After some hard crunch time working on my most recent manuscript during the day, we settled back to watch one of our favourite movies, the musical Singin' in the Rain! The cast is superb, Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor make an excellent dancing and comedic team, and Debbie Reynolds tops it off beautifully.
If you've never seen it, put it on your list. It's hilarious and the musical numbers are great. Some of the best dance sequences are with Kelly and O'Connor, like "Fit as a Fiddle" and "Moses Supposes". Not too mention O'Connor's "Make 'Em Laugh".
While watching movies I like to crochet but I didn't have anything started at the time. I couldn't sit through a whole movie without crocheting a little. So I went through my list of to-do projects and remembered my love for those delightful little things called mushrooms.
There's just something about the pleasant round, bulbous shape of a mushroom that I cannot resist. I've had it in mind to create some in clay and crocheting (not together, of course) but so far I hadn't got around to it. Well, now I have. At least one of them.
Isn't it cute? I told you, I can't resist them.
I started with the mushroom cap and followed typical amigurumi structure. Honestly I am surprised at how well it turned out. I planned to make one that was very basic: the round cap with a slight pyramid shape and straight stem. Then on the next one I would endeavour to gain the plumper cap and cute rounder stem. Surprisingly though, it came off right the first time. I didn't have to rip and try again once. Happy!
Only recently have I started venturing into the amigurumi sphere, being solely an accessories or home decor sort of person. My sister, who crochets as well, has always leaned more toward amigurumi's so, in an effort to help her, and enhance my own skills, I gave it a try. And I liked it. I've made some panda sisters for my younger sister, a unicorn for my second younger sister, and a ladybug for myself. Actually, the ladybug was my first amigurumi.
Here's my pattern:
Adorable Mushroom Pattern
Materials
-A small amount of worsted weight, your choice of colors.
I used Vanna's Choice Scarlet for color A, and Red Heart white for color B, just because those are the yarns I had on hand. Besides, every first mushroom should be red on top with a white stem. Just because.
-Size 6mm hook
-Polyester filling
-Tapestry Needle
-Scissors
Notes - In starting each round always ch 1 at the beginning and sl st to first sc at the end.
Cap
Round 1: With color A, 6 sc in magic ring.
Round 2: 2 sc in each st around.
Round 3: 1 sc in each st around.
Round 4: *2 sc in first st, 1 sc in next*, repeat from * to * to end.
Round 5: 1 sc in each st around.
Round 6: *2 sc in first st, 1 sc in next 2 st *, to end.
Round 7: 1 sc in each st around.
Round 8: Sc2tog in each st around.
Round 9: Sc2tog in each st around.
Stuff, working the fluff up into the top of the cap and flat around the bottom, pushing out the sides.
Round 10: Sc2tog in each st around to seal off.
Fasten off leaving a long tail. Use strand to go up through the center of the cap, catching a st in the top of the cap and coming back out the bottom, twice on opposite sides of cap. Pull gently to lift bottom, and straighten top back out. Weave in ends.
Stem
Round 1: With color B, 6 sc in magic ring.
Round 2: 2 sc in each st around.
Round 3: Work in back loops only, sc around.
Round 4: Sc2tog first 2 st together, sc in next 4 st, sc2tog, sc to end.
Round 5: Sc2tog first 2 st together, sc in next 3 st, sc2tog, sc to end.
Round 6-8: Sc in each st around.
Fasten off leaving a long tail for sewing. Insert washer(s) or beans to add weight to bottom, then stuff with fluff. Sew to bottom of cap. Weave in ends.
And voilà! you have an adorable mushroom.
The wonderful thing about amigurumi's, or crocheted objects, you can give them a pull here and a tug there to shape them the way you want. Perfect!
This isn't the end of my mushroom experiments. I hope to make some more, maybe more squat, taller or larger, and different colors as well, and will try to post the results. Stay tuned!
So go ahead, pull out a good musical with your yarn and go at it. Create! It's wonderful.
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