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Little Material Girl Four quick projects to crochet for your favorite little girly-girl. From "Uncommon Threads" episode DUCT-144

(Continued from page 1)

Cecily Keim has designed a cute stuffed caterpillar that can be customized with both color and texture when you make it for the little girl in your life. The body is made up of crocheted covered balls, so once you know how to create the first one, the rest is just a repeat. All that's left is connecting them together and creating a face.

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	Caterpillar
	Figure A

Caterpillar

Materials:

3 skeins Crystal Palace Cotton Chenille in, colors of your choice
1 skein Crystal Palace Fizz in color of your choice
crochet hook, US size H (5.00mm)
foam balls (cat toys like those in figure A work well)
yarn needle
interesting items to decorate it with

Stitches and techniques:
chain
single crochet
slip stitch
increasing
decreasing by working stitches together (2 sc tog)
working in the round.
whipstitch

Each body segment is worked in the round without turning between rounds.

Creating the body segments:
Make segments in contrasting colors and textures to give the caterpillar a style of its own. Try double-stranding an eyelash yarn with the cotton chenille to change the texture.

Round 1: Ch 2, work 6 sc into the second chain from the hook, slip stitch into the first sc of the round (6 stitches).
Round 2: Ch 1, Work 2 sc into each sc from the first round, slip stitch into the first sc of the round (12 stitches).
Round 3: Ch 1, Work 2 sc into the first stitch, work 1 sc into the next stitch, *work 2 sc into the next stitch, work 1 sc into the next stitch. Repeat from the * to finish the round. slip stitch into the first sc of the round (18 stitches).
Round 4: Ch 1, work 1 sc into each stitch from previous round, slip stitch into the first sc of the round (18 stitches).
Rounds 5 and 6: Repeat Round 4.

Place a foam ball inside the crocheted piece (figure B).

Round 7: Ch 1 work 1 sc into the first stitch, work 2 sc tog over the next 2 stitches, *work 1 sc into the next stitch, work 2 sc tog over the next 2 stitches. Repeat from the * to finish the round, slip stitch into the first sc of the round (12 stitches).
Round 8: Ch 1 work 1 sc into the first stitch, work 2 sc tog over the next 2 stitches, *work 1 sc into the next stitch, work 2 sc tog over the next 2 stitches. Repeat from the * to finish the round, slip stitch into the first sc of the round (8 stitches). Round 9: Ch 1, work 1 sc into each stitch from previous round, slip stitch into the first sc of the round. (8 stitches) Tie off, leaving a tail of 6" or longer (figure C).

Figure B

Figure C

Figure D

Build the caterpillar:
Each finished body segment has one unfinished end (Round 9); when sewing the segments together, use this end to sew to another segment. You'll want to make sure you leave finished ends facing out for the face and tail of the caterpillar.

Use the long tail of an unfinished end to whipstitch two segments together (figure D).

Tie off and weave in tails.

Get creative! Use embroidery, buttons or whatever else you wish to give the caterpillar a charming face.

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