Minstrel the doorstop

I was asked to make a cat doorstop.  I've not done much amigurami so searched for an easy skill pattern and found this: Amigurami Black Cat Door Stopper which can be found on the Lion Brand (pattern number 90695AD).

Feeling slightly anxious, I was about to make a start when they asked if I could make it to look like their cat......that is to say, the same markings as their cat.  Fortunately, it is a black and white cat and not a tortoiseshell.  So after many photos sent, I drew a rough sketch of the cat and with its markings.  Here are all the parts:

Head with eyes, nose and whiskers

             
Then I added the eyes and stitched on the nose, whiskers and ears and stuffed the head and it started looking more like a cat. I lightly stuffed the ears so that they had a softer feel to them. I stuffed the tail by using the end of a large hook to poke the stuffing in.

With this project, I decided against using sand and went for curtain weights.  I used about 25 which I put inside a bag. You can get them in fairly large quantities off ebay. 

curtain weights

After I had stitched him altogether, I gave him a nice red collar to complete his appearance.  I think he looks rather smart and was pleased with how he turned out.

Holiday with Happypotamus

I was wondering what I could take on holiday with me to crochet, when someone who had seen my Happypotamus (see June's African Flower Motif Hippo blog) asked me if I could make her one.  Great, I thought.....I can make the motifs on holiday and assemble it when I get home; doesn't take up much room and only 4 balls of wool.

The lady chose her colours: purple, off white, dark dusky pink and a light mixed fleck pink.  So on the days that we decided to chill out, I sat outside and did some crocheting.

Excuse the hair, it went a bit lank that day :-)

We had a lovely holiday on a campsite in France.  While I was crocheting a young lad in the next caravan saw me and came over and asked what I was doing.  So I showed him how I was doing the stitches and explained that I had to make all the flower motifs and then stitched them together to make a hippo.  At this point I showed him the photos that I had taken on my previous hippo.  He was amazed and had to go and tell his parents, who then had to come and have a look as well.

I came home with pile of motifs: 

This time I decided not to do any of the ends until I had done all the rounds and it made for a much neater finish.  I was much happier with the stitches.  I had read that someone in one of the crochet groups I belong to, saves all the ends and then uses them to stuff toys that she makes.  I thought this was a good and idea and it is amazing how many ends you have at the end of a project. 

Here is the finished Happypotamus: 21" long by 8.5" tall.

I have another week in France, different region, in a couple of weeks, so will have to think of another holiday project.

Holiday hippo (as he was called) was safely delivered to his new owner and given the name, Humphrey.  I am very pleased that  he has gone to a good home and will be cherished.

Just before he went off, I received my new labels which I ordered from 'gblabels'.  I am very pleased with them.....fast and efficient service which is more than can be said for Woven Labels who managed to get my order wrong twice.