Crocheted Rat can be a wonderful souvenir, gif.webpt or cute themed little thing for the New Year. It can be made using the amigurumi technique or as a flat crocheted decorative element. This article contains not only the ideas of such crafts, but also the features of the choice of materials and tools, the sequence of assembly and care of the finished product.
Symbol of the year 2020 and knitting ideas
The Rat or Mouse (whichever you prefer) will become the symbol of 2020. You can enlist the favor of the patroness of the coming year by settling her in your house. Not everyone, of course, decides on such a pet, but a crocheted rat can become a beautiful Christmas tree decoration, a bookmark for a book, a favorite toy for a child or an interior doll. As evidenced by the ideas given in the photo selection.
What you need (tools, materials, threads)
The list of tools and materials needed to crochet a rat will not be long:
- yarn of a suitable color;
- Crochet hook;
- filler;
- scissors and tailor's pins;
- decor elements (beads, eyes, beads, ribbons).
The following types of yarn are most popular for knitting toys:
- acrylic - has a large color palette and allows you to turn a finished rat into a plush toy by fluffing the product with a comb for combing out cat hair;
- cotton - makes the work very neat due to the fact that this yarn is difficult to fluff, all parts keep their shape very well;
- wool - great for work, but a rat made of it can be very deformed, so it is better not to knit such a toy for a child, but use it as a souvenir or decorative element.
The crochet hook for rat needs to be taken less than recommended for this type of yarn, so that there are no characteristic holes in the fabric.
A synthetic winterizer or silicone is suitable as a filler. Do not stuff the parts with cotton wool, as it cakes, does not spring and quickly absorbs moisture, which will make the rat heavy and hard.
Follow this link to find other Rat crafts.
Knitting patterns with description:
For a knitted rat, you can choose schemes of varying degrees of complexity with a detailed description. Having chosen the photo you like, you should not immediately run to the store for yarn. It is necessary to study in detail the description of the work, whether the above explanations will be enough so that the souvenir does not remain a skein of yarn.
Detailed master class for beginners
For those who first decided to pick up a hook, a detailed video master class is suitable, in which you can not only hear, but also see with your own eyes how the details are tied and connected together.
A detailed video about knitting and assembling the Rat.
Several knitting patterns for experienced
Experienced knitters will have no difficulty in understanding the picture patterns accompanied by the description, even if it is replete with the abbreviations "vp" (air loop) or st.b / n (single crochet).
Assembling the toy (tips and tricks)
Assembling a finished knitted rat from individual parts is a rather complicated process, which gives the toy its uniqueness. Knitting patterns, as a rule, do not indicate a specific place where to sew paws or tail, so you can always experiment by creating your own unique symbol of the New Year 2020.
Description of the assembly sequence:
- Check the uniformity of the packing of the paired parts. Add or remove filler if necessary.
- Connect all the parts of the head with pins, and then carefully sew them.
- Pin the paws and tail to the body with tailor's pins. Having experimented with their location and having achieved the desired result, sew the parts together.
- Sew the head to the body. Usually, there is no problem with this, since at the end of work on these details, the same number of columns usually remain.
Care of the finished product
A crocheted rat, like any other handmade thing, requires delicate care and careful handling. Depending on the yarn used for knitting, filler and fasteners of individual parts, it is subject to different types of cleaning:
- Dry cleaning is indicated for wool products, since after getting wet they can be very deformed, and toys with tint (for example, muzzles or ears) so that the paint does not wash off or go streak.
- Wet cleaning is suitable for toys with textured yarn or felted wool items that need to be protected from moisture.
- Rats tied from cotton yarn will calmly survive the wash.
To carry out dry cleaning of the finished toy, simply vacuum it with a clean soft brush or brush off the dust with a duster. After such a procedure, it will be useful to put the product in the freezer for a couple of hours in order to kill the living creatures that could start in it.
For wet cleaning, a soap solution is made from water and a non-aggressive detergent (suitable, for example, baby shampoo), into which a sponge is dipped, and then dust is collected from the product. The main thing during wet cleaning is to wash the sponge more often in soapy water.
It is better to wash toys by hand or in a typewriter on a delicate cycle, using gentle detergents without bleaching and stain removers. The washed rat must be very thoroughly rinsed from the remaining detergent, then blotted with a towel and dried, spreading out on a horizontal surface away from direct sunlight and heating appliances.
