Knitting, Crocheting, and Cleaning. OH MY!

These past few weeks have been busy, y'all.
I haven't gotten as much crafting done as I would've liked, but I DO have two finished projects (and also a very clean bathroom- more on that later)!
I made the Tilson socks from my Yarnbox subscription. I've never made an afterthought heel before, and I'll admit that it is pretty frightening to cut my knitting. It feels WRONG, but I did it, and it's cute, so everything is alright.

I also crocheted an Amigurumi Elephant, and gave it some bright yellow eyes.

Now... If you are a bit of a clean freak (*raises hand and looks around*), these next few photos are probably going to bother you. My parents bought a farm on thirty acres 11 days ago, and the people who used to live there were hoarders who neglected absolutely everything. Because of that, my parents got a great deal on the property, but have an enormous mess to clean up. 

This is what the master bedroom looked like the day after they moved out. 

Fun Fact: there is an armadillo tail in the cream laundry basket [see picture below], and a rubber dragon in the master closet.

In the doorway to the left (where my mom is standing), there is a sitting area that is also filled with junk. The years of neglect show very plainly there, as you can see from the huge dirt spots on the walls and the cat litter sprinkled across the floor [picture below].

The sitting room next to the master bedroom has dirt spots all over the walls, although the one captured here is the most prominent.

If you thought those rooms looked awful, the bathrooms are worse. This is the floor of the master bathroom *hyperventilates*. I'm not even going to talk about the shower.

Yesterday, I spent about four hours cleaning one tub, one sink, and one toilet in the cleanest bathroom. Not floors, not walls, just those three things. I used strong and undiluted chemicals over every inch and then cleaned them each about three times over. Here's a nice comparison of what the outside of the tub looked like before and after I wiped it once. AAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!

If you're not grossed out yet, here's a picture of the dining room in all its glory. 

Those are some majorly impressive cobwebs, aren't they?

 Moral of this post: Clean your house. FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS PURE AND HOLY, PLEASE CLEAN YOUR HOUSE.

There Are No UFOs

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: if needlecrafts were a form of cardio, I would be the most fit person alive... BECAUSE I HAVE GOT FOUR FINISHED PROJECTS!!!

I made another Winter Mouse, which is very snuggly and sweet-looking in his DK weight scarf.

Then, I made a baby dragon. This li'l dude had a billion different parts to sew together, but it was completely worth it.

And now my brother Caleb has some socks! The pattern was easy to memorize, which made them practically fly off of the needles.

Last, but not least, I finished a toddler sweater! In just four days! You may have noticed the tiny little sheep buttons on the button band. I got them from The Sated Sheep, my local yarn store, and I LOVE them. I really can't wait for it to be officially fall, because I want to see this worn!

The Octopus With Blue Eyes

Octopi (octopodes? octopusses? octopeople?) are generally known for their eight limbs, their slimy skin, and fabulous ink-making capabilities. Thankfully, amigurumi can't spray ink everywhere (note to self: MAKE THAT HAPPEN), although they are adorable.

This little octopus was originally not an amigurumi; it was more like a finger puppet. So, I added a couple of rounds to the body to close it up (as you can see on my project page). It's such a tiny little thing that it can fit in your palm!

Then, I made a seal, complete with a pink tutu (no outfit is complete without the addition of a tutu)!

Its whole body was made in pieces and then sewn together, which was a total of only seven pieces if I remember correctly (I've made an amigurumi with more than thirteen before, and that was a beast).

A Pig That Is Not A Pig (Feat. A Cat That Is Not A Cat)

It's that time again, y'all. No, not Christmas time, although it's approaching rapidly. I'm talking about the time of the year where adults rejoice, and kids and college students (*cough* ME *cough*) alike mourn the loss of freedom so recently gained. *sigh*

Actually, despite that it's going to cut into my crafting time, I'm not really that disappointed to be going back to class. The main reason why is because I got a plethora of the same comfy V-neck t-shirt in different colors, so my school wardrobe is set! Now I just have to get some tennis shoes that I can wear with my skinny jeans and my *whispers* mom jeans. XD

But enough about clothing and school- let's get to the meat of this post: the finished objects.

I made a tiny guinea pig! He fits in the palm of your hand, and is so tiny that his front feet are made out of bobbles. Ugh, he's too cute.

Next up is a kitty-like creature in a tutu. I didn't give it any whiskers due to the high level of resentment I was beginning to feel toward its face after I ripped them out four or five times. 

The tutu was a breeze to crochet, although it was a bit fiddly at first to work around the stuffed body.

If you'd like the patterns to these projects, they're free at: Newborn Guinea Pig by Kati Galusz, and  Small Cat

Warning: Contains Whale Puns

Whale, whale, whale, what have we here? *laughs at my own hilarity*

*ahem* Anyway, the inspiration for this project came about because of a family friend who is horribly afraid of whales- seriously, he hates them. So naturally, when I spied some blue yarn in my stash, I thought to myself, "What whale I make next?" And then I laughed, because that's what I do.

The pattern calls for a super bulky yarn, but I just used worsted and it turned out pretty great. I ended up playing yarn chicken with the main color, but salvaged the whole project by making the fins in two darker blues! 

I'm still on the fence as to whalether or not he needs a mouth. XD Tell me what you think. 

If you'd like to make a similar whale, it is now a paid for pattern at:Whale pattern by Suzy Wool

Never Tickle A Sleeping...

I've always been a fan of The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini (and also Harry Potter, hence the title, but, for now, I'm going to just gloss over that). The idea of dragons, magic, and, ya know, medieval death intrigues me. It should be no surprise to anyone, then, what happened soon after I finished yesterday's snail.

When I dug through my stash, searching for something to make another amigurumi with, I noticed that two of my greens complemented one another. Wait... I thought. Isn't there a green dragon in some story I've read? ... Oh, HECK YES.

Here he is in all of his plush glory! I feel like the tiny ears on top of his head really give him some character.

I thought about making his wings larger and more believable, but in the end I decided that it would be better to have him look more soft and cute rather than accurately sized.

If you would like to make this fearsome beast, the pattern is free at: Fierce Little Dragon pattern by Lucy Collin

Escarg-ewwww

Ah, snails. These delightfully slimy and disgusting creatures are best known for destroying all but the most hardy plants (read: cacti), and leaving even seasoned gardeners wailing with despair.

What better object to turn into a plushie? 😜

Honestly, though, this was fun to make. As far as I know, I haven't ever done crocheted short rows before in a pattern and that's basically all that this one comprises! I also got to use up what remained of an old tan skein of... I think it was an angora-wool blend??? I don't recall; although, whatever it's made out of, it's machine washable, so there's likely some acrylic in there as well. 

If you'd like to make this cute li'l dude, the pattern is free at: Snails pattern by Smeddley