Vintage pattern vs tension and modern yarn.

 As a crochet designer I vary rarely see or use anyone else's patterns mostly just to keep my mind clear and untainted from other designs and focus on my own. 

I recently found a vintage amigurumi pattern that looked (at first glance) similar to one of the base patterns I have for a group of my patterns. 

I figured I would look over the pattern just to be sure the differences were more than just visual. YES, they were!

First thing I noticed was the largest stitch number in the rounds of the body was 36, wow that is way smaller than the picture presents it to be.

Second thing I noticed was that the approx. finished size at 39 rnds was listed at 8 inches tall with a G (4.00mm) hook. I am thinking how in the world is that possible?? 

Almost all of my patterns are done with a G hook so I am very familiar with the finished sizes I make with it, which is usually around 6 inches. The patterns of mine that I am referencing to go up to 47 rnds and 48 sts around. Now the stitches around don't really matter in this scenario but I am letting you know anyway. 

By now you are thinking it has to be the yarn. The pattern says it used Red Heart Super Saver yarns, same as me. Ahh but maybe a bit of the difference has to do with the fact that yarns in the 90's weren't exactly the same as they are now, they were tougher, thicker and coarser. So I am fine with giving it a little extra height to compensate for the difference, maybe an inch at the most.

Another thing to note is that the gauge size for the vintage pattern was 4 sts x 4 rnds = one inch. Most people hardly pay any attention to gauge when it comes to amigurumi because most of the time it is only important when using the appropriate size safety eyes. My patterns are typically 5 sts x 5 rnds = one inch. I would have to go up to a H or even an I sized hook to get the 4 x 4 gauge it called for. I decided against it because I hate seeing stuffing through my stitches.

Now, I am fully aware that I crochet very tightly because I very seldom have a tester come out with the same size as myself with having to drop several hook sizes. With knowing this I added 3 extra rnds to their pattern to make it a one piece heady and body vs having to sew it together. Even with this change the results were interesting.

The conclusion ... 

Their G hook, red heart super saver medium weight yarn at 39 rnds = 8 inches. 

My G hook, modern red heart super saver medium weight yarn at 42 rnds = 5.25 inches!!

Just another example that 

1. yarns change over time and can skew the finished results.

2. even with the same material and hook size the results are going to be different because everyone has different tensions. 

I hope this helps when you get a vintage pattern and it isn't coming out exactly right, don't get frustrated too much, there are other factors at play here.

Floppy neck in Amigurumi

 So I am scrolling through a crochet group on Facebook and I see this post about how to fix a floppy neck. The responses at the time were nearly 30 but in my opinion only 3 were the best advice. Well that is not entirely true, some were good only if it is going to be displayed as art and not a toy for a child.

Some info to consider (as seen in the pic) the original post had a finished body with a already sewn on head, loose stitches, loose stuffing, one arm sewn on and the head was floppy. 

Here are some of the responses:

1) slide wooden dowels or twisted pipe cleaners inside to hold a frame
2) a dowel running from the chest through the neck INTO the head halfway up
3) Wood dowel.
4) put a wooden dowel 
5) Try taking a needle to rearrange the stuffing in her neck
6)use a needle and put a stitch on each side of the neck
7) Stuff neck and use mattress stitch
8) Crochet a tube to insert into the neck
9) the foam part of a hair roller would work
10) Try attaching the other arm and see if that doesn't straighten it out, maybe the one arm has

it off kilter
11) remove her head and reattach it
12) please don't use a wood dowel or wire if this is for a child remove her head then crochet a

sausage shape and stuff firmly, your sausage should be the same size as the neck hole then

about the same size as the head in length, push the sausage half into the body and sew it in place

then push the other half inside the head and sew to the neck. This is much safer and if you use the

same colour as your skin will hide any gaps as well as keep the head upright without ever getting

floppy. Over time stuffing does compact but by using this method the stuffing has no-where to go

so stays stiff
13) sew another row round for support
14) I read some time ago about using foam curlers and that's a perfect fix the next time I make a

doll or bear, etc.
15) When you sew the head on leave a space then start pushing stuffing in between the neck and

body then finish sewing
16) Stuffing and more stuffing. I make a lot of toys and you need to put an extreme amount. You

can also add a crochet ring inside the neck , plastic Tube, wood dowel etc but I don’t usually have

to unless it's a ginormous head
17) I stuff the body and then stick Qtips in the stuffing, leaving approx two inches of the Qtip

sticking up out of the stuffing. Continue crocheting the neck and head, stuffing as you go.
18) A ruffled collar
19) I have found that if I start from the feet up (or butt up) and continue to the head without it being

a separate piece that needs to be sewn on the head doesn't flop around as much.
20) I would also suggest that you go down a full size hook to make stitches tighter
21) Tighter or smaller stitches might make her more steady (and as a bonus, less stuffing showing

through!)
22) Put the other arm on. See if that fixes it. If not try pipe cleaners or popsicles stick in the center

of the stuffing in the neck
23) Work a chopstick down from top of her head, thru neck, into body, in center of stuffing.
24) use dowel rods most of the time. You can also attach the head one row further down. Or sc

crochet a strip long enough to wrap around the neck then sew into place
25) When doing Amigurumi or any dolls a good rule of thumb is to use a hook size 2 mm smaller

that the recommended size for that yarn. I also, when making dolls, crochet a tube that I insert,

smaller than the neck size and at least 2" up into the head and 2" into the body that I stuff very tight.

It keeps the head from wobbling.
26) I had this problem when I made some rabbits that had thin necks. Someone suggested

crocheting a tube that fit into the neck but also went into the head and body a bit.
27) More stitches could help stabilize the neck
28) Tack it down tighter with more stitches
29) Sew it on straight

Okay first of all, did you laugh? I sure did!

Some of these responses cracked me up, made me shake my head and worst of all made me say wtheck!

Dowels: if it is going to be an art piece then fine, by all means go ahead but PLEASE do not put a wooden dowel or any other hard object in the neck if it is going to be given to a child. The last thing you want is to be responsible for a child inuring themselves on your toy.

Stuffing: Rearranging the stuffing may work but not in the long run because over time and with use the stuffing will condense and you'll have a floppy head again.

Firm, solid stuffing is preferred but remember not to over stuff to the point of seeing your stuffing through the stitches.

Foam rollers: I have actually used this method before and it can work well depending on the roller you use (nothing with hard plastic parts, just foam) but again I wouldn't recommend it if it is a toy that will be given to a child to play with. If you don't have any rollers and need a quick fix, you might consider cutting a small piece of a foam pool noodle.

I am thinking that #17 must make super tiny necks for Q-tips to be used but again I don't recommend adding hard object unless it is going to be a art piece.

Okay #10, 18, 22, 29 cracked me up!

I can't say that the mattress stitch won't work but I have never used it.

Sometimes doing a resew can be just the trick, maybe it was sewn too loosely or some stitches were missed.

#13, 6... I don't know what they thinking or how they think that might work.

#19... True

#20, 21... Critiquing her work

#8, 12, 25 and 26... Thank you for giving what I believe to be the best advice. A crochet tube the same size or just a stitch or two smaller does the trick every time and there is not cause to worry about injury to a child.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So over all a 1/3 of the responses suggested putting a hard object in the neck! I hope those were art pieces and not toys for children.

Well, I know this piece was long but maybe it will help you in deciding how to fix a floppy neck.

Happy Crocheting!

"Subscribe" pop up is annoying...

 

I know this is not entirely crochet related, it's more of an overall websites issue, crochet and otherwise. "Subscribe" pop ups are all over the place, nearly every site you go to nowadays has one.  I get you want subscribers, I want them too. A website is nearly nothing without subscribers and audiences, I get it, I do. 

I have spent the day browsing around other crochet sites and even some other sites (just depends on how sidetracked I get).

The #1 aggravation is....

The pop up subscribe form!

I may want to subscribe after I see what you offer. 

I no sooner than get the page opened and the subscribe pops up and you can't view what is on the page till you make it go away. Most all the sites I went to today were new sites I had never been to before and that is how you greet someone? 

With a high pressure subscribe form before I can see what your page is about?

I am not impressed with that tactic. I mean you could at least wait till I am about to leave and throw it up there, I might actually be inclined to fill it out then, if I liked the content of your site.

I visited this one site where I made the pop up go away, viewed the content and thought "I just might want to get their newsletter" but guess what, it is not available anywhere on their site other than the pop up.  They obviously didn't think that one through very well.

When I decided to do a newsletter I actually thought about doing a pop up but I couldn't figure out how to do it without it being the first thing you see, so I opted out of that. Last thing I want to do is annoy my potential customers and audience. 

Maybe that is why they are all at the beginning of your visit, maybe they can't find how to move it just like me. 

If you are planning to add a subscribe pop up, you might want to think twice about when to present it and make sure there is an alternate way to subscribe later in their visit.

Crochet business thoughts around the round table ...

Let's walk into a business meeting here at Southern Gal's Crochet. The place where we (the hubs and I) gather and discuss everything is at the round table. Topics range from running the house, paying the bills, how our jobs are going and of course new plans for the business. 

Yes, technically Southern Gal's Crochet is MY business but let's get real he plays a big part in it, such as making post office runs, buying yarn and more yarn and more yarn. Haha! Truthfully though I run by ideas and use his keen eye on whether the parts look crooked, he is key to my success.   

Now to the point, several times I have had the idea of branching into products for sale. Here is what we discussed and the decisions.

This will be happening:

One of the first things I want to get going in this branch will be safety eyes. If you don't know already, I have strong opinions about them and what kind to use and how to use them. I was thinking that a good way to combat these feelings was to just go ahead and offer them in my shop. 

This may be happening:

The next item we discussed was a travel pack of  crochet accessories. I don't know about you but I am forever forgetting something like a yarn needle or scissors. I don't want to carry a bulking organizer, just something that will fit in my purse and have some of the immediate essentials. 

We have done so much research on the travel pack, it is an investment that can be a gamble of being a hit or miss. I am sure other small business's feel the same when thinking about expanding but I pointed out (and to quote my mother) "we wont know till we try". Long story short 2 days later, we are still thinking about it.

This might not be happening yet:

Next up on the table is making project bags. I have been wanting to do this for a very long time but it just never seems to come to light. Not enough time, in the day to do it all. This one might have to be put on the back burner for a little while longer. Bags may or may not look like the picture below, I won't know till I actually make some and see which style I like best.

Hope you enjoyed attending our meeting today and would love to hear your input.

Happy Crocheting!

Winter storm knitting

Oh my what a 12 days it has been! 

For me it started with hubby home for two days vacation time plus the weekend. His plan was to have 4 days off for his b-day weekend but he didn't plan on being home for 11 days!
I don't know about yall but for me it is really hard to stay in my "at home" work schedule with him under foot and yabbering all the time. 

I had started knitting his bday scarf on the 10th but was trying to be secretive about so I was only able to work on it when he was at work or asleep.

Then the storm hit, power went out and took the water with it. Oh goodness it was cold for us old Texans, we were all bundled up but still trying to be a bit active to keep the blood flowing. For 2.5 days we lived pioneer style. Knitting by lamplight at night and gathering snow and roof runoff for water during the day.

I knitted his scarf, my scarf and even a pixie hat, LOL! I looked ridiculous in that hat but I it was helping me stay warm. No, your not getting a picture of that! Hahaha.

While I was making the hat, my hubby is watching me and suddenly he says "that don't look too hard".

Dude, really?! My brain is yelling things that I didn't say. 

For me knitting is a challenge, self taught and I make a jillion mistakes and the needles slip, stitches get turned around or lost completely. I am getting a bit better but still nowhere near teaching level. Truth be told, I'm not even sure I cast on right. LOL!

I gave him some yarn, needles and showed him the cast on and the first row. Somehow he managed to get the last stitch with a 4 inch loop on it. He tried again and well next thing I know he is ripping it out and wrapping the yarn around the skein, he was done! Haha, maybe next time but it was fun for him to join me for a moment.

(As you can see he is wearing his new scarf and also sporting a very old helmet hat crocheted with 2 strands of yarn.)

Happy knitting and crocheting!