Stash down challenge 2012: Day 15

I started my crochet day today as I have started the previous seven: with an African flower hexagon motif.

I ended up frogging my original fourth round which I had initially worked in Red Heart Super Saver bright yellow, and replaced it with my new favorite go-everywhere-do-everything color: grape fizz.

Here is the motif after I had completed it:

an African flower crochet hexagon with a red border
The eight African flower crochet hexagon

and here it is joined to its compatriots:

eight multicolor african flower crochet hexagons
African flower crochet hexagons on day eight

As the result of an email a friend from junior high school sent to me, I ended up exploring the uses of and variations on the African flower hexagon in greater depth which brought me to a series of Youtube videos made the woman known as eliZZZa who is the brains/proprietress/driving force behind knitaholics.com.

Despite what the name of the website suggests, Elisabeth Wetsch (aka eliZZZa) not only knows how to wield knitting needles, she is also well-versed in the utility of the crochet hook and has created an extensive library of videos that demonstrate many of her interesting approaches to crochet.

Here is one of those videos:

Ms. Wetsch’s directions are clear, concise, and easy to follow if you listen and pay attention.

Using a 4.0 mm hook and worsted weight yarn, I followed along with the video, pausing as needed.

As it happens, Ms. Wetsch does not make her African flower hexagon in exactly the same way I make mine. However, I was confident in her design, so I followed her directions to the letter (well, almost).

Here are the African flowers after four rounds:

the first four rounds of the two sides of a crochet ornament
Four rounds done of the front and back of the amigurumi African flowers

and here they are completed and ready for joining:

Two completed six point african flower crochet stars
Front and back of the amigurumi African flower side by side

Next, with wrong sides together, I followed the oral instructions given on how to join and finish the star, and as I neared the final stretch, I stuffed the African flower star to give it a bit more shape.

Here is the front:

The completed six pointed african flower crochet ornament
Front view of the African flower amigrumi crochet star

and here is the back:

The completed six pointed african flower crochet ornament
The back of the African flower amigurmi crochet star

Ms. Wetsch’s African flower amigurumi is just one of 25 Advent project videos (one for Advent Sunday and one for each of the first 24 days of December) that she has made, and I took the liberty of assembling this page: Advent adventures in crochet — a compliation of eliZZZa’s videos, to use as a handy reference should you decide you want to join in the crochet fun.