IMAGINARY WARDROBE

Extremely bohemian Scandinavian rya pillow + a needle rya tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Riikka) — Wed, 19 Sep 2018 13:02:00 +0000

Rya, or as we in Finland say - Ryijy, is a handmade knotted wool rug that used to be used for warmth instead of furs in homes and sleighs. Nowadays, it's used mostly for decoration. Traditional rya is made by knotting yarn on a loom. There's also another way of doing it, which is with a needle on a base cloth (that's what I did). My grandparents had several ryas, pretty much one on the wall of every room in the house, and my mother has many of them now.

I've always thought they were slightly dated, but these things seen to grow on me as I get older. In fact, I got very exited when I learned this needle rya technique that I made a rya pillow! It's a very bohemian pillow, and maybe not every one's cup of tea, but I love it!

I've always thought making rya was difficult (and maybe on loom it is, I don't know), but this at least was not hard at all. Time consuming, yes, but easy once I got the hang of it. I've tried rya before (you can see it here) and it was just not working, so I just cut of my previous work and started anew with a needle.

Very unlike me, I just went for this project, and just learned as I went. I made several mistakes, but just continued on. Really, this was such a project for learning to let go, great for a recovering perfectionist (*waves*).

I chose the cross/plus sign pattern again, because I like it and because it'd work no matter what way the pillow was placed. I just drew the pattern on the base cloth with a permanent marker and then roughly followed it. It's a very haphazard, uneven pattern, but I really wanted a relaxed, bohemian pattern. And that's what I got!

Some of the crosses are more even.

And some are basically just blobs.

It's all good.

I used a wool yarn that I had bought for a sweater, but that ended up not working with my coloring. For our bedroom color scheme, however, it was perfect.

Now, if you want to try this (do you? maybe I scared you of with my crazy pillow), I made a little tutorial. I originally followed this tutorial, but I found it a bit difficult to follow.

Continued under the fold ->

You will need:

a base cloth of open weave cloth or canvas.
a tapestry needle
wool yarn, I'm showing this with cotton yarn, because it's no fluffy and what I'm doing is easier to see, bus as you notice the result is very "stringy" and not at all nice
a ruler

You are supposed to remove the horizontal thread where you sew, but I didn't and it worked fine.

Pick where you want your row to start. Push the needle under a vertical thread from right to left.

Pull through leaving a tail.

Use your rule as a guide. It doesn't have to be exact, you can cut the ends later.

Push the needle under the next vertical thread from right to left.

Pull through.

Until it's tight. That's the first knot!

Place the ruler under the yarn coming from the needle, then pull the yarn under the ruler, looping the yarn over the ruler. Hopefully, that made sense?

Push the needle behind the next vertical thread from right to left.

Pull through.

Push the needle under the next vertical thread from right to left.

Pull through. That's the second knot!

Continue this until the end of the row or until you run out of yarn.

Cut the yarn the length of the ruler.

Pull the ruler out.

Cut the yarn at the end of the loops.

For the next row, push all the first row up out of the way.

The original tutorial said to leave seven horizontal rows between yarn rows, but that causes a visible stripe pattern. Instead I did three rows for a fuller effect.

Work just as you did the first row.

Here's how to cut the loops. Push scissors through the loops, pull taunt downwards, and cut.

Two rows. With wool yarn the effect will be nice and full.

That's it! Let me know if you try it or if you have any questions!

Three granny square blanket designs

noreply@blogger.com (Riikka) — Sun, 12 Aug 2018 07:37:00 +0000

I've made two granny square blankets in the past (you can see them under the tag granny square) and although for now I have no intentions making more, it was a project I LOVED. It's both a very big project (the whole blanket) and a very small, portable project (each square), great for travelling with! Each square takes very little time to make, although making enough for a whole adult size blanket (and assembling! oh, the assembling!) takes quite a lot.

I thought I'd just share a few plans I've been dreaming up in case it takes me years to get around to actually crocheting one. The granny square which in itself seems pretty old fashioned can be combined into really cool modern designs. I'm a big fan of the cross/plus sign design, so here are three different patterns for that.

Each square corresponds to one granny square. The Internet is full of tutorials on how to crochet a granny square, so I haven't included one, just do a Google search and pick your favorite. The size of the square will depend on the yarn and hook you use. For my blankets I've used wool yarn called 7 veljestä and an European size 4 hook.

You can also make the blanket of more or less squares, for example 7 x 10 for a baby.

I use a ladder stitch to assemble the squares.

These colors (or lack of color...) are just suggestions, make them in any color you wish.

I think it's quite fasinating how one basic pattern can yield so many different results.

Linen tote

noreply@blogger.com (Riikka) — Sun, 05 Aug 2018 11:48:00 +0000

My adventures with black linen continue! Confession: I bought FIVE METERS of black linen, so the adventures are likely to continue for some time. But this is volume two: the linen tote.

I thought I was going to use this just for groceries, but you guys, this tote is PERFECT (if I may say so myself) and I've just been using it as a handbag. When you make stuff yourself you truly get exactly what you want.

Most fabric tote bags are sort of small and one-dimensional (you know, two pieces sewn around with one seem) , so for my tote I really went for generous size and added panels for the sides and bottom to really get a 3D effect.

I wasn't going to add pockets (after all it was supposed to be just for groceries), but when I was done I thought "hmm, some pockets would look cool, even if I don't use them, why not?" I've been using the pockets non-stop. They perfectly fit my phone, wallet, lip-balm, handkerchief, hair ties and what ever random crap I carry with me. And they are very secure, nothing has dropped out yet.

Trying to show of the size.

I tried to make the handles long enough so that I can comfortably carry it on my shoulder, but short enough so that the bag doesn't drag on the ground if I just hold the handles in my hand. It came out just right.

Uh, posing, how does this work?

The large portion fits EVERYTHING. In these photos I stuffed a throw pillow in there and I've used this for shopping, going to the beach (for all three of us), as a diaper bag... It comfortably fits everything. Yet looks good empty, too. And it's super light weight in itself so you wont pull a muscle. I feel like the linen is perfect for this type of bag: durable and light.

And I did french seams again! Not only do they look nice they also add to the structure and sturdiness of the bag.

Is this better..?

I really can't say enough nice things about this bag (and as you can see, I've tried).

I give up.

The best sugar-free iced coffee - fast & easy recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Riikka) — Sun, 22 Jul 2018 10:08:00 +0000

It's been so hot here in Finland this summer. Here. In. FINLAND. I mean: we live at the arctic circle; where the Santa Claus is from, if it's over 24°, it's tabloid news - that Finland. But it has been hot, 30° hot for about a month now, with no end in sight, and for someone who isn't used to it, it's been torture. All you southerners are probably laughing at me now.

Anyway, I didn't mean to complain, but to share this iced coffee recipe.

Now, I prefer my coffee hot, but it's been SO hot (did I mention that?), I just can't drink anything hot.

Secondly, I don't actually like sugar (or any sweetener) in my coffee (just a bit of milk), but in this iced coffee a bit of sweetener makes it super yummy.

I used erythritol (called karppisokeri in Finnish) which is a type of calorie-free sugar alcohol. It does not affect your blood sugar and doesn't cause tooth decay (yay!). It's granular like sugar, and technically you can use it in baking, and some people do, but I find it tastes funny that way. But it works great in drinks! If you are not sugar-free, you can of course replace it with regular sugar.

And thirdly, this recipe uses instant coffee. Yeah, super fancy. But it's easy and the coffee wont be bitter (which is very common with iced coffee). There are a lot of iced coffee recipes that require you to make cold brew first, but I drink iced coffee very rarely, and when I do, I want it straight away. And some recipes are like "just brew a pot of hot coffee and let it cool". Yuuuuuk. Everyone knows cold coffee is revolting.

The recipe is super simple. And fast. The secret is in the blending. Seriously, don't try to mix this by hand.

The best sugar-free iced coffee

2 dl milk (about 0,85 cups, Google tells me)
2 tsp instant coffee
1 tbls erythritol
ice

Measure everything except the ice in a bowl and use an immersion blender (or a regular blender!) to mix until everything is smooth and the milk frothy.

Like so.

Pour into a cup, add ice and enjoy!

Mmmmmmmmmm.

Hand-made felt play sandwich

noreply@blogger.com (Riikka) — Thu, 19 Jul 2018 09:54:00 +0000

After lamenting in the last post about having no crafts to post, I realized I DO have something I crafted... about three years ago!

When I was pregnant with the Kiddo I got really into making these felt play foods for her. I don't know why. I just got into my head that these were the thing to make and I managed to make quite a few, before my interest waned again.

I started by following this sandwich tutorial by myrtle & eunice (the bread, the salad, the cheese) then went of on a tangent with all kinds of things.

I made some apple slices, eggs, (boiled and fried), bacon, peas, avocado, tomatoes and even some tea bags. Then I was done.

I just pulled them out for the Kiddo to play with, and they've been a hit! She just loves piling them all in the bowl and pretending to eat and then dumping them all on the floor again. They do make a huge mess.

If you are interested making your own, check out that sandwich tutorial and I've also collected quite a bit of play food inspiration on my Play Food Pinterest board (some felt, some crochet). I've also got a few amigurumi play food patterns here on the blog: beetroot, onigiri, mushrooms, chocolate chip cookie, Bertie Bott's every flavor beans, eggs and licorice allsorts.

NEEDLE FELT VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR

noreply@blogger.com (Riikka) — Mon, 16 Apr 2018 11:21:00 +0000

I bought this book called "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" at a thrift store for one Euro, and the Kiddo LOVES it. It's not a book I grew up with, but I've been enjoying it too. The caterpillar eats it way through various items of food and the book has holes in it for little fingers to poke through. Although, the Finnish version is for some reason translated from German (it's an American book I believe) and it's a bit weird at points (that's clearly a muffin, not cake).

But anyway! I thought the Kiddo might get a kick out of a very hungry caterpillar ornament. Ornament since these needle felting projects are really too fragile to play with.

You take close ups and realize how fuzzy everything is. Yikes.

Those tiny feet were a pain to make.

And if you have never read the book, this is what it's supposed to look. I think it's a pretty good likeness?

NEEDLE FELT CACTUS

noreply@blogger.com (Riikka) — Sat, 31 Mar 2018 11:39:00 +0000

Happy Easter! I needle felted a cactus. Nothing to do with Easter, but that's what I was inspired to do.

Also, this too is going on my Christmas tree. So there.

But Christmas doesn't have to be all about snow and evergreens. It's celebrated in the dessert too!

That flower was so difficult to do. You wouldn't think looking at it, but it was definitely the hardest part.

Anyway, Happy Easter!

TWEEDY STRIPEY

noreply@blogger.com (Riikka) — Thu, 22 Feb 2018 15:09:00 +0000

These pictures are sort of embarrassing, but let's just go with it. I knit a sweater!

I read a book called Overdressed: the Shockingly High Cost of cheap Fashion by Elizabeth L. Cline as recommended by Elise on her post about making her own clothes. I love a book that kicks me into action and I was about half way through this book when I started knitting this sweater.

What really motivated me wasn't the knowledge of sweatshops, I knew about those and buy a lot of my clothes second hand and try only buy new what I must. But as I was reading this book I realized the things I was buying in thrift stores weren't vintage, they were H&M. As the book points out, the quality of most clothes today is bad and I'd have to keep buying new (or new to me) clothes that would only hold up a few washes. That's waste too.

And secondly, most clothes today are plastic. I try to avoid plastic in my home, yet I'm walking around wearing it?

So, now my new year's resolution too (I think it's OK to make resolutions all year long) is to make clothes for myself. I don't know what I'll make or how many or how they'll turn out, but I'll try! I'm thinking a few more sweaters, a couple of tops and t-shirts for the summer (I'm not making my own jeans.)

The pattern is Tweedy Stripey by Leslie Weber. It was great for a first time clothing maker! Very straight forward and easy to follow. Although, I did completely mess up the stripe pattern. Still, I'm very fond of my sweater. It's loose and long enough to wear with leggings. It's wool and very warm, but the short sleeves are very practically since it seems I'm constantly washing hands, faces and butts.

NEEDLE FELT LUMBERJACK

noreply@blogger.com (Riikka) — Sun, 11 Feb 2018 11:37:00 +0000

Hello.

I made a lumberjack!

With a tiny ukulele.

And suspenders. And a beard, you can't forget the beard.

He's shy.

No, really, back to reality. But isn't he cute? I sort of love him and his worried eyebrows and little brown boots.

If you want to make one, I tried following this YouTube tutorial by Shayda Campbell, but veered off course immediately. It's a good tutorial. I just kept adding details, like the nose and ears and the ukulele... I couldn't help myself.

This is so going on the Christmas tree and my kid can marvel what a crazy mother she has.

This might be the last needle felt project for a while, because right now I'm knitting. Watch out, next pigs will fly.

NEEDLE FELT SWAN

noreply@blogger.com (Riikka) — Sun, 04 Feb 2018 18:09:00 +0000

I made a swan! Like I mentioned in the needle felted snowflakes post, I run out of white wool, hence a grey swan. I still think it came out pretty cute!

Wouldn't two of these make a great wedding cake topper (in white)? Maybe one with a tiny golden crown... Pity I'm already married ;)

This was the first needle felt project I used a skewer in. You take a skewer, wrap a sliver of wool tightly around it and then slide the skewer out. Poke the wool a bit so everything adheres together and voila! you have a neck! Or an arm or leg or what have you. You get the idea. If I'd known about this technique earlier I could have made my narwhal's horn with it too.

Once I get my hands on some white wool, I'll make another one in white. Also, now I'm thinking: next, a flamingo!

NEEDLE FELT 1ST BIRTHDAY CAKE TOPPER

noreply@blogger.com (Riikka) — Wed, 31 Jan 2018 08:38:00 +0000

Story time: I don't like candles on a cake, or more specifically I don't like the blowing out of candles. It seems just an euphemism for covering the cake in fine film of snot and spit. Lovely.

So, when the Kiddo had her first birthday in, er... October... I went for something different, wait for it... I needle felted the topper. You didn't see that one coming.

All joking a side, I wanted something simple and went for a plain sea green "1". You could totally do this with a cookie cutter (like I did with these snowflakes), but I just free handed it. It took quite a while to get right, and I felted it very firmly, so it would stay straight, but once i was satisfied with it I just stuck a toothpick in there. No glue or anything, just pushed it in there. I'm very happy with it! I think it was nice and plain for an innocent one year old. And I can reuse it when she turns ten! Wah, my baby!

This is a blurry still from a video I took. It's all I got, sorry.

Her smash cake was made following this recipe from treats with a twist. I substituted butter for oil and added one tbs of maple syrup, and topped it with whipped cream. I tried it myself and it was quite tasty.

Quite a few people who were at the party asked for the recipes for the things I made and I don't think I followed through... So, if that's you I'm sorry and here they are (mostly in Finnish unfortunately, definitely worth Google translate though). Every one of these is something I will definitely make again! My husband is allergic to eggs, so these are eggless and could be made vegan/vegetarian.

Cream Cheese Filled Rolls from maijalinnea.
Peppermint Chocolate Poke Cake from urbaanivegenda.
Queen of Coffee Cakes from urbaanivegenda.
Cookie Dough Bars (in English) from life's simple measures.
Banoffee, except instead of bananas I used strawberries.

NEEDLE FELT SNOWY OWL - HEDWIG

noreply@blogger.com (Riikka) — Sun, 28 Jan 2018 09:57:00 +0000

Hoo.

Next stop in my needle felting escapades: Hedwig! Or a snowy owl, but I'm Harry Potter obsessed so I think of this as Hedwig.

Hedwig from the front.

Hedwig from the back.

Trying to show how Hedwig would look like hanging from the tree.

I think she turned out very nicely, although brown spot might have looked better? I don't know. I'll still call this a cute success.

COOKIE CUTTER NEEDLE FELT SNOWFLAKES

noreply@blogger.com (Riikka) — Wed, 24 Jan 2018 08:10:00 +0000

This post is about... drum roll please... needle felting. Boom.

The first needle felting I tried was using cookie cutters as a mold. You take a cookie cutter, stuff it full of wool and stab away with a felting needle. I was inspired to try needle felting after reading this post on the Homesong blog, it made felting seem doable (she did it with her kids!). If you want a tutorial hop over to her blog.

The first few I made were stars for our Christmas tree, but when I went on to hang them on our tree they felt a bit thin and flimsy. I made a few white ones and then a gingerbread one, which you can see it here on my Instagram. The decoration or "icing" is a bit more complicated than what you see on these pictures.

Anyway, I wasn't satisfied with the way they looked and I decided to try again. I grabbed this pretty snowflake cookie cutter from the grocery store and felted away. This time I made the felt thicker, almost 1 cm, and I much prefer the chunkier feel.

I made the white one, was very pleased, and started to make another... and run out of white wool. Doh.

So, I decided to make another gingerbread one. Luckily, I had a bit of white left for the icing. This time I made the "icing" thicker and design simpler and I much prefer it this way. I'm all about simple and clean.

Now, I want to buy all the cookie cutters and make a bunch of these! And order more wool. I so need more wool.

FELT BALL GARLAND + OUR TINY NURSERY

noreply@blogger.com (Riikka) — Sun, 21 Jan 2018 18:13:00 +0000

My felting obsession continues. This time I made a short garland for the Kiddos nursery.

This was the most fun, addictive project. Making needle felt balls seemed intimidating; how to get them round and the same size? But you just keep turning them and poke them evenly at all sides. And if one turns out smaller than others: add wool, if larger: poke more. Needle felting really is one of those things that seems difficult, when really it just takes time.

The colors have really no rhyme or reason, except I wanted to add some color to our mainly white nursery corner (but just a bit, I kind of love the white and plain style, very calming). I showed here the huge box of rowing wool I bought and I just kept selecting colors and making another one and another one until it was long enough to fit the space I wanted it to.

And here's the whole nursery. It's pretty much just a bed and a chair for nursing. I love the salt lamp, it gives such a nice warm glow without disturbing sleep. The night stand used to hold some supplies, but now that the Kiddo can open the drawers it's empty. I made the "shhh" banner before she was born. Then there are some books and Hard Rock Cafe bears my in-laws have brought from their trips:) And that's it. We keep diapers and the changing pad in the bathroom and her clothes in a chest of drawers in our room.

I just love this. Being a parent can be a hassle sometimes and just looking at this space calms me. And the garland fits there very nicely, adding a bit of color and whimsy, while still keeping things neat and calm.

NEEDLE FELTED NARWHAL

noreply@blogger.com (Riikka) — Sun, 14 Jan 2018 15:22:00 +0000

It's a tiny narwhal.

It's official: I have a new hobby, needle felting. And I'm obsessed.

Now I swim this way.

I still can't believe I made that, haha. I know there are amazing needle felt sculptures out there, but for me... I've never done anything like this and am just so stoked!

Boo.

I tried needle felting first about a year ago, doing a couple cookie cutter stars (you take a cookie cutter, fill it with wool and use it as a mold), and I loved it. There's something really soothing and addicting about jabbing with a needle...

But I had a new baby and pretty soon I got overwhelmed with life. Anyway, babies and long needles don't really go well together. But the Kiddo got sick recently and pretty much slept the whole first day, and suddenly I had all this time, and I was like "what do I do, I never have any time!" So I tried needle felting again. And it's still so much fun.

This is mah belly.

This time I just went free form, no cookie cutters. I wasn't sure if I could do it, doing a 3D sculpture seemed so much harder, but I'm glad I just went for it. Really, you can't mess needle felt. You can always add more wool or felt it tighter.

The horn, too. I thought a lot about how I'd get the horn to stay rigid and in the end the answer turned out to be: just felt it tightly. Doh.

Just swimmin'.

There are probably a lot of useful tricks and techniques that I'm unaware of, but for now I'll just go with trial and error. And fun.

Really, i'm just so happy. I haven't felt this exited about a craft since my amigurumi phase.

Hello.

Amigurumi Cloud Troubleshooting

noreply@blogger.com (Riikka) — Sun, 11 Jun 2017 07:48:00 +0000

Hands down the most popular pattern on my blog is the pattern for the amigurumi cloud. It has probably more hits than the rest combined. It's also the pattern people seem to have most trouble with. And I get that. I wrote it the best I could, and couldn't really figure out how better to explain it. But I think I finally figured out a way to help! If you follow this guide, you'll just need to know the number of increases and decreases as marked at the beginning of each row of the pattern and you don't need to count the sc in between.

So here is a step by step guide to crocheting my amigurumi cloud pattern.

First, you should check out the pattern to know what I'm talking about.

Second, for this guide I've done all the

3sc (sc three times into a stitch) in green yarn

sc dec in pink yarn

this is just to help illustrate where the increases and decreases are, not to be used when you crochet your cloud.

Third, I've chosen not to stuff my cloud for this tutorial, because that way it's easier to illustrate where the increases and decreases are, but you should stuff as you go.

Fourth, I recommend reading the whole guide through before starting, I think it'll be a lot clearer that way.

So on to the guide!

Do the magic ring or crochet two, and crochet the first 3 rows of the pattern.

4. Sc dec. I've done this in pink so you can see it better. From here on, this is the middle stitch and all the increases and decreases line up around this stitch. You'll see what I mean in a minute.

5. Sc around until you reach the sc dec of the previous round.

Into this 3sc (marked with green). As you see we're already lining up decreases and increases on top of each other.

6. Sc around, until you reach the 3sc of the previous round. Into the first of the three stitches do 3sc.

Into the middle one sc once (white).

And into the last one 3sc. That's increases for row 6 done. This is what you will be repeating for the increases. All the increases are like this on top of each other. There are no increases (or decreases) on the sides or on the bottom of the cloud. All the increases are here on top of the cloud, touching each other. I'll show you a few more rounds.

Sc around until you reach the middle stitch (marked with white).

7. 3sc into that middle stitch.

So here you can see what we've done so far: there is pink dec stitch, on top of that a 3sc, in the middle of that a sc, and the again a 3sc. Sc around until you reach the 3sc.

The round 8 is the same as round 6: 3sc in the first of the 3sc of the previous round, sc in to the middle stitch, 3sc into the last. Sc around. And round 9 is the same as round 7: 3sc in the middle stitch.

10. The same as rounds 6 and 8.That's all the increases for the first bump done.

Do one sc round (round 11).

Now onto the decreases. Four stitches before the middle stitch, stop.

12. Sc dec twice.

Sc.

Sc dec twice. That's the first round of decreases done.

Sc around until you reach the first two dec.

13. Sc dec once.

Sc into the middle stitch. Sc dec once.

Here's a side view so you can see what we've done so far. The increases in green going up, and decreases in pink coming down. As you can see all the increases and decreases are lining up on top. Sides and bottom are just white.

OK. Rounds 14 and 15 are the same as round 13. Sc in the middle stitch and sc dec once on either side. That's all four decrease rounds for the first bump done.

Sc until you reach the middle stitch again.

16. 3sc into the middle stitch.

17. The same as rounds 6, 8 and 10.

Here's a side view again. All the increases and decreases lining up on top. Just a few decreases left!

18. Sc around.

19. Same as round 12. Stop four stitches before the middle stitch, sc dec twice, sc in the middle stitch, sc dec twice.

20. The same as rounds 12 and 19.

21. Same as rounds 12, 19 and 20. That's the last bump done! See how all the middle stitches (in white) line up between the green and pink?

Sc around until you reach the middle stitch.

22. 3sc in the middle stitch.

Do a round of sc.

23. Sc dec 8 times. Sew shut. You are done!

Here's a side view of the finished (flat) cloud. You can clearly (I hope) see all the increases and decreases.

From the other side.

And from above. See how all the middle stitches (in white) are on top of each other and all the increases and decreases line up around them?

So that's the guide. Was it helpful?

If you have any questions or corrections please leave them below and I'll update the guide accordingly.

How to Make a Stroller Mobile

noreply@blogger.com (Riikka) — Sat, 10 Jun 2017 15:24:00 +0000

I made this simple stroller mobile and thought I'd share the process in case you (like me) have a stash of amigurumis lying around. If you don't, never fear! I have patterns for those linked as well.

Here's the mobile spread out. You could use any amigurumis for this, this is just what to my eye looked cute.

You'll need some amigurumis (I used clouds, birds and a rainbow, click for the patterns), some sturdy cotton yarn (I don't recommend wool for this, because sometimes it can thin out and break, if you have elastic yarn, you could use that too), and two clips (mine are from an old pair of suspenders I got at second hand for 50 cents).

Measure your stroller where you want to hang the mobile, your amigurumis will need to fill this space.
Then the fun part, making amigurumis! I made clouds, birds and a rainbow, but there are tons more free patterns on my blog and around the internet. I have links to some of my favorites on my amigurumi Pinterest board. Or use what you already have.
Plan how you want to arrange your amigurumis, and measure them so that you have the right length for your stroller.
Thread through the amigurumis. If your needle isn't crazy long you'll need to "come up for air", just push the needle out from the side, then push it back in at the exact same spot and thread on (the two upper pictures). When you reach the end just pull the yarn tight and it'll settle nicely inside the amigurumi. You'll also have to pay attention where you place the thread, too low and the amigurumis will flip over. Cut the yarn and leave a long tail.
Take your clips and single crochet over the loop like you would in a magic ring. How many sc you crochet will depend on your clip.
Take the yarn with the amigurumis and sew each end firmly into the middle stitches of the clips. Knot the yarn firmly and hide the ends on the backside.
Clip on to your stroller out of the baby's reach.

Here's a close up of one end. As you see, you'll probably need to thread the yarn a lot higher across the amigurumi than you'd think.

I'm not an baby safety expert, I used mine as just a mobile to be looked at. But if you do hang this so that the baby can play with it, please don't leave your kid unattended with it.

And here it is hanging in our stroller.

How to Crochet an Amigurumi Tooth Fairy Pillow

noreply@blogger.com (Riikka) — Sun, 04 Jun 2017 08:07:00 +0000

So, my baby just cut her first two teeth, so she isn't going to be loosing any anytime soon. (At least, I hope not.) And we don't really have a concept of a tooth fairy in Finland. But you see this cute stuff from other cultures (on Pinterest, mostly) and I'm a sucker for cute stuff. And you know I love amigurumi.

I started this blog to have a place to post my amigurumi patterns to, then my interest sort of waned. And how many stuffed animals can a person make and never use? The answer is of course as many as she likes. But, yeah, I was trying to be an adult and I stopped.

Cue baby, and I'm like bring all the amigurumi!

So, here's a pattern for an amigurumi tooth, which can be used as a tooth fairy pillow (i.e. put a tooth in the pocket in the back, and see it magically turn into money during the night. Only works for children, I've heard.)

I used wool/polyamide mix yarn called 7veljestä, and an EU size 1,75 hook, but I crochet loosely, so if you crochet tightly, maybe use a bigger hook.

Amigurumi Tooth Pattern

Make a magic ring

Sc 6 times in the magic ring (6).
Sc inc around (12).
Sc in the next 5, sc inc twice, sc in the next 5 (14).
Sc around (14).
Sc in the next 6, sc inc twice, sc in the next 6 (16).
Sc around (16).
Sc in the next 7, sc inc twice, sc in the next 7 (18).
Sc around.
Sc in the next 8, sc inc twice, sc in the next 8 (20).
Sc around.
Sc in the next 9, sc inc twice, sc in the next 9 (22).
Sc around.
Sc in the next 10, sc inc twice, sc in the next 10 (24).
Sc around.
Sc in the next 11, sc inc twice, sc in the next 11 (26).
Sc around.
Sc in the next 12, sc inc twice, sc in the next 12 (28).

Finish off leaving a long tail (this is for sewing "the crotch" i.e. where the roots meet, shut later). Stuff.

Make another root the same way, but don't finish off. Mark this spot, from now on this will be the beginning and ending of the rounds. Join the two roots by crocheting where you left of on the first root.

18. Sc around (56).
19. Sc around (56). Around here is a good place to sew shut the small hole where you joined the roots together, later on it'll be more difficult.
20. Sc around (56).
21. Sc around (56).
22. Sc around (56).
23. Sc in the next 7 stitches in the back loop only, sc in the next 42, sc in the next 7 stitches in the back loop only (56).
24. Sc around (56).
25. Sc around (56).
26. Sc around (56).
27. Sc around (56).
28. Sc around (56).
29. Sc around (56).
30. Sc around (56).
31. Sc around (56).
32. Sc around (56). I recommend you start stuffing now, because as you decrease the hole will get smaller and stuffing more difficult.
33. Sc in the next 10, sc dec three times, sc in the next 24, sc dec three times, sc in the next 10 (50).
34. Sc in the next 9, sc dec three times, sc in the next 20, sc dec three times, sc in the next 9 (44).
35. Sc dec around (22).
36. Sc dec around (11).
37. Keep sc dec until you have a very small hole, then sew the hole shut and finish off leaving a long tail.

Thread the yarn on a sturdy needle and push it through the top of the tooth in to "the crotch" and back again, molding the top of the tooth as you like. Knot between the roots and hide the yarn inside the tooth.

Flip the tooth over. On the back where you on round 23 crocheted in the back loops only there are the front loops visible.

Sc across (14), turn. Repeat for 9 rows. Finish off. Sew to sides of the flap onto the tooth.

Embroider on a face. I went with blue eyes because black felt too much like cavities, but you can embroider on any face you like, of course!

You are done!

DIY Felt Antlers

noreply@blogger.com (Riikka) — Sat, 03 Jun 2017 11:39:00 +0000

I've seen quite a few faux taxidermy decorations for kids rooms, but they are usually heads, which even if they are faux, still creep me out.

Then I came across this tutorial for felt antlers by Mereta from One Mushroom and thought that it was the coolest thing ever! Felt antlers! For some reason I'd never thought of that.

There was no actual pattern for these (or if there was I missed it), just a tutorial, so I made the antlers slightly too big and heavy for the plate, but I think they are still pretty cool. The tutorial didn't mention how to hang them either and with a slightly heavier build, I'm not sure what will be the best way.

I love working with felt, because there is no fraying. Just cut and sew. The whole thing is hand sewn, but it didn't take that long. And once you get going hand sewing is kind of meditative.

The best thing is of course that no animals were harmed in making of these!

These are definitely going to my kids room, once we have one for her. And once I figure out a way to hang them. Any ideas?

DIY Very Easy Baby Bow Headband

noreply@blogger.com (Riikka) — Sun, 28 May 2017 12:15:00 +0000

Truthfully, I didn't think I'd be a one to put a bow on my baby girl. We mostly stay pretty genre neutral, but here we are. I had some yarn left over from my cowl and I thought "beige isn't too girly, right?"

This bow takes both very little materials and very little time to make. All you need is some yarn and a pantyhose. That's right, a pantyhose. It makes a perfect headband for a baby, because it's soft and very stretchy. It's comfortable and doesn't leave a dent.

Sorry for the weird plant photos, it's so rainy and dark and by the window was the only place with any light, but to make the band, just cut a about 4 cm wide piece out of the thigh portion of a pantyhose.

And stretch!

For the bow cast on 11 stitches.

Row 1 "knit 1, purl 1" repeat until the end, turn.

Repeat row 1 for 10 cm. Bind off.

Place the rectangle you made against the headband and wrap yarn around the middle binding the bow and the headband together. Knot together the ends and weave them in. You're done! Put it on your baby and go "

DIY Breastfeeding Pillow

noreply@blogger.com (Riikka) — Mon, 22 May 2017 09:04:00 +0000

When I was pregnant I wasn't sure if I wanted or needed a breastfeeding pillow. I mean, before you give birth to your first baby you really have no idea what you will actually use. There are so many things for babies and mommas, and it's like "I have no idea if this is essential or useless". Hint, a lot of it is useless.

So what I did was buy what I thought bare essentials (a bed, clothes, stroller...) and bought all the rest after we had the baby as it became apparent that we did need things (baby monitor, bottles, swaddler...)

But despite not knowing if I actually needed a breastfeeding pillow I did decide to make myself one. These things can be pretty pricey and it seemed fairly easy and cheap to make one. And with uncharacteristic foresight I thought I'd not get anything done once the baby was born. Yup.

The materials cost only about 4€ and I figured I could just take it apart if I didn't end up using it.

This is based on the popular Boppy pillow. I found the pattern for a slipcover from blog called vanilla joy.

I used the pattern to make an insert pillow from an old sheet, stuffed it with poly-fill from an old pillow and sewed it shut.

I then made a removable (read washable) cover with a zipper from an old bed spread I found at a thrift store. The pattern had the zipper on the underside, but I put mine on the back edge.

So was it worth it? Yep! I used this a ton when Zelda was a newborn and I was just learning to breastfeed. Because my episiotomy I mostly fed her lying down for the first few weeks, but after that this was great.

Where it really shined was when you are exhausted and hangry and the baby wants to feed. I'd just sit at the table, plop this on my lap, support the baby with one hand and proceed to eat with the other. During those first few months when it felt like the baby was feeding constantly, this allowed me to eat as well.

Totally recommended. You can also use it later on for tummy time or to help support the kid when she is sitting.

Only thing I'd do differently is to make TWO slipcovers. Things got a bit, ahem, messy at times.

Basket Tune Up

noreply@blogger.com (Riikka) — Sat, 20 May 2017 13:23:00 +0000

It feels a bit ridiculous to include this as a DIY, so I'll call this a "tune up".

This isn't exactly something you can replicate either, since it relies on finding a basket like this. It's more like: if you find something fun, but it isn't the color you'd like just paint it!

What this means is: I found this interesting basket with an elephant on it from the Red Cross flea market for 4.90€. I thought it was cool, but you know, bright pink.

Well, luckily that's easy to fix. Enter a can of white spray paint. I removed the eyes and just sprayed away.

Only it was kind of tricky to get all the nooks and crannies. The pink kept showing from underneath and in the ended up taking the whole can of paint. Not the cheapest thrift store project, but I think it was worth it.

I replaced the eyes a bit wider, because I thought it looked cuter that way. Then I left it outside for a few days to remove the paint smell. (Side note, I'm not giving this for the baby to play with.)

I think it'll look really cute in the kiddos room. Once we get that set up, for now she just has a nursery corner which I've tried to keep very calm and minimal as she pretty much just sleeps there.

But someday!

Daisy Flower Crown

noreply@blogger.com (Riikka) — Sun, 14 May 2017 14:09:00 +0000

Happy Mother's Day! It's my first Mother's Day as a mother. Kind of weird to be on this side of the equation.

I'm really into flower crowns at the moment, but unfortunately they are a bit hard to pull off... Luckily I have a baby and babies can totally pull off anything!

I've really wanted to make crocheted flower crown for some time and when I came across this Daisy Chain pattern by Frankie Brown I was like "YES! That is genius!" Because like a crown made from real flowers all the flowers are separate and to quote "The flowers have a hole in the stem so they can be threaded together just like the real thing."

I've never seen anything similar. Obviously I had to make one. I was a bit skeptical whether the chain would hold up, but once you've chained them together into a ring it's in fact really sturdy.

I wouldn't give this to a baby to play with, but it would make a great photo prop. And once the baby is a bit older it will make a great addition to dress-up clothes.

I already have plans to make more with different kinds of flowers and leaves! Seriously, I'm so exited.

I can't explain how much fun it is to have a baby and get to make this kind of stuff without shame.

Baby Cardigan

noreply@blogger.com (Riikka) — Sun, 30 Apr 2017 12:22:00 +0000

I've never actually liked knitting, mainly because I keep dropping stitches. When crocheting you only have that one loop to worry about, knitting there are usually dozens. But recently I decided to give bamboo needles a go, and they are a total game changer! They are a lot stickier than metal needles (but not in a bad way), so the stitches don't fall off. So weirdly, I've actually enjoyed knitting! Huh. So much so, that I've knitted Em three cardigans.

I'm by no means an expert or even that good, but it's been really nice to craft something after a long break, so I've just enjoyed the process.

And it's fun to learn new skills! First thing I learned was that I knit very loosely. I've since invested in another set of needles in a smaller size.

The pattern is Little Petunia by Drops Design. Yes, all three cardigans are the same, just in three different sizes. Patterns on their site are so great because they are available in many languages, including Finnish. They also have videos demonstrating different parts of the pattern, such as how to pick stitches from the edge, great for a knitting novice such as myself.

I used Novita Nalle yarn which is 75% wool 25% polyamide. It only took about one skein per cardigan. For buttons I picked wooden ones.

I've since amassed a huge collection of knitting patterns to try next. Pinterest is great for this. I've also rediscovered Ravelry. Mainly patterns for baby clothes and toys. Baby clothes are a great beginner project since they are so small, they are fast to make, even if you have to stop to look a video every once in a while.

Here are all three. I think they are pretty cute in all they wonky glory. To think I learned to like knitting!

Quick Tip: Sewing Leather

noreply@blogger.com (Riikka) — Fri, 06 May 2016 12:59:00 +0000

Just popping in here to share another quick tip.

When sewing leather you are apparently not supposed to pin it, because pins will leave holes in the material. Also, trying to push a pin through leather is durn hard, I've discovered. I did try, and bend about five pins out of shape before giving up.

So what to do? I saw a suggestion to use paperclips instead, but I actually don't have any. Shocking, I know, but we try to keep things as paperless as possible.

What I do have, however, are hair pins. Incidentally, what I used in my last quick tip, too. Is there anything hair pins can't do?

For leather, anyway, they work great. They are easy to use, just push them in place. They have a really good grip, so they will stay put. And they don't leave a hole behind.

Just don't sew over them like you would with a regular pin. I just pull them out just before I'm about to run over them and they are just perfect.