Tag: pattern links

Pi for Pi Day

Today is Pi Day, 3/14 (at least in the US).

Big and little pi, a crochet pattern from ReveDreams. Get it at revedreams.com/shop/.
Big and Little Pi Pattern

You saw a Pi and pi I made for my sister back in late 2012, with the pattern for little Big Pi. That version of big little pi required sewing to shape the curved foot. (The little Big Pi shown also had one leg longer than the other, due to a counting error.)

This version is sewing-free! The pointed foot and “horn” of the top bar curve through a combination of increasing/decreasing and a method I developed to collapse pairs of rounds into single rounds on the inside of the curve. The stitching takes some paying attention, but it isn’t difficult and all stitches are common (very common, in fact: slip stitch and single crochet).

But enough about that. I was fortunate enough to capture some pictures of Pi and pi in their usual haunts…

Big and little pi watch the pendulums for relaxation. Get the pattern at revedreams.com/shop/.
They love the soothing motion.

Big and little pi play their favorite game. Get the pattern at revedreams.com/shop/.
I think they’re gambling?

Big and little pi float peacefully in their favorite spot. Get the pattern at revedreams.com/shop/.
Where they go to relax!

Their individual beauty shots are on the pattern page.

Evolution of a hippo

You saw the first draft of the snouty hippo some 17 months ago (Hi, FYDP), and it saw a few versions in between. I thought I’d show you them.

Previous drafts to the Snouty Hippo. See the evolution and get the final pattern at revedreams.com/.

Top to bottom, let me introduce the versions.

Draft 1 (red/orange/gray variegated): freehanded, intended to be a thumbnail hippo!

Draft 2 (purple variegated): snout adjusted, head shortened and body increases moved to chest instead of evenly spaced. Granted, this yarn’s a little thicker, but look how my stitching got larger over the months!

Draft 3 (orange): head shortened again, diameter of body decreased.

Draft 4 (red variegated): one more little head adjustment, time to make the body not a tin can, feet needed shrinking down.

Draft 5 (screaming yellow meemie): yet one more head adjustment, minor body adjustment, learning how to sew the legs on in appropriate locations. Very similar to the final version – I just made another edit to the body.

Here’s a better pair of photos to see the changing shapes.

Previous drafts to the Snouty Hippo. See the evolution and get the final pattern at revedreams.com/. Previous drafts to the Snouty Hippo. See the evolution and get the final pattern at revedreams.com/.

Rumor has it there are amigurumi designers who sketch their creatures, stitch them up, make a second copy for in-progress photos, type the pattern and send it off for testing. I am not such a designer. Most of my patterns work like this one, with quite a bit of distance between the initial draft and the final version. Worth the effort? You tell me!

Snouty Hippo

It’s National Hippo Day! [1] To celebrate, I have a new hippo pattern in the store:

Snouty Hippo wants to be your friend. Get the pattern at revedreams.com/shop/.
Snouty Hippo Pattern

I never thought that snouty hippos would be such nosy hippos! Look at this:

Snouty Hippos want to know if they can have some. Get the pattern at revedreams.com/shop/.
What are you eating? Can we have some?

Snouty Hippos are exceedingly helpful. Get the pattern at revedreams.com/shop/.
Ooh ooh! We’re good at crosswords! Does that say “Hi-po”?

Snouty Hippos meet their match in dachshunds. Get patterns for both at revedreams.com/shop/.
Who are you? [Dachshunds, nosy in a different way.]

Snouty Hippos are worse than housecats with the laptop. Get the pattern at revedreams.com/shop/.
Hey, is that us on the computer? Click there!

Snouty Hippos try for cake. Get the pattern at revedreams.com/shop/.
Can you reach? I’m trying, I’m trying!

Information about stitching and materials is in the shop.

[1] I learned long after planning this all out that this National Hippo Day originates with the game Second Life. National Hippo Appreciation Day, which has a Facebook page, is July 24. Perhaps we’ll speak about hippos again then.