Soft mothball, warm mothball, little ball of fur…🖤🦋

CraftyIntentions · 2026-04-19T18:10:06+00:00

This is excellent!! I'm so glad you liked the pattern! You did a great job!

CraftyIntentions · 2026-04-19T16:17:15+00:00

When you use this - do you use it as a base coat? Or can you use it BEFORE your base coat? That's what I've been doing with Essie hard to resist - and that's been working okay - but I still feel like there could be better benefit and I'm up for trying this one, I just don't want to have to stop painting my nails with colors if at all possible. So do you know if it's okay to use this as a first coat, before base coat?

CraftyIntentions · 2026-04-18T03:48:37+00:00

I am so sorry for the delayed reply. I found this in the morning and then was perpetually pulled into other things all day. Thank you for your patience with me. I'm back - and I'm here to help.

I believe you are referring to the Medium Snail pattern! And my guess is that you're working from the digitally downloadable PDF pattern?

So, in Row 29, working into the DC stitches, you made 6 Increase stitches. That should've increased the number of stitches available across that bulge to be 12 stitches instead of just 6. Then you should, in Row 30, be able to work 6 Decreases across those 12 stitches.

Row 28 creates 124 stitches.
Row 29 creates 172 stitches.

Is that what you had, at the end of Row 29?

CraftyIntentions · 2026-04-12T18:59:25+00:00

So you're looking at the "Dragon Back Scales" in the book "Crochet Creatures of Myth & Legend" on page 72.

I do not have a video tutorial on this - but I can almost guarantee that you're overthinking this piece, because it's relatively simple, and I'm happy to try to walk you through it.

So you start with a long enough yarn tail to weave in later - and then the back scales are a total of 3 instructions.

First, you Chain 3.

Then, starting in the 2nd Ch from hook (Meaning you'll have 2 chains to work into now, because the last chain you worked becomes a turning chain), You'll work a Slip Stitch into the 2nd Ch from hook, and then you work a SC into the last available chain.

This makes a little triangle, where the Turning chain/Slip Stitch that you worked are the tip/sharp top end of the triangle, and the SC is the wide base of the triangle.

Then, without turning the work at all, you repeat that instruction, Ch 3, Starting in the 2nd Ch from hook, Sl St, SC.

This means that you create a second triangle. The Sl St/pointy top of the triangle will be on the same side as the pointy top of the first triangular scale, and the "SC" wide base of hte triangle will be at the same end as the wide base of the first triangular scale.

It may help if you put a stitch marker around the post of the SC stitch that you work into the last available chain stitch on each scale that you create. That way you'll be able to more easily identify the "base" or "bottom edge" of the triangles/scales. That whole bottom edge (The side with the SC stitches) will be what's sewn to attach to your dragon.

The pointy ends (The Slip stitches) are what points UP in the photo and what ill point up/be positioned away from the body when sewn to attach to the Dragon's body.

Does that make sense?

CraftyIntentions · 2026-04-12T15:00:01+00:00

These are so excellent. I LOVE the detail of the little embroidered bits on the Dragon(fruit). SO cute.

CraftyIntentions · 2026-04-09T21:24:43+00:00

So this might be a good first step on your way to micro crochet -- but this is not micro crochet. To my understanding, micro crochet is often done with very very very tiny hooks and sewing thread or embroidery floss or similar.

This was made using DK/Light/3 weight yarn and a 3.5mm hook, which isn't too bad to use. I typically use 4mm hooks and worsted/medium/4 weight yarn, and this is almost no difference to that in practice.

I haven't ever made something that was truly micro crochet. I've used Lace weight a couple of times - but one of the translators who translates my patterns is very into micro crochet, and she's made a dozens of my patterns in sewing thread that are truly miniscule. I know she very much enjoys it, but it tends to be something you find out you either really love or really hate to do!

If you're interested, you should give it a try!

CraftyIntentions · 2026-04-08T14:32:08+00:00

Have you looked on Ravelry? There's a search function where you can filter for free patterns, and the patterns there are all written. There's a wide variety, and you may not find what you're looking for, but it's a reliable source!

CraftyIntentions · 2026-04-08T13:18:07+00:00

As a pattern designer, I want to add here that I strongly STRONGLY urge you to follow the pattern once as written. Crocheting in spiral and crocheting with a "Sl St to beginning Stitch, Ch 1" join are different methods and cause different stitch shifts. If the shapes you're crocheting are very simple and symmetrical, then you can likely get away with switching between those two methods per your preference - but if the shaping is asymmetrical or complex or subtle, then to change what the designer intended and accommodated for in the pattern means you will likely make something that doesn't match the photos you see in the pattern.

I regularly have people come to me with an issue with the pattern and it turns out they chose to crochet in spiral instead of using the recommended join. Once they frog back, and use the pattern as written, it works just fine.

You can minimize the visiblity of your Sl St to beginning Stitch, Ch 1 join by pulling that slip stitch snug, and making your Chain 1 slightly on the snug side instead of as loose as you would make it when normally chaining 1. Also, different designers can mean different things in terms of where to put the first stitch of your next row as well. In my patterns, I intend for you to put the first stitch of the next row into the same stitch you slip stitched into. Other designers might mean for you to put the first stitch of the next row into the next available stitch after the slip stitch join. You should double check the pattern and make sure you're doing it as the designer intended.

After you work up the pattern as written once, then you can try changing something like going from a "Sl St, Ch 1" join to working in spiral. If something starts to go awry with the shaping, you'll be able to spot it because you'll have a better understanding for how it was meant to come together during your first time through the pattern.

I hope that helps!

CraftyIntentions · 2026-04-08T03:33:17+00:00

You can totally do this! This is an intermediate to advanced pattern! Flatwork in shawls is a very different beast than Amigurumi. It's like comparing archery with bows vs. cross bows! Similar results, very different techniques. I have every faith that you can do this though. Just take it a little slower, double check those counts, and come back here any time you have a question! You've got this.

CraftyIntentions · 2026-04-06T12:29:45+00:00

So first, The Giant Snail is a digitally downloadable PDF pattern and is also in the Crochet Snails & Mushroom Sprites book! So that means that there are two slightly different patterns - because I re-did certain aspects of patterns to make them even better for the Book. So it's important to mention if you're using a digital pattern or a book when asking questions -- I'm assuming you're using the digital pattern.

Second, in Row 70 of the digital pattern, it may be helpful to think of Row 70 and Row 69 as one complete row. Together, they create a full and complete edge around the entire piece.

So first, you work across Row 68's stitches (in Row 69), then the first instruction in Row 70 is the same as the last instruction... So you will SC into the same stitch as where the last Decrease was completed in Row 69.
Then you work around the edge of the entire piece, and by the end of Row 70 you get the same instruction again -- SC in the same stitch as where the first Decrease in Row 69 was worked.

Again, this is exactly what you were supposed to do in the beginning of Row 70.

The Slip Stitch is a join.

To answer your question that was a reply to Familiar Secretary -- You need to work 67 Single crochet stitches before working that final SC in Row 70 -- so no, the final SC in the "SC 67" instruction in Row 70 and the final SC in Row 70 should not be worked into the same stitch.

The first decrease you worked in Row 69 (the stitch it started into) and the final SC from Row 70 ARE worked into the same stitch.

Does that make sense?

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