Scrap-Along: Meet My Scrappy Ball Monster!

With all my moving and whatnot lately, I was afraid I wouldn't be able to make my entry for the FreshStitches Scrap-Along; happily I had just enough time this weekend and was able to whip this guy out :)

I used the Ball Monster pattern from the Design Your Own Monster class on Craftsy. This class is really great and it Stacey shows you how to make different shapes in order to help you design your own. This is the first pattern in the class which is just meant to be a super simple basic pattern, and even though I've made lots of animals before, I'm a sucker for doing everything in chronological order. I thought the scrap-along would be the perfect opportunity to make him up :)

I did alter the pattern a bit. His arms are a little shorter than called for - I just thought this length looked friendlier. His eyes are actually some eyes that I messed up when making François the Lobster; I put the pupil pieces on the top when they should have gone on the side. By the time i realized my mistake, I had already fastened the pupils on so there was no going back. I didn't want to waste them, so I've held onto them all this time. They are a bit buggier than the pattern calls for, but I think they look cute :) I also added the hair on a whim - the yellow was a small scrap and I just wanted to get it used. The mouth was a happy accident - I couldn't get the embroidery to go straight, so I just kept filling it in to smooth the stitches out and I really like how it came out. Funny thing is his eyes and mouth combo remind me of Shake from Aqua Teen Hunger Force, lol.

Even though this guy is made with scraps, my ocd kicked in and I had to at least make it evenly striped. Also, I was picky with my colors I used - I wanted it to be kind of cohesive. I have plenty of other scraps, but they would have thrown off the coloring. I have to say though, I love that this is made from bits and pieces. The red, gray and rainbow were from 3 headbands that ended up being too small for my sister, so I frogged them just to use here. Everything else was left over from other animals and projects I had made.

Even though using miscellaneous colors isn't my typical thing, I am really happy with this guy. Also, my nephew really loves this bright color combination and he has been enjoying chewing on him, so he definitely approves :) I'm glad I got to participate in the crochet-along and get pushed out of my usual comfort zone! If you want to make a scrappy animal, the crochet along is going on until April 17th, so you still have time! Go here for more info.

Crochet Update: Meet Chiquito Rene the Monster!

Since I had a little time after I finished Marisa's headband when my husband had a back procedure done, and also since all my other crafting supplies are at my new house, I decided to make up my FreshStitches Monster Kit :) Let's be honest, I've been dying to make him up. This is a pattern I've wanted for a while and I'm sure you can see why:

I have dubbed this little guy Chiquito Rene :) One of the guys I work with is named Rene and when I brought it to work to show off, my other coworker Sandy said he looked just like Rene (she said the ears and the surprised expression gave it away) and the name just stuck lol. Also, the people in question are Spanish, so of course this became Chiquito (little) Rene. The pattern is Roosevelt the Monster from FreshStitches if you want to make your own :)

Here he is from the back. The only thing I don't love is that you can see the color changes on the back. On the legs they end up facing the inside so you don't notice them when he's all put together. I need to learn a way to hide the color changes next time. 

As far as the kit goes, I really loved it. I actually ended up with more yarn than I needed (I crochet very tightly - I can't really help it) and the yarn is 100% wool. I've never made an amigurumi with anything but acrylic before and I am really surprised by the difference. This guy is much more springy than my other animals and the only difference is the wool so that must be why. So now I know that wool makes a great little stuffed animal too.

I highly recommend the kits from FreshStitches. This is my first time getting one and I am extremely happy with it. The kit includes high quality yarn and definitely all that you need for your project. These kits would be great gifts for someone who wants to try out amigurumi - you can even get a real beginner kit that includes a hook and stitch markers if you want. So keep them in mind for the crafter in your life :)