Hooking on Hump Day – All Aboard!

The Christmas Gingerbread Train!

Hi everyone! It’s Cindy here to tell you about the adorable, crocheted gingerbread train I created to add to our holiday decorations. 

Christmas Gingerbread Train

The pattern for this detailed amigurumi was created by the designer from Toyfox Store on Etsy. The fifty-eight-page pattern is incredibly detailed with many pictures and even includes a few links to videos you can watch to help you complete this project. The yarn used is Scheepjes Catona (50g) which is great for this type of work. I used two skeins each of Snow White (106) and Caramel (506) and less than a skein each of Scarlet (192), Kiwi (205), and Chocolate (507). Since you can’t tell by the picture how big the train is I will give you some dimensions as we look at each piece. All coupled together the train is about 14 ½ inches (37 cm) long.

Lead Car with Christmas Sweets

I’ve had this project on my hook for almost 9 months with a few breaks for other projects in between. I started with what I determined would be the simplest part, the Lead Car and the Christmas Sweets. This car measures 3 ¾ inches (9.5 cm) long by 2 ¾ inches (7 cm) high by 2 ½ inches (6.4 cm) inches wide. Each of the candies required a slightly different technique for the colorwork. Charlie did his usual handyman job of supplying me with the sticks for the lollipops. The trick to getting those lollipops to stand up in the car is a small piece of florist foam in the bottom of the car.

Cupcake Caboose

The Cupcake Caboose used some more new techniques and stitches to me such as the “split single crochet” (also known as the waistcoat stitch) that was used on the striped lower part of the cupcake. A crocheter can see that this stitch gives you the look of knitting. The spirals of frosting were done by working a single crochet in the front loops of the previous round and then working another single crochet into the back loops of the same base stitches. The first time I made the top of the cupcake I did it wrong and when I realized my mistake, I ripped it out and redid the frosting. This car is 3 ¾ inches (9.5 cm) long by 5 inches (12.7 cm) high (to the top of the cherry) by 2 ½ inches (6.4 cm) inches wide. I just love all the minute details that went into this car.

Gingerbread Train Engine

The pattern is written with each step for each car separately, but I did some of the parts in an assembly line fashion. For instance, all the wheels are identical so instead of doing the first four and then finishing one car I did all of them together, so I didn’t have to remember how to make them each time.

Front view of Engine

To create the various shapes and make them rigid, cardboard was used either in a sandwich of crocheted pieces (the wheels) or in the case of the engine the cardboard is glued to the inside of the walls and roof before it is sewn closed. Other parts of the train were stuffed with polyfil and with the lead car and the cow catcher on the front of the engine, I used stiffener to make them rigid.

Back of the Engine

There are a lot of little parts that went into making the engine, so I left that car for the end. I just love all the little details of the snow-covered roof with icicles hanging off, the candy decorations and the way the stitching makes it look like frosting on the roof, and the cute little door and windows on the sides and back. Not to mention the boiler and all its adornments on the front.

A 360 view of the Engine

This engine is 5 ½ inches (14 cm) long by 5 inches (12.7 cm) high by 2 ½ inches (6.4 cm) inches wide. Overall, I’m very happy with how this train turned out. For displaying it I created a machine embroidered set of train tracks on white polka dot fabric so it looks like it’s flying through the snow.

Christmas Gingerbread Train

If you are a medium to experienced crocheter I would recommend this pattern. The instructions are very detailed with lots of pictures to help you and is extremely easy to follow.

I’m joining the The Loop Scoop Yarny Link Party (formerly known as Hookin’ on Hump Day). You should stop by to see some of the other projects people have posted.

Read Full Post »

Nature Friday With Walter

Flowers For My Love!

Hi everyone! It’s Walter here. Today I want to celebrate the life of my girlfriend, Tuiren, who left for the Rainbow Bridge about a week ago.

We enjoyed many Blogville events together and I was honored to be her boyfriend for many years. I know she is feeling young and frisky now that she is romping over the Bridge and someday, we will be reunited.

I will always love you, Tuiren.

In honor of Tuiren, I want to share some beautiful dahlia pictures my dad took over the course of the past couple of months at the Webster Arboretum.

The local dahlia society has dug out all the tubers and will keep them safe until they can be replanted next year.

I hope you enjoyed seeing all those beautiful flowers.

As some of you might have heard there is an exceptional winter storm happening in western New York state, but rest assured we aren’t being affected by it. We had a dusting of snow this morning and shouldn’t get much more than that. Don’t worry though we are sure to get our fair share this winter.

Join the Nature Friday Blog Hop

We are joining the LLB Gang for their Nature Friday Blog Hop. You should pop over to their blog to see all the other posts.

Before I go, I have one more thing to tell you about. Do you enjoy getting mail during the holiday season and having more cards come to you than your parents? Well why not join in on the Holiday Card Exchange.

To find out how to add your name to the list just email The Swiss Cats ( swissneko AT gmail.com ). Be sure to include your blog name and your human’s name in your email. We think even our friends that don’t blog anymore could probably participate if you ask nice and reference your old blog.

Read Full Post »

Nature Friday With Fall Leaves

Hi everyone! It’s Millie here. This fall sure has been a funny one. We’ve had such warm temperatures that we’ve been able to spend lots of time outside while mom and dad work or play in the yard.

I love laying in the leaves under the Katsura tree with my Kong. What is dad doing back there?

Our dad likes to play around by taking macro pictures of the leaves that have fallen on the ground. The Katsura tree leaves still had some dew on them to make very pretty pictures.

Next, we have the beautiful leaves from the stewartia tree along with some of the seed pods they drop.

We sure have been enjoying this lovely fall weather and we hope you all get to enjoy some fall leaves in your backyard.

I hope you enjoyed seeing the beauty in our fallen leaves.

Winter might be just around the corner, but you wouldn’t know it with the warm weather we’ve had here this week. We might even break the high temperature record of 75° F tomorrow.

Join the Nature Friday Blog Hop

We are joining the LLB Gang for their Nature Friday Blog Hop. You should pop over to their blog to see all the other posts.

Read Full Post »