Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Free Carrot Crochet Pattern

Here's a cute eensy-weensy crochet carrot pattern that's perfect to go with my wee bunnies. They're also great for Sylvanian Families, dollhouse dolls, Barbies, and all manner of other miniature beings. Tiny amigurumi carrots are also great for earrings. I hope you enjoy my pattern.



The carrot is very simple and easy. The only hard part is the size. It can be a little tricky if you aren't used to working in very small rounds or with smaller hook sizes.

I used embroidery thread and a 2mm crochet hook to create a finished carrot of around one inch long. But you really can use any yarn and hook you want, so use what's most comfortable for you, or play around with different yarn weights and hook sizes until you come up with a carrot size you're happy with.

Materials:
Embroidery thread (or yarn of your choice) in orange and green.
2mm crochet hook (or hook of your choice.)

Method:
With orange, chain 2
Round 1:  Work 4sc in 2nd chain from hook. (4)
Round 2:  [Increase in first sc, sc next] twice. (6)
Round 3-5:  Work one sc in each stitch around. (6)
Finish off.
Stuff your carrot lightly.
For the leaves--
Join green to any stitch using a slip stitch.
Chain 7, sl st in 4th ch from hook, sl st in each of next 2 chains. sl st to top of carrot. Slip stitch to another sc and chain 7 again to create the next leaf. Carry on in this way until you have 3-4 leaves.
Finish off leaving a tail for sewing. Sew around the top of the carrot to close up the hole and cinch the leaves together.

Voila! You're done. :)

To make your carrots longer, just add more rows. If you want them a little fatter, try increasing to 9 stitches after a row or two of 6.

 

Find lots more cute amigurumi patterns in my Etsy shop.  Have an idea for a pattern I should make? Why not suggest it. I love coming up with new patterns!

You may sell your finished carrots made from this crochet pattern.But please do not sell them on Etsy. Other venues are permitted. Please credit me as designer, and link back to this blog or my Etsy shop wherever you sell online.

Sunday, February 28, 2016

A Bug For A Bug

The Etsy forums are popping today, as they were yesterday, with complaints about the epic search bug that has had our traffic depressingly low. Views and sales are down for many shops that usually sell very well on weekends.

The jokes abound as well, of course. What have they done with the bug? Have they killed it, or are they conducting scientific experiments?

To cheer some of you up, I'm going to give you a bug of my own - a free bug crochet pattern, that is! I have never shared my patterns for free, so this the first time that a Moss Mountain pattern is being offered. I hope that you like him. He's a sleepy bed bug, created out of frustration at having seen a neat knit version of it once upon a time.

Bed Bug Pattern 


Use an F or 4mm hook and DK or light worsted yarn to achieve a small bedbug around 3 inches long.

For the popcorn stitch:
Work 6hdc in the same stitch, drop loop from hook, insert hook from front to back in the top of the first sc of group and pull dropped loop through stitch. Then chain 1 (this will give you the stitch you need to crochet into on the next round).

Bedbug
Head and body are worked all in one piece.

Chain 2
Rnd 1: 4sc in 2nd ch from hook. (4)
Rnd 2: 2sc in each st around. (8)
Rnd 3: [2sc in first st, 1sc in next st} 4 times. (12)
Rnd 4: [2sc in first st, 1sc in next 2sts} 4 times. (16)
Rnd 5: Sc in each st around. (16)
Rnd 6: Sc in each st around. (16)
Rnd 7: [dec, sc in next 2 sts] 4 times. (12)
Rnd 8: [dec, sc in next st] 4 times. (8)
Stuff head now
Rnd 9: Sc in each st around. (8)
Rnd 10: 2sc in each st around. (16)
Rnd 11: 2sc, 6hdc popcorn st in next st, 1sc in each of next 5sts, 6hdc popcorn st in next st, 1 sc in each of next 7 sts.  (16)
Rnd 12: [2sc in first st, 1 sc in next] 8 times. (24)
Rnd 13: Sc in each st around. (24)

Rnd 14: 4sc, 6hdc popcorn st in next st, 1sc in each of next 8 sts, 6hdc popcorn st in next st, 1 sc in each
of next 10sts. (24)
Rnd 15: Sc in each st around. (24)
Rnd 16: [dec, 1 sc in each of next 2st] 6 times. (18)
Rnd 17: 4sc, 6hdc popcorn st in next st, 1sc in each of next 6 sts, 6hdc popcorn st in next st, 1 sc in each
of next 6 sts. (18)
Rnd 18: [dec, sc in next st] 6 times. (12)
Rnd 19: Sc in each st around. (12)
Stuff body now.
Rnd 20: Dec in each st around. (6)
Fasten off




Hat
Chain 2
Rnd 1: 4sc in 2nd ch from hook. (4)
Rnd 2: 1sc in each st around. (4)
Rnd 3: 1sc in each st around. (4)
Rnd 4: [2sc in first st, 1sc in next st] twice. (6)
Rnd 5: 1sc in each st around. (6)
Rnd 6: [2sc in first st, 1sc in next 2 sts] twice. (8)
Rnd 7: 1sc in each st around. (8)
Rnd 8: 1sc in each st around. (8)
Rnd 9: 1sc in each st around. (8)
Rnd 10: [2sc in first st, 1sc in next 3sts] twice. (10)
Rnd 11: 1sc in each st around. (10)
Rnd 12: 1sc in each st around. (10)
Rnd 13: [2sc in first st, 1sc in next 4sts] twice. (12)
Rnd 14: 1sc in each st around. (12)
Rnd 15: 1sc in each st around. (12)
Rnd 16: 1hdc in each st around. (12)
Slip stitch and fasten off. Sew to head and catch the top of the hat in desired position.



Copyright 2016, Moss Mountain Patterns.
Do not sell, copy, or redistribute this pattern (aside from linking to this blog post.) You may sell your finished items! But please do not sell on Etsy, and please credit me as designer, and provide a link to my Etsy shop wherever you sell online.

Check out my Etsy shop for more cute crochet patterns:
Moss Mountain on Etsy

Friday, January 3, 2014

Fantasy Cats!


Lately I've been just a teeny bit obsessed with making fluffy cats. The other day I decided to make a pale peach one for something different, and as she sold very quickly after I listed her, it seemed logical to start making some more.

I'm calling the fluffy little things Fantasy Cats, and they have their own little corner of Moss Mountain especially dedicated to their kind ... one of many unusual, and sometimes endangered, species to be found in that magical place.

Here are Peachy & Cloudberry. I think they look a little like feline blobs of cotton candy. :) They are for sale in my Etsy shop. 


Can you think of some other colours or designs you'd like to see? I love this cat pattern so much that I could probably spend the rest of my life making them ... Please do comment with your ideas. :)

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Chapter One


Sometimes the first chapter of a book doesn't grab me, and I struggle to carry on reading. As a reader and a writer, I find this disappointing because I believe a story should be gripping from the very start. However, sometimes books that start off slowly or dull do surprise me, and turn out to be favorites. I'm hoping that this new year, 2014, follows that pattern.

Last year was really difficult in many ways, both personally and for my business. But if nothing else, I learned a lot of things about how to improve and make changes.

I also want to thank all my loyal customers for their support, kindness, and praise. Without you, I wouldn't be running my own business, which has always been my dream. I am especially grateful for a drama-free Christmas shopping season in which I didn't receive a single complaint from anyone. What a fantastic difference it's made for me and all of you, setting up my shop with only 'ready to ship' merchandise during this busy time of year. So, thank you!

The new year is a new chapter for Moss Mountain, and I'm really looking forward to all the further changes and adventures that will come in 2014.

A few plans include several new product ranges, new additions to old favorite ranges (like the Tiny Animals and Tiny People!), and an overall wider availability of 'ready to ship' products.

Here's to the new year! I hope you have a good one. :)


Pumpkin Pie & Stardust, available and READY TO SHIP today in my Etsy Shop.

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Win a mini flapjack breakfast!

I'm just popping up quickly to share this give away I'm having on my Facebook page.

If you want to win these cuties, just click on THIS LINK, and LIKE & SHARE the post on Facebook.



Go, go, go!

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Return of the Dodo

A lot of my famous Tiny Animals have been out of stock recently, but now it's time for some to make a much anticipated come back!

Today I spent the morning cutting out quite a few critters, including: puffins, ducks, dodos, and raccoons. As he's one of my all time favorites who has come back (from the extinct!), I thought I'd share some recent production photos of the humble dodo.

Here he is in progress. He comes from tiny pieces of felt--flat felt, not wool roving--and is hand sewn and stuffed into a tiny plush.




Many people make the mistake of thinking my tiny animals are needle felted. I suppose that's because there are a lot of such products out there, and needle felting is currently quite popular. I, however, use a number of techniques on my critters, mainly sewing.

When I set out to make a new tiny animal, I always research the real animal first. This proved somewhat difficult where the dodo was concerned! Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the most accurate resemblances we have this extinct bird come from scientific sketches and some taxidermy.

Still, inspired by The Eyre Affair, and my crazy sense of humor, I pressed on, doodling my best tiny dodo shape (I can't draw for the life of me) for a pattern, and planning the colours and finer details. And thus the tiny do was born.

Here is the finished creature:


Not so very extinct after all! You can buy a tiny dodo here: Moss Mountain shop. 

By sheer luck, it would seem, most of my tiny animals "come out right" the first time around, and I have never met an animal I couldn't make, tiny dodo being no exception. He is one of my tinies that I am the most proud of.

What is your favorite extinct animal?


Sunday, November 10, 2013

Relaunch & Giveaway for 5,000 Likes!

Dear faithful Moss Mountain lovers,

At long last I have decided to begin blogging again! The last few years have come and gone, not without major ups and downs, and I have learned a lot about business, not to mention life!

I want to thank every one of you who has joyfully celebrated my successes, and supported me in all I do, because without your encouragement, I couldn't have continued.

Being a self employed crafter/artist/miniaturist  (and writer!) is not an easy  job no matter what others may say. Many people will never understand why I choose to do what I do, but I have decided that that is their issue, and not mine.

Those of you who, like me ("We happy few," to quote Shakespeare's Henry V), have a passion for the creative, in whatever form, know that to devote your life to anything less sublime would be a complete and utter waste.

Now, enough of this soppy talk. It's time to celebrate 5,000 likes on my Facebook page.  As a thank you to all of my fans, I am giving away a Christmas sheep for the tree! Just click here to be taken to the giveaway. :)