A crocheted hippogriff - at least I think that's what it is. I have enough trouble identifying real species, let alone crocheted versions of mythical ones. Found In: Crochet

This pattern (see below) was another one of my facebook finds. I have signed up to a few groups where people post patterns and I like to save some for later use. This is a very simple bear, quite small, and I used it as part of a Christmas gift, adding a bit of rainbow colour to the rest of the present.

I wanted to make a gift for my parents' anniversary and I found this link for plush hearts (see link below). I made one in purple for my mother, her favourite colour, but why stop there? I made another for my aunt for her birthday, then I made a pink one for my grandmother for her birthday. That left one more aunt on my mother's side, so what did I give her for her birthday?

While I was proud of the bunny comforter I had already made, it was quite large and time consuming. I came across this pattern on facebook (See below for the link) and had saved it for a later date. The later date came up pretty soon! Two of my wonderful friends from work were expecting grandchildren so I made them one each. The smaller pattern was faster, and I also believe it is a more suitable size for a baby. Link to free pattern

Another favourite pokemon! This one was a gift for a family at work. The father run's a pokemon store and I was delighted when my crochet creation appeared at his pop up stall (display only). I don't use felt with my creations, so I stitched on some darker brown for the internal parts of the ears. I also traded out the safety eyes and added a mouth.

Pikachu is a favourite pokemon for the children at my work (and for a lot of people, let's be honest!) So I decided to give him a go. There are a lot of patterns online but I wanted to go with something simple. This pattern used felt and safety eyes, but I substituted them for yarn stitching. I also added in my own small hands and feet. The children were delighted to see him! Link to free written pattern

Following the theme of birthday presents, I obviously had to make something for my super awesome friend and teammate, Tina! I can't seem to find the exact pattern I have used for this one, sorry, but there are plenty of pattern ideas if you google it. I wasn't sure what colour to use, so my daughter suggested the rainbow yarn. I find it really clever that the pattern for these pots includes adding a cardboard base inside the pot to keep it flat so it can stand. I personalised it by using backstitch to write her name on the pot.

I found this pattern from a facebook group. I saved the image but cannot find the link to the original post so I will not post the pattern this time, sorry. But if you google "reversible octopus crochet" it comes up with several different options. I found these to be a really useful tool for working in childcare. I made several of them and the team wore them on lanyards.

I have always been a fan of dragons. I'm not really sure why it took me so long to try one! I found a pattern that extended on the dinosaur I made previously. It uses the same base but then adds the wings and horns. Remembering that I was not overly happy with the dinosaur, I was keen to try again. I still feel as though the tail needs some editing, but I was happy with how it turned out overall. Link to Youtube pattern

This one was a request from a friend at work. (Okay, yes, I am aware I mentioned not necessarily taking on requests unless yarn was supplied but by this stage I was developing an addiction and I just couldn't help it!) I followed another pattern for this one but it was only after completion that I realised the fins look like they are the wrong way around..

My daughter's class at school were nicknamed the 'All Stars' and they had their own theme song, using the familiar Smash Mouth song but changing the lyrics to be positive inspiration for the class. So, of course, I had to join in and create a star! My daughter picked the rainbow colour and I made that one first, using the pattern linked below.

My son loves dinosaurs so, naturally, I had to give one a go. I'm not thrilled with the results, to be honest. I probably missed some stitches or misunderstood some of the pattern, but my son still loved him, so I guess that is all that matters! Not everything turns out the way you want it to when you first try out. Don't give up! Link to Youtube pattern

The children at my childcare loved discovering what I had made. I would often ask them to guess what I had in my pocket and it created excitement. With this in mind, I made another small toy that the children could look after for me. This little mouse was simple enough and worked wonders, giving emotional support to children. He worked his way into numerous magnet tile buildings and other creations!

This is another penguin pattern that I tried. It's bigger than the one from my last post and it was my first attempt at colour changing within rows. I struggled with this a bit and it seemed to look weird as I went through. What did I learn? Trust and follow the pattern because it will turn out alright in the end. Will that always work? No. But it does for this one! Link to YouTube Pattern