crochet pumpkin gone mad - HELP!

[Pax]

I love all of your assorted comments. They make my reading here entertaining too.

Yes, this might be a happy accident, but I still think it has potential. My pattern is looking like what it should be. They only problem is, it is not stuffable until further down the road so to speak. They do not tell you as you make an item that it might take on strage and bizzare shapes before reaching the final product.
Red Rock

It could be a Halloween coaster?

[Red Rock]

This might be the halloween brain coral brought up from the sea.

I took another picture so all could see what it looks like. My hunch is once I get closer to the end point and stuffable it will all fill out. I have put my hand inside this thing and it will expand out and look like it should.

Persistance counts..

Enjoy!

Red Rock

[Red Rock]

Ok here is the update.....

I am almost finished with this. I took the advice of many people here and visited the craft shop and got some needed help. I was doing a lot wrong to answer all of your questions. I guess Ican make great lichens, brain corals as needed. I'll I have to do is stuff this and it will be an instant pumpkin.

Here it is:

[Blueberry]

Yay!!! It looks great!

I'd actually like to know what you were doing wrong, though. The brain coral was pretty cool!

CA

[invsblwmn]

Preeetty!

[Red Rock]

Thankyou for all of your kind words. I am just glad I was able to get this figured out.

CA: what was doing that was wrong?
1. Not turning the piece
2. Not doing what was in the brackets around the whole row.

I think that was it. Now I have done enough circles, you would think I would remember how to do this.

My next item is to somehow use up, give away, or something, all of my red heart yarn. When I went to the shop they were all talking about how "bad" it was and I felt awful sitting there using the stuff. I might become the expert in pumpkins and other "crafty" items to get them all used. I could use them to make hats on those lofty loombs that come in a variety of colors and donate/give them away to a shelter here in town. My neighbor does that. I could help add to the collection.

Red Rock

[Blueberry]

If you like knitting/crocheting with it - don't feel bad! It does have a place - especially for folks who can't/won't hand wash (kids, etc). Some places will take yarn donations (unknitted) if you really want to get rid of it!

CA

[Biciclista]

what's so bad about redheart yarn?
because it's acrylic? Donate it to a senior center. If my grandmother was still alive, she'd want it!

[malkin]

Senior centers or Boys' and Girls' clubs, after school programs--someone will take it and use it happily.

Using fancy silk, or soft cotton, or wool with a little lanolin can spoil a hand worker in a hurry. There's nothing really wrong with Red Heart, it's just a preference.

[malkin]

And Red, I think you should write down what you did at first, and make several of them in different sizes and colors and submit them to a crochet magazine as a series of lichen and coral patterns!

[Red Rock]

Thanks for your collective input here. I will think on these things.

Are you serious about submitting this to a mag? Would they even take it seriously? If something was submitted, I think I would be beyond myself in amazment.

Red Rock

[Biciclista]

I think you could do it. Pick the right colors and make a display, take some nice photos, why not?

[malkin]

I've seen much stranger patterns published! So if you've got the inclination you could certainly prepare a submission.

Another possibility would be to make up the lichen/coral in some hemp and call it an environmentally friendly dish scrubby.

[nancielle]

what's so bad about redheart yarn?
because it's acrylic? Donate it to a senior center. If my grandmother was still alive, she'd want it!

I second this suggestion. The senior center here is always looking for donations. Many of their members knit hats/mittens/gloves to give to the local shelters.

A few years ago a friend of mine solicited donations of leftover yarn to use with her program (women on probation). They had to attend classes at a corrections center daily. They each worked on a square (knit or crochet) that they donated to "Warm Up America" http://www.warmupamerica.com/home.html She commented that while working on the squares the women opened up and discussed issues going on in their lives far more than when they simply sat in a group. They also felt a sense of satisfaction that they were helping to make a difference to somebody.

[salsabike]

The pumpkin looks perfect! Nice job, especially in the "how humiliating that I can't figure this out, but I INSIST that I will!" category.