For awhile I’ve been wanting to make one of those trendy crocheted cactuses that are all over Pinterest, so I finally found a lovely pattern and gave it a go last night. It really worked up quickly and I just tied off this morning and settled the faux succulent into its pot. I am definitely going to make some different-shaped companions for this handsome, green, conical object, so stay tuned 🙂
I used several different types of yarn. The green is Phildar Coton 3 (color #1173), my favorite amigurumi yarn brand. For the flower, I used Scheepjes Maxi Sweet Treat in color #208 and just “winged” the pattern, using treble crochet clusters and slip stitches. The pearl is a straight pin I stuck in the middle of the flower (the cactus could be a great pin cushion, actually).
The white trim is surface-crocheted with slip stitches, and is made with a thread-weight, nylon “eyelash” type of yarn that I found at Daiso – this yarn is normally recommended for making kitchen scrubbies, but I imagine so many more applications. The sand-colored substrate is another cotton, “Limone” by Schoeller & Stahl in color #49. I used hooks in sizes 3.00 and 2.25mm.
I’m also making progress on the Sakura Mandala, and am almost ready to tie off and make a second one for the pillow form.
Lastly, I enjoyed making a scrumptious, slow-roasted lamb shoulder on Easter. This cut of meat is rare to find in Korea; I had to special-order it from a small company run by a French family here. I made it Greek-style with lots of herbs (oregano, rosemary, mint), lemon zest, garlic, shallots, and of course olive oil. It was oven-braised then slow-roasted and served with patates riganates.
The Frill Seeker 
2 thoughts on “Cactus amigurumi and ongoing WIPs + my Easter roast”