I regularly make custom orders for customers but this is a first and what has been keeping me busy. A customer contacted me with a photo and asked if I could make something similar but with a Beatles theme.
So what is it?
This is a twiddle muff. What is a twiddle muff you ask? It is something for dementia and alzheimer's patients to have in their lap to put their hands in and keep their fingers busy.
The photo and instructions that were sent to me were for a knit version, I only crochet. So this has been challenging for me...I have never turned a knit project into a crochet pattern. I basically looked at the photo she sent and wrote up my own pattern, changing it up along the way as necessary.
This is the photo that was sent to me:
image source
I have never incorporated so many other objects into my work, but this has been interesting. There will be beads strung across it in a couple of different places. I must say this has been a fun project thus far, with a lot of reative control given to me by the customer. I added some additional texture by using bobble stitches in two of the rows and a couple rows of front post/back post double crochet. I also used various types and thicknesses of yard to add dimension.
Having the ability to look around the internet (I love shopping!) and find items that I think would look good and keep with the Beatles theme was actually fun. But who knew how hard it is to find Beatles buttons, not the pin kind mind you, but the ones you sew on clothing. I found one...for $10! That was out of the price range, so I'm sticking with natural colors of beads and such.
I have just finished up the crocheted decorations...the Beatles pocket, the bobble dangle, and the rose, and now all that's left is to string the beads, sew on the "extras" and sew the entire twiddle muff together!
I have been crocheting for almost 6 years now and no longer do I shy away from a challenge. And being given creative latitude such as I have with this order, makes my mind work in different directions that usual. I'll be working on this over the next couple of days and will be posting up the final project, stay tuned! Let me know what you think so far...I always appreciate constructive criticism.