There are affiliate links below, if you are unsure of what affiliate links are please go to “Disclosures/Disclaimers” and “Privacy Policy” at the top of my HOME page. Affiliate links basically allow me to receive a very small referral fee, butonly if you make purchases. Just because you go to the link doesn’t mean that I will receive a referral fee. Thank you so much for considering my affiliate links; I really appreciate it!
Denny Campbell contacted me via Facebook and asked if I could design a crochet Koala. Denny wanted to make crochet Koala to help fundraise for the firefighters and animals affected by the fires in Australia. I told her that I would love to design a crochet Koala for her!
I also purchased a paver from Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary in Australia on behalf of all Helenmay Crochet YouTube Channel Viewers/Subscribers and Helenmay Crochet Special Donor Members to help Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary secure the future of Australia’s wildlife. Thank you Denny for asking me to help design a crochet Koala to assist you in your fundraising efforts!!! I am not affiliated with the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary.
Here is the free PDF download for the Crochet Koala Eye/Ear cutouts:
If you like the white glitter felt that I used behind the safety doll eyes, you can click on the picture below, or here, to go directly to the affiliate link:
If you want to use the simple quilting technique that I show in the Koala video tutorial, you may like this fabric selection! Prime eligible and choose from different colors!! Click the picture below, or here, to go directly to the affiliate link:
I like to take pictures of my finished crochet items and make them into cards! If you would like to make cards too, you might like this deal! Click here, or the picture below to go directly to the affiliate link:
You can use a glue stick, but I like to use this photo-safe adhesive. Click here, or the picture below, to go directly to the affiliate link:
Crochet Amigurumi Koala Part 1 of 4 DIY Video Tutorial:
Crochet Amigurumi Koala Part 2 of 4 DIY Video Tutorial:
Crochet Amigurumi Koala Part 3 of 4 DIY Video Tutorial:
Crochet Amigurumi Koala Part 4 of 4 DIY Video Tutorial:
Crochet Australian Royal Bluebell Flower YouTube Video Tutorial:
Crochet Little Honeycomb Purse DIY Video Tutorial:
Crochet Amigurumi Adorable Baby Koala Part 1 of 2 DIY Video Tutorial:
Crochet Amigurumi Adorable Baby Koala Part 2 of 2 DIY Video Tutorial:
You might like this book to go with your adorable crochet Koala and/or Baby Koala! Click here, or the picture below to go directly to the affiliate link:
THIS CROCHET ALONG (CAL) WILL BE GEARED TOWARDS AN ABSOLUTE BEGINNER. This is a MYSTERY CAL. So far, I only have a vague idea regarding how I want my finished afghan to look. I will complete the afghan in 4 block increments with 40 x 40 graphs. I have 4 of the blocks already graphed. People who are following along with the CAL, and share pictures of their finished blocks with me, can make a recommendation regarding what image they would like to see in one of the future graphs for this CAL!!!! I can’t guarantee anything, but you may see the image magically show up in one of the graphs!!!
If you like my crochet work, please consider becoming a Helenmay Crochet Special Donor Member! To find out details and what member benefits you will receive, here is the direct link: Helenmay Crochet Special Donor Members Information
For those of us with a lot of yarn in our stash, this is the perfect crochet project for having fun with a lot of our different colors. If I have a lot of different yarn colors left over, I may have to attempt this Crochet Chevron Scrap Blanket by Maria’s Blue Crayon!!! Here is the direct Ravelry link to check it out! Crochet Chevron Scrap Blanket by Maria’s Blue Crayon
Under The Sea Mystery CAL START DATE 5JAN20. Join in at any time.
GOAL TO COMPLETION DATE IS SOMETIME IN JUNE 2020 IN TIME FOR THE SAN DIEGO COUNTY FAIR! MY PLAN IS TO LEAVE THIS CAL FOR FREE ON MY BLOG INDEFINITELY AFTER I AM FINISHED. MY PLAN IS TO CREATE A YOUTUBE VIDEO TUTORIAL FOR EACH BLOCK. The first block will be in more detail, and then each subsequent block will be for getting people started, teaching points, and answering any questions asked during the CAL.
People who have been following my crochet work know how much I love Tunisian Crochet for my Afghans! I want to share that love with others. So far, I have completed 3 Tunisian Crochet Afghans: Minecraft, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Wizard of Oz! I had tons of fun making each one, and each one is treasured by the recipient! I can’t put a price on them because they are priceless. Each Tunisian Crochet Afghan that I have ever made was for family. This “Under The Sea” Tunisian Afghan was also requested by a family member.
In the past, I provided the YouTube video tutorials for Minecraft, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Wizard of Oz for free and the PDF “rough” graphs that I used to make them. I decided to take the YouTube video tutorials down because they are copyrighted/trademarked images, and now, I only provide the “rough” graphs that I used in my Private (but free and NON-monetized) Facebook crochet group. Just look in the group files for the free graphs. Here are the direct links to each of my Facebook Groups:
In this private group, I share crochet & craft ideas with others. Anyone can join this private group for free and visit, post, and receive updates from me. This is the group with the free downloadable files:
In my private Facebook group, you can go into the photo albums and see detailed pictures of my prior Tunisian Crochet Afghans and how the “rough” graphs come to life!!
My “Tunisian Crochet Under The Sea Afghan” will be the first FULL step-by-step YouTube video tutorial through my WHOLE process of making an Afghan similar to mine! Before we begin, I like to let people know a couple of things about my unique Tunisian Afghans:
There are a lot of loose yarn ends due to the color changing, and I like to tie knots. I have NEVER had any knots showing EVER. I also don’t bury the loose yarn ends because I like to put an inexpensive fleece backing to cover the back of the afghan! I know that most of you are singing “Hallelujah” at this point!
I am more comfortable working in blocks, and I found that I enjoy working in blocks of 4 best. There will be 3 blocks of 4 at the bottom, middle, and top of the blanket. The whole blanket will consist of a total of 36 blocks! This is how I made my Wizard of Oz Tunisian Afghan, and I found that it fit together much easier! The finished size should be similar, which is 72.5″ x 58″. This includes the clamshell border. I found that the clamshell border is my favorite for the finished Tunisian Afghan, also it would fit perfectly with the theme of this CAL!!
I always use the Tunisian Hook approximate size 5.75mm for all of my Afghans. The number rubbed off of my Tunisian Hook, so I had to hold it up to my crochet hooks to get the approximate size!
I have always used my yarn stash for the different colors in my Tunisian Afghan. Most of my yarn stash is inexpensive 100% acrylic medium 4 yarn, but sometimes I would use colors from my 100% cotton stash or even other styles of yarn without difficulties in the finished Tunisian crochet work. If anything, it is fun adding a different texture in your unique afghan! I would stay close to the size of a medium 4 yarn though! I wouldn’t recommend using a bulky yarn with a medium 4 yarn! I don’t think that would work. PLEASE REMEMBER THAT USING DIFFERENT STYLES OF YARN CAN ALTER THE SIZE OF YOUR WORK, SO BE CAREFUL IF YOU CHOOSE TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT. You want your finished blocks to fit together. For beginners, I would recommend using 100% acrylic medium 4 yarn for your first time making these blocks. When you get more comfortable, you can start to experiment with adding different styles of yarn.
If you have questions, you can always contact me via my blog (Look at the top of my HOME page), Facebook, or YouTube comments.
Helenmay Crochet “Under The Sea Mystery CAL Part 1 video tutorial”
Helenmay Crochet Under The Sea Mystery CAL Part 2 Crab Block Cont:
Tunisian Crochet Under The Sea Mystery CAL Crab Part 3 DIY Video Tutorial:
Tunisian Crochet Under The Sea Mystery CAL Crab Part 4 DIY Video Tutorial:
I wanted to recommend some helpful tips that worked for me:
I purchased a few of these yarn tote bags from Mary Maxim a while back (I am not an affiliate for Mary Maxim). I found that they worked great for when I Tunisian Crochet. When I am not using them, they are also great as a yarn storage bag, or a future project storage bag. As of 14Jan20, these bags were on clearance for $9.99 on Mary Maxim’s site!!
For those of you that are not near a dollar tree, which is where I found my Jumbo Clothespins, you may like this Amazon Prime Deal! Click here, or the picture below, to go directly to the affiliate link.
I stocked up with a LOT of Jumbo Clothespins because I really like how much easier it is to work with the yarn, instead of the larger skein of yarn!
At night time, I like to sit and watch television while I crochet. I found that if I folded a length of cardboard, I could attach my clothespins to it. I can unravel the yarn off of the back of the clothespin as I crochet!! I use the storage bag to hold my extra clothespins. I found that if I clipped it to the storage bag, I could find the colors easier. In my house, the Television room is dark, except for my night light. Now, I don’t have trouble finding the excess color.
Block 1 for the Crab completed 15Jan20:
Finished crab block measures approximately: Width 9″ x height 12″.
I am thrilled with how my adorable crab turned out!! I just love all of the different colors!! There is no need to block your crochet work unless you want to. Blocking your crochet work means to give it an even, professional appearance. Your Tunisian Crab Block will curl and that is normal.
I wanted to show the back of the block:
Even with the use of clothespins, I still have a lot of loose yarn ends due to the multiple color changes. However, we don’t have to worry about this…”Hallelujah”…LOL…These loose yarn ends will be covered by the fleece blanket, when we have completed the whole Tunisian Crochet Under The Sea Blanket. I will show you how I attach my fleece when we get to that point.
Tunisian Crochet Under The Sea CAL 2020 Left Bottom Sea Horse Block#2
Here is the free downloadable PDF graph for the Sea Horse:
Most of you know that I love sharing my Crochet skills with others. I also am constantly learning myself. So, I wanted to share this story with all of you that are starting to love this wonderful Tunisian Simple Afghan Stitch (also known as, aka, Tunisian Simple Stitch, Tss) as much as I do! I shared pictures of my finished crab and seahorse blocks in one of the Tunisian Crochet Facebook Groups, which are wonderful by the way. The groups are especially good for those that want to veer off into the Tunisian Crochet World. I basically only like the Tss for my graphic design afghans. Anyway, back to my story. One of the members mentioned that I had “broken lines” in my finished Tunisian Blocks. I had no clue what she was talking about because I have 40 vertical stitches for each row that lines up with the previous rows vertical stitches. She said that some of my vertical lines curve. So yes, I wanted all of you to know that with multiple color changes, you may have some curving of the vertical lines. I actually think that this blends well with the image. It doesn’t bother me in the slightest. Just so that people are aware, I am sharing how I like to make my Tunisian Crochet Afghans. You don’t have to make your Tunisian Crochet Afghans just like mine. You are free to use the graphs and make your finished Afghans any way that you like. I just ask that if you use my graphs, please give me credit. Thank you very much! With that being said, let me get back to showing you my next graph block!
Tunisian Crochet Left Lower 4 block Octopus block #4:
I had so much fun last year sharing everyone’s crochet pictures! I still have the blog post, if anyone would like to see the pictures from last year. If people share their crochet pictures with me for the year 2020, I will place them here for everyone to see. I will make sure to put your name on the shared picture, or you can place your own name on it before sharing. When you share a crochet picture with me, you will become a Helenmay Crochet Special Donor Member for the year 2020!
When you become a Helenmay Crochet Special Donor Member for the year 2020, you are eligible for all member benefits! You can use the blog links above for details, or go to the top of my blog’s HOME page to find the direct link.
The first crochet picture shared for the year 2020 was made by Miriam Newell! Miriam said: “I’ve made two pugs so far for a dog charity to sell to raise funds.”
Here are additional pictures shared during the year 2020:
It is a brand new year of crochet fun for 2020! I will be working on other crochet items in between the crochet items on the following list:
Started January 2020. The first amigurumi project for the new year is a Crochet Amigurumi Koala. Denny Campbell contacted me via Facebook and requested that I make a crochet amigurumi Koala so that she could make them as fundraisers for the real Koala’s. If you would like to find out more about the Koala’s and the protection of their habitat, here is the direct link to the Australia Koala Foundation.
A family member requested a crochet panda, so this crochet request will be started after the Koala is completed.
Request made by TnDancer for a Crochet French Bulldog. Request made 9Jul19. This crochet request has been moved to the year 2020.
Request made by Caroline Struve for a Shih Tzu crochet dog. Request made 9Jul19. This crochet request has been moved to the year 2020.
Bonus Crochet request from the year 2019 moved to the year 2020. Susie Lafferty requested a girl and boy crochet rag doll.
Danielle Johnson contacted me via Facebook and said: “Thank you for doing this. (Designing the crochet koala’s). We finally got some rain so I hope and pray it rained in the right places. The number of Koalas that died is alarming and their habitat is burnt. It will take a long time to rebuild what was lost.
It’s still so heartbreaking to come back to my homeland after living in New Orleans and seeing this devastation.
Also prayers to the firefighters who lost their lives in the raging hell fire.
I can’t wait to make these (crochet Koalas) and donate them for raffle draws to raise money for the bushfire appeal.
Now we just need a matching Kangaroo! What do you think Helen?” I responded that I would do my best to juggle a crochet kangaroo design in, but it might be a little bit of a wait because I have a lot of commitments as you can see above. 🙂
This year I am choosing one random Helenmay Crochet Special Donor Member that sends me a postcard/handmade card before 1Sept20 with a crochet design request. If you would like to find out more details, here is the direct blog link: Helenmay Crochet Special Donor Member 2020.
When I finish one of the above crochet requests, I will update the above list with the date it is completed. Happy Crocheting everyone!
There are affiliate links below, if you are unsure of what affiliate links are please go to “Disclosures/Disclaimers” and “Privacy Policy” at the top of my HOME page. Affiliate links basically allow me to receive a very small referral fee, butonly if you make purchases. Just because you go to the link doesn’t mean that I will receive a referral fee. Thank you so much for considering my affiliate links; I really appreciate it!
I was contacted by Kathy Dennis who requested a PDF written pattern for my Crochet Dalmatian Dog and Puppy Dog, which I first made in the year 2015!!! I was very happy to take on the task, especially since I haven’t made them since the originals were made so long ago! So now, there is a Free step-by-step YouTube video tutorial on Helenmay Crochet YouTube Channeland a PDF written pattern for both the large crochet Dalmatian Dog and the Dalmatian Puppy Dog! Thank you very much Kathy!
When I made the YouTube video tutorials for both the large Dalmatian Dogs and the Dalmatian Puppy Dogs, I used Effervesce yarn. If you have never heard of Effervesce yarn, it is because it is, unfortunately, no longer available. For the written pattern, I used different yarn styles to show that you can still make the crochet Dalmatian dogs using the same YouTube video tutorials that I created in the year 2015. I will put the yarn styles on this blog post for you. In the YouTube video tutorial for the large crochet Dalmatian Dogs, I seemed to skip around a lot in the part 2 of 2 video tutorial. So, I decided to make a free PDF downloadable cheat sheet that will show the times that I made the different parts for the large dog. Here is the free downloadable cheat sheet:
Keep scrolling down for all of the YouTube video tutorials.
The Effervesce yarn equivalent that I used is from Hobby Lobby. Here is the information about the yarn that I used:
For the large Dalmatian Dogs.
3 skeins Yarn Bee Tender Touch “Snow” colored yarn, 100% acrylic yarn, bulky 5, 135 yards, 3oz. for the main color. I used this style of yarn for the male dog.
Alternate yarn choice for the main color: 1 skein Crafters Secret Big Idea, 16 oz, 810 yards, medium 4, 100% acrylic yarn. I used the “Off White” colored yarn. I used this style of yarn for the female dog (You will have a lot of yarn leftover).
Here is the direct Ravelry link for the PDF written pattern:
2 skeins Yarn Bee Tender Touch “Snow” colored yarn, 100% acrylic yarn, bulky 5, 135 yards, 3oz. for the main color. You will have a lot of the 2nd skein of yarn leftover. So, if you wanted to make 2 puppies, you would only need 3 skeins of yarn.
Alternate yarn choice for the main color: 1 skein of “I Love This Yarn” Metallic White-colored yarn, 97% acrylic/3% Metallic polyester, Medium 4 yarn, 252 yards, 5oz.
1 skein Caron Simply Soft Party “Black Sparkle” colored yarn for the nose, spot behind the eye, outer ears, and the mouth. Alternate yarn choice: You could also use the same colored black yarn as in the video tutorial.
Caron Simply Soft Party Sparkle colored yarn is a lot of fun to crochet with, and adds a lot to your finished crochet work!! Click, here, or the picture below to go directly to the affiliate link! Prime eligible in many colors to choose from!
Click on the picture above, or here, to go directly to the Ravelry link for the PDF written puppy dog pattern.
I added charms to the collars, you may like the following charms for your completed crochet dogs/puppies! Click here, or the picture below to go directly to the affiliate Prime eligible link:
Here are the Helenmay Crochet YouTube video tutorials for the Crochet Large Firehouse Dalmatian Dog:
Part 1 of 2 YouTube video tutorial:
Part 2 of 2 YouTube video tutorial:
Crochet Firehouse Dalmatian Puppy Dog YouTube video tutorials:
