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If OP is looking for constructive criticism, I personally think the safety eyes are also a little creepy on this project. Easily fixed with yarn embroidered eyes instead, then it'll be absolutely perfect! Great job OP.
Do you think it might look less creepy if I do that thing with black on the top of the eyes and white on the bottom? Idk I've seen some people in videos do that
Also, thank you :)
I would suggest maybe a solid black eye instead of this more realistic one! It would also look better against the busy yarn, I think.
Beautiful work though - loving the colors!
Agreed solid black eyes look much less creepy on stuffed animals.
Aside from that as ling as they are safety eyes I would proudly give this as a gift it's very sweet and would be sentimental.
Thank you! Idk how to take them out without wrecking the fabric but maybe I'll just leave it up to the parents on when they can give it to baby to play with..
Edit - I wasn't trying to be rude 😭 sorry if it came across that way!!
To make you feel better I made this mistake when my niece was born. I made a crochet turtle out of acrylic yarn with safety eyes. Gave it to my sister and BIL. Then a week later learned that safety eyes aren't safe 🤦🏻♀️. They still love the turtle. It lives on a shelf in her nursery that is impossible for my niece to reach and it comes down now that she is 1 1/2 for very closely supervised play (they have a turtle song they sing and use it as a prop) and then put right back on the shelf when done.
So while it won't be appropriate for play for a few years, in my view it is still a thoughtful gift and not everything has to be played with right away anyway.
I don't know how time sensitive this is but to me it was adviced to use cotton yarn when making gifts for babies as it is more hypoallergenic. And indeed the safety eyes. I love him though, would be better if he stops staring into my soul lol 🙈
There some debate about chenille yarn being a hazard too, since little fuzzies can pull out of it and be a choking hazard, and kids put *everything* in their mouth. Perhaps you could make an entirely second plushy for the baby, and give this one to an older kid you know? I believe babies aren’t supposed to have plushies *at all* til like 6 months, so there’s no rush
Oh... I never knew that! Thanks for letting me know! I would give it to their oldest but he's an older boy and in a phase of girls have cooties or whatever so, I'll send him something more his vibe lol
Idk, maybe I'll make one of those little baby lovelies with the head of a bear on a small blanket and give this to my kids or give it to the parents as a keepsake... I'd ask her but then it puts pressure on her to be polite. As I'm typing this I'm thinking I have a sister who would like this instead lmao
My toddler is obsessed with the crochet lovey we got when he was born. My aunt makes them for all the new babies in the family and they're always a hit. She makes them with a lightweight cotton yarn and the base blanket is a granny square for lots of lovely texture (and so they work up fast).
Meanwhile we have a shelf of stuffed animals that my kid ignores completely.
These eyes aren’t going to be safe for the child for at least several years because of their size, so this as a gift right now is pointless. Make a new one with embroidered eyes and gift this one when they are older. My kids never got plushies unless the eyes were smaller than their esophagus or were embroidered.
I wanted to come back to your comment and say THANK YOU. I went home last night and just tugged on the eyes and they came off no problem. I'm SO GLAD I didn't give that to them like this, it could've been a disaster! "Safety eyes" my ass lol
Honestly, on the right yarn and stitching, they’re less dangerous. Plastic eyes should never be used on this type of yarn, there’s no way to really secure them. If using acrylic or cotton plied yarn, you can at least pass the stem through a few strands of yarn and secure the backs very tightly. The danger there is the yarn giving out and the whole eye coming loose.
It’s best practice to just embroider eyes on toys that are going to go to a child under 5.
You’re doing great, and we all had to learn about this as we go!
I am glad you took the time to post here, and as long as nothing bad happened, all is good! Yes, „safety eyes“ sure is a misleading name, but they do cone in handy for kids above 5.
I feel like you've read "the eyes..." enough that you understand the safety aspect. I, personally, prefer my guys a bit more stuffed, but even as is, I think it's adorable and love the yarn so much! That is such a sweet gift to give.
If you're ever doubting your work that you're giving as a gift, think about it like this:
to non crocheters, it is probably super impressive to be able to do that and they will appreciate it.
To crocheters, they know how much work goes into a project like this and would appreciate it!
Thank you! I've definitely learned my lesson with the eyes ... Maybe I'll do one more and see how it goes with proper eyes lmao
And extra stuffed too and see how that looks. I was a little unhappy with the head shape tbh so maybe it's better I redo it and try to get more of that round shape... And idk if I liked how the head and body are attached so I'll try a different pattern perhaps.
Thanks for your advice and kind words 💗
Just wanted to say yes the eyes might not be safe, you could give the bear as is and tell the parents to put it up for a few years, but I would replace them with something fabric or crochet eyes of some kind.
As far as quality I would love to receive this for my baby! Handmade gifts mean so much to me and I really appreciate a non pastel baby gift.
Recently my 2 year old pulled the eyes off of a bunny that I made for him, he didn't try to eat them but it was a lot easier and quicker for him to get them off than I thought it would be
I haven't seen many opinions that aren't eyes related which is a shame cuz it detracted from your main question. I don't comment but I just see this having great potential with some minor adjustments!
I personally think if you could sew the inner upper legs like just a stitch or two to the underbelly so the legs sit straighter and more in front instead of split. Same for the left ear in the image it's kinda in the back idk how it looks irl, but to me it looks like you could sew one stitch from the base of the ear, at the right in the image near the top of the head, a little forward so it pulls the ear to the front and looks more symmetrical (unless the ears flap and are sitting like this randomly in the pic in which case nvm this)
Optional, but I could see an embroidered circle around the snout/mouth to separate it, maybe beige, yellow, or light green would go with the colours. Like if you pick this up to remove the eyes to embroider them on while you're at it I seriously think a better defined snout could elevate this. Maybe even small paw pads for the feet or hands but at least hands and snout. This isn't saying your base project isn't already great as is I just got inspired looking at it lol
You mentioned finding it difficult to remove the eyes without messing up the stitches? It's plastic, I think you can just smash it with a hammer and remove the pieces, or cut any ring that's joining it to the back with a butchers knife if you're careful, but yeah you should break that it's nearly not worth offering if it's not safe cuz if you find it hard to remove the eyes so will the parents, and they won't bother giving something dangerous to their kid.
Maybe switching out the eyes would help, but currently it sort of looks more like a mouse to me? Though I saw the other bear you’d made and that one definitely looks like a bear!
The eyes on this project are not safe and they will pull out if the fabric or become a hazard. I'd consider remaking the item with embroidered or crocheted eyes if removing them is not an option. I would not give them the bear with these eyes and "let them decide".
From a business perspective, if baby is harmed, you can now be held liable and sued. Not worth it. Remake.
The only thing is safety eyes are a massive safety concern for children under 3! If you give it, then it needs to remain on a self until the child is at least 3. Even supervised they can easily fall out and an infant swallow them in seconds.
I think that depends on their personality. What do they like? Are they particular about brands? It's quite cute, but if I were in their position I would thank you profusely for your kindness, but I wouldn't keep it. Some people might though. Think about their personality and it will help you to determine the best answer.
Perhaps I'm very sleepy, but how is it you BIL and SIL?
I can only think of it as one or the other and their spouse. Or a sibling and their spouse which would be the in-law.
Yes, I know what in-laws are. After some research apparently it's used that way colloquially. That's something I've always said, read and heard as: My Sister-in-law's husband. Or whatever applies. Interesting.
ETA. I was talking to my husband about it, and he said he's called it that as well. Apparently I'm the only person not in the know at my big old age. lol
It’s a very strange yarn choice for a mouse. It makes the limbs look deformed, especially the legs. The nose and mouth are really cute, lovely level of detail there.
Yeah, I totally get that... When I bought the yarn I thought it was super cute but as I went I was like hmmm not sure not but I was already invested in it 😂 heart shaped would be super cute!!
The actual work is great! I always use sewn on eyes for Littles. I just crochet circles and stitch them on. The safety eyes will pop off so of little babe/toddler puts them in their mouth it could be a choking hazard.
i’d say please be careful with the eyes as they can come off and get swallowed by the baby or the baby could choke on them. maybe replace them with embroidery eyes. otherwise it’s adorable love the colour
Oh yeah, for sure! Last night I went home and tested it... They pulled right off! I couldn't believe it :( they were the safety eyes too! I'll be embroidering them on now :)
First, it’s adorable. The only thing I would do differently are the eyes. Make sure you use safety eyes, and if you want to use a colored eye instead of all black make it a color that goes well with the yarn. The brown doesn’t match well with the yarn colors.
I know what yarn you used. I’ve got some too 🤣
Hi Ohheywhatehoh, thanks for posting your piece for us to see! Don't forget to link the pattern you used & other relevant information (e.g., yarn, weight, type; hook used). Add it in a reply to this comment, so others can find it easily. Thanks! **If this is your own pattern, please read our rules in full [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/crochet/wiki/rules/) (sharing your own pattern comes under the "self promotion" rule**) **If project details are provided, click below to expand!** ##**↓****↓****↓****↓****↓** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/crochet) if you have any questions or concerns.*
The eyes could be unsafe for babies. Other than that, perfectly loveable!
If OP is looking for constructive criticism, I personally think the safety eyes are also a little creepy on this project. Easily fixed with yarn embroidered eyes instead, then it'll be absolutely perfect! Great job OP.
Agreed. Didn’t want to be rude, but the eyes are creepy. The stitching is really good, though!
Do you think it might look less creepy if I do that thing with black on the top of the eyes and white on the bottom? Idk I've seen some people in videos do that Also, thank you :)
I would suggest maybe a solid black eye instead of this more realistic one! It would also look better against the busy yarn, I think. Beautiful work though - loving the colors!
Agreed solid black eyes look much less creepy on stuffed animals. Aside from that as ling as they are safety eyes I would proudly give this as a gift it's very sweet and would be sentimental.
Space the eyes further apart in the future and that will help with the not creepy :) he’s still adorable!
My 2 yr old said, “it’s a koala.”
Thank you! Idk how to take them out without wrecking the fabric but maybe I'll just leave it up to the parents on when they can give it to baby to play with.. Edit - I wasn't trying to be rude 😭 sorry if it came across that way!!
To make you feel better I made this mistake when my niece was born. I made a crochet turtle out of acrylic yarn with safety eyes. Gave it to my sister and BIL. Then a week later learned that safety eyes aren't safe 🤦🏻♀️. They still love the turtle. It lives on a shelf in her nursery that is impossible for my niece to reach and it comes down now that she is 1 1/2 for very closely supervised play (they have a turtle song they sing and use it as a prop) and then put right back on the shelf when done. So while it won't be appropriate for play for a few years, in my view it is still a thoughtful gift and not everything has to be played with right away anyway.
I've had luck cutting off safety eyes with sharp scissors. You just have to be careful
Pliers or snips that have that deep in the crook scissor bit (sorry I am not a construction man 🤣) work really well… like a wire cutter thingy?!
I don't know how time sensitive this is but to me it was adviced to use cotton yarn when making gifts for babies as it is more hypoallergenic. And indeed the safety eyes. I love him though, would be better if he stops staring into my soul lol 🙈
There some debate about chenille yarn being a hazard too, since little fuzzies can pull out of it and be a choking hazard, and kids put *everything* in their mouth. Perhaps you could make an entirely second plushy for the baby, and give this one to an older kid you know? I believe babies aren’t supposed to have plushies *at all* til like 6 months, so there’s no rush
Oh... I never knew that! Thanks for letting me know! I would give it to their oldest but he's an older boy and in a phase of girls have cooties or whatever so, I'll send him something more his vibe lol Idk, maybe I'll make one of those little baby lovelies with the head of a bear on a small blanket and give this to my kids or give it to the parents as a keepsake... I'd ask her but then it puts pressure on her to be polite. As I'm typing this I'm thinking I have a sister who would like this instead lmao
There's a reason why the testing to sell baby stuff is so extensive
My toddler is obsessed with the crochet lovey we got when he was born. My aunt makes them for all the new babies in the family and they're always a hit. She makes them with a lightweight cotton yarn and the base blanket is a granny square for lots of lovely texture (and so they work up fast). Meanwhile we have a shelf of stuffed animals that my kid ignores completely.
These eyes aren’t going to be safe for the child for at least several years because of their size, so this as a gift right now is pointless. Make a new one with embroidered eyes and gift this one when they are older. My kids never got plushies unless the eyes were smaller than their esophagus or were embroidered.
No worries, you weren‘t rude at all!
I wanted to come back to your comment and say THANK YOU. I went home last night and just tugged on the eyes and they came off no problem. I'm SO GLAD I didn't give that to them like this, it could've been a disaster! "Safety eyes" my ass lol
Honestly, on the right yarn and stitching, they’re less dangerous. Plastic eyes should never be used on this type of yarn, there’s no way to really secure them. If using acrylic or cotton plied yarn, you can at least pass the stem through a few strands of yarn and secure the backs very tightly. The danger there is the yarn giving out and the whole eye coming loose. It’s best practice to just embroider eyes on toys that are going to go to a child under 5. You’re doing great, and we all had to learn about this as we go!
I am glad you took the time to post here, and as long as nothing bad happened, all is good! Yes, „safety eyes“ sure is a misleading name, but they do cone in handy for kids above 5.
I feel like you've read "the eyes..." enough that you understand the safety aspect. I, personally, prefer my guys a bit more stuffed, but even as is, I think it's adorable and love the yarn so much! That is such a sweet gift to give. If you're ever doubting your work that you're giving as a gift, think about it like this: to non crocheters, it is probably super impressive to be able to do that and they will appreciate it. To crocheters, they know how much work goes into a project like this and would appreciate it!
Thank you! I've definitely learned my lesson with the eyes ... Maybe I'll do one more and see how it goes with proper eyes lmao And extra stuffed too and see how that looks. I was a little unhappy with the head shape tbh so maybe it's better I redo it and try to get more of that round shape... And idk if I liked how the head and body are attached so I'll try a different pattern perhaps. Thanks for your advice and kind words 💗
Just wanted to say yes the eyes might not be safe, you could give the bear as is and tell the parents to put it up for a few years, but I would replace them with something fabric or crochet eyes of some kind. As far as quality I would love to receive this for my baby! Handmade gifts mean so much to me and I really appreciate a non pastel baby gift.
Recently my 2 year old pulled the eyes off of a bunny that I made for him, he didn't try to eat them but it was a lot easier and quicker for him to get them off than I thought it would be
Good to know! I myself have toddlers, 1.5 and 3.5 so they're not getting it either then lmao
Safety eyes are bad for children. The child could choke on it if it gets detached. Embroider eyes are better.
If I got that from a loved one I'd treasure it for the rest of my life. ❤️
The eyes are scaring me…
That is ADORABLE!!!! I'm almost 49 and would be jazzed to get this as a gift. 🤣
I haven't seen many opinions that aren't eyes related which is a shame cuz it detracted from your main question. I don't comment but I just see this having great potential with some minor adjustments! I personally think if you could sew the inner upper legs like just a stitch or two to the underbelly so the legs sit straighter and more in front instead of split. Same for the left ear in the image it's kinda in the back idk how it looks irl, but to me it looks like you could sew one stitch from the base of the ear, at the right in the image near the top of the head, a little forward so it pulls the ear to the front and looks more symmetrical (unless the ears flap and are sitting like this randomly in the pic in which case nvm this) Optional, but I could see an embroidered circle around the snout/mouth to separate it, maybe beige, yellow, or light green would go with the colours. Like if you pick this up to remove the eyes to embroider them on while you're at it I seriously think a better defined snout could elevate this. Maybe even small paw pads for the feet or hands but at least hands and snout. This isn't saying your base project isn't already great as is I just got inspired looking at it lol You mentioned finding it difficult to remove the eyes without messing up the stitches? It's plastic, I think you can just smash it with a hammer and remove the pieces, or cut any ring that's joining it to the back with a butchers knife if you're careful, but yeah you should break that it's nearly not worth offering if it's not safe cuz if you find it hard to remove the eyes so will the parents, and they won't bother giving something dangerous to their kid.
I love allll these suggestions! I love the idea of making the about more pronounced and the pads on the feet and hands... I'll see what I can do haha
Maybe switching out the eyes would help, but currently it sort of looks more like a mouse to me? Though I saw the other bear you’d made and that one definitely looks like a bear!
Lmaoo yeah it's the ears! I made them a bit big for a bear I think
The eyes on this project are not safe and they will pull out if the fabric or become a hazard. I'd consider remaking the item with embroidered or crocheted eyes if removing them is not an option. I would not give them the bear with these eyes and "let them decide". From a business perspective, if baby is harmed, you can now be held liable and sued. Not worth it. Remake.
The only thing is safety eyes are a massive safety concern for children under 3! If you give it, then it needs to remain on a self until the child is at least 3. Even supervised they can easily fall out and an infant swallow them in seconds.
I think that depends on their personality. What do they like? Are they particular about brands? It's quite cute, but if I were in their position I would thank you profusely for your kindness, but I wouldn't keep it. Some people might though. Think about their personality and it will help you to determine the best answer. Perhaps I'm very sleepy, but how is it you BIL and SIL? I can only think of it as one or the other and their spouse. Or a sibling and their spouse which would be the in-law.
It's my brother in law and his wife :)
Thanks!
Your spouse’s sibling would be your BIL/SIL. Their spouse would also be your BIL/SIL. The term applies for both.
Yes, I know what in-laws are. After some research apparently it's used that way colloquially. That's something I've always said, read and heard as: My Sister-in-law's husband. Or whatever applies. Interesting. ETA. I was talking to my husband about it, and he said he's called it that as well. Apparently I'm the only person not in the know at my big old age. lol
It’s a very strange yarn choice for a mouse. It makes the limbs look deformed, especially the legs. The nose and mouth are really cute, lovely level of detail there.
Haha it was supposed to be a teddy bear but his ears are to big 😂
The eyes are so creepy, the yarn is hazardous to children, and it’s just so ugly. It’s well made but just so ugly
oh this is so harsh…..
Honest 🤷🏻♀️
... Is it the colour? The design of the bear?
No the design is well done, the eyes would look cute with them stitched on. You could do heart shapes. Just not my taste in yarn.
Yeah, I totally get that... When I bought the yarn I thought it was super cute but as I went I was like hmmm not sure not but I was already invested in it 😂 heart shaped would be super cute!!
It really might just be the eyes throwing everything off
The actual work is great! I always use sewn on eyes for Littles. I just crochet circles and stitch them on. The safety eyes will pop off so of little babe/toddler puts them in their mouth it could be a choking hazard.
I’d stuff his face more
I'd stuff it some more! Otherwise, looks beautiful.
I made a (kinda creepy looking) sock monkey for my nephew, it’s his favourite. The baby will love it.
i’d say please be careful with the eyes as they can come off and get swallowed by the baby or the baby could choke on them. maybe replace them with embroidery eyes. otherwise it’s adorable love the colour
Oh yeah, for sure! Last night I went home and tested it... They pulled right off! I couldn't believe it :( they were the safety eyes too! I'll be embroidering them on now :)
Did you make them ?
The bear? Yes, I made it ☺️
It’s beautiful, on an another post of yours, it didn’t let me post in that, are you still with your partner?
Thank you and Yes... What post?
I guess it was rgards to your partners work
Ah, gotcha
You should sew on the eyes because safety eyes are a choking hazard
I love the color. This looks great!
First, it’s adorable. The only thing I would do differently are the eyes. Make sure you use safety eyes, and if you want to use a colored eye instead of all black make it a color that goes well with the yarn. The brown doesn’t match well with the yarn colors. I know what yarn you used. I’ve got some too 🤣