Off the hook...crochet dragon

I think this wee dragon was my very first make of the year. He was made for a gift so I couldn't blog about him until now, and now that he's been received he's also been named...Lanto (pronounced yan-toe). Aw! I love that name. I had to squirrel Lanto away soon after he was finished. Several here had their beady eye on him but I was very firm and said he was destined to fly away to Wales. I hear he's having a very good time there too!

It seems I'm a sucker for a crochet toy. Every now and then I have an urge to create a little creature. The wristwarmers and cardigan of the last post are going veeeerrrrry slowly! Oops, I started a wee bunny! They grow rather more speedily from the hook. He's got a head, body and one ear after just one evening! I'm making him with my gorgeous undyed Welsh yarn, so he's a delicious natural shade of brown.

I'll be honest and say that I've not been the biggest fan of these toft alpaca animals apart from the gorgeous natural shades they are made in. They always look a bit lumpy in all the wrong places and as though they could do with a bit of fine tuning. I guess it makes a difference which yarn you use; this yarn is fairly sturdy and holds its shape well. I'm sure the toft alpaca works well too, but at £18 for 100g that makes for a very pricey bunny! (The bunny pattern is in the second issue of Simple Crochet.)