Yesterday my daughter-in-law, Christine, and I headed to Toronto to go to Ripley’s Aquarium with Trina, Gary, Mina and Volker. We had a good time!
Chrissy
My granddaughter loves dolls, and probably has more than she can accurately count. She decided she wanted an “American Girl,” but she is, of course, Canadian though she lives in California. So her Mom made a deal with her: if she sold some of her current toys she could use the money to buy a Maplelea doll. (A good deal, what with the low loonie!)
Consequently, Mina ordered (and Grandma received – it was shipped to my house) a Maplelea friend. Mina decided her name should be Chrissy Burkard Gehiere Bacon, because of Aunt Chrissy and “I likes bacon.” But when Uncle Simon complained that she didn’t name her doll after him, she added “Uncle Simmie” to the end!
After I picked the doll up from the post office Mina allowed me to unbox her. Definitely a pretty doll, but not dressed for winter. So I found some suitable yarn and made her an outfit. I think she is pretty well off now. (Mitt pattern follows)
Chrissy’s Mitts
Start at fingertips and worked in the round toward wrist. I used Caron’s Simply Soft with 4mm crochet hook. If using different yarn and hook adjust accordingly.
Chain 5
Round 1: Sc in second chain from hook, and in next 2 chains, 3 sc in end, working up the opposite side, sc in next 2 chains, 2 sc in beginning chain. (12 stitches)
Round 2 – 6: Sc in each stitch (12 stitches); chain 3
Round 7- 9: Sc in each stitch, including the 3 chains (15 stitches)
Round 10: Sc, one decrease, 5 sc, one decrease, 5 sc to end. Join.
Thumb:
Row 1: Joint yarn. Sc in each chain and in the body of the mitt. join
Row 2: Sc in each stitch, end. Use end to close the thumb.
(These mitts are not very easy to put on due to the style of the doll’s hands.)
California Crochet
After finishing Mina’s afghan I had a request to make Kwazii for Volker. Kwazii is a former pirate in the show The Octonauts. I bought a pattern from Etsy and started. But I didn’t get it finished before leaving for California. I dutifully packed all the necessary parts into my carry-on luggage, intending to work on it on the plane.
First thing I discovered – I’d brought the wrong crochet hook! I have previously travelled with my case of crochet hooks, but I also almost lost them in security at the airport, or it felt like I almost lost them. Some of my hooks came from my Grandma Roth and I do not want to lose them, so I don’t take them anymore. So no crocheting on the plane.
Trina did not have a 4mm hook, so I had to buy a new hook. In the US Amazon is really amazing; I decided to buy a set of hooks, 2mm – 6mm, for less than $10 with the exchange! a really good deal.
Once I had the right hook, it didn’t take me long to finish Kwazii. I redid his whiskers as I didn’t like the first set. Volker was pleased.
Mina wanted a toy too. So I crocheted another character from a pattern book that Trina had purchased. This is Tweak: 
Then Trina decided to try crocheting a toy while I was there to help. She chose a Vegimal, Tunip (also from the Octonauts), to start. She caught on quickly and decided to make more. Volker is quite in love with the Vegimals.
It’s hard to hang onto all your friends and climb around on the playground equipment too!
Mina also wanted a Vegimal, so I made one with a different yarn and smaller hook
This is the size difference, my Codish and Trina’s Tunip:
And here are my two favourite children
How I do love them!
Making Mermaids
A few days ago I got a message from Trina:
I’ve booked my tickets for September — I will be in California for the wee girl’s 6th (!) birthday. This could be a good birthday present. Being too cheap to buy a pattern, I looked online and found this free one: YARNutopia By Nadia Fuad – mermaidafghan3sizes.pdf. I’ll use it as a guide to make my own.
This past weekend my friend Sandy went to the Southampton Market. There she found Benat’s Jacquards yarn in a variegated green, purple, aqua and white, three skeins for $8. I thought these colours would look good on a mermaid’s tail.
This week all the First Mennonite Church pastors are away at the Mennonite World Conference Assembly in Harrisburg, PA, so it has been very quiet in the church office. Consequently, I have taken my project to work and have been able to get a good start on it.
The afghan part of it is a simple shell stitch. I am using a 6.0mm hook. This is going to make a rather heavy afghan, I think, especially for California. I wonder if using a larger hook would have made a difference? I started with a chain 121 stitches long. That now seems wider than it would need to be for a child, but I will wait until it is finish to judge for sure.
I’m looking forward to getting it done.
Ms. Fixit
I may be a wee bit biased, but I think my granddaughter is the best! I’m sure she is following in the example set by her parents, but she is very much into creating & fixing things.
Her Transitional Kindergarten goal in life – to be robot engineer (she told me already she’s going to be a “robot fixer”):
Last night her father posted this on Facebook:
This is what the plate looked like before Mina’s fixing:
Really, which one looks better? I think she is wonderful!