Thank you all for your kind comments about my book Cute Crocheted Animals. You do say some lovely things. I also know that these patterns are not for beginners and for some people who have embarked on making a little chap or lass it has been a challenging process.
Colour Changes
Many of you have found the colour changes for the fox snouts difficult. I get that. Stranding different colours at the back of you work in either knitting or crochet can seem complex. On page 110 I have shown you a nice clean way to change from one colour to another. (I also just noticed that I think we labeled the illustrations wrong). But the principle is there and it will make a big difference to the look of your work if you use this technique.
Stitch Markers
I have said it lots of times, but even the very best crocheters use stitch markers. On page 101 of the book I talk about this more, but a little piece of yarn is a great stitch maker and very inexpensive.
Placing the Ears
I have made the holes for the ears where I think they balance best – you could move either left or right by one stitch if your tension is different to mine. It is always worth bearing in mind that with handmade toys the final look will always be determined by the tension or techniques of the maker.
Mistakes
I am sorry for the mistakes or errata that creep into patterns. Even the very best designers have them. It may be a surprise to you that 3 people checked the patterns and the prose in this book. Still there are things that we miss or numbers that go astray. When re-prints are done we aim to eliminate them. It is never the intension to get things wrong. In some cases I have been able to help people when they have not understood the crochet code or the technique. However if you think it would look better if you added a stitch here or lost a stitch there, you should have the freedom to do that.
I have made two videos which I hope will help you with the making of the face of the foxes. It is not movie quality but I hope it helps.
Great tutorials Emma, very clear and will make the process easier to understand. Fabulous
Hi Emma, I have your “Succulents” book and I love it, however, I cannot get the Jade Necklace to come “true”. I have used the exact yarn for my first version and 3.5mm hook, it’s too tightly screwed, not relaxed as in the photos. I have tried a larger hook and also have tried double trebles. Please can you assist? Many thanks. Cath