How To Make The Pink Guy ::
(and a guide to customising your Wild Fingers!)
NB : sorry there is hair dye under my finger nails!
I am crocheting the Australian/UK way. You can find a stitch guide and left-handed or right-handed instructions at the very wonderful Crochet Australia site. For the embroidery and sewing up, you can find a great blanket stitch how to (and other things too!) here.
You need :
15 minutes or so
Yarn in a few different colours : some for the body, a wee bit for the embroidery (black, white, yellow for instance).
A crochet hook : I used a 3.5mm one and also a 4mm one for the ones I made
A sewing needle : a big fat one for yarn and a smaller one if you are using embroidery floss
Embroidery floss (or you can use yarn) to stitch eyes and things
Scissors
Foundation chain ::
Chain 18 stitches.
Row 1 ::
Skip the first 2 chain stitches and treble into the next (3rd) stitch.
Continue along this row, trebling once into each foundation chain stitch.
When you reach the end of the row, chain 3.
Row 2 ::
Turn your work around and work from the other side.
Treble one stitch into each treble stitch of the previous row : make sure you scoop up both loops of the previous treble stitch to keep you work kind of neat. Don't worry too much if it's a bit wonky, this project likes imperfection. Just do your best.
When you reach the end of the row, again chain 3 and turn your work.
Row 3 ::
Treble once into each treble stitch of the previous row, scooping up both loops of the previous treble stitch to keep tension nice. When you reach the last stitch, chain 3 and turn your work again! Nice job! Easy peasy, right?!
Row 4 ::
Treble once into each treble stitch in the previous row.
When you reach the last stitch chain up 1 and turn your work.
Row 5 and How To Form the Horns/Ears::
Look at the images above to see each step of Row 5...
Here's where I stop counting and start looking. (Usually because I somehow gained or lost a few stitches along the way! Oops. Too much multi tasking!)
Double crochet once into each treble stitches of the previous row until you are a third of the way in from the edge (see first image in group above)
Chain 8. (see second image above) Slip stitch firmly into the base of this chain (where you started chaining up from - see third image) You made the first horn/ear. Double crochet into the next few stitches until you are nearly one third of the way to the edge of your work (see fourth image).
Chain 8. Slip stitch firmly into the base of this chain (as you did before, making the second ear/horn) and continue along Double Crocheting into the remaining stitches until you reach the edge (fifth image). Fasten off, leaving a nice long end to sew up your guy (not now... a bit later! First we need to...)
Stitch a Face (or just some eyes!) ::
Using scraps of yarn, embroidery floss or felt and an appropriate needle (I use a chenille needle for yarn) it's hard to get a perfect result when embroidering into yarn, so embrace the wonkiness and see what sort of character forms! I like to use embroidery so no bits and pieces fall off later. You should do it the way you like, though! Tie off and trim the embroidery ends at the back of your work as neatly as you can.
Sew it up ::
Thread your long loose yarn end. (If you accidentally chopped it off, just thread some yarn the same colour as the Puppet body!) Fold your guy in half with his eyes on the outside. (If you want a hidden seam you can do it the other way, with right sides in and then turn him, but I like the craftiness of a sewn up, obvious seam at the back.) Stitch him closed with a simple over stitch or blanket stitch, matching the edges as you go and keeping any loose ends hanging (so you can make them into a tail later). Now stitch across the top between the 'horns/ears' too.
Finish him off ::
Pull all your loose yarn ends together and tie in a knot close to the puppet body. Then plait or twist them (if you like!) and tie in a knot near the end to secure. Or simple knot of and secure neatly inside the puppet body if you don't want a tail!
Notes on Customising Your Wild Fingers ::
- You can use this basic method to make all sorts of different Wild Fingers.
- Use different stitches to form the body (although don't make it too lacy or you'll see your threads through the 'fabric' of the crochet) - when you have the 'height' you like, crochet one third in and play around with different stitches to form different 'ears' or 'horns'.
- You could try chaining 4, double trebling two, chaining 4 (all into the same stitch) for instance. If you don't like you results just pull it undone and try something else.
- You can have the seam at the front, back or interior to change the character of your Wild Fingers... or you can change yarn colours... add tassles... all sorts of cool stuff. DO have a play around and customise your guys!
If you would like to contribute a couple of dollars to the Mike's Tutorial Fund then you can click the button below and Pay As You Feel. Whatever you think is a fair thing. No amount is too small. If you don't want to, that is okay too! The fund will help me to justify setting aside some more time to write and publish lots more tutorials in the future. If that's the kinda thing you guys are into. Of course there will ALWAYS be free tutorials here. No matter what. Donations or not. AND you should only throw us a few dollars if you can afford it. If you can't we totally understand and we invite you to use the tutorial anyway. Because you are ace. (I hope the button is installed properly!)
