Timic's Home

Crows by the thousand blacken the sights of Cluj through car-thronged streets of high-rises, dropping their bombs of white on the pavement. Islands of luck.
The hooded crow is the coolest of symbols for a city of gray and dust. Proud on the king's coat of arms, its brother holds the golden ring of power, stolen on a hunt. Meanwhile, Matthias Rex sits over the square and rues on what happened, a white patch on his head.


This birdy is an innocent brother of theirs, soft and spotless.
So here's the pattern: 

HEAD

Stuff the head as you go.

With GRAY

1. 3 sc in magic ring
2. 2 sc in each sc around (6)
3. Sc around (6)
4. *Sc in each of next 2 sc, inc in next stitch* around (8)
5. Sc around (8)
6. *Sc in each of next 3 sc, inc in next stitch* around (10)
7. *Sc in each of next 4 sc, inc in next stitch* around (12)
8. *Sc in each of next 3 sc, inc in next stitch* around (15)
9. *Sc in each of next 4 sc, inc in next stitch* around (18)
10. *Sc in each of next 5 sc, inc in next stitch* around (21)

Change color to BLACK

11. *Sc in each of next 6 sc, inc in next stitch* around (24)
12. *Sc in each of next 7 sc, inc in next stitch* around (27)
13. – 14. Sc around for 2 rounds (27)
15. *Sc in each of next 7 sc, sc2tog* around (24)
16. *Sc in each of next 6 sc, sc2tog* around (21)
17. *Sc in each of next 5 sc, sc2tog* around (18)
18. *Sc in next st, sc2tog* around (12)
19. Sc2tog around (6)

Sew shut. 

BODY

With GRAY
  
1. 6 sc in magic ring
2. Inc around (12)
3. *Sc in next stitch, inc in next stitch* around (18)
4. *Sc in each of next 2 sc, inc in next stitch* around (24)
5. – 10. Sc around (24)
11. *Sc in each of next 3 sc, inc in next stitch* around (30)
12. – 20. Sc around (30)
21. *Sc in each of next 3 sc, sc2tog* around (24)
22.  *Sc in each of next 2 sc, sc2tog* around (18)
23.  Sc around (18)
24.  *Sc in next stitch, sc2tog* around (12)
25.  Sc2tog around (6)

Finish off, leave tail for sewing on head. Stuff. 

LEG x 2

With BLACK
  
1. 6 sc in magic ring
2. *Sc in each of next 2 sc, inc in next stitch* around (8)
3. – 21. Sc around (8)
   

Finish off, leave long tail for sewing. Stuff. 

WING x 2

This is the only piece not done in the amigurumi style.

1. Chain 3 + 1 (4th chain as 1st chain of row 2 – all ch1’s will represent the first sc of the next row)
2. Sc in the 1st ch from hook (this is in fact an increase), 1 sc in next ch, inc in next stitch (5), ch 1, turn
3. Sc in 1st sc from hook (another inc), 1sc in next 3 sc, inc in next stitch (7), ch1, turn
4. Sc in 2nd sc from hook, 1 sc in each sc (7), ch1, turn
5. Sc in 2nd sc from hook, 1 sc in each sc (7), ch1, turn
6. Sc in 2nd sc from hook, 1 sc in each sc (7), ch1, turn
7. Sc in 2nd sc from hook, 1 sc in next sc, 2sc in next sc, 1 sc in next 3 sc (8), ch1, turn
8. Sc in 2nd sc from hook, 1 sc in each sc (8), ch1, turn
9. Sc in 2nd sc from hook, 1 sc in each sc (8), ch1, turn
10. Sc in 2nd sc from hook, 1 sc in each sc (8), ch1, turn
11. Sc in 2nd sc from hook, 1 sc in each sc (8), no ch1 at the end before turning – this is in fact a decrease
12. Sc in 2nd sc from hook, 1 sc in next 6 sc (7), ch1, turn
13. Sc in 2nd sc from hook, 1 sc in each sc (7), no ch1 before turning
14. Sc in 2nd sc from hook, 1 sc in next 5 sc (6), ch1, turn
15. Sc in 2nd sc from hook, 1 sc in each sc (6), no ch1 before turning
16. Sc in 2nd sc from hook, 1sc in next 4 sc (5), ch1, turn
17. Sc in 2nd sc from hook, 1 sc in each sc (5), ch 1, turn
18. Sc in 2nd sc from hook, 1 sc in each sc (5), ch 1, turn
19. Sc in 2nd sc from hook, 1 sc in next sc, sc2tog (4), ch1, turn
20. Sc in 2nd sc from hook, 1 sc in each sc (4), ch1, turn
21. Sc in 2nd sc from hook, sc2tog (3), ch1, turn
22. Sc in 2nd sc from hook, 1 sc in next sc (3), ch 1, turn
23. Sc2tog in 2nd and 3rd sc from hook (2), ch1, turn
24. 1 sc in 2nd sc from hook (2), no ch1 before turning
25. Slip stitch in 2nd sc from hook

Without finishing off, do a round of sc’s all around the edge of the wing – finish off with a slip stitch in the slip stitch of row 25, and leave a long tail for sewing. 

SCARF

With BLACK

1. Ch 80, turn
2. Skip 1 stitch, sc 79, finish off.

Assemble parts.

Since everyone is already excited about Christmas, here's my ornamental contribution (much too early, really) to the craze and kindness. Not sure what this is, clown or elf or gnome... found this little thing on the flea market years ago, so I had to have a go at mass-producing it back then.

Definitely worth a revision... I hope! :) Good for decorating trees or adding soul to places. And although my recent research (a simple search for “crochet clown”) has shown that there are many free patterns available online for such... elves (http://www.craftelf.com/Christmas/Crochet%20elf.JPG – this is great) and clowns (http://www.knitting-crochet.com/found/clopat.html), not one is exactly like this fellow. So here he is.

 

SIZE: Approximately 15 cm from top of hat to toe, without the hanging loop.

MATERIAL/HOOK: I used a 3 mm hook with light fingering yarn.

SKILL: easy – and fast, about 90 minutes to complete!

LEGS

R1: ch 41, 3 sc in second chain from hook, 4 sc in each chain (160 sc)

R2: change color (mine was the green and red for this one), turn and sc in each of the 160 sc you made, sl st for last stitch, finish off

Note: It will already curl up by itself, although you will need to shape both the legs and arms a bit by pulling and squeezing and making sure the layers slide on each other nicely. The resulting look has to show the wrong side of your work, so twist in that direction.

ARMS

R1: ch 29, 3 sc in second chain from hook, 4 sc in each chain (112 sc)

R2: change color (mine was the green and red for this one as well), turn and sc in each of the 112 sc you made, sl st for last stitch, finish off

COLLAR

R1: ch 12, sl st to first ch to form circle

R2: ch 3 (stands for the first dc), dc in same stitch, 2 dc in each stitch around (24 dc)

R3: change color, ch 3 (stands for the first dc), dc in same stitch, 2 dc in each stitch around (48 dc)

HAT

No need to sl st at the end of each round.

R1: ch 1 and 3 sc into magic circle

R2: 2 sc in each stitch (6 sc)

R3: sc in each stitch (6 sc)

R4: inc, sc in each stitch (7 sc)

R5: sc in each stitch (7 sc)

R6: inc, sc in each stitch (8 sc)

R7: sc in each stitch (8 sc)

R8: inc, sc in next 3 stitches, inc, sc in remaining 3 stitches (10 sc)

R9: sc in each stitch (10 sc)

R10: inc, sc in next 4 stitches, inc, sc in remaining 4 stitches (12 sc)

R11: sc in each stitch (12 sc)

Change color

R12: *2 sc in next stitch, 1 sc in next stitch* around (18 sc)

R13: sc in each stitch (18sc)

R14: sc2tog around so that there are 9 sc's, sl st, finish off

For the hanging loop, ch 30, finish off, fold and tie a knot at the end, then pull through the very top of the hat with your hook.

HEAD

You can use a cloth with filling, a crochet sphere, a small ball, anything you prefer, provided it fits the hat. Once you're done with the head, pull the hat onto it, it should be tight and unforgiving, but that's the point.

My not-so-round ball of a head was made as follows. I'm sure you'll find loads of better patterns for free, but hey, at least the size worked with this one!

R1: ch 1 and 6 sc in magic circle

R2: *sc 1, 2 sc in next stitch* around (9 sc)

R3: *sc in next 2 stitches, 2 sc in next stitch* around (12 sc)

R4: *sc in next 3 stitches, 2 sc in next stitch* around (15 sc)

R5: sc in each stitch around (15 sc)

R6: *sc in next 3 stitches, sc2tog* around (12 sc)

R7: *sc in next 2 stitches, sc2tog* around (9 sc)

Add stuffing.

R8: *sc 1, sc2tog* around (6 sc)

Slip stitch, finish off, pull yarn through all 6 sc's, tighten.

Insert into hat with the R8- side inwards, R1- side facing outwards.

Sew arms and legs together at their center, fold the collar neatly over them and sew for stability, then sew the head onto the little hole at the top of the collar. 

I'm no good with faces, so I ventured a blank. Get creative with buttons, smiles, eyes and rosy cheeks, please!

Yaaaaay!!!!!!! 

Finally finished my first ever BLANKET!!! And it's cosy and cute and fabulous and happy and useful (at last, something useful). Thanks for the great pattern, Lucy! :) 

http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/neat-ripple-pattern.html 

And if you're wondering about the cool pillows, I made those for personal use *exactly* inspired by photos of Anna Vozika's wonderful creations. You can buy her patterns here: 

http://www.ravelry.com/designers/anna-vozika

you can find the pattern for the squares at the Purl bee blog