Star Wars crochet: BB-8 Droid crochet hat

If you crochet even a little bit you'll know there's a bunch of Star Wars related crochet, amigurumi and other models, scarves, hats, mittens... out there.

The Death Star looks works really well in crochet:
http://www.popsdemilk.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Death-Star-Pattern.pdf

Image source: http://popsdemilk.com/ which has lots of good crochet ideas.

And if you want to be up to date, here's a YouTube video of how to make your own BB-8 Droid hat:
https://youtu.be/yVZaA9NZiDo

The latter was posted, a bit diffidently, on a Facebook crochet group by a bloke who ended up being rather overwhelmed by the approbation he'd received; he seemed a tad nervous that his creation was left-field to other projects being posted.

For more, any search on "Star Wars Crochet" on Ravelry or Pinterest would be bound to hit paydirt.

I asked one of my nevvies if he'd like a BB droid hat crocheted by his dear aunt.  He hasn't responded, which could well be a response anyway....
UPDATE: but another one was very very very keen....

Note: links are in US crochet terminology.

V-stitch Beanies

The knitters' and crocheters' guild I attend decided to supply the local NICU with Christmassy beanies this year.  I went hunting for a crochet pattern and lucked onto this excellent one:

http://pinssneedles.com/free-crochet-pattern-quick-and-simple-chevron-hats-preemie-through-child-sizing/ (US terminology: instructions for various sizes)

V-stitch has the advantage of having some stretch (some crochet can be more rigid than knitting) and the cheery chevron adds to the effect (I carried the colours up so only had four ends to work in).

Here are two I made:

Two more were made for newly-grannied friends.  The baby size only took a couple of hours to make.  I made some in soft merino wool and some in cotton blend yarn, all 8 ply, 4mm hook.

Our group gave over seventy beanies - how lovely to think of those little ones with warm Christmassy heads.

Note: links are in US crochet terminology.

Moss stitch

The background for the blog( at present anyway) is a moss stitch blanket I'm crocheting.  I'm using a wide variety of colours and brands in 8 ply cotton and cotton blend yarns, and a 5mm crochet hook.

I was inspired by this tutorial:
http://madebymriek.blogspot.com.au/2013/06/moss-stitch-tutorial.html

And if you want to try it, she has instructions in English and step by step photos.

In UK crochet terms, once you've started it's just dc, chain, dc, chain.  Lovely easy mindless chugalong crochet. The random colours add to its charm.

If you work it in one colour, then it's the same both sides.  As I'm starting a new colour for each row, one side is different to the other as I'm always starting at the same end (as opposed to turning and carrying on with the same colour).

My plan is a blanket around 60 inches square (100dc in each row). Colour choice for each row is pretty much random; sometimes I'm asking someone nearby to pick the next colour when I get to the end of the row.  At a social gathering the other day I had plenty of people to ask; and even ended up showing one of the other people how to crochet - she thought she'd forgotten. And remembered, and thought she might try it again...

In a smaller size, this has excellent scope as a baby blanket using odds and ends of yarn.

Note: links are in US crochet terminology.

One Vivid Leaf

Why one vivid leaf?

Because it's about noticing, and time.  Any craft is about time, and choices in spending time, and choices in making.

One day, on the way out to my car at day's end, it had been raining, and there was this leaf, glowing on the asphalt path.  One of many.  But I stopped and took a photo (thanks, Hipstamatic app) and had a moment that wasn't about work or home or worries, but just about the moment.

Craft and making are about the moment, too.

While I've done many kinds of needlecrafts since childhood, I'm exploring the possibilities of crochet at this point in my life: although it has a daggy reputation for embarrassing old-lady stuff, in reality it's dynamic and modern and fun and easy.  And you get to play with yarn and colour and pattern.  And make stuff.  And give other people things they're happy to receive and you enjoyed making.

So the plan for this blog is to share things I find and things I make, mostly crochet but with maybe a few detours.