Gutsy

Breathe easy knowing your lungs are safely in the hands of the
undisputed Etsy Queen of Crochet Anatomy An Optimistic Cynic

 

Having personally disected many animals including a human, I think anaotmy is amazing. It has always been one of my favorite subjects. So why not crochet some? Some might find the subject matter a little morose, but with Halloween coming up I think it's just right. Not to mention you can learn a lot without all the squishy-wet-smelliness of real disection. No gloves needed!

Hit the jump for a head-to-toe (literally!) depiction of the human body in yarn:

I'm Baaaaaaack!

Even this polar bear can't describe how sorry I am. Source

I don't have enough excuses to fill up my absence. Suffice to say it has been a busy and at times difficult summer. I hope to fill your day with crochet blog posts now that I'm set up at work and have day-long access to my computer.

I also finally broke down and signed up for Pintrest. I'm finding it to be a convenient way to hold on to a piece of inspiration (inspiration which will certainly turn into more Yarnacles posts!) so I can go back later and turn it into something. Find my "Crochet Ideas" Pintrest board here.

Open Wide!

Find the pattern for "Morris Mouth"over at  Ess Haych
and don't give me any lip about it!

As a dentist, the mouth has always been fascinating to me. However, when I crochet i usually take the cop out of making an upside down "Y" with backstitch. I want to make more sculptural mouths with more potential for expression and shape. I have collected some of my favorite mouths under the jump--toothy, open, lippy, monstrous. It's a veritable oral menagerie.

Hit the jump and don't forget to brush your teeth tonight!

One is Silver and the Other's Gold

Don't explode just 'cuz I posted a knitting photo :).
Find this pattern and lots more over at cheezombie.

I'm back with a vengance. Let's get this blog party started with something we all need--friends! I'm intrigued by the idea of making pairs of crochet pals. So many possibilities: ketchup and mustard, raindrop and rain cloud, bear and honey bee, flower and watering can. I hope these friendly photos inspire you to try a pair of pals yourself!

Hit the jump below for more pics

Making My Brown Eyes Blue

This tiny blue car vrooms in from Silayaya

I was taking a look at my shop today and I realized something--There isn't enough blue! I have things in pink and green and brown and yellow and red but blue (and purple) are seriously lacking. Time to start my "Blue Period" like Picasso. I looked around for inspiration and I found plenty!

I think its because I tend to crochet food and animals. Not many blue options there. Guess I'll have to branch out!

Hit the jump to dive into some summer blues!

Book Review: Tasty Crochet

Buy it on Amazon here.

I was perusing my local library for crochet books (as I often do) and I stumbled across Tasty Crochet by Rose Langlitz (North Light Books, 2009). Amigurumi! Food! Glossy photos! I was in love. I took it home and gave it a good once-over, then started crocheting. It features 33 crochet patterns for all types of food at a beginner to intermediate range of difficulty.

First, the good: This book has tons of gorgeous color photos and a very pleasing layout. The book is broken up into four chapters: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. How cute is that? The patterns span many different type of food and cuisines. It also has a great "Basic Crochet" section in the back which would be a terrific resource for someone just picking up crochet and amigurumi. I also liked that many of the patterns had multiple ideas for riffing on the original pattern, which helps the creative juices get going. Also, you know how much I like a good index, and this book passes muster.

Now, the not-so-good: The pattern instructions were a little busy for me--I think they could have been stated a little more simply, but all of the patterns I tried were accurate and fun. Also, some of the patterns border on absurdly simplistic (i.e. "Pancake" and "Green Beans") but many of the patterns are a bit more complicated and have multiple parts, which is really fun. The materials lists are called the "Ingredients," which I found to be a bit cheesy.

Bottom line: Beautiful book that would be great for someone trying to get into amigurumi, but might be a little on the simple side for experienced hookers such as myself ;).

Hit the jump to see my interpretations of two of the patterns in the book:

Huge Apology Pig!

This capybara mom and her itty bitty capy-baby come from Animal Wildlife

Ok, so I know capybaras aren't technically guinea pigs, but these ones are so damn cute and I wanted to have a big pig for the big gap in blog posting.

So here's the good news: I'm a dentist! I have finally graduated dental school (after 23 consecutive years of school) and I'm ready for the real world!

Here's the really good news: I don't receive my license until July so I have lots of time to post!