Level: Beginner Materials: E or F hook  worsted weight yarn in two colors for the stem and the cap. yarn needle Stitches: ch- chain stitch  sc- single crochet  inc- increase or single crochet twice into one stitch  hdc-half double crochet hdc inc- make 2 hdc in one stitch fl- front loop (half double crochet in front loops only) Instructions: Start with the color you want for the cap Round 1: SC 6 into a magic circle Round 2: Inc in each stitch to make 12 Round 3- In front loops only *hdc, hdc inc* around to make 18 Round 4-hdc 18 around  Round 5- sc 18 around and tie off Round 6- Turn the cap of the mushroom over and find the back loos from round 3. Pull your stem color through the loop, chain one and sc in the same back loop. Then sc in all the back loops around.for a total or 12. Rounds 7-14  (or until stem reaches the desired length) sc around. (12)

  Snail Finger Puppet Materials E or F hook for the body and and G or H for the shell worsted weight yarn tapestry needle Stitches: Ch - Chain Sl st - slip stitch SC - Single Crochet Inc - Single crochet 2 stitches into one Snail Body:   Row 1: Start by making 6 sc into a magic ring (6) Row 2: (sc, inc) around (9) Row 3: (sc, sc, inc) around (12) Row 4-11: sc in each stitch (12) Sl st into next two and fasten off  Snail Shell Row 1: Holding two pieces of yarn together start by making 6 sc into a magic ring (6) Row 2: Increase in all 6 stitches for a total of 12 stitches. Sl st into the next stitch and fasten off. Make two of these and sew them together. Attach the shell to the body and make cute little eyes/antennae by doubling some yarn and sewing in through the top of the head. Make a knot at the body on both sides to hold it in place and a knot at the top for the little snail's eyes.

My newest project is to make 1,000 octopuses. I have always been fascinated with folding paper cranes for luck (senbazuru)... Legend has it that if you fold 1,000 cranes it will grant a wish or give you a lifetime of good fortune... Sadly origami has never been my forte.... but amigurumi* TOTALLY is.... I love to make finger puppets and toys and I often have small bits of yarn and a crochet hook on hand to whip up little things on the go. These little octopuses have been something I have been making for years... they are easy and quick to make (I can whip one up in about 10-15 minutes) and they are like little 8 legged mandalas. I am not sure where my 1,000 octopus journey will take me... but I know that the first 100 are going to become a part of a yarn sculpture that I am working on...Here is a sneak peak. So far I am about 45 octopuses in to my 1,000... I am not sure that I will have them done by the end of 2025... but I plan on doing them as a series of smaller projects... the firs...