New amigurumi rooster

One of my favorite things to do in my crafting downtime is to make toys and amigurumi figures. This new rooster was one of the cleverest, most enjoyable patterns I’ve done yet! He is a little bigger than similar figures I’ve done in the past, standing a full 26cm (10 inches) and balancing his handsome rotundity on two well-centered, wired feet. This pattern is by Stella’s Yarn Universe and is available on Etsy.

I used a 3.00mm hook and ten colors of mercerized cotton, mostly of Phildar Coton 3, my go-to ami yarn. I had all of these yarn colors already in my stash (which I admit, due to my yarn addiction has grown to be considerable). So rarely do I have everything I need on hand for such a complicated pattern; I guess all my yarn hoarding is finally starting to pay off.

This clucker was created from the bottom up. Early on, I had to fashion wires for the feet and legs, and partially crochet around them, which at times was really awkward and slowed me down. I actually had to go back and reinforce the feet after realizing my wire wouldn’t be robust enough to hold up the combined bulk of chest, belly, and tail. Luckily, I was able to add enough wire to his legs to keep him properly hoisted.

The rooster’s proportions are really on-point, balanced, and almost comical. The pattern writer is brilliant. I would love to know her process.

May has been a typically gorgeous flower-fest. We’re already at the end, so the neighborhood’s red roses are on the wane, but some roadside peonies near my place are still in bloom, so I pilfered two of these beauties to bring home. Outside, peonies sometimes attract ants, which are natural pollinators, so after a good rinse they were ready for indoor display.

My old boy Bodhi is a very happy, mostly healthy dog, but may need surgical intervention soon to remove a bladder stone. Our vet has him on meds these days that have alleviated his symptoms temporarily, but it’s not enough. He’ll be scheduled in the next couple of weeks, just in time for my break, when I can take care of his recovery. It is a routine procedure, the doc assures me.