Crochet Monkey Blanket for baby

The quest for teachers gifts has been put on hold. My mother and I received an invitation to a baby shower the other day. So I went into baby blanket mode. My mother will most likely make a blanket. Did I mention its for my cousin's girlfriend and they were having twin girls? Yeah. I've known, I don't know why the invitation surprised me. So we have a week. Mother may get a blanket done and a IOU for the second. Of course if she can find a yarn she a) Likes, it has to be multi colored with purple in it (? I don't ask anymore) and b) it's obviously been awhile since she bought yarn because it "way too expensive". Remember when making a homemade blanket was thrifty as well as 'made with love'. Mom has arthritis in her hands and while crocheting used to be enjoyable now she can only do it in small spurts before it pains her. I would have offered us to 'go in together n make stuff' but I'm really not that crazy anymore. I also have an, she's my mom's cousin, I never remember what that makes her to me...second cousin? Anyway she crochets as well. I remember because my son received a blanket made by her. (which I still have..it was nice) So this chick is looking at getting a few crochet items for her shower. We are not cheap...OK mom is cheap, I'm just broke...no really Broke!broke. I dug into my stash to see what I could actually make. The twin part makes it hard cause double everything means double yarn which even among my tubs I don't have enough to do 2 or anything identical. But then I never liked giving twins the same stuff anyway. And like I said the babies will be getting a few items perhaps I could look for something slightly different. So began my Internet surfing for ideals. Inspiration struck after viewing this design

This is Bearghan developed by Pat Liles and published on YarnCrazy Crochet World, a blog by Chris Simon. Cute huh? The expecting Mom is registered at target and babiesrus so I took a quick run through all the cute and PINK stuff she picked out. Her bedding was purple butterflies but I'm thinking that was for the grandma she loves purple. Most of her baby equipment ie. stroller , highchair, etc. were dark to neutral colors. Grey, brown, tan, green were predominant and not much pattern. Nothing that screamed I'm covering my kids room in Elmo, Disney characters, or Winnie da Pooh. The only thing recurring , besides enough pink to make one ill, were butterflies, monkeys and a few elephants. So instead of a bearghan I made a monkeyghan. (still working on the elephantghan)

Ha. He's cute huh. The squares are from the same blog except for the peach 4 fillet hearts which is from the blog The Left Side of Crochet. the author's name is April and the pattern is Pink Crush.  They are 12 inch squares and any squares you like will do. I tried to pick one's that weren't too open or light. I couldn't resist the butterflies though. This is more of a roll around on the floor blanket but I'm expecting her to get cute baby wraps. Oh and the head is actually two pieces so its more like a hood. Cant you just see 2 Lil girls running around their mom with these over their heads pretending to be animals. (OK maybe it's a boy thing.) I like the hood. it's a relatively small blanket so it would work well in a stroller or something. Ideally it's for a toddler I'd say. But you never can tell what kids or mom's will like. And they are different then anything else she'll get just cause there really isn't anything else like em out there. Below are pics of each square and the elephant hood piece I started on. The second blanket will be same squares in same or similar colors depending on yarn consumption.

Ether's Square by Chris Simon

Pink Crush by April

Butterfly Garden by Chris Simon



Supernova by Chris Simon





Cable Hearts by Chris Simon





There is a link on Chris' Bearghan directions for the half granny squares to what looks to be an older blog of Theresa Richardson and if you watch you tube crochet tutorials you will recognise that name.

 So this is my elephant hood. That is the second nose the first one looked more like a squished pig nose.

Well there they are. People either love or hate my for aye into designing. I hope they can appreciate them at least. I think the girls will like them. Who knows they might be that blanket you hide in your closet till you get old enough to actually pack it away and admit its a keepsake...lol

Pieces: The hood - h hook - ch3, 8 dc in 3rd ch from hook, *ch3, dc in same, dc around with 3 in top center, 2 dc in last dc* repeat between *'s for each row. My hood was 10 rows. After last row do not turn ch2 and dc across bottom edge.

Faces - eyes- d hook - ch2 8 sc in 2nd ch from hook finish off with long tail for attaching

monkey ear - h hook - ch2, 5sc in 2nd ch from hook. turn, 2sc in each sc, turn, sc in next st, 2 sc in next st,hdc in next 2, dc in next, 3 dc in next(top of arch), dc in next, hdc in next 2, 2sc in next, sc in last, do not turn, sc across bottom edge. Change color sc around, sc around to 2oclock 2 sc in that sc, then sc to 2 top most sc, 2 sc in ea of 2, sc to 10 o'clock position, 2 sc , single sc in each to end of round. Same next round except top most is 2sc in st, 1sc in next, 2sc in next, don't forget 2sc at 2 and 10 positions. Make 2

eye area (tan) - d or g hook - ch2, 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook, 2sc in ea sc around. make 2 leave 8 in tail on first, don't fasten off second cont around in pattern (sc in st, 2 sc in next) leave last st un-worked and sc in other tan piece same pattern around, when get to join skip center st and start new pattern (sc in next 2 st, 2sc in next) around. When back to join skip center st and cont on other side sl st when reaching join again and fasten off. Leave tail to attach to hood. Use first tail to sew together joint area between circles

nose - ch 2 , 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook, 2sc in next 2 st, 2 hdc in next, 2sc in next 2 st, 2 hdc in next fasten off with tail to attach

Mouth area - d or g hook - ch 2, sc 6 in 2nd ch from hook. do reg increase rounds to make a circle.(pattern 2sc, 1sc/2sc,1sc,1sc/2sc,1sc,1sc,1sc and so on increasing 1sc between each round) last 2 rounds are sc in each. leave tail to attach. This should give you a raised circle. You can stuff with a bit of filling or cloth. Sew in place pushing sides in just a bit so it holds cupped shape.

elephant eyes - same as monkey

elephant trunk - d hook - ch2, 6 sc in 2nd ch., 6 rounds of sc in each stitch. Then increase on one side and decrease on the opposite side of same round this will bend trunk a bit. Then start adding st to round, very gradual increases. only top side start making longer st. while rest of round remains sc. I did  4 hdc increases, then a round of sc, then dc increases. Stuff the trunk with fill or fabric. The stitching should hold the shape. I wouldn't add pipe cleaners and such so as not to injure the child.

elephant ears - ch2 , 6sc n 2nd ch from hook, next row was hdc on top, sl st on side and dc on bottom. fasten off. Change color. After a round of sc, the shaping was done much the same hdc on top, sl st on side, and dc on the bottom. I forgot to bring gray around the entire ear at least once so I made sure the gray covered the pink when i stitched it to the hood but sc there would have made a neater join. BTW the ears are only joined by the center of the ear so they can move a bit

My squares were outlined in white sc, except for center square was in dc (size issue), the bottom 2 edges of head and inside 2 edges of half granny squares were also lined in white sc. All the pieces were then laid out and wiped stitched together. The last piece assembled is the hood over the head because that is stitched together as you do 1st round of boarder st. Start boarder at either end of hood joining so you can turn at hood for however large a boarder you plan. If you want the "lacy" edge just attach hood first , then turn at hood until last round and cont over hood join. I suggest back loops only for hood edge.