The Penguin Pages: September 2024

Monday, September 30, 2024

#MYC1024 Option Two

If you follow me on my YouTube Channel you would know that I took over the Mystery Yarn Challenge from Lori, the Armchair Chef. With shipping prices going higher and higher, some people can't afford to send a package of yarn, so I want to have an Option 2 for people to participate.

For the month of October, we are playing Bingo! Here is the Bingo board:

How is it going to work? When you finish a project that matches one of the squares on the board, you cross it off (or fill it in with pretty colors). If you get five in a row, you are entered in the end-of-month drawing for a prize.

Here is an explanation of the squares:

Some have a color (orange, purple, green, ombre, Retro Stripe (a Red Heart Super Saver yarn) and Candy Corn Colors (bright yellow, bright orange, white). For this square, you just need to finish a project using that color. No double-dipping, though! If you make a project that uses orange and green, you can only fill in one block!)

There are three designers in the grid... Yes, I am one of the three.

You can see all my patterns on Ravelry

Katie at Yarn Society is also on Ravelry, YouTube and has her own website

The third is Stringy Ding Ding, who has a bunch of adorable free patterns on her and she is also on Ravelry

Some of the blocks list a specific animal or group of animals: penguin (of course... since I love penguins), Pet (dog, cat, fish, ferret, hamster, gerbil, etc.), Creepy Crawlie (bug, snake, lizard, dinosaur, turtle), Forest (deer, squirrel, fox, bear, etc.), Farm (chicken, horse, donkey, pig, etc.)

Other blocks:

Fantasy: dragon, unicorn, mermaid, monster, etc.

New to you pattern: find a pattern you have never made before

2 oz scrap: find a 2-ounce (or more) scrap yarn and finish it off

From a Book: pull a book from your crafting library and make something from it

New To You yarn: make something from a yarn you have never used before

3-weight or lighter: make something with thin yarn (yes, you can hold two strands together)

5-weight or higher: pull out that bulky or super-bulky yarn!

Halloween: anything with a Halloween theme

Fuzzy Yarn: fun fur, yarn with a halo, eyelash yarn, etc.

Motif: make something with a motif, like a granny square or hexagon

I know that some people make wearables, not Amigurumi, but you can apply the categories to wearables, too... you could make an animal hat, or add an animal applique to a blanket. I hope this challenge inspires you to try something new!

No double-dipping, please. One project cannot fill in multiple squares. For instance, if you made a green and purple snake with bulky yarn, you would have to choose one square to fill in... you can't do green, purple, 5-weight or higher, Creepy Crawlie and Halloween. Sorry!

Pics of the 5 items to complete your Bingo row need to be in by October 31. You can do more than one Bingo. I will enter your name in the prize drawing for each Bingo row you complete.

Once I have my YouTube video done about the challenge, I will link it here.

If I get questions in the comments on my YouTube video, I will try to remember to post the answers here, too.

Wednesday, September 25, 2024

Micro Octo - no-sew pattern

An early version of the pattern, where I put more rows in the body, making it taller.

Micro Octo

Pattern by Elaine Okupski of Penguin Place Crafts

This is one of my go-to patterns when I'm trying to finish off some scrap yarn. It works up quickly, about 20 minutes, and only uses half an ounce of yarn. I usually have a basket of them on my table for craft shows as an inexpensive option for parents wanting to get their child a little stuffie.

I made these with worsted weight yarn and an F (3.75mm) crochet hook. I have also made them with two strands of sport weight yarn held together for a "tweedy" look, or with bulkier yarn and a larger hook. With the worsted weight yarn, I used .47 oz for the light blue octo I made as I was preparing this post.

You start at the top, add the tentacles in the front loop of your last full row, then move to the back loops of that same row to close up the bottom. Here goes:

Round 1: 6 sc in MR (6)

Round 2: inc x 6 (12)

Round 3: *sc, inc* x 6 (18)

Round 4: *sc 2, inc* x 6 (24)

Rounds 5-7: sc (24)

Round 8: hdc (24) Sl st to FLO of first hdc in the round. Move your stitch marker to the back loops of that same stitch.

Note: I like to do my last full row in hdc so that I have one front loop for the tentacles, and two back loops for the decreases.

It's easier to embroider your octo's face now, before the tentacles get in the way. I put the eyes around round 5, and the smile over rows 7/8. You can use safety eyes instead of embroidering.

Round 9a (tentacles) All of the stitches of 9a are worked in FLO

*Ch 7, in 2nd ch from hook, sc inc, sc inc, hdc inc, hdc 2, connecting dc, skip the next stitch, sl st* repeat from * to * 7 more times. Your final sl st will go into the base of your first tentacle.

Connecting dc: draw up a loop in your last available chain, and then another loop from the next available front loop. Finish off as a normal dc (yarn over and pull through two loops, yarn over and pull through two loops).

Round 9b: Now you are working in the back loops of round 8, starting with the stitch with the stitch marker.

*sc 2, dec* x 6 (18)

Round 10: *sc, dec* x 6 (12) Stuff your octo's body.

Round 11: dec x 6 (6). FO, leaving a tail to sew closed. Weave your yarn tail through the stitches of round 11 and pull to close. Tie off and hide your yarn tail inside the octo.

Variations:

It's easier to make your tentacles longer... start with a longer chain for each tentacle, and add extra sc.

You can make the tentacles less curly by doing sc in the first two chains instead of sc increases.

If you turn your work before you start working on the tentacles, the tentacles will curl inward instead of outward.

Tuesday, September 17, 2024

September Monster of the Month

September Monster

The first two (in front) are made with chunky yarn and an H (5 mm) hook. The pink monster in the back is made with worsted weight yarn and an F (3.75mm) hook. It used .7 oz of worsted weight yarn, and a small amount of contrast color for the bottom of the feet and the horns.

Leg (start with contrast color)

R1: 6 sc in MR

R2: inc x 6 (12)

R3: *sc, inc* x 6 (18)

R4: *sc 2, inc* x 6 (24)

Change to body color

R5-8: sc (24). FO first leg, after second leg, continue on to body:

Body:

R1: continue with second leg. Ch 3, sc 24 around first leg, sc in each chain, sc around leg 2, sc in back loops of ch (54)

R2-5: sc (54)

R6-18 : decrease one stitch at each side. You should have 28 stitches now.

Insert eyes between rows 16 & 17, with four stitches showing between them. Embroider a small mouth between rows 15 & 16. For the pink monster, I used the yarn from embroidering the mouth to add some eyebrows, too! Stuff the feet well, and continue to stuff the body as you decrease.

R19: *sc 5, dec* x 4 (24)

R20: *sc 2, dec* x 6 (18)

R21: *sc, dec* x 6 (12) Add more stuffing if needed.

R22: dec x 6. FO and use tail to close opening, then weave in end.

Long ears:

Ch 20. Starting in 2^nd chain from hook, sc 18, 8 dc in last chain, sc 18 in the back side of the chain. FO, leaving a tail to sew to head (or crochet in) at row 20.

Arms:

Chain 10. Starting in 2^nd chain from hook, sc 8, 5 dc in last chain, sc 8 in the back side of the chain. FO, leaving a tail to sew to head (or crochet in) at row 16. I like to sew mine on, so I can sew them at an angle toward the belly.

Alternate arms (shown on pink monster):

Ch 15. Starting in 2^nd ch from hook, sl st 4. (Ch 5, sl st 4) twice. Sl st back to the beginning of the chain. FO, leaving a tail to sew to the body.

Horns:

With white:

R1: sc 3 in MR

R2: inc, sc 2 (4)

R3: inc, sc 3 (5)

R4: inc, sc 4 (6)

R5: sc (6)

FO, leaving tail to sew to head. I sewed on either side of the magic ring, lined up with the eyes.