Secret of crafting: The simple way of embroidering evil monster eyes

These eyes can be used for animal ami such as tigers, lions, lynxes, dragons, dinosaurs

and other monsters

Secret of crafting: Doll's hair, which cannot be pulled out

Recently I read about a new way to make doll hair. I decided to check it and found one
big mistake: the hair can be easy pulled out when drawing out an end of yarn. So I tried to

find some method that would help to solve this problem. And this is what I came up with.

Secret of crafting: Embroidering simple eyes

Today I will share my simple way of embroidering the eyes of such a Dog.

I will use a large doll head with clearly distinguishable stitches so that you see everything.

Also I will use the embroidery thread consists of 6 thin threads.

A doll in technique 'wrong side outward' (3)

So, my doll project is little by little moving forward. Now this girl got her breasts and (how to say it in English politely?) ... butt cheeks?

On the photo it is not visible, but one leg turned out bigger than the other because I decided to make new leg instead the first failed attempt, but could not make exactly the same size of foot insole.

In addition, the new leg is also a bit longer. I do not want to remake the legs again. I think that a filler and a wireframe will solve this problem. For example, my right leg is also a little bigger than left one, I do somehow live with it ... LOL

It was really hard to crochet a white T-shirt. White (as well as black) yarn is not comfortable to work at all, and then (I think so), this white thread is a little thinner than blue and red. But I succeeded.

Now a need to make a head. Actually, I already have one copy of the head. But it does not quite like me.

This is my first crocheted detail, so the hands turned out not so good as I would wished. Perhaps I'll crochet another upper part. And I will have one more spare head for training in embroidering eyes. This step frightens me most of all because I have not skills on embroidering.

A doll in technique 'wrong side outward' (2)

These are the tiny boot I have made for my doll. Seems I already learned crocheting in technique "wrong side outward".  Now the 'wrong' decreases (when firstly you need to pick up BLO the 2nd st. from the hook and then - the first stitch) are not a problem for me. My crocheting became more even, I have succeeded with tiny loops.

But these boots were not easy work. I did not crochet in non-spiral rounds for a long time, so I forgot HOW and WHY I do not like this type of crochet. Although video-tutorial by Milena is gorgeous and very clear for me, but the words "make a slip stitch into the chain" puzzled me at first: which is the chain stitch I need? And why I always have 1 extra stitch at the end of the round :- (((

At first I struggled with the problem, unweaved and tried to count the stitches more closely. But then I solved this problem fundamentally: I took a more thicker yarn and start to make boot, marking those ill-fated chains with a mark pen. So at the end of each round, I always saw into what stitch I have to crochet the slip stitch.

By the way, I liked the crocheted shoes from acrylic yarn. For training I have made another one, and turned out such a souvenir-keychain.

My doll have got such nifty legs. The crocheting was pretty easy. I decided to dress my doll into blue jeans.

A doll is made ‘wrong side outward’ (1)

So, I started crocheting my wireframe doll in technique 'wrong side outward'.

For the doll I bought this yarn.

This is Irish RAM YarnArt, features can be viewed at Ravelry

As I expected, such crocheting is difficult because stitches are tiny. I use a hook 1.25 mm.

I started from doll head. While I was crocheting 'a ball', everything was ok, but making the neck was a little more difficult.

However the most difficult thing was making the shoulders. This is a very clever  way, and for so tiny loops it is really hard to understand what stitches are crocheted.

By the way, I want to share one more my secret. I always use such a special lamp with a magnifying glass for crocheting.

I have even two lamp with glass different degree of increasing.

Now I decided to crochet one more doll from more thicker cotton thread as a work copy. I  found a fit yarn for it in my stash. This thread is a bit thick for doll, but the crocheting is comfortable. Let's see what will turn out.

Now about the technique 'wrong side outward'. The most difficult, as I expected, is an  invisible decrease. According to this method decrease is also 'wrong' ;-) . First is necessary to pick up the back loop of the second stitch from the hook, and then come back to the first stitch. In that time the second loop tends to jump off the hook. Yes, it's not easy, but I am sure I'll eventually reach success.

Moreover, it is much more difficult to make such decrease if yarn consists of several threads. I tried two more kinds of acrylic yarn, it’s just a nightmare!

By the way, very interesting to compare size of heads made from different thickness yarn   (2 on the left are from acrylic, 2 on the right are from cotton).

Crocheting in ‘a wrong side outward’

It seems quite easy: we can crochet in rounds as usual, then will turn wrong side of our ami outwards. And, for example, such a pretty cup of tea turns out (the pattern by magic filament) .

Unlike such a simple amigurumi from lush acrylic yarn, these dolls below are made of thin cotton yarn and look quite differently (made by Mint Bunny).

Are you thrilled? And it's natural, I felt the same! I was shocked and excited.

I very seldom like crocheted dolls, although once I made two simple options, but was not happy with what turned out.

These cuties have caused me a strong desire to crochet something similar. I believe the work on such dolls will improve my level of crocheting and designing.

So now I plan to stock up with a thin cotton thread and to practice crocheting in 'a wrong side outward'. Of course, such perfect dolls as at the photos above are too much difficult for me now. But I found the great video tutorial by Handmade by mrs. Owl and I'll make The Pikachu girl for a start.

https://youtu.be/jNHpfPEkN3M

Anyone interested can follow the process of crocheting on my facebook page Ella's crocheted toys or in this blog. Fortunately, the author (mrs. Owl) is a generous person: she is a Russian-speaking lady, but she added English subtitles. In addition, she eagerly answers questions on YouTube and Facebook.