Pie Time crochet van ....and my own errata for the pattern!

 

Confession: I crocheted this van for my son last year and wanted to see how he used it before doing a Show & Tell on my blog! 

Yes, he loved it and how does he use it? He stores his Shopkins in it and I think that is just the cutest thing! 

Am I glad I made it? Yes!  It was a challenge, and I'd never seen anything like it, so I really enjoyed crocheting it.   It's actually supposed to be an ice-cream van but my son keeps saying he wants to have his own pie shop, maybe even a pie food truck - so I just had to turn it into one!

And now you want to make one too because it's just so cool, am I right?!  The pattern is from a book, grab it either here or here.

And what yarn did I use?  I used yarn from my stash! Biggest tip, is for the materials, you need to use a sturdy cardboard like this, otherwise it'll collapse on you!

What do I make next?  I want to make my son something equally awesome for his birthday this year, so I'm thinking of this, but I've first got to find the right colour blue for it.

Now for the tricky bit: this pattern needed an errata.
When I started making the pattern, I had some major questions with the pattern that needed answers, so I contacted the publisher and the designer but received no response. I did manage to (eventually) find a errata but it wasn't complete and still left me with many questions unanswered. So in an effort to aid the next person that makes this, who may have the same questions as me, you may find some help below. I hope it helps you.

Question... what about a piece for the external rear (or perhaps you’d call it the external floor & back?).

This piece (& instructions) is missing from the pattern, so this is what I did:

~ With matching yarn colour to the first two panels, in my case green, crochet:
Chain 16 (check the width is correct to your other pieces)
Starting in 2nd chain from hook, 15dc across, ch1 & turn.

For the next 11 rows, dc across each row, ch1 at the end, then switch to cream or white yarn and crochet 11 rows - dc across as per previous rows (check that this matches your previous panels).

Question... why do I need to make 2 back panels? Wouldn’t I just need the shaped front panel & shaped back panel - why would I need an additional shaped back panel?

You don't.

Just make 1 x front panel which is the side of the van with the shop hole for the concession window and just make 1 x back panel which is the opposite side (but plain, with NO concession window) - do NOT make 2 back panels.

Question... for the hood & grill section.. rounds 18-22 states I need to dc into every stitch. Count 8 sts along .. line up the windscreen section etc … but which row do I actually attach the windscreen on - row 18, row 19, row 20, row 21, row 22?? So confusing! AND what exactly is a row - is it all the way around (over 40+) stitches or just back & forward & only 22 stitches?? 

I wish I had the answer for you here but I honestly couldn't figure it out properly. I just crocheted the piece looking at the photo in the book, I think I frogged this piece over & over again before I had something that looked like the cab of a truck.

Happy Crocheting!

I utilise affiliate links throughout my blog as a way to help me keep crafting. If you click on an aff link, I receive a very small amount from it at NO cost to you. So please help me to keep CraftyRie up and running by clicking on my aff links! Many thanks, Marie

Wedgies for Joe

I just finished crocheting this cushion for Joe and he loves it!
This pattern was from a designer called '10 Hours or Less', so I of course, kept track of how long it took to make. 

So, how long did it take for me to make? …... the answer is ……..

it took just over 8.5 hours to crochet.   And those eight hours were broken up with half hour here, an hour there etc as I truly wanted it to be surprise and only crocheted it when I was home alone!

I really love the finishing row, it reminds me of (fabric) piping.

So, are you going to make one now? It'd make a great gift and now that you know it takes under ten hours to make one, you have no excuse!

Pattern here...  and remember to use the code: CraftyRie to get 20% off this pattern and any other of their patterns.

Yarn was: this blue, this green, this red, this beige, this white.
I think this cushion would look really cool in a yarn like this for the wedges as the slow colour change would just be awesome!

In fact, this cushion actually deviates from the pattern slightly … oops but hey, I'm calling it an intentional design element!

By the way, I totally adore my son as everyday he tells me yet another reason
why he loves his new cushion "I love how it looks like a flower" "I like how it's big & squishy" "I love that you used red because red is my favourite colour" "I love using it to lean on whilst I'm reading" etc etc

I utilise affiliate links throughout my blog as a way to help me keep crafting. If you click on an aff link, I receive a very small amount from it at NO cost to you. So please help me to keep CraftyRie up and running by clicking on my aff links! Many thanks, Marie

Quick & Easy hat

Further to my super sized shawl that I finished the other day, I then needed a hat to keep my head warm.

This hat knitted up in only 3 nights (an hour or two each night) and gosh, it's so squishy & lovely.

Pattern here...   (and yes, it was easy to knit)
Super soft squishy yarn here, I used the colour Denim.

I utilise affiliate links throughout my blog as a way to help me keep crafting. If you click on an aff link, I receive a very small amount from it at NO cost to you. So please help me to keep CraftyRie up and running by clicking on my aff links! Many thanks, Marie

Snuggly Winter Mornings

It's cold here in Tasmania at the moment as it's the middle of winter and walking the kids to school each day is a very frosty experience. I needed something snuggly warm to burrow into and keep my hands free (to hold my kids hands of course).

The solution is this Shlanket - a shawl, the size of a blanket!   It's super thick, warm & ohmygosh, I'm in love with it!  I used a main colour in steel grey then held it double with random balls from my stash.  

Grab the pattern here, it's a great stash buster!  I want to make another one now!  For my next Shlanket, I think I'd use a super soft squishy base yarn like this one in the colour Almond Smoke (or this in the lighter Feather colour)  & maybe hold it double with a different selection of these gorgeous colourways or perhaps a couple of these transitioning colours.

I apologise about the selfie show & tell but I as soon as I finished the shlanket, I started wearing it and haven't actually blocked it out to shape yet …. I'll do that in the warmer months! 

I utilise affiliate links throughout my blog as a way to help me keep crafting. If you click on an aff link, I receive a very small amount from it at NO cost to you. So please help me to keep CraftyRie up and running by clicking on my aff links! Many thanks, Marie

The little yellow lamb hat.

It'd had been a while since I'd tried colour work, so I thought I'd knit a quick hat to refresh my skills.
This hat is a surprise gift for Laney as it's cold down here at the moment and she needs a hat for walking to school.

I used this yarn in the colours daffodil, silver grey & white and the pattern was this one.

I think my colour work skills need some work, so I'm currently eyeing this hat to brush up on my skills!

I utilise affiliate links throughout my blog as a way to help me keep crafting. If you click on an aff link, I receive a very small amount from it at NO cost to you. So please help me to keep CraftyRie up and running by clicking on my aff links! Many thanks, Marie

241 Tote

I made this bag about a year ago and I use it practically every day.

I lengthened the handle to hang low on my side (see this photo of me wearing the bag) and it's the perfect bag!  Side pockets for sunglasses & tissues for the kids. The inside is deep enough for my big wallet, a water bottle, fold-up shopping bags (for groceries) and even a rain poncho for those sudden downpours on the way home from school pickup (I use this one).

Grab the pattern either here or here.

The cute moth fabric is from my stash & is from this fabric line.

Have you made a 241 tote? Do you like it, use it?  What did you think of the pattern?

I utilise affiliate links throughout my blog as a way to help me keep crafting. If you click on an aff link, I receive a very small amount from it at NO cost to you. So please help me to keep CraftyRie up and running by clicking on my aff links! Many thanks, Marie

Swinging top for Laney

I originally started sewing myself a top but life just kept getting in the way, so I switched and made Laney this top instead.  I think I made the right choice, as she looks so cute in it!

My sewing mojo was all screwed up, everything just kept going wrong. 

~ I broke the vacuum when I was cleaning the floor to lay the material out to cut it 
~ The printer played up & ending up sending all my pages to the floor in a crumbled mess
~ I ran out of sticky tape (to stick the pattern together)
~ My daughter Laney took a couple of pattern pages to draw butterflies on
~ I cut out the sleeves wrong & had to cut an extra one ...twice cos I kept getting the 'mirroring wrong'
~ I didn't have any green thread so had to use black
~ My machine kept eating the thread 
~ I sat on a pin
~ I accidently cut my hair whilst trimming thread
~ I had to do an FBA on the top 
~ I then did the pleats, the sleeve & french seamed the shoulders together and popped it over my head to check it out for fit. and cried. I look horrible in high neck tops and it didn't even have the collar on yet. Sigh. 
~ Stopped
~ Ate chocolate
~ Ate more chocolate
~ Spilt my tea on the pattern. 

Ok, a new game plan was needed.
~ Dug around in the cupboard for the Emma pattern that I'd made my daughter previously (see it here). 
~ Used the same fabric but cut my daughter out an Emma (pattern here). 
~ Sewed it (wrong in many places but hey, at this point I just wanted to finish it). 
~ Finished it. 
~ Daughter in a cranky mood. 
~ Bribed with lollies. 143 photos later here are the only 4 good photos. 
~ Done.

...have you ever had one of those months??   

I utilise affiliate links throughout my blog as a way to help me keep crafting. If you click on an aff link, I receive a very small amount from it at NO cost to you. So please help me to keep CraftyRie up and running by clicking on my aff links! Many thanks, Mari