I love to travel!! So far I have visited 30 states in the U.S., and my goal is to see all 50. Several countries are also on my bucket list, too. So far this year I have visited Bahamas and Canada. Ireland and Spain are next up on the list.
I really love visiting local yarn shops and creating a crochet design specific to that area.
One of my regrets of my recent trip to Atlanta was that it was not long enough. Just the downtown area alone has several attractions that I hope to return for, including the Georgia Aquarium.
Since June is National Zoo & Aquarium Month, I am hoping to make it back soon. In the meantime, I occupied myself this week with crocheting some turtles. Daughter #2 loves turtles, and I originally made the tank top in this pattern for her. The other thing that got me in a turtle mood was finding this little guy in my driveway on Memorial Day. I picked him up and put him in the grass so he wouldn’t get run over.
The pattern is simple, and it can be made in a variety of sizes. Use crochet cotton for jewelry or a small applique; use sport yarn for a slightly larger applique for shirts, jeans, or hats; use cotton worsted for coasters, or double the yarn for potholders. It’s also great for using up those small amounts in your scrap bucket.
Turtle Motif Razor-Back Tank Top
Materials:
Cotton blend razor-back tank top (I used New Boundaries Rib Tank)
Sport weight yarn – a few ounces each of MC & CC
Size G crochet hook
Needle and matching thread
Motif measures approximately 3” using sport yarn
Instructions:
BODY:
Rnd 1: With MC yarn, ch 2, 10 sc in 2nd ch from hook. Join with sl st.
Rnd 2: Ch 3 (counts as 1st dc), dc in 1st st, 2 dc in each st around (20 dc). Join with sl st.
Rnd 3: With CC yarn, *ch 1, sc in next 2 sts of Rnd 3, dc into st in Rnd 2,* repeat around. Do not skip any sts. Join with sl st.
Rnd 4: Ch 1, *sc in next 2 sts, inc,* repeat around. Join with sl st.
Rnd 5: With MC yarn, ch 3 dc in same st, dc in next 3 sts, *2 dc in next st, dc in next 3 sts,* repeat around. Join with sl st.
Rnd 6: With CC yarn, ch 1, *sc in next 4 sts of Rnd 6, sc in st of Rnd 5, sk next st on Rnd 6* repeat around. Do not fasten off.
HEAD:
Row 1: Sl st in 1st st, ch 1, sc in next 4 sts.
Row 2: Ch 1, turn, sc in next 4 sts.
Row 3: Ch 1, turn, dec twice.
Row 4: Ch 1, turn, dec. Fasten off CC.
TAIL:
Row 1: On opposite side of body from head, attach CC. Ch 1, sc in same st, sc in next 2 sts.
Row 2: Ch 1, turn, dec, sc.
Row 3: Ch 1, turn, dec, fasten off.
LEGS:
Make front legs 3 sts away from head; make back legs 3 sts away from tail.
Row 1: Attach CC yarn, ch 1, sc in same st, sc in next 2 sts.
Row 2: Ch 1, turn, sc in next 3 sts.
Row 3: Ch 1, turn, dc over 1st 2 sts, sc in last st.
Fasten off and weave in ends. Sew turtled centered onto back of tank top with matching thread.
For smaller motif to make earrings or necklace, use crochet cotton and #3 steel hook for a turtle measuring approximately 2 ½”.
For a larger motif to use as a coaster, use I Love This Cotton worsted yarn and a G hook for a turtle measuring approximately 5”.
This week’s new release is Tiny Totes Crochet Patterns – available in Kindle or paperback format on Amazon. Crochet a Baby Gorilla Purse, a Horny Toad Coin Purse, a Butterfly Bag, a small Rodeo Handbag, or choose from three different styles of Sugar Skull Purses. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SBV7KVL
Also available as PDF download at https://www.myfingersfly.com/products/tiny-totes-crochet-patterns-ebook-sugar-skulls-horny-toad-mia-handbag-butterfly-and-baby-gorilla
World Oceans Day – 4 Free Turtle Patterns
Extended for another week (through 6/7/19), purchase any owl merchandise and receive the Owl Eyeglass Holder Crochet Pattern free. Simply email me after your purchase, and I will email the pattern PDF to you. The pattern is still available on last week’s blog – https://myfingersflyblog.com/2019/05/24/friday-freebie-owl-eyeglass-holder/ I’d love to see photos of your finished owls. You can post them on Instagram @myfingersfly.
For those of you who live in or near San Antonio, I will be teaching a beginner’s crochet class at Michael’s in June. The project is an axe baby rattle in three styles – firefighter, lumberjack, or Viking axe. I am really looking forward to it!
Cutest Baby Crochet Contest
Post your cutest crocheted baby item on My Fingers Fly Facebook for a chance to win a Kindle copy of Take Baby to Work Day Sweaters – Military Edition. See link for details.
https://www.facebook.com/pg/myfingersfly/posts/?ref=page_internal
This week I had the opportunity to visit Atlanta, Georgia, a city I’ve driven through and flown into many times but never had the opportunity to explore. It was a short trip with only one full day of sightseeing, but it was well worth it. To accompany me on the trip, I created Peachy Queen, an adorable little amigurumi doll.
Finished measures approximately 5 tall (including crown) by 6” wide (including arms).
Materials:
Worsted weight yarn
1.5 oz. peach
A few yards yellow
1 yard red
Crochet hook size G
Safety eyes
Fiberfil
Directions:
BODY:
Rnd 1: With peach yarn, ch 2. Sc 6 in second ch from hook. Do not join.
Rnd 2: 2 sc in each sc (12 sc).
Rnd 3: *1 sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc,* repeat around (18 sc).
Rnd 4: *1 sc in next 2 sc, 2 sc in next sc*, repeat around (24 sc).
Rnd 5: *1 sc in next 3 sc, 2 sc in next sc*, repeat around (30 sc).
Rnd 6: *1 sc in next 4 sc, 2 sc in next sc,* repeat around (36 sc).
Rnd 7: *1 sc in next 5 sc, 2 sc in next sc,* repeat around (41 sc).
Rnds 8-14: Sc in each st.
Rnd 15: *Dec, sc in next 5 sc,* repeat around (36 sc).
Rnd 16: *Dec, sc in next 4 sc,* repeat around (30 sc).
Rnd 17: *Dec, sc in next 3 sc,* repeat around (24 sc).
Insert safety eyes at Rnd 12 approximately 5 sts apart. Embroider mouth in red. Stuff firmly.
Rnd 18: *Dec, sc in next 2 sc,* repeat around (18 sc).
Rnd 19: *Dec, sc in next sc,* repeat around (12 sc). Finish stuffing.
Rnd 20: Dec around (6 sc). Join with sl st. Fasten off peach leaving 6” length for sewing. Gather remaining 6 sts and pull tightly to close.
LEGS: (Make 2)
Rnd 1: With peach yarn, ch 2. Sc 6 in second ch from hook. Do not join.
Rnd 2: 2 sc in each sc (12 sc).
Rnd 3: *1 sc in next 3 sc, 2 sc in next sc,* repeat around (15 sc).
Rnd 4: Sc in each st.
Rnd 5: *Dec, sc in next 3 sc *, repeat around (12 sc).
Rnds 6-8: Sc in each st. Join with sl st. Fasten off leaving 12” length for sewing.
ARMS: (Make 2)
Rnd 1: With peach yarn, ch 2. Sc 6 in second ch from hook. Do not join.
Rnd 2: 2 sc in each sc (12 sc).
Rnd 3: Sc in each st.
Rnd 4: *Dec, sc in next 2 sc *, repeat around (9 sc).
Rnds 5-6: Sc in each st. Join with sl st. Fasten off leaving 12” length for sewing.
Stuff arms and legs firmly and sew to body.
CROWN:
Rnd 1: With yellow yarn, ch 42, sc in 2nd ch and each ch to last ch, 3 sc in last ch. Working on opposite side of starting ch (mark 1st st), sc in each ch. Join with sl st in marked st.
Rnd 2: Ch 1, *sc, sk 2 sts, (3 dc, ch 3, sl st in 3rd ch, 3 dc) in next st, sk 2 sts,* repeat around, sl st in top of 1st sc. Fasten off leaving 12” length for sewing. Sew crown to top of head.
Weave in all ends.
For the PDF version of this pattern, please visit
https://www.myfingersfly.com/products/peachy-queen-amigurumi-crochet-pattern
Baby Gator Amigurumi – Summer Amigurumi Crochet Bundle
Miles the Jazzy Elephant Amigurumi
Xolo, the Mexican Hairless Dog Plush Toy Crochet Pattern
We spent the day in Centennial Olympic Park and the surrounding downtown area and quickly discovered there is too much to be covered in a single day.
The Skyview Ferris Wheel wasn’t running, so I’ll definitely have to come back one day to ride that. The park is beautiful with its fountains and magnolia trees. The history of the city is documented by various statues and plaques. To make the day even better, the weather was perfect – 72 degrees and sunny.
CNN Center, Georgia Aquarium, National Center for Civil and Human Rights are all on the list for my next trip to Atlanta.
All that walking made me hungry, so I stopped at Twin Smoker BBQ to get a taste of Atlanta style barbeque. Being born and raised in Texas, I skilled over the Texas smoked portion of their menu and decided to try their pulled pork sandwich. I spent two years living in North Carolina and was not impressed with their pulled pork or their vinegar-based BBQ sauce, but I went for it anyway. Wow! This was 100 times better than I anticipated – big chunks of smoked pork butt on a bun with onions and home-style dill pickles. The potato salad was probably the best I have ever had (sorry Texas) – quartered red potatoes with just a little mayo. Too bad I couldn’t eat it all. Of course, my drink was southern sweet tea.
To help walk off that superb lunch, I took a tour of the World of Coca-Cola and shopped in the Coke store. My husband practically lives on Coke, so I had to get him some souvenirs.
I had planned a trip to New World Arts & Crafts, but unfortunately, I didn’t research it ahead of time. Because it’s a wholesale craft mall, prior registration is required, so that will also have to wait until my next trip to Georgia.
Back home in San Antonio, I’m looking forward to the weekend and trying to decide what my next pattern will be. In the meantime, today is National Endangered Species Day, a great time to try your hand at one of the patterns in my Endangered Species crochet book. All patterns are available separately as well at http://www.myfingersfly.com, and the book is available in paperback form at https://www.amazon.com/dp/1090946961.
Enjoy your weekend, and happy crocheting!
