Crochet Puzzle Balls & Charity Craft Auction!

I made more puzzle balls! My previous versions can be seen here, including a free printable for the instructions :) I enjoy making these, and I love mish-mashing colours together! The above puzzle ball has traveled all the way to Australia to live with one of my nephews, but the one below is up for grabs...

Have you heard of a charity called Post Pals? They're a wonderful organisation run by a friend of mine, and people volunteer to send post - letters and gifts - to seriously ill children and their siblings. As an adult with chronic health issues I know how much a piece of post can make me smile, so the work this charity does is brilliant. They are running a craft auction over on Facebook from 1st-8th August 2016 and I have donated one of my crochet puzzle balls! The auction is full of handmade items and craft supplies, and is intended to raise money to take all the children involved with the charity on holiday. They can't get away from their illnesses, but with our help they can get away from the same four walls.

I don't currently crochet items for sale, so if you want a puzzle ball, now is your chance! The puzzle ball up for auction is pictured below. Interested? Click here to visit the Facebook auction to place your bid and look through the other items for purchase - both handmade items and some craft supplies!

Crochet Puzzle Balls

I crocheted these puzzle balls as Christmas presents for two of my nephews (and was requested to make one for another!) They are wonderful toys for babies and toddlers, and I've seen adults in my family spend a fair bit of time with them too! They are very tactile, and pleasing to fiddle with.

They are made using this pattern from Look At What I Made. You begin by crocheting 24 little cone shapes, before hooking them together to make the squares you see above. These three squares can then be assembled to make the pointy star ball (in the first and last pictures). The points can also be rotated after assembly to make a flat sided ball, such as in the pictures below. This means that not only can the toy be used as a ball, to throw and play around, but it also develops motor skills, as it is disassembled and reassembled, and allows for different colour combinations depending on how it is assembled!

The finished size of these balls is an adult handful, but I am hoping to make one closer to knee height, which can be used as a footstool or floor pillows - just need to save up for some super chunky wool! I made these using Stylecraft's double knitting range. At first, it can be a bit confusing how to assemble this puzzle ball, so I made up some instructions to package with them. I'm sharing it as a free PDF that you can access by clicking the image below, but ask that you use it for personal use only. Thanks!

I really recommend this pattern though. I don't see many of these being made in blogland, and they deserve more attention!

Crochet Rabbit Toys

We have two bunnies in our little family, Toffee and Flopsy. and we're always looking for new ideas to entertain them. They have a plastic ball with a bell inside, which Flopsy can pick up with his teeth and throw around, and which Toffee can hold between her paws, and practically dribble with! However, we wanted something which Toffee would also be able to pick up and throw. After a Google search, I came across this pattern, Tiny Crochet Balls, and picked up my nearest crochet hook and a ball of string. A little while and some sawdust later, I had a new bunny toy, which dare I say, they love! (Note: I turned it inside out before stuffing it, as I felt the texture was better for them to grip.)

Having successfully made my first crochet ball, I plucked up the confidence to set about making my own pattern. It was successful, and a short while later, I stuffed it with the pellets they eat for supper, to see if they could fathom it out.

We suspected them to just chew through the string, throw it about, and try to empty it…

Instead, Toffee took it in her front paws, and using her mouth, removed each pellet one by one from between the stitches! It was amazing to watch, and she seemed to get so much enjoyment from it. Flopsy on the other hand… Well. He wasn't quite so keen on working for his supper, and took the throw-it-around-and-hope-for-the-best approach! Between them, they emptied it. Completely. And kindly left it in one piece to be used again! I think Flopsy even eventually learnt Toffee's approach, and had a bit more success!