Workshops, Booth Sales, and Theatre!

Mom here! The girls are very busy, but also very grateful! They've managed to teach 18 new people to crochet, reviewed crochet skills with 3 beginners and 2 who hadn't crocheted in over a decade... as well as working with 3 experienced crocheters! Along with ourselves, that's 29 people so far who have been working on their project! We have 3 more public workshop dates set up along with 7 opportunities for you to drop by and buy the finished products! Please RSVP and then come to our *public* workshops or contact us to arrange another time that works for you!:

• Wednesday 4/20, drop by the Millis Council on Aging's Senior Center on 4/20 from 9:30AM-Noon to join us with Crocheting or Knitting for charity!


• Thursday April 22 and Friday April 23 from 10AM-6PM we will have our bags and cat toys available at Casa de Moda (272 Cabot St, Beverly MA) to benefit Friends of Beverly Animals and Beverly Bootstraps! We will take breaks for meals, but are also offering crochet lessons and a spot to hang out and crochet or knit cat toys with us all day on both days!

We look forward to hosting more public workshops in both Millis and Beverly after the girls finish being in Millis Theatre's Footloose on April 1, 2, 8, and 9 at 7:30PM in the Millis Middle/High School Auditorium! Upcoming booth sales:

• Sunday April 17th from Noon-3:30PM we will be at Especially for Pets (67 Main St, Medway MA) to sell our cat toys! The Purr-Fect Cat Shelter will also be there with kitties looking for homes and ALL of the profit from our cat toys will be used to buy things that the shelter needs!


• Thursday April 22 and Friday April 23 from 9:30AM-6PM we will have our bags and cat toys available at Casa de Moda (272 Cabot St, Beverly MA) to benefit Friends of Beverly Animals and Beverly Bootstraps! We will take breaks for meals, but are also offering crochet lessons and a spot to hang out and crochet or knit cat toys with us all day on both days!


• Saturday April 30th, during the Pear Blossom Festival, from 10AM-2PM we will have a booth in the Beverly Commons (at the intersection of Dane St and Essex St, Beverly MA) to sell both cat toys to benefit Friends of Beverly Animals and produce bags to benefit Beverly Bootstraps!


• Sunday May 1st from 9AM-3PM we will be selling the Crochet Produce Bags at the Millis Roche Bros to benefit the Millis Ecumenical Food Pantry!


• Saturday May 8th from 9AM-3PM we will be selling the Crochet Produce Bags at the Millis Roche Bros to benefit the Millis Ecumenical Food Pantry!


• Saturday June 18th from 10AM-6PM we will have a booth outside of Casa de Moda (272 Cabot St, Beverly MA), selling our bags to benefit Friends of Beverly Animals and produce bags to benefit Beverly Bootstraps!

Booth Sale Dates and Workshops

Thank you so much to Especially for Pets for letting us set up a booth and sell our cat toys at the store! We had lots of lots of fun! And we met lots of that liked the cat toys and the shelter! And there were lots of dogs, plus one awesome cat!

We'd also like to thank Alyssa, Riley, Autumn, and their grownups for coming to our classes at the library this weekend! They were lots of fun and really good at it, too! We have another beginner class this Friday 3/25 from 2-4:30PM and a gathering for those who can already crochet or knit from patterns on Saturday 3/26 from 10:30-Noon at the Millis Public Library! Please let us know if you'll join us!

Thanks to Anthony and Noah for coming over today! You learned very quick and were very good at it! We hope to crochet with you again next weekend!

Weekend of Classes and Sales!

3/11 Workshop with Brownies Amelia and Kaya!
Mom, here... Will we see you this weekend? The girls are meeting me at the town library right after school for a Crochet Produce Bag Workshop until 4 and we'll be back on Saturday from 10:30-Noon to teach the bag to more folks, plus the following Saturday 2/26! If you already know how to crochet and want to help, come on down! For a $2.50 suggested donation you'll cover the cost of a bag and help create it so that we can sell them next month at Roche Bros to benefit The Millis Ecumenical Food Pantry! We've got 14 bag bases matched up with hooks along with 6 doll size bag bases, all ready for you to work on!

Then come visit us on Sunday from Noon until 3:30 at Medway's Especially for Pets! Pick up an adorable amigurumi catnip toy (and some herb-free jingle bell toys will be available) with your $5 donation and we'll use all of the profits to buy goods for the Millis Purr-Fect Cat Shelter!

We can't wait to see you!

Come Buy Our Cat Toys on Sunday!

We will be at Especially for Pets (67 Main St, Medway MA) on Sunday from Noon-3:30 on this coming Sunday, to sell our Cat Toys! And again, next month, on Sunday April 17th at the same time! The Purr-Fect Cat Shelter will also be there with kitties looking for homes and ALL of the profit from our cat toys will be used to buy things that the shelter needs!

Hi, it's Uatchet! :) Today me and my sister went to the Senior Center! We made wonderful cat toys there were sardines, rainbow and many more fish, small ones, even long ones! The other cat toys we have been making include more fishes, bunnies and birds! One bunny looks like Totoro (from a japanese cartoon movie)! :D

The fish in the photo to the right uses Lion Brand's Undersea Mobile 80797AD Pattern, isn't he adorable? He's one of Nekhebet's favorites!

Huge thanks to the ladies at the senior center (and Stephanie R.), who helped us make cat toys and produce bags! Mary, Jo, Lisa, Rose, and Lillian... you were awesome! And thank you for letting us play bingo with you after!

Thanks for tuning in! See you on Sunday!

Crocheting and Knitting at the Millis Council on Aging!

Hi this is Uatchet saying that we are doing a crochet gathering at the senior center! :D
I'm so Excited till then! We'll be making cat toys like catnip toys! Well we will post all about it after then! So keep in contact! You'll all get feed back if you comment! :D

We have so many cute cat toys and have started over 30 Crochet Produce Bags for beginners to work on at our other workshops! :D

(The goldfish in this photo was made using a slightly modified version of Goldfish Cat Toy 80204AD from Lion Brand)

Wednesday 3/16 9:30AM-Noon at the Millis Council on Aging

Crochet or Knit Amigurumi Cat Toys

Bring your own hooks/needles, also cotton or furry yarn if you have any! We've got all of the stuffing, catnip, and jingle bells that we'll need!

Together we'll create catnip and jingle bell cat toys that will be sold in Medway to benefit the Millis Purr-Fect Cat Shelter and later in Beverly to raise money for their cat rescue organization! Here's a link to a bunch of great knitting patterns for cat toys, and another link to crochet patterns!

Public Workshops at the Millis Public Library

Nekhebet and Uatchet, here! All Aboard! Come to the Millis Library where we will now also be teaching crochet lessons and having a gathering for those who know how to crochet! Email us now for the chance be a part of our project!

RSVP and then come to the Millis Public Library for our first *public* workshops:

• Friday 3/18 2:30-4PM Beginner Crochet Lesson *$2.50 suggested donation
  
• Saturday 3/19 10:30AM-Noon Beginner Crochet Lesson *$2.50 suggested donation
  
• Friday 3/25 2:30-4PM Beginner Crochet Lesson *$2.50 suggested donation
  
• Saturday 3/26 10:30AM-Noon Amigurumi Cat Toy Crochet/Knit Gathering *bring your own supplies, or use ours for a $1 suggested donation

Produce Bag Pattern for Dolls!

We are very excited about this project! We did our first class on Thursday. Me and my sister were very excited that day. Hard to just sit down and work, hehe :) !

The Mesh bag, human sized!

Me and my sister Uatchet
thought the picture would be good with some fruit in it, too. Anyways,
it is for produce too and many other things too!

And don't you like how the light shines in the picture? Me too! And yes, the photo was taken by me, Nekhebet ;).

I hope you like the pictures!!!

Uatchet and Jess ( the doll ).

Below, we're giving you the instructions for how to make the amazing doll bags! And yes, that outfit is for girl scouts! Thanks for noticing!
-Nekhebet ( Photographer for the pictures )

We had a wonderful time! I just love the little girl scout outfit on the doll! It was like I had a little me! :D -Uatchet (the model in the picture)

Nikki ( the doll )

The second picture was awesome! With the little doll sized bag and a bag for a person. I personally loved the dolls glasses it was adorable! Don't you think so too? hehe.- Nekhebet

You could make a bag like that one! (on the right) Isn't it adorable? - Uatchet

Crochet Pattern for 18" Doll Produce Bag
by Neith Juch, based on Haley Waxberg's Crochet Grocery Bag Pattern

To create an 18" doll sized crochet produce bag you will want fingering/sock weight yarn and D/3.25MM crochet hook... I'm not yet sure how many yards but will get that info to you as soon as I can... If you have a new small ball of yarn you have more than enough for a few bags! You will also want to use a stitch marker at the end of each round and move it up as you go.

R1: Ch4, sl st into first st to form circle

R2: Ch1, 8 sc into circle - 8 SC

R3: (Ch2, sc into next SC) around - 8 ch2 spaces

R4: (Ch3, sc into next ch2 sp) around - 8 ch3 spaces

R5: (Ch4, sc into next ch3 sp) around - 8 ch4 spaces

Increase Round:

R6: (Ch4, sc into next ch4 sp, ch 4, sc into same ch4 sp (ch4, sc into next ch4 sp) twice) around - 12 ch4 spaces

R7-8: (Ch4, sc into next ch4 sp) around - 12 ch4 spaces

Bag Sides:

R9: (Ch5, sc into next ch4 sp) around - 12 ch5 spaces

R10-15: (Ch5, sc into next ch5 sp) around - 12 ch5 spaces

Decrease Rounds:

R16: (Ch4, sc into next ch5 sp) around - 12 ch4 spaces

R17: (Ch3, sc into next ch4 sp) around - 12 ch3 spaces

R18: Ch2, (hdc into same ch3sp) twice, (hdc into next sc, 3hdc into next ch3 sp) around, sl st into top of ch2 - 36 hdc, do not tie off

Handles:

Divide bag top into quarters, with the yarn end as the start of one quarter and place stitch markers at the start of the other 3 quarters. The first handle begins at the yarn end, then tie off and start a new ch at the opposite side of the bag.

Each Handle:

R1: Ch38, without twisting, and sl st into start of next quarter - 38 Ch

R2-4: Sl st into next st on bag top, turn and sc in each st across on the handle, sl st into next st on bag top - 38 sc,

Tie off at end of R4

Weave in the ends and wash/stretch the bag out to complete it!

Great First Workshop!

We just had our first beginner crochet workshop at our house and it was a great success! (I'm waiting on permissions to see if we're able to post more photos, so one from the workshop and an older shot of Uatchet in a bag will have to do!) We had 2 girls brand new to crochet and one that had started to learn a year ago, plus a mom who hadn't crocheted in about 20 years! And everyone did so great that they were able to watch an episode of Good Luck Charlie while crocheting! (It was so cute to look over at the couch and see them all concentrating with quickly moving hands, and all that while the tv was on!)

Thank you, guys!

(The bag in the photo is the Eco Warrior Bag, by the same artist who designed the pattern for the Crochet Produce Bag that we're working on... this one is made with stretchy Ticker Tape Yarn though, so Uatchet was able to fit inside AND be lifted!)

Sample Amigurumi Cat Toy Gathering Flyer

Crochet & Knit Amigurumi Cat Toy Gathering flyers! They are ready to have event info dropped in and a spare strip or two of tear aways! These are available as an 8.5x11 printable image with your event info for anyone who wants to host a gathering to help with our Bronze Award project!

This flyer was created with the following items from Club Scrap Digital: 2011 Cats - BG2, Stamp8; 2010 Connections - St12; 08/10 Arts n Crafts - St7; 05/10 Blossom - BG1; 09/09 Birds of a Feather - BBFStamp10;
Computer Font: Corbel, Suplexmentary Comic;
Neith's Own Elements: Dashed Line Brushes; Filler for Stamp Images; NeithFlyerTemplate1;

Beginner Crochet Lesson Invites

Here are samples of the invites that we created for the Beginner Crochet Lessons! Anyone who would like to host their own can get copies from us to email/print with their event details!

We printed ours out, four front photos to a 4x6 print and the back information four to a 5x7 cardstock base, then cut out and assembled them last night with the girls inking up the edges of the white cardstock with green ink as a frame/base for the photo! The girls are handing out their first batch of printed invites to friends today for workshops this month! If you're a local pal and want one, be sure to let us know! The first 5 beginners to RSVP for any date are in, then we have to cut off sign ups unless you come with an experienced helper.... we want everyone to have great success with the work!

These invites were made using the following items from Club Scrap Digital: 02/11 Comics - BG6, BG7, Xtr28; 10/10 Scholarship - Xtr1, St15; 05/10 Blossom - St5 (as a brush); 04/10 Gratitude - St7 (as a brush); 2010 Connections - St12; 04/06 Color in Black and White Classic - PMask1;
Font: Gilligan's Island, High Tower Text, Kristen ITC;

Amigurumi Cat Toy Gathering Invites

We're busy getting ready for our first crochet workshop this week and more next week! That means that we need to start doling out invitations! I just created these digital files and can send unblurred full size versions to anyone who would like to host their own event and have formatted a print size that prints four to a 4x6 photo mounted onto one side of a cut up 5x7 printout! Now to get cooking on the produce bag version!

These particular catnip treats were crocheted by Uatchet, Nekhebet, and Mom using Amigurumi Egg Cozy patterns from Lion Brand, but adapting them to have closed bottoms and a belly full of fiberfill and catnip! We're planning on having booth sales at the local pet supply store before Easter and thought that a few Easter themed treats would be a hit!

• Amigurumi Duck Egg Cozy 80106AD from Lion Brand
• Amigurumi Bunny Egg Cozy 80105AD from Lion Brand
• Amigurumi Lamb Egg Cozy 80107AD from Lion Brand

These invites were made using the following supplies from Club Scrap Digital: 2011 Cats - BG2, Stamp8, Xtra2; 2010 Connections - St12; 08/10 Arts n Crafts - St7; 05/10 Blossom - BG1; 09/09 Birds of a Feather - BBFStamp10;

Amigurumi Knit Cat Toy Pattern Links

Not everyone is a crocheter! So if you prefer knitting and are able to work patterns up on your own, then you are more than welcome to come to our Amigurumi Cat Toy gatherings... but I'm not a huge knitter and forget where I stashed my needles, plus I'm not a good knitting helper! There are one or two very simple patterns with knitting, but other than that, you'll be responsible for your own knitting work, sorry!

For these get togethers you can bring your own supplies or contact us in advance to reserve some of our yarns, but bring your own needles (we ask for a $1 donation per toy to use our yarn to help cover expenses) but we've got plenty of catnip and batting plus some jingle bells! We recommend either a worsted weight cotton or a furry yarn for most of these projects... cotton just seems a lot better in kitty mouths than acrylic... but furry toys are very fun! We've got batting sheets and muslin to sew up as a liner inside the toy, and fill them with some batting and catnip before you seal up the toys!

Just as with the crochet pattern links, some finished projects are a little large for cat toys, so they may require adaptations.

Knit Patterns

Non-Animal Toys

• *Christmas Ornament Catnip Pet Toy BK4K-0612006 from Lion Brand (this very simple pattern makes a multicolored ball toy that doesn't need to be just for Christmas!)

Easter Animals

• Pocket Pet Bunny BK4K-0506005-K from Lion Brand
• Pocket Pet Duckling BK4K-0506004-K from Lion Brand

Birds & Mice

• Wise Owl Toy 80765AD from Lion Brand
• *Miss Mousie 80273AD from Lion Brand
• *Martian Mouse Friend Amigurumi 80965AD from Lion Brand
• Pocket Pet Mouse BK4K-0506006-K from Lion Brand

Fish, Cats, & Backyard Critters

• Francis the Fish 81106AD from Lion Brand
• Pocket Pet Calico Kitten BK4K-0509003 from Lion Brand
• Pocket Pet Skunk W80001-K from Lion Brand
• Radish the Raccoon BK4K-05080007 from Lion Brand

Amigurumi Crochet Cat Toy Pattern Links

It's Mom again.... The kids will post whenever they can and are creating backdrops and taking photos as we have more sample collections ready, plus we'll post pictures from the workshops/get togethers/booth sales whenever we have permission! But it's crunch time, so I'm getting a few important posts up now :)

We're planning to post a bunch of photos showing samples of the cat toys, but thought that we should post the links to the patterns we'll have at our Amigurumi Get Togethers! These projects require the ability to read patterns and work with them, but a few are simple enough that if you get frustrated we can start them and let you do a more repetitive and simple project which is still a raging success with kitties!

For these get togethers you can bring your own supplies or contact us in advance to reserve some of our hooks and yarns (we ask for a $1 donation per toy to use our yarn to help cover expenses) but we've got plenty of catnip and batting plus some jingle bells! We recommend either a worsted weight cotton or a furry yarn for most of these projects... cotton just seems a lot better in kitty mouths than acrylic... but furry toys are very fun!

We've got batting sheets and muslin to sew up as a liner inside the toy, and fill them with some batting and catnip before you seal up the toys!

A few aren't closed patterns, but egg cozies, so you'll need to adapt them in order to seal them off... others are a little too large for cat toys but if you are up for it and want to base a smaller toy off of them then go for it! Others use doll eyes and you'll want to crochet or embroider eyes instead since those hard eyes aren't so great in your cat's mouth!

Without further ado, here are some patterns! I've *starred the ones that are the simplest, in my opinion :) Once you get to building more you may be ready to go freestyle as well and create your own patterns or one of a kind creations on the fly!

Crochet Patterns

Easter Eggs & Non-Animal Toys

• *Amigurumi Easter Egg L0135AD from Lion Brand
• *Easter Eggs LW2386 from Red Heart
• Amigurumi Egg Cozy 80109AD from Lion Brand (note: this is an open egg cozy and needs a little adaptation at the end in order to seal off the bottom)
• Door Hanger Bouncy Cat Toy 80063AD from Lion Brand (a great pattern for a door hanger to use with any small toy, with the ball at the bottom I would recommend a jingle bell instead of catnip, as a great option for kittens that are too young for catnip!)

Bunnies

• *Amigurumi Bunny Egg Cozy 80105AD from Lion Brand (note: this is an open egg cozy and needs a little adaptation at the end in order to seal off the bottom)
• Pocket Pet Bunny BK4K-0506005-C from Lion Brand

Chicks & Ducks

• Amigurumi Chick 80103AD from Lion Brand
• Heloise Hen 90229AD from Lion Brand
• Amigurumi Duck Egg Cozy 80106AD from Lion Brand (note: this is an open egg cozy and needs a little adaptation at the end in order to seal off the bottom)
• Doris Duckling 80445AD from Lion Brand
• Pocket Pet Duckling BK4K-0506004-C from Lion Brand

Lambs

• Little Lamb 80093AD from Lion Brand
• Amigurumi Lamb Egg Cozy 80107AD from Lion Brand (note: this is an open egg cozy and needs a little adaptation at the end in order to seal off the bottom)

Birds

• Holiday Dove Ornament 80976AD from Lion Brand
• Amigurumi Dove Sachet L0262AD from Lion Brand
• Amigurumi Love Birds 80015AD from Lion Brand
• Amigurumi Baby Birds in a Nest 80223AD from Lion Brand
• Amigurumi Momma Bird 80220AD from Lion Brand
• Sweet Tweets Sachet 90539AD from Lion Brand
• Felted Tweetie Birds 60227AD from Lion Brand
• Robin (more advanced) from Roman Sock
• Amigurumi Owl 81001AD from Lion Brand
• Halloween Owl Ornament L0256AD from Lion Brand

Mice

• Catnip Mouse BK4K-0506003-C from Lion Brand
• *Amigurumi Mouse Cat Toy 80060AD from Lion Brand
• *Amigurumi Mouse 70590AD from Lion Brand
• Amigurumi Mouse Door Stop 90694AD from Lion Brand

Fish

• *Amigurumi Sardines Cat Toy 80061AD from Lion Brand
• Amigurumi Angel Fish 81096AD from Lion Brand
• Goldfish Cat Toy 80204AD from Lion Brand

Cats

• *Amigurumi Cat 81013AD from Lion Brand
• Felted Siamese Cat 80444AD from Lion Brand
• Tommy Tiger 80891AD from Lion Brand

Bugs & Other Backyard Critters

• Lorelei the Lady Bug 90228AD from Lion Brand
• Tiny Turtle 81109AD from Lion Brand
• Greek Tortoise (more advanced) from Roman Sock
• Froggy Pincushion from Roman Sock
• Toad (more advanced) from Roman Sock

Crochet Produce Bag Pattern

It's Mom here, again :) I'm going to try to post a bunch of links to the patterns for out of area friends who want to send donations in for the project and for those already adept at pattern reading who want to start working on the cat toys then meetup to finish them up, hang out, and add them to the collection to sell! First up is this gorgeous Crochet Produce Bag by Haley Waxberg, who gave us permission to sell the bags and teach them since she's a fan of Girl Scouts and Girl Guides (Canada's version of Girl Scouts, where she is from)!

When you work on these bags with us in a workshop, we do ask for a $2.50 donation to cover the cost of the materials (Bronze Award projects aren't supposed to be mommy-funded) and we've already made the bases and will finish the tops for all beginners, so you are just working a repetitive and simple pattern using two basic stitches. You won't take a bag home with you since we plan to sell them for $10 each to buy $10 worth of goods for our local food pantry! So, when you come to a workshop, you come empty handed or with desserts to contribute to a potluck dessert, and leave with new skills, a happy heart, and yummy cocoa/tea/coffee in your tummy, but no yarn or hooks to bring with you or take home!

I've whipped up a bunch of these for myself and for gifts! Every time we go out shopping with our lime green bags, we get tons of attention and I can't even begin to count the number of people that I've directed to the instructions! I've consistently managed to make one bag during a single dvd viewing (including bonus features) and have made others while walking around in Boston or riding the subway and train during our day trips this month! Also, they make great gift wrap bags! You can see them here holding sets of Scrapbooking ALSB pages that we're giving as gifts!

I absolutely adore this Crochet Grocery Bag Pattern By Haley Waxberg. It's a simple combination of single crochet, chain, and slip stitches to create a wonderfully stretchy netted produce/shopping bag.

I altered the pattern, just a little, in between the increasing rows, I did one less row than called for and did 12-14 of the ch5 rows as the main body.. also, I thickened my straps a little and used 100% cotton by Lily and by Bernat.