Crochet Tarantula

Oh how the kids hound me sometimes. This time, it was one of my second grade girls. She’s been insisting I make a crochet tarantula for weeks. I had no other pressing projects, so I relented. We looked up pictures for inspiration, and I had her look in our yarn drawer to see what colors we had.

We only had yellow, orange, and a little bit of pink. I asked her what colors she wanted for certain parts, and I got to work.

I wasn’t sure I could pull it off.

Once it was finished, the kids kept trying to play with it. In fact, I found it very interesting that of all the pretty cool things I’ve made for them in the past, this one really impressed them. One girl who never shows any interest in my crochet said, “Wow, you made that?” I was like, really? I made the large doll that’s in the classroom! You’re surprised I could make a little spider? 😂

Another boy, who does love my crochet, said, “Wow, this shows you’re an art person. You could teach this. Like, you could have a class.” What do you think I’ve been doing all these years with all of you? 😂 This is what it took to impress these kids. Maybe it’s the novelty of it, but hey, I’m glad they liked it. 😄

The kids wanted me to do a photo shoot, and they had a lot of ideas of where to take it’s picture.

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New Crochet Doll

I haven’t made an actual crochet doll in a loooonnnggg time. I’ve made all kinds of toys and things but no dolls. That shouldn’t happen since I’m all about crochet dolls! The kids at work haven’t started asking me for things yet so I stared into my crochet bag hoping for inspiration and saw some scrap, tan yarn balls. They screamed doll! I’ve only had a chance to crochet twice at work but I think I’ve made good progress.

What shall I be when I grow up?

I don’t have much yet and I haven’t decided on a boy or a girl, but I think it’s a pretty good start. 🙂

Crochet Pokemon Voltorb

I know, I’ve gone Pokemon crazy. I do tend to get on themes until they fizzle out, only to be abandoned forever (for the moment). Remember my emoji craze (this one lasted a while)? How about the puppets? Sweater coats anyone? This current one is probably my last in this craze. A little Kinder wanted a Voltorb for Ultimate Prize box. It’s just a ball with eyes so it was an easy enough request to grant.

Hey, I can do a ball with eyes, no problem. Child’s play.

I’m looking at you!

My little Kinder didn’t lack a plethora of suggestions (he never does) and we worked the eyes until we were both satisfied. Everyone is happy. 🙂 He was literally standing next to me as I was closing up the bottom asking me if I was going to let the stuffing fall out. What am I, an amatuer? Didn’t he trust my crochet skills by now after all the things he’s seen me make, much of which were for him? Of course I didn’t let the stuffing fall out!

When I closed it up completely, he started jumping up and downing, narrating how I was weaving in the ends. Can you tell he was excited? As soon as I finished cutting the last tail, I handed it to him and he scampered off with it. It was all very cute. 🙂

I’m still looking at you!

Wish I could show you his face because he is adorable. He was even wearing a Pokemon shirt and yes, he was smiling that much. 🙂

Now I can move on to other things, like a crochet turtle for my co-worker, a backpack out of my samples from the Craft Yarn Council course I completed, and finishing up the plugs on my first sweater. Yessss, I’m still working on that! LOL

Crochet Emoji Hand Puppet

I’m a sucker, I know. Wasn’t I the one who said I wouldn’t take anymore special requests from the kids? I would make crochet prizes and the kids could either pick what was available or not, but no more special request. Yeah, well…we all knew that wasn’t going to happen. I had made a crochet LOL emoji hand puppet for the Ultimate Prize-box and a student wanted it, but he said it looked like a girl.

Who you calling a girl?

Ok, I’m a girl.

He hinted he sure wished he could have an emoji puppet but with a red shirt instead, so it could be a boy. I didn’t want to work on the Charizard project I had going on anyway, so I agreed to make it for him.

Naturally, and in that case, he wanted a money emoji puppet instead, with shorts. Ok, ok, that would be fine. Blue shorts, with shoes. Uh huh. And with hair. Wait, what? It’s an emoji. Do they have hair? Or better yet, a green mohawk! Now I’ve heard everything.  🙂

Craft Fair is Coming!

I was inspired by a fellow blogger to start thinking about the yearly craft fair that happens at the school where I work. I’ve done the craft fair on and off since it’s inception way back when my son went to school there (he is now a big senior in high school). I’ve had various successes and failures and every year, I’m not sure if I’m going to do it or not. When I do decide to do it, it’s always at the last second and then I start crocheting furiously trying to make sure I have enough things to show. It’s a hodge podge and there’s no consistency. I have a little bit of everything. I guess that’s not true. The consistency is that it’s all fun things kids would enjoy. Toys, dolls, purses and cases. I have had hats and beanies but they are always kid friendly.

This year, I’ve started my old tricks. I had decided I wouldn’t do the fair this year and then changed my mind a dozen times. But have I started any projects for the fair? Noooo, I have not. So then I read Brenna’s post about a craft fair she’s doing at her daughter’s school. It inspired me to think about the impending craft fair at our school more seriously. I should start making things NOW, even if I don’t do the fair. It’s better to be ready and not need it than to need and not be ready. So in that spirit, it’s time to seriously think about the things I should make.

Freebie Friday – Crochet Mermaid

I’ve been thinking about mermaids lately. I want to make a really cool crocheted mermaid. There are lots and lots of pretty crochet mermaid patterns out there but I want to create my own. Hey, maybe a mermaid puppet! Anyway, that doesn’t stop me from admiring what’s out there. While I was ogling the available pictures, I came across a few I couldn’t resist sharing.

These are NOT my patterns. They are courtesy of a Google search.

Adorable! And if you’re mermaid crazy too, here’s the link to these mermaid patterns.

Crochet Fires

Was it me that foolishly uttered I didn’t have any more crochet fires to put out? Yep, yep, that was me. What a farce! I spoke too soon. Luckily, they’re just little fires, easily put out.

I failed to notice (or conveniently forgot) that a bunch of kids were close to our Ultimate Prizebox. Lucky for me, I had a few crochet emojis and a Pokeball already in there.

These were all in the Ultimate Prize Box plus another heart and small crochet purse. There are only two left.

But one little boy wanted a Popular MMO figure. Those aren’t that hard and I said I’d try but I had to concede defeat.

This is one I gave to another student last year. H e was already played with by the time  took the picture so he was a little beat up.

He wasn’t technically at the ultimate prize box, he was past it. So technically, he missed his chance to get a custom made crochet piece. He chose something else at the time. So I didn’t feel so bad about directing him to something else. He chose the Pokeball.

Then, two more kids made it that wanted something custom. I stressed it had to be easy (and small!). One girl picked an emoji purse. As long as she’s not expecting something big, that’s doable.

The other student asked for a hat or a beanie. Phew! That sounded easy. I asked what kind he wanted. He said a top hat. I laughed. A top hat? I asked him to draw it because I wanted to make sure I was thinking the same thing he was. Uh huh, I was. He’s a second grader so he could be thinking anything. Lol I guess I’m making a top hat 🎩 for a second grade boy. 😁

We’ve got two weeks left of school. I’m going to be busy! Again! LOL

Crochet Jeffy the Puppet Request

What have I gotten myself into? The kids’ memories have deep roots! Their memories are lousy for most things but then, one of them will remember that last year I made so and so such and such and why can’t I do it this year too? I’m blabbering so let me explain.

Today, I got unexpected pleas to make crochet items. The kids are always requesting things, and this year, I’ve moved away from making crocheted items for individuals because it was hard to keep up with demand. This year, I made things at my leisure and threw them in our prize box. I got good at saying no, sorry, can’t do it. Eventually, the requests started to taper off. I thought, “Good, they’re starting to forget.” Every now and then, one of them will remember we had a year where I made them all crowns when they made it to king or queen (an incentive on our star chart where they are the king or queen for the day and they get to pick our treat and what movie we watch on Friday). But that was several years back and I was counting on them forgetting, which they mostly did. I would happily make the crown for those that did remember because they were few and far between.