Free Knitted Frankenstein Toy Pattern For Halloween

 

 Hello,

with Halloween fast approaching I thought you might like some free knitting patterns to get you in the mood.

Frankie is the first of many that will be coming your way between now and early October 2023.

My patterns are based on the simplest form of the craft with very little shaping or sewing up and the emphasis is on the character. I hope you enjoy.

Frankie 

Level - Intermediate

You Will Need

·        25g Black double knitting yarn (Yarn A)

·        25g Green  double knitting yarn (Yarn B)

·        Small amount of white double knitting yarn

·        Small amount of medium blue double knitting yarn   

·        Small amount of red double knitting yarn

·        One pair of 3 mm knitting needles

·        Toy Filling

·        A darning needle

Useful information to read before you begin

 Leave long yarn tails on your cast on/off pieces as they are the best/strongest way of sewing up your toys

When sewing the nose & mouth, tie a single knot into the end of the yarn leaving about a 2 cm tail

Starting at the back of the head, push the needle through to the front at the point where you want to place the features, pull until the knot & tail disappear & sew as required. If a little of the tail still shows then pull it gently & carefully snip with scissors close to the body

Once you are happy with the facial features you secure the yarn in the same way – tie a double knot in the excess yarn about 3 cm from your toy -take the yarn through to the back of the head, pull the yarn slightly -  until the knot disappears and snip close to the body. The knot will help secure the yarn inside the body and prevent unraveling

The nose is 3 stitches in the same spot, laying the stitches side-by- side as you stitch

The mouth is just 3 single, straight stitches laying horizontally & then 5, evenly placed vertical stitches across the top & bottom of the mouth for the scar effect

Frequently check your picture of Frankie to check for placement tips

Body make 1

Using colour black, cast on 40 sts

Stocking stitch 15 rows

Change to colour green and stocking stitch 30 rows.

Cast off

With right sides together, sew side seam together using back stitch & alternating yarn colours as needed.  You can use an alternative method of sewing up if you wish e.g. mattress stitch

With wrong side facing & seam at centre back, over sew bottom end together. Turn right side out and fill with toy filling

Over sew top seam together – still keeping the seam at centre back

You now have a small pillow shape ready to add the character

Arms make 2

With colour green, cast on 8 stitches

Garter stitch 2 rows

Starting with a knit row stocking stitch 22 rows

Garter stitch 3 rows

Cast off

With wrong side facing (purl side) – fold the cast on edge towards the cast off edge, stopping 2 rows under the final 3 garter stitch rows. So one side of the arm will be a bit longer than the other

Using your tail ends - Over sew neatly along both side seams

Lightly fill with toy filling. Using the picture on the front of your pattern as a guide, position arms and sew in place. The shorter side of the arm should face forwards. The longer side of the arm should sit to the back as the longer tab helps the arms to sit more snug to the body.  I use the garter stitch rows on the front and back of the arms to sew along as your stitches will be barely noticeable

Shoes make 2

With colour black cast on 7 stitches

Garter stitch 3 rows

Row 4 purl

Rows 5 knit

Row 6-11 starting with a purl row-continue stocking stitch

Rows 12 knit (this defines the top front of boot edge)

Row 13-17 starting with a knit row – continue in stocking stitch

Row18 knit (this defines the lower front edge of the boot)

Row 19-32 starting with a knit row-stocking stitch

Row 33-35 garter stitch

Cast off knit wise

Shoe side panels

Starting at one side of the row ends between rows 1 to 11-pick up and knit 11 Sts

Row 1 knit

Row 2 purl

Row 3 knit

Cast off knit wise

Repeat on the opposite side

To make up shoes

Sew the short side of the shoe side panels between the top front and bottom front edge garter stitch rows

Sew the long edge of the shoe side panels (bottom) to the bottom of the boot

Note: the bottom of the shoe will be longer than the top

Stuff with toy filling shaping in to an oblong with your fingers

Using your picture as a visual guide for placement, sew shoe (longest side is the bottom of the shoe) to one side of the bottom of Frankie’s body using a back stitch along the gap between the knit rows at the back of the shoes.  Then bring your yarn to the front (top) of the shoe and over sew, attaching the front of the shoe to the bottom front of the body

Black eye hole make 1

With colour black cast on 3 sts

Row 1 Kfb, k1, kfb = 5 sts

Row 2-4 starting with a purl row continue in stocking stitch

Row 5 ssk, k1, k2tog = 3 sts

Cast off purl wise

Placing eye hole sideways and using your picture as a guide – sew in place

Loose eye make 1

Using a small amount of red yarn – cast on 1 st

Knit 3 rows

Row 4 knit into the front & back of your stitch alternately until you have 8 stitches, so knit, purl, knit, purl, knit, purl, knit, and purl all into same stitch

Row 5 knit. Change to white yarn

Row 6 knit

Row 7 purl. Change to medium blue yarn

Row 8 knit

To make up loose eye

Cut yarns used leaving tails. Thread medium blue tail onto a darning needle, push through all 8 Sts & pull up tight

Sew blue side together

Sew white sides together using white yarn tail.

Fill lightly with toy filling

Sew red sides together using red yarn tail

Sew eye using red cast on tail to the centre of the black eye hole. Using a small amount of black – back stitch a couple of stitches in the centre of the blue part of the eye for the iris

2^nd eye make 1

Using colour white cast on 8 Sts

Starting with a knit row – stocking stitch 2 rows.

Cut yarn leaving a tail.  Change to medium blue yarn

Knit 1 row

Cut yarn leaving a tail

To make up 2^nd eye

Thread medium blue tail onto a darning needle, push through all 8 Sts & pull up tight

Sew medium blue eye sides together

Sew white sides together using one of the white yarn tails

Fill lightly with toy filling

Thread 2^nd white yarn tail and using a running stitch sew around the start of the eye.

Pull up tightly and still with the same yarn tail and using your picture as a guide sew to Frankie’s face

Belt make 1

Using colour black cast on 42 sts

Starting with a knit row, stocking stitch 4 rows

Cast off purl wise

Sew row ends together

Place between the top of Frankie’s trousers and his body and sew in place. I used a back stitch

Belt Buckle make 1

Using your small amount of white yarn cast on 7 Sts

Starting with a knit row stocking stitch 8 rows at the same time slip the first stitches on the knit row purl wise and slip the first stitches on the purl rows knit wise

Cast of knit wise

If you want to you can add a swiss darned (also called duplicate stitch) motif as I have, to Frankie’s belt buckle. Check out https://www.dummies.com/crafts/knitting/knitting-stitches/how-to-add-duplicate-stitch-to-knitting/ for a how-to guide. Just enter swiss darning or duplicate stitch in the search box

Sew the belt buckle to the centre front of Frankie’s belt. Use your picture as a guide

Hair

I did the hair by using a pencil, slightly dampened, and faintly drawing the outline of the hair style I wanted around the top of Frankie’s head. I then threaded my darning needle with a long length of black yarn & long stitched the hair from front to back following the faint pencil lines.

You can even split the hair stage in two if you find it easier by long stitching from your pencil line up to and including the seam on the top of the head – all the way along the front then turn Frankie round so that the back is facing you and do the same for the back of the hair.

There is no right hair style to long stitch. Frankie can have any hair style you wish. Use your picture as a guide if you want a similar hairstyle to the one I have created

Black scar lines

Thread a long piece of black yarn and using your picture as a guide – long stitch scar lines on Frankie’s mouth and arms

A Cross Stitch Finish and How I did It

 

Intro

Morning All,

Thanks for stopping by.

Today I am sharing a fully finished cross stitch project. For those of you who may not know A fully finished cross stitch piece is one that has been stitched and finished into something like a cushion, a card, a framed piece etc.

About the Pattern

My fully finished piece has the title of A Little Snow by Little House Needleworks and it came with A black and white symbol chart and the three threads required to stitch it. The threads are by Classic Colorworks and the shades are Roasted Chestnut, Licorice Red and Toasted Marshmallow.

I purchased the pattern with threads included from the Patchwork Rabbit website here and at the time of typing this blog post the cost was just £5.70 and still available. The Patchwork Rabbit stocks many of the most popular patterns from the USA.

How I Made My Cushion

I stitched mine on a 16 count Aida but unfortunately I cannot remember the shade.

I chose to finish my piece as A raggedy cushion or pillow. I love making raggedy quilts and I thought I would apply A part of the technique to my piece. However, before I go on any longer here are a couple of pictures of my completed raggedy cushion.

I stitched the front and the back together with wrong sides together and leaving A gap at the bottom for filling later.  I did A small running stitch  all the way round to the opening - four rows down from the edge of the aida. I then carefully filled the cushion with ordinary toy fill. The filling I used was non hypoallergenic as the recipient of the cushion has some allergy issues.  I used the words 'carefully filled' as I wanted the effect of the filling to make the stitched area pop so I didn't want it to look lumpy. I finished off by fraying around the fabric on the front and the back for the raggedy look.

The fabric on the back was purchased from eBay here and at the time of typing this blog post it was still available and cost £6.00 for a half metre plus £2.25 post & packing. I chose this fabric because the recipient of the cushion loves the design.

Finally

I will put an Instagram post on my account about this blog post with an opportunity for you to win a kit (pattern and threads only) for yourself . The first person to leave a comment using the words A Little Snow will win it - open to all.

S

X

Happy Granny Square Day 2022

 Well here it is. There are not many days celebrated in the UK with such a riot of colour going on. It never fails to lift my spirit to go on Instagram and browse all of the colourful contributions from all over the world.

Having said that, my contribution is a bit muted, but I love it.

This started life out as a jumper then I changed my mind and decided to make it a blanket then I changed my mind again and now it's a jacket 😁. Who knows what it will end up being. I just love the variegated yarn. It is King Cole Riot DK and is crocheted in four shades. Domino is the joining shade and the colour sections are a mix of Urban, Autumn and Funky and as of today 15/8/2022 still available on the Wool Warehouse website in the UK.

The humble granny square is still relatively new in the yarn world with the first granny square pattern appearing in Weldon's Practical Needlework in 1897. The first granny square is thought to have been crocheted in 1891 in the USA. The only difference to today's granny square is that they used two trebles per cluster back then.

The name granny square was adopted for these versatile creations as it was mostly the older female generation who crocheted them.

The granny square has come and gone in fashion over the decades largely due to the granny image that couldn't be shaken off. However, since around 2008 granny squares and crochet in general has had a massive resurgence thanks, in no small part, (in my opinion) to Lucy of the now legendary Attic24 blog and shows no sign of waning.

Every pattern on Lucy's blog is free and a breathe of fresh air to read. You are in for a treat if you have never seen it before. Find attic24 here.

The versatility of the granny square is seemingly endless. So far I have made granny square hats, cowls, wrist warmers, jumpers, coasters, lamp shades, blankets, bags, bunting, shawls and many more on my to-do list. This is not to mention the variations of the granny square e.g. granny stripe, granny triangles, granny circles (just think mandalas).

Apparently, the number of people who learned to crochet during lock down more than doubled worldwide with many stating that it helped their mental health during this time.. Maybe the granny square is not so humble after all.

I do hope you also enjoy Granny Square Day, whether you have joined in before or not your in for a colourful treat especially on Instagram.

If you have never crocheted a granny square before but would like to learn then here is a link to my YouTube video How to Crochet A UK Granny Square.

Lastly, and to add a bit more colour to this post-here is a picture of a granny square bag I designed recently. The flowers are from the attic24 blog here Attic24 Teeny Tiny Flowers.

Happy Granny Square Day

Sue x

Crochet Granny Stripe Blanket Afghan Free Pattern

The humble granny stripe has been around longer than you might think. Not long before her death in January 1901, Queen Victoria crocheted 8 granny stripe scarves that were to be issued to "the best all-round men taking" part in the South African War campaign.

Only six of the scarves are known to exist to this day, 5 of them in museums around the world and 1 owned privately.

Articles about the scarves crocheted by Queen Victoria incorrectly refer to them as being hand-knitted - a bug bear of many a crocheter.

Today I am sharing my own take on the granny stripe blanket/afghan pattern with a crab stitch border below:

For this blanket I used two strands of Stylecraft Special DK held together throughout.

UK crochet terms

Finished size approx 78” x 78” or 192 x 192 cm

The quantities listed are for a double bed size blanket

You will need

4 of each of the following colours;                 

Duck egg

Vintage peach

Mushroom

Camel

Wisteria

Pistachio

Buttermilk   

6 mm Crochet hook

Possibly a 6.5 mm crochet hook for the foundation chain or loosen your tension for this row.

If you want to adjust the size of your blanket then the rule of thumb for a granny stripe is to chain in multiples of three and then add two more chains. So for this blanket I chained 195 then added two more at the end to total 197.

Choose your preferred order of colours. I laid one of each colour in a row then took a photo, mixing them up and taking photos of each mix every time, then chose the most appealing order for me.

I chose to use the pistachio colour intermittently; otherwise I kept the order of colour throughout.

You may wish to use a larger hook for the foundation chain because if it is worked too tightly your blanket will be distorted.

Row 1 - Chain 197 and work one double crochet (dc) in 2^nd chain from hook. Then work a dc in each chain until you reach the end. 196 stitches (sts). Now turn your work ready to go back the other way.

Row 2 – Chain 3, work 1 treble (tr) into the first stitch. *Miss 2 sts and then work 3 tr into the next st*. Repeat from * to * until 3 sts before the end, miss 2 sts and work 2 tr into the last st. Turn.

Row 3 – Chain 3 and working in the space between the trebles on the previous row, work 3 tr. Work 3 tr into each space between the trebles on the previous row until the last stitch – this will be the 3^rd chain of the chain 3 you made at the start of the previous row, make 1 tr stopping when you have 2 sts left on your crochet hook.

Cut the first colour leaving a tail. Finish the 2 sts left on your crochet hook with your next colour. Tie the tails of the 2 colours once to hold in place. You are now ready to continue. Turn.

I find this method of joining in new colours the neatest.

Row 4 – Chain 3, work 1 tr in to the first space between the trebles of the previous row.

Now work 3 trebles in each space between the trebles of the previous row until you get to the final space. Work 1 tr into the space and 1 tr into the 3^rd chain of the chain 3 at the beginning of the previous row. Again, I think this practice makes the neatest edge. Turn.

Row 5 – Chain 3, work 3 trebles into each space between the trebles of the previous row.

Once you reach the end of the row make 1 tr into the 3^rd chain of the ch 3 at the start of the previous row, stopping when you have 2 sts left on your crochet hook.

Cut this colour leaving a tail and complete the treble with the next colour. Tie the tail ends together once.

You may find it easier to sew your tail ends in as you go as it is an enormous job to tackle at the end.

Repeat rows 4 and 5, working two rows of each colour until the desired length has been reached. Fasten off.

Border

I made a row of double crochet all the way round the edge of my blanket, working 3 double crochet in each corner.

Then I finished with a round of crab stitch. This gives the edging a nice rope effect that I thought was fitting for this chunky blanket.

Crab stitch is just a reverse double crochet and is completed as follows;

Join yarn to any side of your blanket and ch 1.

Insert your hook in the stitch to the right of your ch 1. Grab your yarn and pull through – 2 sts on hook.

Yarn over your hook and pull through these last 2 sts and that’s it. You follow this all the way round your blanket doing exactly the same, even on the corners.

Be prepared to have to twist your hook around a bit more than usual in order to pick up your yarn going in this direction. It may seem a bit awkward at first but go slowly, you’ll be fine.

Elvis Doll Knitting Pattern

 Elvis Doll Knitting Pattern

This pattern is suitable for beginners & above 

You Will Need

 • White double knitting (dk) yarn, Approx. 50g 

• Black (dk) yarn, approx. 50 g 

• Flesh (dk) yarn, approx. 25 g 

• A small amount of grey (dk) yarn 

• A small amount of pink (dk) yarn 

• Twilley’s Gold fingering or similar, in silver Approx. 25g 

• A darning needle for sewing up 

• A pair of 3 mm & a pair of 3.25 mm knitting needles 

• A 4 mm crochet hook Finished size approx. 18 cm

Finished size approx. 18 cm

 

Useful information to read before you begin

 

Leave long yarn tails on your cast on/off pieces as they are the best/strongest way to sew up

Practice the facial features by placing pins e.g. for the eyes, until you are satisfied with the look. When sewing in the eyes, tie a single knot into the end of the yarn leaving approx. a 2 cm tail.

Starting at the back of the head, push the needle through to the front at the point where you want to place the features, pull until the knot & tail disappear & sew as required. If a little of the tail still shows, then pull it gently & carefully snip with scissors close to the body. Once you are happy with the facial features you secure the yarn in the same way – tie a double knot in the excess yarn about 3 cm from your toy -take the yarn through to the back of the head, pull the yarn slightly and snip close to the body. The knot will help secure the yarn inside the body and prevent unraveling.

 

Frequently check your picture of Elvis to check for placement tips

 

There is an excellent visual teaching website for knitting and many other crafts called https://www.dummies.com/crafts/knitting/. Just type in the search box the name of the stitch you are looking for e.g. knit stitch or I-Cord stitch and it will take you to the visual/written tutorial

 

Use 3 mm knitting needles unless otherwise stated

Special abbreviations

 

• KFB – Knit into the front & back of a stitch

 

• PFB – Purl into the front & back of a stitch

 

• Ssk = Slip, slip, knit

Slip the first stitch from the left-hand needle (as if to knit it) to the right-hand needle without knitting it

Do the same with the next stitch

Insert the left-hand needle into the front loops of these two stitches – left to right

Wrap the yarn in the usual way around the right-hand needle & knit the 2 slipped stitches together.

You have completed 1 ssk. 

I have inserted a link below to my YouTube video showing you how to A SSK.

Body

Wind off a small ball of white from the main ball, approx. 10 g. You will be using this from row 19.

Using 3 mm knitting needles white yarn, cast on 40 stitches (Sts).

Starting with a knit row, stocking stitch (ss) 17 rows.

Row 18. Purl 19 sts, Purl front back (fb), Purl 20 sts – 41 sts.

You will be joining in the flesh colour in the next row. 

You will need 2 strands of your main colour – white and 1 strand of flesh. The beginning of the rows will be worked in white, the middle in flesh and the end section in white again. So rather than stranding your white yarn across the flesh yarn you will use your main ball of white yarn for the first part of the rows, the flesh colour yarn for the middle and your wound off ball of white yarn for the end part of the rows. Your work will look much neater this way. Twist the two strands together every time you change colour to avoid gaps. If you still find your knitting has gaps where the white and flesh colour meet you can neatly sew them closed using one of the white tails on the wrong side (purl side) of your toy.

Row 19. Knit 20 sts white, knit 1 st flesh, knit 20 sts white.

Row 20. Purl 19 sts white, Purl 3 sts flesh, Purl 19 sts white.

Row 21. Knit 18 sts white, knit 5 sts flesh, knit 18 sts white.

Row 22. Purl 18 sts white, Purl 5 sts flesh, Purl 18 sts white.

Row 23. Knit 17 sts white, knit 7 sts flesh, knit 17 sts white.

Row 24. Purl 17 sts white, Purl 7 sts flesh, Purl 17 sts white.

Row 25. Same as row 23.

Row 26. Same as row 24.

Row 27. Knit 16 sts white, knit 9 sts flesh, knit 16 sts white.

Row 28. Purl 16 sts white, Purl 9 sts flesh, Purl 16 sts white.

Row 29. Same as row 27.

Row 30. Same as row 28.

Rows 31 to 45. Starting with a knit row and using flesh colour only- Stocking Stitch.

Cast off.

Making Up

With right sides together, sew row ends together using back stitch. You can use an alternative method of sewing up if you wish e.g. mattress stitch.

With back of work facing & row end seam at centre back over sew bottom end together. Turn right side out and fill with toy filling.

Over sew top end together – keeping the seam at centre back. You now have a small pillow shape ready to add the character.

Arms make 2

 Using white yarn cast on 8 Sts

 Rows 1-3. Knit

 Row 4. Purl

 Row 5. Knit

 Row 6. Purl

Join flesh. Do not cut the white yarn here, just carry it up the side of the flesh rows by twisting the two strands together at the beginning of the knit rows.

Rows 7 to 12. Starting with a knit row, stocking stitch.  Break of flesh yarn leaving a tail for sewing up later.

Rows 13 to 20. Using white and starting with a knit row, stocking stitch.

Row 21-23. Knit every row.

Cast off knit wise.

Making up arms

With wrong side facing (purl side), fold the cast on edge up to just below the start of the 3 knit rows on the cast-off edge. Over sew neatly along side seams, changing colour as required. Stuff lightly.

Using your picture as a visual guide for placement, sew the back (longest side) of the arms to the body using a back stitch along the gap between the knit rows at the top of the arm Then bring your yarn to the front of the arm (shortest side) and over sew the front arm to the body.

Shoes make 2

Using black yarn, cast on 8 Sts

Rows 1-3. Knit

Rows 4. Purl

Row 5. Knit

Row 6. Purl

Row 7. SSK, k to last 2 Sts, k2tog – 6 Sts

Row 8. Purl

Row 9. SSK, k to last 2 Sts, k2tog – 4 Sts

Row 10. Purl

Row 11. SSK, k2tog – 2 Sts

Row 12. Purl

Row 13. K2tog

Row 14. Purl

Row 15. KFB – 2 Sts

Row 16. Purl

Row 17. KFB twice – 4 Sts

Row 18. Purl

Row 19. KFB, K2, KFB – 6 Sts

Row 20. Purl

Row 21. KFB, k4, KFB – 8 Sts

Row 22. Purl

Rows 23 – 29. Starting & ending with a knit row, stocking stitch

Row 30. Knit

Row 31. Knit

Rows 32 – 41. Starting with a purl row, stocking stitch

Cast off.

 

Making up shoes

With the purl side uppermost, start to fold the cast on edge of the shoe towards the cast-off edge until a point is made.

Over sew the sides together neatly with a whip stitch.

Now turn the shoe over so that the bottom is facing you. The point of the shoe should be closest to you.

Hold the cast-off edge of the shoe and roll tightly towards you until you reach the line of garter stitch made in row 30.

Sew in place. This forms a little heel which not only looks cute but helps your Elvis to stand.

Stuff the front of the shoe very lightly.

Place the flat edge (above the heel) of the shoe on one side of the base of Elvis’ body so that the front of the shoe sits snugly up against the bottom front of the body. Sew in place.

Over sew the cast on edge of the shoe to the front of the base of the body making sure any stray bits of toy filling are tucked in as you go.

Repeat with second shoe.

With silver Twilley’s Goldfingering threaded in your darning needle and using your picture as a guide- stitch small, evenly spaced cross stitches around the outside edge of Elvis’ shoes.

V Edging

Using your 4 mm crochet hook and holding white yarn double, chain 16.

Bind off.

Sew in place around the V shape where Elvis’ jumpsuit and flesh meet.

 

Collar

Using white yarn, cast on 38 Sts

Starting with a knit row, stocking stitch 5 rows

Row 6. Knit

Row 7. Starting with a knit row, stocking stitch 5 rows

Cast off.

Making Up Collar

Fold the collar in half along the garter stitch row in the middle. Sew the cast off edge in place from one side of the top of the V, around the back of your Elvis finishing at the top of the opposite side of the V. Push wings of the collar out slightly for the full effect.

Microphone Handle

Using grey yarn, cast on 18 sts

Garter stitch 16 rows

Cast off.

Making up Microphone Handle

Starting at cast on edge, roll up quite firmly and secure by sewing the cast-off edge to the roll. You can also put a couple of stitches in both ends to prevent unraveling.

Leave the 2^nd tail in place as this will be the microphone wire, just trim to length.

 

Microphone Head

Using black yarn, cast on 7 sts

Garter stitch 15 rows

Cast off.

Run 1 of the tail ends along a row end and pull up tightly.

Turn the microphone head to the other side and stuff very lightly.

Insert the microphone handle into the microphone head and secure by sewing the head to the handle.

Belt

Using Twilley’s Goldfingering in silver and 3.25 mm needles, cast on 55 sts.

Starting with a knit row, stocking stitch 6 rows.

Cast off.

Sew the row ends together and place belt (purl side will be the right side) around Elvis’ body in a slouchy style. See picture for guidance.

 

Belt Buckle

Using Twilley’s Goldfingering in silver and 3.25 mm needles, cast on 10 sts.

Stocking stitch 6 rows.

Cast off.

Wrap the buckle (knit side out) around centre of Elvis’ belt and secure by sewing to the back of the belt. Now secure the belt in place with small, neat stitches.

Hair Pieces

I wanted an exaggerated look to Elvis’ hair, so I knitted a hair piece to place on the top of his head and then long stitched over the top of this. The quiff is made separately.

Using black yarn, cast on 20 stitches.

Garter stitch 6 rows.

Cast off.

Pin the hair piece length-ways to one side on the top of Elvis’ head.  You should have part of the hair piece showing on the front and the other half showing on the back of his head.

Thread a long length of black yarn into your darning needle and starting at the centre front of the top of his head, make a long stitch ending approximately 4 rows down. Continue doing this all the way along, slightly varying the length of the long stitch by a stitch or two, to the other end of the hair piece, curving the end of it round and down the head slightly. See your picture for guidance. Repeat for the other side.

Once you have completed the front of Elvis’ hair turn him round and do the same to the back. The only difference is that the long stitches will be slightly longer but still varied in length. Have fun playing with the hair style.

Hair Quiff

Leave nice long tails both ends of this piece.

Using black yarn, cast on 8 stitches.

Stocking stitch 35 rows.

Cast off.

Starting at the cast on edge, curl into a cone shape by rolling the quiff up quite firmly. Then gently pull the tail in the middle of the roll until a cone/cream puff shape is formed. Bend the quiff slightly at one end.  Sew through all layers to secure. Secure the tail end you pulled to form the cone shape through the centre of the cone and out the other end, then attach quiff to the centre of Elvis’ hair. You can leave the quiff altogether if you want. Your doll will still be instantly recognizable as Elvis.

Sunglass Lenses make 2

Using black yarn, cast on 2 sts

Row 1. Knit fb twice – 4 sts

Row 2. Purl fb, purl 2, Purl fb – 6 sts

Row 3. Knit

Row 4. Purl

Row 5. SSK, Knit 2, K2tog – 4 sts

Row 6. Purl 2 together twice

Cast off

Pin the sun-glass lenses to Elvis’ face using your picture as a guide. Once you are happy with the positioning sew in place.

To make the bridge bar and the arms for the sunglasses I threaded a double length of black yarn in to my darning needle and secured it the same way I do for the eyes, nose & mouth as explained on the first page.

I then ran the double length of yarn from under the lowest part of the hair on the side of Elvis’ head, along the side of his face, under the first lens, out the opposite side of the first lens, across to the second lens (to make the bridge), under the second lens, out the opposite side of the second lens, along the second side of the face and secured under the lowest point of the hair opposite to where you started.

Using a small amount of medium pink yarn and securing in the way I have explained on page one; sew the mouth in place using your picture as a guide.

Using a small amount of flesh yarn and securing in the way I have explained on page one; sew the nose in place using your picture as a guide.

To complete Elvis – Thread silver Twilley’s Goldfingering into your darning needle and using your picture as a guide, stitch a series of French knots around the collar and the edge of the V of Elvis’ costume. Then a series of back stitches around the cuffs of his sleeves.

How to Slip Slip Knit or SSK

Enjoy your Elvis.

Crochet, A Diorama and Halloween Cross Stitch

 A Crafty Good Morning to You

Hello from a lovely sunny day in Eastbourne on the south coast of the UK on 9th May 2022.

Today I am going to show three of my recent craft finishes.

1. A crocheted blanket.

2. My first diorama.

3. A Halloween cross stitch pillow.

A Crocheted Blanket.

Here it is in all its glory, Tah Dah.

I have completed this huge granny square blanket using the Yuletide colour pack as designed by Lucy Attic24.

I didn't get on with the pattern that came with the colour pack. My treble stitches can look a bit messy on the back on certain patterns and unfortunately the Yuletide pattern was one of them.

I finished my blanket off with a granny corner border.

To do a granny corner border you will need to end on a row with an uneven space count. e.g. count the number of spaces between your treble clusters from one corner to the next. If you have an even number of spaces then you will need to add one more round to your granny square if you want a granny corner border. If you have an uneven number of spaces then you're good to go.

Granny Corner Border Pattern

Join your border colour to any corner space on your blanket. Chain 3.  Work 3 treble clusters. 

Work 1 double crochet in the next space.

*Work 3 treble crochet, chain 1, 3 treble crochet in the next space.

Work 1 double crochet in the next space.*

Repeat from * to * until you reach the second corner.

Work 4 treble crochet, chain 2, 4 treble crochet all into the second corner space.

Now repeat from * to * again followed by the third corner space, as above, then repeat from * to * once more.

When you are back at the first corner space work 4 treble crochet, chain 1 and slip stitch into the third chain of beginning chain 3. And there you have it.

My First Diorama

Back in January 2022 my son asked if I could make him a Winter Diorama scene for his birthday in March. I know, I know but he has always loved Christmas/Winter more than anyone I know and he was once called Mr Christmas on TV, need I say more?

Anyway this was a first for me, So I started to collect the various pieces I thought I would need, mainly from Amazon. Here is the list of stuff I bought with links where possible.

1. Fake Snow

2. Victorian Winter Models

3. Cotton Wool.

4. Fairy Lights

5. Glue

6. Hurricane Lamp

A small string of battery operated fairy lights can be purchased from as little as £1 in Poundland - last I looked.

The hurricane lamp was the biggest expense but I did get two in the package so it could be a gift for someone or a treat for me. I was particularly looking for a hurricane lamp with maximum space inside and a wide opening.

To build, I coated the base with a PVA glue and stuck some cotton wool over it. My daughter mixed up the fake snow then sprinkled it over the cotton wool. The cotton wool ensures an uneven surface - as snow would fall.

We (my daughter helped) then placed the various pieces in the lamp until we were happy with the layout. As a finishing touch we added a little glue on the roof top, top of lamp and the figures and sprinkled on more snow.

Finally we polished up the glass and added the fairy lights.

We were pretty pleased with the result and more importantly, my son was too.

A Halloween Cross Stitch Pillow.

To be fair I finished this a while ago but I love showing it off. 

It' a Sheena Rogers Design and the kit is still available in her Etsy shop along with many other lovely designs.

It is full coverage and time-consuming but well worth every stitch.

Design size is 53/4 inches or 14.7 cm square.

The kit contains;

14HPI white aida fabric

Ready-sorted DMC Stranded Cotton Threads on a card sorter. 

Needle.

Backing fabric.

B&W symbol chart and instructions.

The cushion filling wasn't included but I bought Walnut Shell Grit to fill mine as I think it gives a more authentic cushion shape.

I added the black cord around the edge and the silver bat charm in the centre,

Well that's all for now crafty folks. Thank you for stopping by, until next time.

Sue x