These are the owls, Leather and Lace. I cannot remember a time in my life that I was not crocheting something. I love the variety of effects that can be achieved with crochet. These little owls were created with size 10 crochet thread and a steel crochet hook size 2/2.25mm. I created my own lace pattern for Lace's wings and used an old pair of leather gloves for Leather's wings. I painted the owls after they were stuffed and also painted the wings. The eyes and beaks are beads, stitched on with nymo thread. Then everything was glued together. I have included the instructions to crochet these little owls.

Step 1:

Owl bodies:

Chain (ch) 5. Join to first ch for circle.
Round 1: Chain 2, this counts as one single crochet (sc). 5 sc in loop. Join with slip stitch (sl st) to ch 2.
Round 2: Ch 2, sc in same space. 2 sc in each sc. Join with sl st to ch 2. 12 sc.
Round 3: Ch 2, *sc in next sc, 2sc in next sc*, repeat around and join to ch2 with sl st. 18 sc.
Round 4: Ch2, *sc in next 2 sc, 2 sc in next sc*, repeat around and join to ch2 with sl st. 24 sc.
Round 5: Ch2, *sc in next 3 sc, 2 sc in next sc*, repeat around and join to ch2 with sl st. 30 sc.

Rounds 6-21: Work 30 sc around, joining each round in ch2 step up until 21 total rounds are completed. Join to ch2 with sl st.
The join for each round is the back of the owl.

Work ears:

Ch2, 13 sc, ch1, turn.
Skip 1 sc, sc in next 11 sc, skip 1 sc, sc in ch2, ch1, turn.
Skip 1 sc, 9sc, skip 1 sc, 1sc, ch1, turn.
Skip 1 sc, 7sc, skip 1 sc, 1sc, ch1, turn.
Skip 1 sc, 5sc, skip 1 sc, 1sc, ch1, turn.
Skip 1 sc, 3sc, skip 1 sc, 1sc, ch1, turn.
Skip 1 sc, 1sc, skip 1 sc, 1sc, end off. Leave a long length for sewing opening closed.

Slip knot on hook. On front of owl, the side without the round joins, skip 2sc from the other ear, and work 14 sc. Ch1, turn.
Work as for other ear.

Stuff body and sew ears closed using small, discreet stitches.

Step 2:

Lace's Wings and tail.

Ch10. Sc in 2nd ch from hook, and in next 8 chains. 5sc in last chain. Work 9sc back up the other side of the chain, working around the thread tail and other loop of the beginning chain. Turn.

Ch4, skip (sk) 2sc, 1sc, *ch4, sk1sc, sc* 10 times. Ch1, turn.

2 slip stitch (sl st) in ch4 loop, sc in ch4 loop, *ch4, sc in next ch4 loop* 5 times, ch4, sc in same loop, *ch4, sc in next ch4 loop* 5 times, ch1, turn.

2sl st in ch4 loop, sc in ch4 loop, *ch4, sc in next loop* 10 times. Ch1, turn.

2sl st in ch4 loop, sc in ch4 loop, *ch4, sc in next loop* 4 times, ch6, sc in next ch4 loop, *ch4, sc in next ch4 loop* 4 times, ch1, turn.

*In ch4 loop work sc, half double crochet (hdc), 3 double crochet (dc), hdc, sc*, 3 times, in ch6 loop work sc, 2hdc, 2dc, 3 triple crochet (tr), 2dc, 2hdc, sc, * in next 4 ch4 loops work sc, hdc, 3dc, hdc, sc, in each loop, ch1, turn.

Sk1sc, 3sc, * ch7, sc in middle dc of previous row* 3 times, 3sc, ch3, sk2, sc in next st, ch3, sk2, sc in next st, ch3, sk1st, sc in next st, ch3, sk2st, sc in next st, ch3, sk2st, 4sc, *ch7, sc in middle dc of previous row* 3 times, 2sc, ch1, turn.

Sk1sc, 2sc, *sc, 3dc, 3tr, 3dc, sc in ch7 loop* 3 times, 4sc, *hdc, 3dc, hdc in ch3 loop* 2 times, hdc, dc, 3tr, dc, hdc in center tail loop, *hdc, 3dc, hdc in ch3 loop* 2 times, 4sc*, sc, 3dc, 3tr, 3dc, sc in chain 7 loop* 3 times, 2sc, ch1, turn.

Sk1sc, 3sc, *ch3, sc in same st, 2sc* repeat segment between * all around wings and tail. End off.

Step 3:

Lace's base

Work 18sc around a washer, join with slip stitch. Ch2, increase 6 stitches evenly spaced around, join with slip stitch to ch2. Ch5, sk2sc, sc in next st, *ch3, sk2sc, sc in next st* around, sl st in ch5. Ch1, sc, hdc, dc, hdc, sc in each loop around, join with sl st to ch1, end off.

Step 4:

The wings for Leather were cut from the fingers of old leather gloves and shimmery blue/green paint edges each piece. The base for Leather is made from two pieces of leather with a couple old washers glued between. The base is also edged in the paint.

Step 5:

The wings were then glued to each body. Lace's wing and tail are all one piece, and Leather's wings and tail were glued on in layers. Then each was glued to their base.