April 21, 2007

Changing Faces on Baby Stackers Crochet Pattern


What are the differences between these crochet animal heads?
Lets take them one by one.
The Dog head versas the Bunny head.
Both have the same eyes, same muzzle and nose. The size of the head is the same, only the colors used and the ears are different.
The Dog head versas the Bear head.
Both use the same eyes and nose. The muzzles are different. The dog has two small muzzles sewn next to each other while the bear only has one large one. Again the only real differences are the colors of yarn used and the ears, but if you look closely to the bear's ears you will notice how simular they are to the shape of the eyes and are really one in the same.
Last is the Dog head versas the Cat head. Again same eyes and nose, but different ears and the cat has a few stitches of embroidary of its muzzle instead of the sewn on one of the dog.
Can you tell where I am going with this?
Use your imaginations! Just because you see an item being used in one way doesn't mean you can't change it to suit your needs. Don't like dogs? So change it into a cat. The person you are making this for has their nursey done in bunnys, so change it into a bunny.
Nothing is ever written in stone.
Change the colors you use.
Change the type and weight of yarns.
Take it and put it to a totally different use. How about sewing one of the heads onto a body you've sewn and stuffed. Or use them as soft balls for a baby to play with. Or get really bold and string a bunch of the heads together and use it as a scarf this winter.
My point is take it and run with it!
Somethimes running with scissors is okay.
Just don't mistake getting crative with someone's pattern and then calling it your own or you could end up with a lot of problems leagelly.

What is 4 ply Yarn?

A new person to crochet recently asked me what the 4-ply yarn I stated I used in my pattern meant and if it had anything to do with gauge.
4 ply is the weight of the yarn or thickness and is also called medium . It really means 4 strands of thinner yarn have been twisted together to produce that yarn. You find the weight of the yarn usually just above the name of the yarn something like: Worsted - Medium - 4. Worsted means several strands of thinner yarn have been twisted together to make up the yarn. Medium is the over all thickness you'll achieve in your finished piece and 4 is the number of worsted yarns
4 ply is a weight more commonly used in crochet. One of the easiest to find brands of 4 ply yarn is Red Heart. Usually Wal-mart, Joanns, Michaels, etc have a large variety of colors . I always like to list the weight or type of yarn I used to make the item from the pattern so if it is a special type of yarn you know that up front.
There are of course thinner and thicker yarns available. If you substitute a thinner yarn like a sport weight--3 ply-- you'll end up with a smaller finished piece than what the pattern states. Like wise a thicker yarn will get you a larger finished piece, but I really don't recommend switching as not all patterns can tolerate the change and you may lose some of the details that attracted you to that pattern in the first place.

www.donnascrochetdesigns.com