Say hello to my little friend: Deer Amigurumi

Last month the lovely Amanda (@pidgecrick on Twitter) posted a picture of an amigurumi deer pattern from June's Inside Crochet. A keen fan of cute and/or kitsch deer, especially the Babycham one, I knew I HAD to make it so eagerly awaited this month's issue. When I finally tracked down a copy this week (all the local shops stock an abundance of knitting magazines but never crochet  ones), I was a bit disappointed with the rest of the patterns. I had a flick through Simply Crochet and was delighted to discover the exact same deer pattern in there too. Yay! There were more patterns in there I liked so I plumped for Simply instead. 

I got straight to work on my little deer and was amazed at how quickly it worked up - it's a long while since I made anything this small! The pattern was pretty straightforward, although I had to improvise a bit as my first attempt at his ears were nearly as big as the deer himself. Once I had all the pieces completed, however, I remembered why I rarely make amigurumi: I do not enjoy assembling them. 

I think he turned out OK though and I'm pleased I actually managed to finish something for the first time in ages. My current list of ongoing projects is getting bigger by the week but I've come to realise that I need lots of different things on the go to stop me getting bored. Switching between two crochet throws, two knitted scarves, a crochet cushion cover and several hand embroideries seems to be working so far but it might be a while before I get any of them finished!

Jenny

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Summer's here!

Or at least, I hope it is. The last few years we've had a week of glorious weather only to be plunged into grey, drizzly misery for the rest of the year so I've been taking full advantage of the warm, sunny days and working mainly from my garden or the nearby beach. Ah, the benefits of working from home!

Glyn and I joined the National Trust on our visit to Lyme Park last month (hello middle age!) and I'm quite excited about the prospect of free days out for the next year.  This weekend, we headed into North Wales intending to spend a lazy day picnicking in the sun. We ended up in Bodnant Garden, just a short distance inland from Llandudno. I'm more of a wild, untamed nature lover than a pretty garden fan but oh my word! Bondant is without doubt one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. June is a great time of year to go, as the flowers are in full bloom, the trees are lush and green and the entire place is just a riot of colour, but pictures from autumn look pretty spectacular too. Covering 80 acres of land, we only made a dent in the gardens but I'm sure we'll be back before the summer is out. 

  

  

  

 

Jenny

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