Crochet – Evelina Crafts

Venice of Winchester

It takes a very good discipline to DO creative stuff and to keep WRITING about it! I’m not the type. My favourite subject at school was maths – maybe that’s why I like counting the stitches in crochet… but critical writing – 🙄

Anyway, I wanted to share my recent discovery – a wonderful and humorous crochet world of a Russian artist Yulia Ustinova. The piece below was inspired by her work. I was given lots of red yarn by a friend, and for a long time didn’t know what to make out of it, and then suddenly I thought that’s it would be perfect for a ‘Red girl’, which in Russian is synonymous to a ‘Beautiful maid’ (Красна девица).

She’s on a wire armature and can change positions like a real model.

She somehow managed to sign up to some life drawing classes, and was even invited to few temporary exhibitions at the Louvre. A fine example when your creation starts to live a life on its own!

And finally, few pix of the work in progress, because I like studying this kind of pictures on other people sites.

Lara

Lara, who turned 13 last month, has been my oldest daughter’s friend since they were few months old, so her birthday present had to be special. Also she is half Japanese and since ‘Amigurumi’ dolls originate from there, I had a little pressure to make this Amigurumi be worthy of its name.

I planned her slightly differently, but at some point the doll took over and started to tell me what she wants… like a hat with a feather, or buckled shoes. I made her a belt, but she didn’t like it. My shoulder was aching by the end of the week from constant crocheting, I couldn’t stop. Crocheting is a true addiction!

I used 0.75mm and 1mm hooks and Anchor cotton no.8. On a wire base.

Here is a little overview of the process with little explanation in the photo captions

The picture wire was a perfect find for making fingers

Fingers are a bit fiddly job.

The legs came a little plumpier than I hoped.

Victorian bloomers

She even has toes, which are about to be forever hidden in the sewn on shoes

Somehow I chose the same colours as my previous big doll! I must be in my blue period, like Picasso.

The efforts paid off – Lara liked it.

Rowan earrings – free crochet pattern

Tada! Here is my first ever attempt to write a pattern. Perfect earrings for the current season. They look much nicer in real life.

If made to sell, please credit the pattern author – EvelinaCrafts.com

PDF pattern can be downloaded from my Ravelry page.

Materials:
4 colours of crochet cotton, no. 8 (A – olive green, B – yellow, C – rusty brown, D – orange/red)
Hollowfill
14 small brown or black beads
0.75mm crochet hook
2 cord ends
2 earrings hooks

This pattern uses US terms
ch – chain
ss – slip stitch
sc – single crochet
hdc – half double crochet
dc – double crochet
dec – decrease
st/sts – stitch/stitches

Leaves

Crochet 16 leaves (8 per earring) in colour A and 6 (3 per earring) in colour B.
1. chain 10
2. skip 1st from hook, sc in next, hdc, dc in each of next 3sts, hdc, sc, ss in next 2 sts and fasten off.

Leaves Cluster

Use colour C to crochet around the leaves. Use 8 leaves of colour A and 3 leaves of colour B per earring. Arrange colours as you please.
1. chain 7
2. sc in each st around a leaf (9),
10th st – sc, ch2, sc,
then sc in each st to the end (9),
ss into the stalk st at the leaf’s base.
3. ch2
Repeat steps 2–3 until you complete 6 leaves
4. ss into 2nd st of the stalk
5. ch1
6. repeat as in step 2
7. ss into each next 2 st of the central stalk
8. repeat steps 5–7 for the rest 4 leaves
9. ss to the end of the stalk and fasten off.
Repeat for the second cluster, mirroring the colours of the leaves. I used spray starch to stop leaves from curling.

Berries

Crochet 14 balls (7 per earring), in continuous spiral wrong side out (colour D).
1. 6sc into magic ring (6)
2. 2sc in each st around (12)
3. sc in each st around (12)
4. sc in each st around (12)
5. dec around (6)
Fasten off, leaving a tail for sewing. Stuff with hollow fill.
Put a needle through the front loops only and tighten.
Put a bead on an appr 15 – 20cm long thread of colour C and thread it through each berry (x14).

Plait together ends of 2, 2 and 3 berries for each earring. Join the berries and the leaves clusters ends together, cut the long ends off and fasten with a cord end. I used a drop of a superglue to keep ends together.
Attach the hooks.

Amigurumi doll Anna, 12.5 cm

This is getting a little repetitive, I know, but having 5 children means that birthday parties they are invited to occur almost every other weekend. By now quite few children in our circle know that I crochet dolls and that is what expected to be a present.

This one is of a 12 year old Anna, my oldest daughter’s friend. She is English, but she came out with a little bit of Ukrainian hint to her somehow. When I started crocheting she even started to look like a Spider-Man, so I had to hide those blue leggings under a long skirt.

A studio for an artist

Continuing the theme of housing our crocheted family members into decent places to ‘live’ I decided to treat myself (as a doll) to a ‘detached’ house, or rather an artist studio. Just as well the Hobbycraft store had a perfect size wooden house for that purpose. It turned out to look more like a countess’ boudoir at the end but never mind.

I meant to take pictures of it ‘in the making’, but was so engrossed in the process that I completely forgot. I can only add that for decorating the walls and the floor I used the offcuts from some discontinued fabric/wallpaper sample books bought cheaply from the local sewing shop. The pictures on the walls are original art, drawn by our children and the flowers are real and come from our garden. You may also see the crocheted portraits of me and my husband on the wall, which sometimes leave the room ‘on loan’ to my ears as earrings.

Wimbledon earrings

I am rushing to get this post in before the tournament is over. I made these earrings few weeks ago, but only just drew the ‘launching’ picture!

Glad it won’t be all Williams sisters final (sorry, Williams sisters fans)… and shame about Murray today.

The only crocheted detail here is the ball. I bought the hooks and the racquets separately and just put them all together.

If I ever get to sorting out my Etsy shop they’ll be there at £4.50.

Amigurumi presents for friends

Having five children means that there are quite a few birthday party invitations we get through the course of the year. Adjusting my late crocheting hobby into a practical one I started to make Birthday girls and boys into little amigurumi figures to give as gifts.

They are crocheted on a wire base and are about 7,5cm tall. I used 0.6 and 0.75mm hooks and Anchor no. 10 and no. 8 cotton threads

Here is Sofia’s friend Merry, who is a keen Liverpool supporter and a football player herself.

And this is Alexander’s friend Daniel, who likes tennis. He is Dutch, hence the orange colour in his clothes.

Mini home for Sofia

Lately, I have made quite a lot of stuff to share, but I find it a cumbersome job to create a presentable post with good photography and something to write. I will try to catch up before all ‘the stuff’ goes away as presents or gets children fingerprints all over them.

This is Sofia’s space, the first room in our mini ‘bungalow’, where all my chrocheted children live. I found the ready made wooden house in Hobbycraft the other day, which has 5 little spaces, exactly the amount of my children. (Hobbycraft should give me a commission for this!)

I used lolly pop sticks for the shelves, a toothpick to make pencils and wallpaper and cloth from discontinued sample books, which you can buy cheaply in our local sewing shop. The mirror on the wall slid down while the glue was wet and I wasn’t looking, but never mind!

Oh, yes, and the chair was made from a cork wire – they make perfect chairs, why did we throw them away before??

Amigurumi – self-portrait

I started this doll just because I can’t stop crocheting them at the moment. I didn’t have a clear idea who it will be, but wanted to experiment with making her stand on high heels, and also use some nice colours of the Anchor cotton I got from eBay.

And then at the face and hair making stage I decided to make myself. All children are done – they need a mother! At least as a doll I may dream to have a thin waiste line and stand confidently on high heels. Surprisingly, she is more firm on her heels than my previous dolls on their ‘flat’ feet.

Amigurumi Fluffy, the kitten

My last trip to the local charity shop resulted in buying an big ravel of unidentifiable white wool.

Our doll house was in need of a fluffy pet, and if I didn’t have an allergy to animal hair I would be a cat person. So Fluffy, the kitten was born. I looked at the photos of real kittens on the internet while making it. We all love him.

By the fireplace in our doll house

How many more kittens can I fit into this?

Kalina ballerina. Amigurumi

I am becoming an expert on ballerinas – this is now a third one in my CV.

It was an order for a birthday present and a portrait of the birthday girl. This time I bypassed the complications of creating fingers on her hands but experimented with her feet, which can do bending backwards and forwards, like the type of exercises ballerinas do.

I am so much into crocheting toys at the moment, – it’s truly is fun and the results are so nice to hold in your hands. I picked up this hobby only couple of months ago. Where was I all these years before?

Amigurumi ballerina, partner for Daniel

I don’t know why I’m doing this to such an extreme detail – this was only a request of my 5-year old boy to crochet him a ballerina partner for his ballet pretend games. Now my eyebrows go roof-shaped /\ every time I see him bending her legs to her head or twisting her in all sorts of yoga bends. I wonder how long the wire inside her will bear that for or if she will stay so purely white and pink for very long.

The main objective of today’s photo shoot was to capture the ballerina at the height of her career, before she starts getting all sorts of sporting injuries.

Both Daniel and his ballerina partner are about 13,5 – 14 cm tall and were crocheted using 0.6mm or 0.75mm hooks and mostly Anchor cotton threads.

Welcome to Covent Garden!

The idea..

The Execution..

The stars of the Royal Ballet

A scene from the ‘Sleeping Beauty’

Daniel just can’t take his eyes off her

They both are 13.5-14cm tall

Only one ‘prep’ photo this time

Amigurumi party bag dolls

Catherine had her early birthday party today. She invited three friends and we went to see ‘Beauty and the Beast’ at the local cinema. Ooh! Beautiful movie! ..though I’m not a very big fan of Emma Watson and there was a bit too much singing to my liking, the film left me filled with romance and a feeling that a true love is full of self-sacrifice. The graphics and the design side of the film were beautifully done too. I’m still in it.

But back to craft.. I made the girls into mini crochet dolls as their ‘party bags’ gifts. So here they are: Hannah, Lauren and Isabel.

Amigurumi Alexander

Alexander, my 8 year old son, asked to be a Knight. He even told me what colour doublet (a puffy coat under the armour) he should wear and chose his toy sword on the eBay . All of it was influenced by the BBC production ‘Merlin’.

I had to dig up the Internet to study the armour and its parts and history, and can now show off some old world terminology in a clever conversation (making sure I’m not talking to an expert).

So here he is, in his full glory.

Alexander in doublet — Alexander wearing his red Doublet with the lower arm Vambraces.

– Wow Alexander! You can be a Knight of Camelot! – Catherine! I am!

Carrying provisions from the market – courtesy of http://www.doubletrebletrinkets.co.uk

A spontaneous after the photo-shoot shot. Alexander is the only man standing.

The skeleton start

The X-ray vision of his hands

The belt that you never see

The doublet

He can even stand unaided

Amigurumi#4 – Alice, the ballerina

My first commercial order. Alice, 11cm tall, this time with 5 fingers on each hand, which can be bent individually – very important for ballet positions!

Daniel (5) asked not to give it away, saying – It can be him in our family collection! 😂

My hands are itching to make more of them, but I promised Alexander (8) that he would be the next. He keeps asking me every day ‘Am I done yet?’ So on I go to the next project..

Which position is this? Anyway, the skirt is reversible.

The star performance at the Royal Opera House

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And here is a little evolution diary

What you will she in her X-ray

I can stand by myself!

Amigurumi no.2 – meet Sofia.

– Can I read your book, please, Sofia? You can try on my new red shoes!

– All right then. But save my page!

———————–

– When I grow up I’ll have a pet… like this Hotdog, the dog..

– Naaa, I bet you’ll have a cat!

—————————-

– Sofia, do you want to see my drawings?

– Hmm… The one of the panda is not too bad.

——————————

Meet Sofia, the older sister. She loves reading, so much as she often reads while cleaning her teeth, or walking on the street, not to mention eating lunch or as the last thing before bed.

She took me as much time as painting 4 portraits would. Her sister Catherine acquired new shoes and a sketch pad in the process.

This is when ‘she’ was still ‘it’.

Amigurumi crocheted doll Catherine

This is my first ever attempt to crochet a doll. She is called Catherine.

She can stand, sit, do ballet poses and turn her head. Note to self – embroider the face next time, and not use the beads for eyes and lips.

The Christmas tree and presents are courtesy of double treble trinkets

Sausage dog and others

We managed to get a little playhouse at a local dump for £3.

It needs furniture (garden wire is perfect for that) and inhabitants. So far playmobile figures are used, but we will gradually be replacing them with ‘real’ guys. These are my first experiments with crocheting amigurumi. The black cat – is my debut, the sausage dog – crochet no. 2. Crochet hook 0.6mm and a sewing thread.