HOME | DD

Description
I had these WIP pictures lying around and thought it would be fun to show what is beneath the fluff of my silkies (most of these are actually my first, commissioned bird but the process remained the same).
1) I wanted to have a proper poultry shape rather than a furball with beak and legs, so it started with sketching a normal rooster. I also knew that I would prefer to use loop stitches rather than add fluff later on - I don't think it actually saves that much time, but it feels so sophisticated, anyone can knot on yarn but see I can do speshul stitches? Except on the head because it's easier to attach details on a smooth surface, plus it looks cool if the skin around eyes and other features is dark. So the head is plain sc, but while the silver area might look the same on the "right" side, there's a secret on the other side -
2) turn it inside out and there's a... weird loopy thing. I wanted the neck rather smooth and sleek so only one layer of long loops there, many shorter ones on the rest of the body, with a flat area left where the wings will snuggle to the body. The most boring part is cutting open all those loops -
3) but once that's done and some strands are brushed, beak and comb pinned on, it suddenly starts to resemble a chicken Some designs look OK all along, others might take until the last details to really click and you can only hope that magic will happen at some point.
4) all crocheted parts of a silkie hen - head, body and legs are in one piece (no comb for her so made the top of the crest with loop stitches too), plus there are the wings, shanks (fluffy on the outside, smooth and dark inside), beak and earlobes. Now it's only stuffing, assembling pieces, embroider more fluff to the head, cutting loops, brushing, wrapping wire in yarn for toes and varnishing nails... never said they were fast to make.

Description
I had these WIP pictures lying around and thought it would be fun to show what is beneath the fluff of my silkies (most of these are actually my first, commissioned bird but the process remained the same).
1) I wanted to have a proper poultry shape rather than a furball with beak and legs, so it started with sketching a normal rooster. I also knew that I would prefer to use loop stitches rather than add fluff later on - I don't think it actually saves that much time, but it feels so sophisticated, anyone can knot on yarn but see I can do speshul stitches? Except on the head because it's easier to attach details on a smooth surface, plus it looks cool if the skin around eyes and other features is dark. So the head is plain sc, but while the silver area might look the same on the "right" side, there's a secret on the other side -
2) turn it inside out and there's a... weird loopy thing. I wanted the neck rather smooth and sleek so only one layer of long loops there, many shorter ones on the rest of the body, with a flat area left where the wings will snuggle to the body. The most boring part is cutting open all those loops -
3) but once that's done and some strands are brushed, beak and comb pinned on, it suddenly starts to resemble a chicken Some designs look OK all along, others might take until the last details to really click and you can only hope that magic will happen at some point.
4) all crocheted parts of a silkie hen - head, body and legs are in one piece (no comb for her so made the top of the crest with loop stitches too), plus there are the wings, shanks (fluffy on the outside, smooth and dark inside), beak and earlobes. Now it's only stuffing, assembling pieces, embroider more fluff to the head, cutting loops, brushing, wrapping wire in yarn for toes and varnishing nails... never said they were fast to make.