Bizzy Beez

Three busy bees in my lavender!

The fourth one is not in the picture because the fourth one is ME!

I have been an extremely busy bee hence the dearth of blog posts lately.

You should see the list of everything that has been going on for me. Crazy hectic.
No wonder I have been too tired to pick up a crochet hook much BUT I did manage a third bee and have embarked on a new project.

These things I will share today including the pattern for these bees plus something to
give you a laugh.



The free pattern is called Henry & Honey Bumblebee and uses Red Heart's Amigurumi 4-ply acrylic. More information about that yarn can be found on a previous blog post, Yarn Review: Amigurumi + Exciting News (25 March 2019).   Designed for amigurumi projects, the yarn's catchphrase is “each one makes two". Do you remember when I thought I could get three bees out of it?  Well, I was right and there's still yarn leftover from a single skein!*

It's such a simple, quick pattern and fun to play around with the placement of the bee's body stripes to make the best use of the remaining yarn.

Side views of Bee Number Three.
The black stripes are in rounds 17‒18, 23‒24, 27 and round 29 to end.

If you want to know why I have only completed one crocheted bee since March, it's because of these events and demands:

• Family
• Two milestone birthdays
• Three graduations
• A final year student (Year 12) and everything that entails
• Offspring moving out of home for the first time and interstate for work
• Offspring travelling overseas
• Disability
• Bureaucracy:  NDIS Application
• Networking with disability advocates
• Carly Findlay's Adelaide book launch and dinner "Say Hello"
• Workshopping policy: National Disability Strategy for Beyond 2020 
•  Loss of supports for my Young Carers due to organisational 'restructuring' 😢
• Politics
• Lobbying with community to save our railway station and access to rail
• Community meetings and workshops
• Communication & meetings with politicians and community leaders
  (about multiple issues)
• Media communication and coverage
• A Federal election in the middle of it all! (18 May)
• Crochet
• Collaboration with American Yarns
• Royal Sydney Easter Show Entry
• Royal Adelaide Show Entry
• Anzac Day crochet
• Beanies to Berets Exhibition including a fun photo shoot
• Study
• The opportunity of a community leadership course was presented to me and I grabbed it with both hands, as if I wasn't busy enough already!  😃

Graduation Ceremony with The Mayor

When American Yarns asked me which colour skein I would like, I immediately chose 'Bumblebee' because I am very concerned about the plight of bees and other pollinators. We need them for food security and stable ecologies but bee populations are declining worldwide.  There is a phenomenon called Colony Collapse Disorder as well as concerns about habitat loss, environmental pollution and the effects of insecticides and other chemicals used in agriculture. In some areas up to 90% of bees have disappeared!

Seeds for Bees
Collaged packets designed by Textile Warrior

National Geographic recommends planting nectar-rich flowers like lavender to feed the bees.  Have you heard of the "Seeds for Bees" movement?  Look for the hashtag #seedsforbees in your social media. I have been involved in a guerilla movement of leaving seed packets in prominent places to promote awareness and encourage habitat.

My grandfather used to keep bees and I am proud to know of young friends who are now taking up beekeeping as well.

Australia has a range of native bees but our commercial honey is made from introduced species of Western Honey Bees (Apis Mellifera). Did you know that South Australia's Kangaroo Island is a bee sanctuary and has the last remaining pure stock of Italian Ligurian Bees (Apis Mellifera Ligustica) in the world? If you get to taste Kangaroo Island honey, know that it is rare and unique!

Top view of wing detail.

Bees are so fascinating, physically and socially. We had a swarm in our garden one springtime. They would fly off during the day and then come home to settle in a bush. They would tuck themselves in between one another to go to sleep. Every so often one could hear little buzzes as they wriggled or 'snored' in their little bee ways. So cute!

The bees in this pattern are so very cute too! I've had plenty of requests for more. Maybe I should put them in an Etsy shop and make a bee fundraiser? 
[Jodie adds another item to the mental list of things to do one day.]

Making the bees

The pattern is rated 'Easy' (2 out of 4 stars) and designed by Michele Wilcox.  It was published by Red Heart in 2018.

There are remarkably similar patterns online using different yarn weights:

• For 10-ply (worsted) yarn using a 4 mm hook, Grace Meador posted her design in USA on 21 June 2010. The increases and decreases are identical.This pattern includes instructions for the stinger except the stinger is worked separately and then stitched on rather than worked with the yarn tail.  Grace's blog post also highlights the plights of bees and links to information about Colony Collapse Disorder.
• For chunky yarn published by 'Robin' in UK on 15 March 2019
  This pattern used thicker yarn and hook (4.5 mm hook), the body was shorter (14 rnds worked even instead of 19 rnds), there is no stinger and the wings are only 3 rounds instead of 6 rnds. Legs are omitted.

The Red Heart pattern suggests a 2.75 mm hook (US Size C-2). Interestingly the yarn label recommends a 2.25 mm hook (US Size B-1). I used a 2.75 mm anodised steel hook.

This pattern starts off with 2 chains, working the first round into the second chain.  I used an adjustable ring to begin instead because I like being able to close the centre extra tightly. Either method works.

When changing colours, against pattern advice, I did not fasten off, but left the first colour strand free while continuing the second colour, only to pick up the first colour again later. This method leaves a 'float' on the inside of the toy and one needs to make sure that the tension is 'just right': too tight and it will pucker or be unable to stretch when stuffing; too loose and the colour change will be loose and sloppy. This choice of mine shows the lengths I will go to in order to avoid dealing with loose ends!

The pattern recommends safety eyes but I chose to embroider my bees' faces after the 10th round (or thereabouts) while the piece is still easy to turn inside out for weaving in ends.

I used polyester hobby fill to stuff my bees but the pattern suggests the use of plastic pellets inside a knee high stocking for a weighted stuffing. Have you ever used such materials?

The bees themselves are very quick and easy to make. Allow approximately 4‒5 hours per bee.
A happy, weekend project!

To make your day a bit happier - a funny song by British duo Flo and Joan about saving the bees: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2Ne-TYHZXA

Yarn remaining after 3 bees made:
Red Heart Amigurumi 4 ply acrylic

*Yarn Statistics

Remaining yarn after three bees
Yellow 4 grams (8.76 metres)
Black 4 g (8.76 m)
White 22 g (48.18 m)
Silver 18 g (39.42 m)

Yarn Used for Each Bee

Bee #1 (yellow face, white wings):  yellow 7 g, black 7 g, white 4 g.

Bee #2: (black face, silver wings): yellow 5 g, black 8 g, silver 3 g.

Bee #3: (yellow face, silver wings): yellow 9 g, black 6 g, silver 4 g.

Today I'm happy to be working on a new project.
Scroll down for a peek! 

Can you guess what it might be? (bee?)

Have fun!

Links & References

ABC Radio, Conversations, "Stories from Elmswood Farm", [audio 52'26],  Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 11:00 a.m., 21 June 2019: https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/conversations/patrice-newell/11212930
With 2'26" remaining of the program, farmer and author Patrice Newell shares the pleasure of beekeeping with interviewer Sarah Kanowski
Patrice Newell spent her childhood in and around the same parts of Adelaide as I did.

Beekeepers' Society of South Australia: http://www.bees.org.au/

Carly Findlay, writer, speaker, appearance activist: https://carlyfindlay.com.au/

Flo & Joan, "Gotta save them goddamn bees", Youtube video: 

• Flo & Joan, Edinburgh Fringe 24 Oct 2016: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2Ne-TYHZXA
• CBC Comedy (subtitles): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JpH3Hud32w

Greenpeace, "The Bees in Decline": http://sos-bees.org/ 

Meador, Grace, "The Long Overdue Post: Bee Pattern and Botanical Pictures", Grace Meador Makes [blog], 21 June 2010: http://gracemeadormakes.blogspot.com/2010/06/long-overdue-post-bee-pattern-and.html

National Disability Insurance Agency: http://www.australia.gov.au/directories/australia/ndia

National Disability Insurance Scheme: https://ndis.gov.au/

National Disability Strategy 2010‒2020:

•  Australian Government Department of Social Services: https://www.dss.gov.au/our-responsibilities/disability-and-carers/publications-articles/policy-research/national-disability-strategy-2010-2020
• NDIS: https://www.ndis.gov.au/understanding/national-disability-strategy  

National Disability Strategy Beyond 2020:

• "Overview of the Strategy and Consultations", engage.dss.gov.au, Australian Government Department of Social Services:  https://engage.dss.gov.au/a-new-national-disability-strategy-for-beyond-2020/overview-of-the-strategy-and-consultations/

National Geographic Society, "10 Facts About Honey Bees", UK, accessed 8 July 2019: https://www.natgeokids.com/au/discover/animals/insects/honey-bees/
Easy information for children and families to learn about bees.

Red Heart, Henry & Honey Bumblebee, free pattern LM6290: https://www.redheart.com/free-patterns/henry-and-honey-bumblebee

Robin, "Amigurumi Bumblebee - free crochet pattern & video tutorial!", Hooked by Robin [blog], 15 March 2019: http://byrobin.blogspot.com/2019/03/amigurumi-bumblebee-free-crochet.html

Textile Warrior, artist, seeds for bees: http://www.textilewarrior.com/

 

Latest WIP on the workbench.
I'm in love with this colour!

Related Posts on Lupey Loops

Beanies to Berets Exhibition 2019 + Textile Expo: Call for Artists, 6 May 2019: https://lupeyloops.blogspot.com/2019/05/beanies-to-berets-exhibition-2019.html

Installing Anzac Day Crochet at Brighton Jetty, 20 April 2019: https://lupeyloops.blogspot.com/2019/04/installing-anzac-day-crochet-at.html

Showtime!, 13 April 2019: https://lupeyloops.blogspot.com/2019/04/showtime.html

Yarn Review: Amigurumi + Exciting News, 24 March 2019: https://lupeyloops.blogspot.com/2019/03/yarn-review-amigurumi-exciting-news.html

Battling Bureaucracy, 3 November 2017: https://lupeyloops.blogspot.com/2017/11/battling-bureaucracy.html