Welcome to Night Vale eyeball plushie

Hello! I went to a roller derby skills night last night, and I am still sore! It was so much fun though; we learnt how to do slides and knee taps and jumps and all kinds of exciting things that you can't really do when you go to social skates and you get in the way if you keep practising stops while everyone else is trying to go in circles (oops!). I've signed up for a twelve week roller derby skills course next month (gah!) so stay tuned for more skating news ~____^ In the meantime though, let's talk crafts! ^___^

I made this plushie version of the Night Vale eye. Does it serve any purpose whatsoever? Nope. Do I adore it anyway? Yup! ^___^

If you'd like to make your own, you will firstly need to know how to crochet a sphere. Or, if you're more like me, be prepared to spending some time making it up as you go along and then getting it wrong and undoing it. I started off with black wool, to make the pupil, then changed to purple, for the iris, and then finally white for the rest of the eyeball. When you are almost finished the sphere, stuff it with plushie filling and then change colours one final time to red and decrease to close the sphere. 

 

Then, before tying off, crochet a length of chain from the middle of the back of the eyeball. This is going to be the largest nerve! Single crochet in each stitch back down the chain, and then fasten off. I added six more smaller nerves around the larger nerve, just by tying on where I wanted the nerve and then chaining to a random length and tying off. I didn't trim the ends of the chains as I rather liked how it looked with the ends still on.

 

I tied a length of the red wool around the ends of the nerves, so they were gathered together in a little bundle ^___^

 

  

And then it was time to make the most important part - the crescent moon! With it, after all, this plushie is just a purple eye! I used this pattern by Zaaynab Le'Von, which was the perfect size ^____^

I stitched it on with a little bit more white wool and then the Welcome to Night Vale eyeball was complete!

 

 It's quite a large eyeball; as you can see, I can barely get my hand around it!

I'm not going to post next week as I'll be quite busy but after that I'll have much more time on my hands! I might even try to post twice to make up for it ~____^ I'll see you in two weeks, but, in the meantime, tell me what your favourite fandom is! I love to make nerdy crafts, but it's tough to choose a favourite! I think probably Adventure Time is the most crafted fandom for me though ^____^

- Lisa xx

Crochet eyeball beret with pattern

Hello! A while ago I saw a beret that looked like an eyeball and, as with so many things, I thought: "I could make that!". And, finally, I have actually done so! ^___^

My version is crocheted, because the only thing more impractical to wear during an Australian heatwave than a big floppy beret is one that is woolen. Yes, I am a highly practical person ~___^

This is what it looks like on; as you can see I have added some pleats in the back in order to make it extra slouchy and comfy. I think it worked! ^___^ (Also, thanks goes to Rebecca for taking this photo of the back of my head, as that is a rather difficult thing to accomplish by oneself.)

And here it is from the front! I like to wear my hats rather low on my head to cover up where my fringe part begins. Especially at the moment as I desperately need to touch up my roots - eek! ~___^

Would you like to make your own? Here's how!

You'll need four colours of yarn. I used charcol grey for the pupil, green for the iris, white for the sclera, and pastel pink for the veins and the rest of the hat.

 

 

I wanted the veins to be very subtle, so I chose a colour with a very similar tone to the white yarn; maybe too similar! The veins are tricky to see unless you are looking carefully. I also used a 3.75mm crochet hook (size F-5 for the Americans ^___^), scissors, and a thick tapestry needle.

To make this hat, you are basically making two shapes; the circle and the ring. Both are pretty easy to make and you could probably do it without a pattern. But, I wrote down what I did anyway so if you like you can follow that ^___^ Just please keep in mind that this pattern hasn't been tested! You will probably find a mistake (or ten!); if you do, please let me know and I will fix up the pattern! ^___^

Circle:

Row 1: Using your grey yarn, chain 6. Join with a slip stitch. 

Row 2: Crochet 12 trebles into the ring, join with a slip stitch. 

Row 3: Crochet two trebles into each stitch around, join with a slip stitch. 

Row 4: Treble twice into one stitch, then once in the next stitch; repeat this pattern all the way around and then join with a slip stitch.

Row 5 - 6: Repeat row four.

Row 7: Change to green yarn; treble once into each stitch around, join with a slip stitch.

Row 8: Treble twice into one stitch, then once in the next four stitches; repeat this pattern all the way around and then join with a slip stitch.

Row 9: Treble once into each stitch around, join with a slip stitch.

Row 10: Repeat row nine.

Row 11: Change to white yarn. Treble twice into one stitch, then once in the next four stitches; repeat this pattern all the way around and then join with a slip stitch.

Row 12: Repeat row eleven.

Row 13: Treble once into each stitch around, join with a slip stitch.

Row 14: Repeat row thirteen.

Row 15: Treble twice into one stitch, then once in the next four stitches; repeat this pattern all the way around and then join with a slip stitch.

Row 16 - 17: Treble once into each stitch around, join with a slip stitch.

My circle was 28cm in diameter.

 

 Ring:

Row 1: Using your pink yarn, chain 118 and join with a slip stitch. Make sure you don't twist the chain while you join in.

Row 2: Treble once into each stitch around, join with a slip stitch.

Row 3: Treble twice into one stitch, then once in the next four stitches; repeat this pattern all the way around and then join with a slip stitch.

Row 4: Repeat row three.

Row 5: Treble once into each stitch around, join with a slip stitch.

Row 6: Repeat row five.

Row 7: Treble twice into one stitch, then once in the next four stitches; repeat this pattern all the way around and then join with a slip stitch.

Row 8 - 11: Treble once into each stitch around, join with a slip stitch.

The inner diameter of the ring that I made was 17cm, after pleating.

 

Then pin the ring to the circle, right sides in, adding four pleats to the bottom of the ring. Using slip stitch, crochet all the way around the pinned edge, joining the two pieces together.

  

Use surface crochet to add the veins to the sclera and then, after weaving in all the ends (groan!), it's finished! ^___^

My head circumference is 55cm, but the hat does have a bit of stretch in it so it'll probably still fit if your head is a little bigger than that. Also, please keep in mind that I crochet very tightly. If you crochet with less tension, your hat will end up bigger and you probably won't need to do as many rows.

 

Anyway, I hope you like it! If you make one for yourself I'd love to see it, and if you can advise me what one should wear with a pastel eyeball hat, I'd love to hear your outfit ideas!  I'm thinking a white lace dress with pale blue stockings ... but that'll have to wait until winter!
^___^

- Lisa xx