Free Pattern - Ami Balloons

I recently had a big amigurumi commission order from a lovely lady in Canada, and one of her requests was a batch of amigurumi balloons. She said she had seen some online, made with sticks as ‘stings’ - but they weren’t free standing and therefore required a pot to sit in or something to prop them up. I got my thinking cap on, and came up with these balloons - made with craft wire ‘string’ so they are free standing!

I liked the result so much I decided to put the pattern up on here for you guys - I hope you will enjoy it and find it useful!

The wire I used is 2mm craft wire, which can be bought from most craft stores, though I got this particular wire from a seller on Ebay. Craft wire is super cheap on eBay and comes in lots of different colours too. I found using 2mm thick wire was sturdy enough to hold the weight of the balloon, but also bendy enough to manipulate into a little stand (which you can make to look like the end of the ’string’ gathered on the floor) :)

The balloons pictured are about 2.5 inches tall, and the wire varying lengths from 4 - 8 inches long.

So here it is - Ami Balloons!

Ami Balloons

You Will Need:

. Crochet Hook (I used 3mm)

. Double Knit/Light WW/Sport Weight Yarn

. Embroidery Needle/Yarn Needle

. 2mm Craft Wire

. Wire Cutters

. Stuffing

Abbreviations

. Ch – Chain Stitch

. Sc – Single Crochet

. Inc (Increase) – 2 Sc into 1 St

. Dec (Decrease) – 1 Sc across 2 Sts

. St/Sts – Stitch/Stitches

. Slst – Slip Stitch

. ** – Marks a group of stitches to be repeated until the round is completed

Gauge

. No gauge, just keep your stitches nice and tight to avoid gaps in your work

Finished Size 

. 2.5inches/6cm tall (approx) using a 3mm hook and DK yarn

Other Info

. As this is amigurumi, work in continuous rounds; in a spiral. Don’t join at the end of a row; just keep going

. Use stitch markers or a piece of scrap yarn to mark the start of every round. Replace at the start of the next round as you go along. This will help you keep track of where you started, and saves a lot of time if things go wrong!

. Pattern is written in American Terms

. The number at the end of each round is the number of stitches you should now have

. I strongly recommend using a small hook i.e.- 3mm, to keep the proportions of the toy as they are in the pictures

Preparing the Wire

Before you start crocheting, I find it best to prepare the wire stand. 

Cut a length of wire about 5 - 6 inches longer than you would like the resulting ‘string’ to be. So if you’d like your ‘string’ to be 5 inches tall, you would cut about 10 -11 inches of wire. This is so you will be able to bend a stand from the excess wire at the bottom, and also insert the wire into the balloon body.

With a pair of pliers, or even just your hands; make a little L shape or small loop at one end of the wire. This should be only about 1/2 inch long/round. This will give the stuffing inside the balloon something to hold onto and stop it from falling out later :)

Ok, onto the crocheting!

Balloon Body

1. Ch 2; Sc 6 into 2nd Ch from hook, or Magic Ring 6 (6 Sc)

2. Inc around (12 Sc)

3. *Sc, Inc* around (18 Sc)

4. *Sc 2, Inc* around (24 Sc)

5. *Sc 3, Inc* around (30 Sc)

6. *Sc 4, Inc* around (36 Sc)

7. *Sc 8, Inc* around (40 Sc)

8 - 14. Sc around (40 Sc)

15. *Sc 8, Dec* around (36 Sc)

16. Sc around (36 Sc)

17. *Sc 4, Dec* around (30 Sc)

18. Sc around (30 Sc)

19. *Sc 3, Dec* around (24 Sc)

20. Sc around (24 Sc)

21. *Sc 2, Dec* around (18 Sc)

22. Sc around (18 Sc)

*Insert the bent/looped end of the Craft Wire now, and add stuffing around it. Continue stuffing the balloon as you close the remainder of the piece*

23. *Sc, Dec* (12 Sc)

24 - 25. Sc around (12 Sc)

26. Dec around (6 Sc)

27. Inc around (12 Sc)

28. Sc around (12 Sc)

*Bind Off, Weave In End*

Take a length of the same colour yarn (about 12 inches) and wraps it tight around the bottom/neck of the balloon to simulate a knot.

Bending the Stand

Hold your balloon and wire string up on a table/surface and judge how long you would like the string to be - starting from the bottom of the Balloon Body. With what’s left of the wire (there should be a few inches left…), bend it into a circular shape. I found wrapping the end of the wire around a round pot/container to be the easiest way to get a regular circle. 

Manipulate the wire so that the circular ‘base’ is flat on the table/surface, and the balloon is standing straight up from the base. Kind of like this... 

I added a little 'kick' out to help stabilise :)

You may need to play around a bit to get it to balance; but the general rule is the wider the circle, the sturdier the base will be. 

*You’re Done!*

I hope you had fun making your Ami Balloons! 

Any questions, suggestions or even if you spot a mistake in the above pattern, please feel free to comment below and I’ll do my best to help :)

Happy Crocheting!

Free Pattern: Junior Jibblies

I'm always finding scraps of yarn in my Wall-Of-Wool, and I never quite know what to do with them. I could make a Mini Octopus or an Ami Balloon, but I have so many of them at this point I wanted to make something different. So I made up these little guys!

My idea when designing them was to not only make a mini monster that was a great stash buster project, but was also fully customisable in terms of facial expression and decoration; including hair and eyes. Junior Jibblies can be angry, sad, happy, love struck - anything you desire! Plus, measuring only 3 inches tall  they are of course a great stash buster.

In my version of the little monsters below, I made their hair out of Pom Poms. These can be made using a lot of different methods, including using a pom pom maker. If you don't have a pom pom maker though, don't fret! I made a dedicated tutorial for you to make them using only yarn and your hands. You can find it here

And as the name suggests, these little monsters as made to be the youngsters of the family. I intend to make a bigger, more complex version soon that I will have available in my Etsy Pattern Shop. Coming Soon! 

So here they are - the little guys of the family - the Junior Jubblies!

*Special thanks to sarahsthreads on Ravelry for making me aware of the typos - Round 19 of the Head/Body is now correct, and I have added a note about stuffing the feet :) Thanks Sarah!*

Junior Jibblies

You Will Need:

. Crochet Hook (I used 3.5mm [E])

. Double Knit/Light WW/Sport Weight Yarn in Main Colour, White and Contrasting Colour

. Black Embroidery Thread/Scrap Black Yarn

. Buttons for Eyes (Black, White, Hearts, Flowers - anything!)

. Embroidery Needle/Yarn Needle

. Stuffing

. Decorative Buttons (Optional)

. Pom Pom Maker (Optional)

Abbreviations

. Ch – Chain Stitch

. Sc – Single Crochet

. Inc (Increase) – 2 Sc into 1 St

. Dec (Decrease) – 1 Sc across 2 Sts

. St/Sts – Stitch/Stitches

. Slst – Slip Stitch

. ** – Marks a group of stitches to be repeated until the round is completed

Gauge

. No gauge, just keep your stitches nice and tight to avoid gaps in your work

Finished Size 

. 3inches/8cm tall (approx) using a 3.5mm (E) hook and DK yarn

Other Info.

. As this is amigurumi, work in continuous rounds; in a spiral. Don’t join at the end of a row; just keep going

. Use stitch markers or a piece of scrap yarn to mark the start of every round. Replace at the start of the next round as you go along. This will help you keep track of where you started, and saves a lot of time if things go wrong!

. Pattern is written in American Terms

. The number at the end of each round is the number of stitches you should now have

. I strongly recommend using a small hook i.e.- 3.5mm (E), to keep the proportions of the toy as they are in the pictures

Head/Body

In Main Colour

1. Ch 2, Sc 6 into 2nd Ch from hook; or Magic Ring 6 (6 Sc)

2. Inc around (12 Sc)

3. *Sc, Inc* around (18 Sc)

4. *Sc 2, Inc* around (24 Sc)

5. *Sc 3, Inc* around (30 Sc)

6. *Sc 4, Inc* around (36 Sc)

7. *Sc 5, Inc* around (42 Sc)

8 - 14. Sc around (42 Sc)

15. *Sc 5, Dec* around (36 Sc)

16. *Sc 4, Dec* around (30 Sc)

17. *Sc 3, Dec* around (24 Sc)

18. *Sc 2, Dec* around (18 Sc)

*Stuff Now*

19. *Sc, Dec* around (12 Sc)

20. Dec around (6 Sc)

*Finish Off, Weave In Ends*

Back Feet

In Main Colour

Make 2

1. Ch 2, Sc 6 into 2nd Ch from hook; or Magic Ring 6 (6 Sc)

2. Inc around (12 Sc)

3 - 7. Sc around (12 Sc)

*Finish Off, Leave Long Tail for Sewing*

Front Feet

In Main Colour

Make 2

1. Ch 2, Sc 6 into 2nd Ch from hook; or Magic Ring 6 (6 Sc)

2. Inc around (12 Sc)

3 - 5. Sc around (12 Sc)

*Finish Off, Leave Long Tail for Sewing*

Assembly

. Take the 2 Front Feet, stuff, and sew them next to each other on the bottom of the Head/Body

. Take the 2 Back Feet, stuff, and sew behind the 2 Front Feet, slightly to the side of the Head/Body, so they are sticking out a little to the sides

. Make a Pom Pom using White and Contrasting Colour, and sew to the Head/Body. Experiment with different arrangements and numbers of Pom Poms for different looks!

. Take White yarn, and embroider on 'toe nails' on the Back and Front Feet. I made 3 'nails' on each foot.

. Take your Eye buttons and sew to front of Head/Body. I used a mixture of staggered sized black and white buttons to make a big, wide eyes look; and also some hearts for a Loved Up Jibbly :)

. Take any decorative buttons you have and sew to Head/Body.

. Embroider on any facial features you desire to the Head/Body using either black embroidery thread or a scrap of black yarn.

And You're Done!

I really hope you enjoyed making your Junior Jibblies!! 

Free Pattern Friday – Mini Octopus

This week I am happy to bring you one of my more popular patterns from my old blog, Mini Ami Octopi!

I wrote this pattern back in 2009, and since then I have been overwhelmed by the love and support this little pattern has received. In 2010 I wrote an updated version to help make the pattern a little easier, where you make the tentacles all in one piece instead of 8 individual parts.

The possibilities for these little guys are endless – I’ve seen people make hats for them, embroider faces and even make armies of different colour ones like in the picture above. They are very simple to make, and I hope the photo tutorials below will help you out with the more tricky all-in-one tentacle part.

I have also written the pattern out in standard form at the bottom of this page, for those that don’t need the photo tutorial

So without further-a-do – here are the Mini Octopi!

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Mini Ami Octopus

You Will Need:. Crochet Hook (I used 3.5mm [E]. This will keep your stitches nice and tight and the tentacles curly)
. Small Amount Of Double Knit or Light Worsted Weight Yarn
. 7mm Safety Eyes
. Stitch Markers Or Piece Of Scrap Yarn
. Yarn/Embroidery Needle
. Poly-fill Or Other Stuffing
. Button and beads (Optional)

Abbreviations
. Ch – Chain Stitch
. Sc – Single Crochet
. Hdc – Half Double Crochet
. St/Sts – Stitch/Stitches
. Slst – Slip Stitch
. Inc (Increase) – 2 Sc into 1 St
. Dec (Decrease) – 1 Sc across 2 Sts
. ** – Marks a group of stitches to be repeated until the round is completed

Gauge
No gauge, just keep your stitches nice and tight to avoid gaps in your work

Finished Size 
1 3/4’’ Tall by 3’’ Wide (approx) using a 3.5mm (E) hook

Other Info. As this is amigurumi, work in continuous rounds; in a spiral. Don’t join at the end of a row; just keep going
. Use stitch markers or a piece of scrap yarn to mark the start of every round. Replace at the start of the next round as you go along. This will help you keep track of where you started, and saves a lot of time if things go wrong!
. I write my patterns in American terms, so Sc means Single Crochet; Dc means Double Crochet etc.
. The number at the end of each round is the number of stitches you should now have
. I strongly recommend using a small hook i.e.- 3.5mm (E), to keep the proportions of the toy as they are in the pictures

Step 1

Ch 2, Sc 6 into the 2nd Ch from hook, or Magic Ring 6 (6 Sc)

Step 2

Single Crochet Increase into each Single crochet stitch around (12 Sc)

Step 3

Single Crochet into the first stitch, then Single Crochet Increase into the next. Repeat around the circle 5 more times. (18 Sc)

Step 4

Single Crochet into the next 2 stitches, Single Crochet Increase into the 3rd. Repeat around the circle 5 more times (24 Sc)

Step 5

Single Crochet into the next 3 stitches, Single Crochet Increase into the 4th. Repeat around the circle 5 more times (30 Sc)

Step 6 – 10

Single Crochet in each stitch around (30 Sc) for 5 rows

Step 11

Single Crochet into the first 3 stitches, Single Crochet Decrease over then next 2. Repeat around 5 more times (24 Sc)

When you have completed this step, it’s time to insert the eyes. Take each eye and place a couple of rounds above where you are working, nearly half way up the piece. Apply backs to the eyes and continue…

Step 12 – 13

Single Crochet Decrease over all stitches (12 Sc)

Stuff your octopi with fluffy stuffing – make him nice and solid so he keeps his shape 

Single Crochet Decrease over all remaining stitches (6 Sc) and sew the opening closed. Bind Off.

You’ve made the body! Yay! On to the tentacles…

Tentacles

Step 1 – 2

Chain 2, Single Crochet 8 into the 2nd Chain from hook, or Magic Ring 8 (8 Sc)

Chain 14

Step 3

Half-Double Crochet 2 into 2nd Chain from hook. Half-Double Crochet 3 into all remaining Chains, back to the beginning of the Chain. Slip Stitch into the next Single Crochet stitch to anchor the tentacle.

You may wish to curl your tentacle up a little by twisting it clockwise – it can be a bit loose after crocheting it up and this will give it a boost 

Step 4

Repeat Step 2 and 3 to create the next tentacle…

Step 5 – 10

… and each tentacle around, until you have 8. Bind Off, Leaving a long tail for sewing.

Assembly

• Sew tentacle piece to the bottom of the body. I find it stays more securely if you sew right around the very edge of the piece, binding each tentacle individually to the body piece, then adding a few stitches to the middle area.
• Be creative! For my octopi I added a little heart shaped button and tiny pink seed beads for cheeks. You can add hats, different buttons and beads, embroidery – anything!

And you’re done! Yay!

I really hope you enjoyed making your own Mini Octopus! If you have any questions about the pattern process at all then please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below, and I will be happy to help 

And as promised – here is the pattern written out for you, incase you don’t need the photo tutorial <3 p="">

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Body

1. Ch2, Sc 6 into 2nd Ch from hook, or Magic Ring 6 (6)
2. Inc around (12)
3. *Sc, Inc* around (18)
4. Sc 2, Inc around (24)
5. *Sc 3, Inc* around (30)
6-10. Sc around (30)
11. *Sc 3, Dec* around (24)

*Add Eyes Now*

12. Dec around (12)

*Stuff Now* 

13. Dec around (6)
*Bind off, weave in end*

Tentacles
1. Ch2, Sc 8 into 2nd Ch from hook, or Magic Ring 8 (8). Join with a Slst to beginning Sc.
2. Ch 14
3. HDC 2 in 2nd Ch from hook, and HDC 3x in each Ch across to beginning Ch. Slst to next Sc in circle.
4 – 10. Repeat rounds 2 and 3 until you have created 8 tentacles.

*Bind Off, Leave Long Tail for Sewing*

Again, any problems just leave a comment! And don’t forget to add your completed octopi to the the patterns Ravelry page so everyone else can see your awesome creations!

Happy Crocheting!

Free Pattern - Lucky Coin Pouches

Back in March last year I was lucky enough to fulfil a life long dream in going to Japan. I’d wanted to go ever since I was very small, for reasons I’m not 100% sure of myself. But the Land Of The Rising Sun has always (and will always!) be a draw for me.

Whilst there I did lots of craft and toy shopping. And as I mentioned in my past posts I also fell in love with the gashapon machines that can be found in stores/arcades all over Tokyo. All of these machines took mainly 100yen coins, so whenever I bought something in a store I separated all the 100yen coins and kept them in my pocket, to use on these machines. I remember wishing I’d had a little purse or pouch to keep them in – it would have made my life a lot easier!

So I decided to make this little Lucky Coin Pouch. I call it lucky because I treasured the little gashapons, and with a pouch full of 100yen coins you would be very lucky and could buy a tonne!

I even added a little Japanese coin to the pouch, for decoration 

I hope you enjoy the little pouch, whether you yourself are travelling to Japan soon or you just want something to keep loose change handy in. I have even made some up to sell at an event I am selling at this weekend, they are so super easy to make 

Enjoy!

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Lucky Coin Pouch

You Will Need

• 3.5mm Hook
• DK/8 Ply/Light WW Yarn in 3 colours (C01, C02, C03)
• Yarn Needle
• Coin with a Hole (Optional)
• Keyring/Keychain (optional)
• Plastic/Wooden Bead (Optional)

Abbreviations

• Ch – Chain
• SlSt – Slip Stitch
• Sc – Single Crochet
• Dc – Double Crochet
• Dc Inc – Double Crochet Increase (2 Dc into one Stitch)
• St/Sts – Stitch/Stitches
• Sp/Sps – Space/Spaces

Special Stitch

• Picot – Ch 3 above the stitch you just completed, SlSt back into the top-front and side posts of the stitch you made before the chain (You can find a good video for Picot Stitch here)

Notes

• Pattern written in US terms
• Finished size is approx. 13cm tall, when using a 3.5mm hook and DK weight yarn
• Please feel free to sell any item made from this pattern, though I kindly ask that you link back to this page if you do <3 li="">

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Pouch

In C01

Ch 4, Join with a SlSt

1. Ch 3 (counts as 1st Dc now and throughout pattern), Dc 14 into loop (15 Dc)

*Break Yarn/Switch to C02*

2.  Ch 3, Dc into same St. *Dc Inc* x 14 (30 Dc)

*Break Yarn/Switch to C03*

3. Ch 3, Dc into same St, Dc 1. *Dc Inc, Dc* around (45 Dc)

*Break Yarn/Switch to C01*

4. Ch 3, Dc around. SlSt to beginning Ch 3 (45 Dc)

*Break Yarn/Switch to C02*

5. Ch 3, Dc around. SlSt to beginning Ch 3 (45 Dc)

*Break Yarn/Switch to C03*

6. Ch 3, Dc around. SlSt to beginning Ch 3 (45 Dc)

*Break Yarn/Switch to C01*

7. Ch 3, Dc around. SlSt to beginning Ch 3  (45 Dc)

*Break Yarn/Switch to C02*

8. Ch 3, Dc around. SlSt to beginning Ch 3 (45 Dc)

*Break Yarn/Switch to C03*

9. Ch 3, Dc around. SlSt to beginning Ch 3 (45 Dc)

*Break Yarn/Switch to C01*

10. Ch 3, Dc around. SlSt to beginning Ch 3 (45 Dc)

*Break Yarn/Switch to C02*

11. Ch 3, Dc around. SlSt to beginning Ch 3 (45 Dc)

*Break Yarn/Switch to C03*

12 -13. Ch 1 (Counts as 1st Sc now and for the rest of the pattern), Sc around (45 Sc)

14. Ch 1, Sc. Ch 2, Sk 1 Sc. *Sc 2, Ch 2, Sk 1 Sc* x 14. SlSt to top of beginning Ch 1 (30 Sc, 15 Ch 2 Sps)

15. Ch 1, Sc into each Sc and twice into each Ch 2 Sp around (60 Sc)

16. Ch 1, Sc around (60 Sc)

17. Without Chaining – Sk 2 Sc, Dc 4 into next St. Picot into top of 4th Dc. Dc 3 into same St. Sk 2 Sc, SlSt. *Sk 2 Sc, Dc 4 into next St. Picot into top of 4th Dc. Dc 3 in same St. Sk 2* x 9. SlSt to top of first Dc (10 x 7Dc Cluster)

*Bind Off, Weave In All Ends*

Tie Up

In C02 or C03

Ch 80

*Bind Off, Use Tail to Thread Through Holes in Top of Pouch*

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Assembly

Thread one end of the Tie Up through the eye of a large yarn needle, and thread backwards and forwards though the gaps created by the Ch 2 in round 14. Sew in all loose ends

Japanese Coin Decoration

Optional

Why not add some decoration to your pouch? I used a Japanese coin left over from my holiday and attached it to the Tie Up with a wooden bead. You could also use a lucky Chinese coin or any coin that has a hole in the centre. Simply thread your Tie Up though the hole in the coin, then though the bead, then back though the coin. Continue to thread through the Ch2 gaps of the pouch.

Keyring/Keychain Attachment

I also added a keyring/keychain, so you can keep it handy on a bag or belt. Thread the Tie Up through the keyring/keychain, towards the back of the pouch 

And you’re done!

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I really hope you enjoyed making your Lucky Coin Pouch! If you liked the pattern and have a Ravelry account, you can share it with me and the crochet/knit community there by visiting the pattern page, here.

I am also on Instagram (Username: EssHaych) – I alway make a point of featuring any photos I’m tagged in

Have a great weekend, and Happy Crocheting!