Crochet

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Crocheted Treasures

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cro laurie toys 0414

My dear friend Laurie showed me her home renovations on a recent evening.  The house she grew up in is now hers alone since her father passed away last year.  She set about to update many areas, redecorate, and focus on only the items she loved so that the home would have her imprint on it.

Laurie has two cute grandkids who live about 150 miles away.  They come to visit for weekends, so one of her renovated rooms is a bedroom she has converted to a very child-friendly playroom.  When I walked into that room, the first thing I saw were these two obviously well loved crochet toys.  The monkey, especially, grabbed my attention.  It’s about 3 feet long and is unique, like nothing I’ve ever seen before.  The cute little bear is more common.

Laurie has only one child, a son who is now about 35.  These were his toys, crocheted for him by friends of Laurie’s mother who was an artist herself.  I wanted to share them with my readers.  In addition to these animals, there were two of the son’s baby afghans crocheted for Laurie’s baby shower before her son was born.  One is a lovely ripple in yellow and white.  The other is a shell stitch in pink and white.  Obviously, someone was hoping for a girl.  The good news is that baby doesn’t care what color his/her afghans are!

Laurie has no idea of the pattern source for either of these stuffed animals.  I bet some readers do.  They are both worked mainly in single crochet and stuffed very tightly.  The monkey sits better than the photo shows, but he also stands up pretty well too.  I can just see Laurie’s son toddling around the house, carrying this monkey which was probably bigger than the boy!

If you are fortunate enough to have similar items tucked away in your home, take them out and let them be seen.  These are treasures that are both priceless and invaluable.  They wouldn’t sell for much, but no amount of money could replace them!

NOTE:  Thanks to Kirsten Ellis for taking this picture for me!

Looking for more Crochet patterns using the Ripple stitch check these out on Etsy?

Comments

  2. those are the most treasured of toy finds that usually don’t wind up being kept. a fine find to pass onto the next generation.
    thanks for sharing.

Have you read?

Crochet Baby Beanie – A Sweet Beginner-Friendly Hat Pattern for Baby Showers and Handmade Gifts

This Crochet Baby Beanie is one of those simple little patterns that makes a really lovely handmade gift. It uses soft Bernat Softee Baby yarn for the hat, a fluffy Pipsqueak edging, and an optional crochet flower on the side, giving it that cute baby-shower-ready finish.

What makes this one appealing is that the shape is worked in easy rounds, starting with a magic circle and increasing up to 48 stitches before moving into the textured post-stitch section. The fluffy edging softens the whole look, and the added flower gives it a sweet decorative touch without making the project feel too fussy.

I also like that it feels like a pattern you could easily customize. You could skip the flower for a simpler baby beanie, change the colors for a more modern look, or keep the pink-and-white version for a classic handmade baby gift. It has that practical “quick weekend project” feel, which is always handy when a baby shower sneaks up on you.

If you’re looking for an easy crochet baby hat pattern with a soft, cozy finish, this one is definitely worth a look. It’s cute, giftable, and the fluffy trim gives it a little extra charm.