Crochet Pattern Review - Monkey by Vanessa Mooncie

This week I thought I would review a crochet pattern I recently followed; Monkey by Vanessa Mooncie. This pattern can be found in Vanessa's book Crocheted Wild Animals; A collection of cuddly creatures to make from scratch. It's a book I have had for a few years now and this is the second time I have followed the monkey pattern because the last one was such fun to make and such a hit with friends that I decided to make another one.

I like Vanessa's patterns because they are written out in a clear, logical way and just in case you still don't understand, there are diagrams for each individual piece required for the finished piece. The monkey pattern, like the others in the book, is accompanied by lots of photos of the finished monkey in a variety of different poses. I find this is handy when it comes to sewing the completed sections together because you can clearly see what goes where.

The picture above shows the first monkey I made, back in 2015, patiently waiting for me to make him a new friend! The photo below gives an idea of the layout of the pattern within the book. I like the little facts about each of the animals added in some of the free spaces!

I worked on the monkey with very little distraction from other projects and I enjoyed watching the colours form stripes in the variegated merino from Marley Yarns (https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/MarleyYarns), so I finished off within a few days. I only made four small deviations from the original pattern. Firstly I always use buttons instead of safety eyes; there's no particular reason for this other than because I love buttons! Secondly I altered the ears going through the front loop only of the inner ear; I thought the ridge created was similar to the way the top of the face was attached. Thirdly I omitted the tummy section; I wanted to show off the variegated yarn. Fourthly I didn't edge the top of the face; because I was using variegated yarn it looked clumsy - a clear line of yellow worked best. I want to be clear that all these reasons are purely personal and in no way a reaction to poor pattern writing. 

I would definitely recommend Vanessa Mooncie's Monkey pattern, and indeed any of her other patterns. Vanessa has a delightful way of designing cuddly creatures and giving them real anthropomorphic character which will instantly charm anyone who sees them. 

Have you followed this pattern? Or any of Vanessa's other patterns? Let me know what you think in the comments. xx

Happy Scrappy Yarn

A few years ago I began to join all my odd ends of wool together to make a ball of stripy yarn. I then used this wool to make crocheted toys which my family loved! I have continued to collect the wool and join it together ever since, making bunnies and monkeys as soon as I have enough to do so. 

crocheted monkey, hanging from a tree!

Recently I decided to see if this stripy wool would work well  if it was crocheted into fingerless mitts or wrist warmers The result was just as I imagined and my "happy Scrappy" collection began!

1st pair of wrist warmers

Above: happy scrappy wool, ready to use 

Below: odd ends of wool, waiting to be joined

I use a needle felting tool to join and blend the two ends of wool together. This creates a strong join and a lovely blend between the two colours. The first pair a happy scrappy wrist warmers sold very quickly and before long I had enough to make a second pair. I make a lot of granny square blankets and any wool which is too short to make the centre of a new square is placed to one side.

2nd pair of wrist warmers

The yarn is all 100% pure wool and a mix of all sorts of different brands including Rowan, Debbie Bliss, King Cole and Drops. As long as it is around double knitting (DK) thickness and any kind of pure wool it is added in!

2nd pair of wrist warmers, modelled

I listed the second pair of wrist warmers today in my Folksy Shop today  www.folksy.com/shops/martasecocrafts This week I am offering a special 15% discount on all shop items! Simply add the code "CHRISTMAS" at the checkout. Offer ends Friday 5th December 2014.

An owl and a monkey

I have had a lot of fun recently following Vanessa Mooncie's patterns and making crocheted animals! I bought Vanessa's book 'Crocheted Wild Animals' about 6 months ago and so far I have made the elephant, the giraffe, the owl and the monkey. I find the patterns very easy to follow because they are in both written and diagram form.

finished owl

The owl was particularly fun to make because it involved various different stitches. I loved making the shell pattern body!

I decided to make the monkey as a surprise birthday present for my husband this week. His birthday was yesterday and despite him catching me working on it a few times he did not suspect it was something for him. I chose darker wool than the pattern suggested, mainly because that is what I had in my stash. For both patterns I used King Cole baby alpaca DK and the finished animal is so soft and squishy!

finished monkey

If you would like to see more of Vanessa Mooncie's crocheted and knitted animal patterns take a look at her Ravelry page http://www.ravelry.com/designers/vanessa-mooncie