well:

Ok, now I’ll shut up about Pinterest, sign off and go start work for the day.  That To Do list won’t do itself!

Oh, and PS.  If you want to pin the Elephant Snuggle yourself, you can: