Saturday 9 October 2010

Happy Hooker Backwards Project 39 - Li'l Monkey

Well after a slight setback whilst I waited for a further supply of grey Wendy Serenity yarn I have finally managed to finish my second Happy Hooker Backwards project!  And I have to say I am delighted.  I love the yarn, I love the colours, I love the look of the whole thing. 

Here it is...

Happy Hooker "Li'l Monkey" blanket and hat

Happy Hooker "Li'l Monkey" blanket and hat

The original pattern called for the traditional sock monkey colours of red, tan and cream - a combination I love - but I wanted a much girlier version.

Happy Hooker "Li'l Monkey" blanket and hat

This yarn is super soft - it's a mix of wool, alpaca and acrylic, so very washable too.  In fact I am not going to bother with blocking as I suspect this blanket, which is destined for use as a kind of floor blanket for the new addition to roll about on, faces a lot of washing in its future!  Plenty of time for shaping and drying flat and straight then :)

Happy Hooker "Li'l Monkey" blanket and hat

Happy Hooker "Li'l Monkey" blanket and hat

Those monkey faces were quite a challenge though, more on those below.  But first lets sum up Project 39:
  • Cost - about £35.00 - I used about 10 balls in total, more than double what the pattern recommends.  But I did use a different yarn as I couldn't get the required Bernat Softeee Chunkee here in the UK.
  • Yarn - Wendy Serenity Super Chunky in grey, pink and cream.  I used more grey than any other colour and ended up having to track down more having made the classic mistake of not buying enough in the first place!
  • Hook - 9mm and 5mm
  • Difficulty - Easy!  The granny squares are easy to do and the special stitiches are really well explained in the pattern.  The hat was really quick and simple.  The monkey faces were a total pain though!  In fact I totally gave up on the pattern instructions and worked it out myself, I have written my alterations below.
  • Overall happiness with finished object - absolutely delighted! It is soft, it is chunky, it is unusual, fun and girly.  There's not a member of the household who hasn't happily buried their toes into it :)
 
Happy Hooker "Li'l Monkey" blanket and hat

Now onto those darned monkey faces.  I got pretty stuck on these and looking at Ravelry I see I'm not the only one.  So here's my revisions to the pattern - basically a list of what I did to more or less make it work ok for me.  These are just me notes, I am no pattern writer!  But if they help another frustrated Happy Hooker somewhere in the world then it's worth posting them:

Rounds 1 and 2 - work to pattern

Round 3 - with colour D
Ch1, sc in same st
2 sc in nxt sc
1 sc in nxt 6 sc
2 sc in next 3 sc
1 sc in nxt 8 sc
2 sc in last sc
Sl st in first sc to join

Round 4
Ch1, sc in same st
2 sc in nxt sc
1 sc in nxt 11 sc
2 sc in nxt 3 sc
1 sc in nxt 9 sc
2 sc in last sc
Sl st in first sc to join

Round 5
Ch 1, 2 sc in same st
2 sc in next sc
1 sc in next 10 sc
2 sc in next 2 sc

Then return to pattern for the ears.

  
Happy Hooker "Li'l Monkey" blanket and hat

Two down, just 38 to go!  Next project is another blanket but this time a big one for us grown ups!  Perfect for the coming winter, more soon!

x

12 comments:

  1. This is such a pretty blanket - I really like the colors you selected and I LOVE the edging!

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  2. well done!!! All your hard work was worth it, it's so lovely and will be perfect for the new addition to the family I'm sure :) xx

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  3. The colors are great together! It looks like a nice, squishy floor blanket, which is my favorite kind to make for babies. It definitely helps to be an experienced crochet-er when it comes to snafus with patterns, right?

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  4. That is an absolutely gorgeous blanket! I so wish I could crochet, your post was very inspiring. Just perfect for your little arrival when she arrives! x

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  5. Aaaaawwwww look at those little monkeys - just perfect colours.

    Nina xxx

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  6. Oh wow, those monkeys are adorable, lovely work.

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  7. hey gorgeous, I'm not usually into crochet blankets {although I would love to know how to crochet} but this one is just gorgeous....love the colours, love the pattern, LOVE the style {not the typical square shape} and LOVE the additions of the monkey faces and hats :o)

    hugs

    hello gorgeous xxx

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  8. Aaaaaah...Thank you so much. I just couldn't figure out those monkey faces either. Your pattern is perfect.

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  9. OMWord, thank you!! I was working on those monkey faces last night and was ready to give up crocheting forever, lol! I'm relatively new to it. I'm going to try again with your revisions :)

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  10. I love your version of the Lil' Monkey Blanket! It's so feminine, perfect for a little girl! Thank you for posting how you did the monkey faces, it was very helpful. How were you able to get the monkey faces on with the sewing yarn showing through on the back, (wrong side) of the squares?

    Thanks again!

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  11. Thanks everyone for the lovely comments on my monkey blanket! It is a lovely pattern :)
    Emma - When I sewed the faces on I used matching yarn and made sure I kept my stitches woven in amongst the crochet stitches, if that makes sense...? So the stitching is kind of buried in the crochet work and you don't see it. Hope that helps!
    Ali
    x

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