It’s been just over a week since I received an order for as many Dogfish toys as possible, and what a week it has been! Late nights crocheting, lots of frogging, pencil scribbles all over my pattern. It’s a huge project to get done by the end of month, but I’m so excited that my crochet creations will be showcased at a book festival in America next month. Watch the video above to see the progress I’ve made during Week 1, and keep reading to learn more about my makes.
Dogfish is made of 100% recycled materials, so most of my stress for this project is waiting for supplies to arrive in time. I’ve got recycled threads and a stack of felt on the way, and the red yarn I’ll be using for amigurumi hearts has just arrived. When the felt finally gets here, I’ll have around 100 shapes to cut out. Four pieces for each eye, a nose, and 9 spots in 3 different sizes to go on his back. I doubt I’ll have a second to spare for the rest of February!
I’ve never worked on a project of this size before, and certainly not in such a short time frame. It’s been manic but really fun, and I’ve learnt a lot about myself as a crocheter. Usually I tend to craft little and often, doing shorter bursts here and there. But as Dogfish requires a lot of time, I’ve been learning to sit down for extended periods of time and I’ve been blown away by how much I’ve got done (and how many seasons of Criminal Minds I’ve binge watched in the background). Amigurumi projects in particular usually take me a while to finish, but at the end of Week 1 I’ve got most of the pieces made for 4 toys. I’m going to keep going until I have a couple more finished, then I’ll move on to assembling all of the pieces and making hearts for Dogfish to hold between his flippers!
I’ve loved spending so much time with this fantastic character and I’m really proud of how far I’ve come as a crochet designer. This project has taught me to problem solve, to commit to my craft and to put my creativity first. What more could I ask for?
Dogfish Diaries: Part 1