FREE PATTERN:

Crochet Small Totoro

Pattern is for personal, non-commercial use only.
Studio Ghibli owns the copyright for Totoro and I hope they do not take offense at my homage to the cute little guy.

Materials:
2 mm crochet hook
8 ply acrylic yarn - white
Beads for eyes

Method:
1) Start with an adjustable loop (or, 4 chain slipped into a circle) and work 6 sc, slip st into first sc, pull loop tight & fasten end.
2) Ch 1, inc in every sc, slip st into first sc. [12sts]
3) Ch 1, [inc, sc] X 5, slip st into first sc. [18sts]
4) Ch 1, [(sc) X 5,inc] X 3, slip st into first sc. [20sts]
5) Ch 1, [dec, (sc) X 5] X 3, sc, slip st into first sc. [23sts]
6) Ch 1, sc all round, slip st into first sc.
7) Ch 1, sc all round, slip st into first sc.
8) Ch 1, sc, [dec, (sc) X 5] X 3, slip st into first sc. [20sts]
9) Ch 1, sc, [dec, (sc) X 5] X 2, dec, sc X 2, slip st into first sc. [17sts]
10) Ch 1, sc, [dec, (sc) X 4] X 2, dec, sc, slip st into first sc. [14sts]
11) Ch 1, sc, [dec, (sc) X 4] X 2, slip st into first sc. [12sts] *STUFF WITH HOBBYFILL*
12) Divide top of head into two: Chain 2 sts and attach to opposite side.
13) Slip st twice (anticlockwise, away from the chain you’ve just made), then hdc along chain and slip st to body.
The ears are worked by inserting the hook from the centre towards the outside.

Ear:
Ch1, sc X 4
Continue in spiral.
Sc X 4, dec, tie off.
On opposite side of head, join yarn 2 sts away from centre division, hdc along centre division, slip st into body.
Make second ear.

Tail:
Make adjustable loop, (sc) X 5, pull loop tight & fasten end. Work 1 row sc, tie off. Stitch to Totoro.
Sew on 2 beads for eyes.

Enjoy your Totoro!

Back Again

Long time, no blog. Oh well.
I've been experimenting with Queen food dye for making self-striping wool. It's lotsa fun! I used large jars and stood them in a boiler-full of water and gently simmered. I added warm water, 1/4 cup white vinegar and 1/2 tsp to 1 Tab of food dye to the dye bath, depending on the depth of shade I was after. I used 2 chairs to wrap the balls of wool into skeins and loosely tied the skeins to prevent monster knots. In areas where I wanted the original colour (or splash of white) to show through I wrapped strips of rags around the wool and tied them off in a bow so I could undo them later. The skeins were soaked in warm water for about 1/2 hr and all the bubbles were gently pressed out. I left the skein (or part thereof) in the dye bath for about 15 min - or until the colour leached out of the dye bath leaving an almost clear liquid. Then the skeins were rinsed in a tub of warm water to remove any excess dye / vinegar and hung on the clothesline to dry. It knits up beautifully!
The pictures are of some 4ply mohair/nylon blend yarn which was pale blue. I left a third of the skein its original colour, dyed 1/3 of the skein in a dye bath with 1/2 tsp of Queen blue food colouring and the remaining third in a dye bath with 1 tsp of Queen green food dye and 1 tsp of Queen blue food dye.