totoro – not your average crochet

KnitPicks had (and may still have) a promo code that gave you a free ball of Chroma with a $25 purchase, so I took advantage of that (I’ve never tried Chroma, have you?). I bought yarn to crochet the Coming Up Roses Hat, and whatever’s left I’ll use to knit a Totoro Hat. Dunno what I’ll do with the Chroma yet; depends on how soft it is, etc. Here are the colors of Comfy Worsted and Comfy Worsted Heather Special Reserve that I purchased:

I got more than I needed but I wanted to play with the colors in person before choosing the pinks in particular. This is the Chroma colorway I got for free (called Sugar Cookie):

That’s all I’ve got for today. I haven’t done much for the past few days (as far as yarncrafts go) but I’ve got an idea for a future crochet blanket that I already have yarn for and a few other things, as well! I’m gonna have so many WIPs… How many do you usually have?

Thanks for stopping by, see you soon!

big Totoro plushie complete!

The crochet project I hinted at in my last post (where I only showed the yarn) is complete. It is a large stuffed animal/plushie of Totoro, the main character from Studio Ghibli’s “My Neighbor Totoro.” If you haven’t seen it, I recommend it, even if you’re not into anime. It’s just a simple sweet and fantastical story that is appropriate for anyone and just makes you feel good.

He is about 20 inches tall (about 51cm) from the bottom to the top of his ears, and he took quite a bit of yarn! I used 6 skeins of KnitPicks Brava Bulky in the gray color alone, and there was NONE to spare. The original pattern found here makes a 9 inch plushie, but I wanted one that is more cuddly and pillow-like. The original also has arms and a tail, but like I said, the yarn ran out (and I think he looks fine without them, really).

I used a size K hook with 2 strands of bulky yarn at once to make him as big as I wanted, except for the eyes, which I had to make less thick so that the safety eyes would go on. I also changed the pattern for the tummy piece so that it would fit a little better. All alterations are listed in the notes on the finished product’s Ravelry page.

The leaf on top of his head is removable — I’m just attaching it with a safety pin. In the movie, Totoro doesn’t originally own an umbrella and uses a leaf to attempt to keep his head dry. I think the pop of color finishes him off nicely.
Well, that’s what I’ve been up to. It’s been nice to crochet again, even though it took me a while to finish this guy, and hopefully I’ll be at it more often now. I’m stumped for what to try next, although I’ve been eyeing some blankets… we’ll see.
Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you’re all doing well! See you soon!