Puffins and Chocolate Oranges April 2025
You may think that Puffins only eat sand eels and other such seafood, but did you know that they also love chocolate oranges? They just don’t often get them them as there are not many shops out in the North Sea that sell them. When they can get hold of them, though, they love them! Here’s the proof:
This was a special commission for someone who loves puffins and chocolate oranges. The challenge was to make the chocolate orange part-unwrapped. Since none of my yarn was the right colour for the orange wrapper – one too orange and one too yellow – I used both! I crocheted as though using a single yarn and just hooked both at the same time. The result was the colour I wanted but with an added bonus that the different colours mixed together gave a slightly metallic shine to it. Then, I attached a silver yarn to the inside and crocheted that layer too. The chocolate itself I simply crocheted as a ball and inserted into the wrapper. Happy eating, Terry the Puffin!
Mini-Cacti Greenhouse 19/2/25
I saw a little plastic greenhouse and thought it might be fun to put a couple of the cacti inside it but it just obscured them, so my wife suggested that I make mini cacti, so I did! Most are around 4cm in height. Then, I added a few tools, some spare pots, a bag of compost, a watering can and a water butt.
Crochet World 28/1/25
Well, this is a new one for me: I have crocheted a mini globe. It’s about 8cm tall, and I originally intended just to add the basic continent shapes, but it became more and more detailed as I went, and I admit I got a bit carried away… It includes details such as iceland, the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, Japan, and, of course, the UK.
I started with the Arctic and then North America. Next, South America and Antarctica. I used a magic ring as the basis for these with additional chains, slip stitches and double-crochets to create the detailed shapes. Once happy with the scale, I created Africa using rows, then Asia and Europe – Saudi Arabia was particularly tricky! Australia next, and then little finishing touches to add the final details.
I have no basis for my claim, but I assert that this is the most detailed, geographically accurate crocheted globe of its size in existence! If you’ve created a more detailed more, please send me pictures – I’d love to see them.
Crazy Cactus Crochet 28/1/25
Okay, I admit I may have become slightly obsessed with crocheting cacti and succulents! Why? It seems a strange thing to focus on – it’s different from my usual animal creations.
There are so many different types of cacti in different shapes and styles that it gives so much scope for exploration and experimentation with crochet. By using front loops and back loops, in the round and in rows, front post and back post stitches, sc and dc, you can create so many variations, have a lot of fun, and have natural-looking crochet models at the end of it all.
17 January 2025: Here are my latest creations – a new shark, a special-request teapot, and my cactus collection.
January 2025: I have just finished making a series of pickle puns – there is the gherking, pickle-lily and the crocodill!
