28-04-2020

Today New Zealand has moved to Lockdown Level 3 which is slightly less restrictive. We can combine our bubble with a close family member’s.
So I get to have a visit with my local grandchildren and River can try on his hood.
I’m looking foward to adding spikes and ears.
The shaping turned out surprisingly well considering my yarn weight and hook are so different to the pattern.
I have many years of crochet experience, so that helps. I love how it is so easy to make shapes in crochet.
30.4.20
I am working on the spikes. I made sc triangles, sewed pairs together and then sewed them to the hood. The original pattern for the spikes is too gappy in the finer yarn.
The smallest triangles are 8sc across the base. There are three this size and four in increasing sizes.
I shaped the front of the hood and made it deep enough to cover the top of the head.
I only need to finish the spikes and make ears.
River loves it.
1.5.20
The biggest spike is 14 sc plus an increase. There are 7 spikes.
2.5.20
I used the deer ear pattern from animal ears headbands. I added two more rows to the bottom of each ear.
I sewed the spikes and ears to the hood. The bigger spikes are very lightly stuffed.
3.5.20
I made triangles to sew around the bottom of the cowl. There are 10, 7sc wide at the base of each.
The hood had a tendency to slip backwards off the head when worn so I made a twisted cord using all the colours and threaded it from the middle front of the cowl, around the top front of the hood just in front of the patterned stitches, and through the other front side of the cowl. This gathers the hood up snugly if wanted, and prevents it slipping back.
River is very pleased with his hood.
I have requests from admirers for more.