FO Friday: Oleg the Octopus

This week’s finished project is one that has been in progress since maybe September of last year! It is Oleg the Octopus! The pattern is from Lalylala and can be found here.

oleg-the-octopus-1

Crocheting the body can take some getting used to because you’d be working with the tentacles already attached. The other parts are pretty typical for a Lalylala pattern; the arms, the hood, and the face.

One thing I changed is how I made the head. The pattern calls for the head to be worked in the round continuously from the body. I personally found that this method made it difficult to stuff the neck firmly enough to not be floppy. Instead, I used a head pattern from a different Lalylala doll. One that makes the head a separate piece  you sew on later. A problem I found with this change is the hood seems to be too big.

For my next Lalylala, I’m planning on trying another modification.

oleg-the-octopus-2

The little one wanted to go the big mall, so off we went into town. Luckily, the weather was really nice, so we went across the street to Ala Moana Beach Park for a photo shoot.

  • Pattern from Lalylala
  • Yarn used: Red Heart Super Saver in Spa Blue Fleck and Eggshell, Loops and Threads Impeccable in Royal
  • Other materials: 12 mm plastic safety eyes from Glass Eyes Online, polyester fiber filling, pearlized beads
  • Order yours here.

FO Friday: Summer Mosaic Afghan

This afghan has been completed for a while. But since this was given as a gift, I did not want to risk ruining the surprise by posting too early!

Summer Mosaic Afghan

This project had some ups and downs, and some learning experiences. First lesson was when using multiple colors for squares (in this case, hexagons), work by color sections and not one square at a time. Doing so helps break the monotony and makes you feel it is a quick project.

Summer Mosaic Afghan

Another lesson is to not put projects down to hibernate for too long. For me, this gives me an excuse to postpone and get lazier and lazier to finish the project. My inner procrastinator comes out too much.

Summer Mosaic Afghan

Summer Mosaic Afghan

Summer Mosaic Afghan

But overall, this turned out to be a great throw!

  • Pattern by: Julie Yeager
  • Yarn: Red Heart With Love in Aran; Red Heart Super Saver in Cherry Red, Hot Red; Vanna’s Choice in Scarlet, Brick
  • Hook: 5.5 mm and 6.00 mm Soft Touch crochet hook from Clover USA