Pattern: The Gates of Moria

Speak friend and enter. *Mellon, to be specific. The gates of Moria only show this entry way in moonlight and starlight.  Natalia  Moreva of Kulabra designs has designed these mittens that make me want to rethink my mitten ban (everything falls to the floor if I wear mittens). But these call to the Tolkien geek in me.

Moria_Moreva

So why not buy a copy of the pattern, and get knitting, and have a new pair of mittens for when the last Hobbit movie comes out?

 

 

 

Hobbit Headwear

Hello All! I hope everyone had a great holiday, and that you’re fairly recovered from all the family and excitement by now. A large part of my holidays was seeing the Hobbit with other geeky friends, which inspires this post about headwear from the Hobbit movies!

Bofur, the optimistic toymaking dwarf, brother to Bombur and cousin to Bifur, can be recognized in Peter Jackson’s films by his distinctive hat and jovial personality. Luckily for all you Bofur fans,  Smree has posted a great crochet pattern that even has the same upturned brim and earflaps! Using a skein of brown yarn and gray yarn, along with an H and I hook, I think she captured its essence perfectly!

Bofur's Hat

Of course, one of the most memorable characters from the Hobbit films is the Elvenking of the Mirkwood elves (and Legolas’ father), Thranduil. Not only does he have impeccable cheekbones (curse you and your inhuman beauty, Lee Pace!), he carries off an incredible crown of branches and leaves that mark him as the elven ruler. Katy R. over at Deviantart has created a beautiful replica of this crown out of wire, DAS (an air-hardening clay), resin and a few coats of paint. You can see her photo tutorial here.

Thranduil's Crown

Hopefully, these projects have inspired you to go see the Hobbit movies (if you haven’t yet), and to made your own stylish hats for everyday wear!

Pattern: There and Back Again Story Scarf

Frivolite Handcrafts is at it again. This time with  a Hobbit themed double knit scarf. There and Back Again Story Scarf, knits out the tale of The Hobbit.  You read that right, Knits out the story of The Hobbit.  You should go to the project page, just so you can read the fun little  story that goes with the scarf. In the same spirit as The Hobbit, this scarf is enough to make you smile.

frivolite_hobbit

Again this scarf, like the day of the doctor scarf is double knitted so you see the  pattern on both sides as mirror images of each other.

One (Well, Three) Patterns to Rule Them All

My very first geek love was Lord of the Rings. I loved J.R.R. Tolkien’s works and Peter Jackson’s films, and collected calendars, comics, maps, and books about Middle Earth. So it should be no surprise that I’ve found three Lord of the Rings patterns for you to celebrate Middle Earth  in your own way!

The first pattern is the noble Tree of Gondor, which can be seen on Faramir’s armor and the Gondorian flag. A beautiful white tree with seven stars and the crown of the King, it’s a pattern even non-Ringers can enjoy. Lusianne R. from Ravelry has created a handy pdf chart so that you too can declare your allegiance to the House of Gondor.

Tree of Gondor scarf

This next pattern is of the Doors of Durin, the secret doors that the Fellowship had to open before journeying into the Mines of Moria. While the actual doors were made of stone and ithildin, which could only be seen by moonlight or starlight, this knit pattern designed by Andrea Krüß-Anders on Ravelry, will probably be much more comfy and transportable.

Doors of Durin

The third pattern has already been featured here on GeekCrafts by Jenny, but is amazing enough to deserve a second appearance. What better way to show off your fandom than to wear the Elvish ring inscription as a scarf?  This pattern is designed by Diana Stafford, and is also on Ravelry. Just be sure you have the rhyme memorized, should anyone ask for a translation!

one ring scarf

“One ring to rule them all,
One ring to find them,
One ring to bring them all,
And in the darkness bind them!”

Miniature Lord of the Rings Bag End

Miniature Bag End from Lord of the Rings

Thanks to Pinterest, I recently stumbled across the most incredibly detailed miniature Bag End from Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. Maddie Chambers-Brindley made it for some college coursework on “the importance of play.” She drew upon her experience making Warhammer miniature scenery and models to create the Bag End model.

Interior of Bag End from Lord of the Rings

Check out the level of detail – the top of the “hill” comes off to reveal the interior, and inside there’s a fire in the fireplace, a miniature area rug, hand-tiled floors, portraits of Belladonna Took and Bungo Baggins, the Baggins family tree, and a wee vegetable garden outside.

In this post Maddie talks about her creative process.

Have you ever worked with miniatures? What fantastical world would you like to take on to recreate in mini-form?

Links of Interest:

Hello From Grace and Crocheted Hobbit Feet

Grace as EowynHello fellow geeky crafters! I’m new to the GeekCrafts family, and wanted to introduce myself. My name is Grace and I’ll be posting on Fridays. I currently reside in Colorado with my husband, Jim, and our cat, Pepper Potts. My first true geek love is Lord of the Rings and the works of Tolkien in general (Roverandom, anyone?), as you can see from my attempt at an Eowyn costume here. I also love dragons, Disney, and Doctor Who, and my husband is attempting to teach me about Star Trek and X-Files. I am currently working on a TARDIS blanket, trying to make a Galadriel costume for Halloween/the next Hobbit movie premiere, attempting a steampunk version of Commander Lt. Riker for my husband, and hopefully making a steampunk Tinkerbell costume for myself in time for the next Anomaly Con.

Today, I’ll be showing one of my own tutorials that I am very proud of. When the Hobbit premiere rolled around last December, I knew I had to go in costume. I found a nice pattern for a skirt and bodice, but couldn’t find any hobbit feet that I liked. Having learned how to crochet all of three days beforehand, I decided to try and crochet my own hobbit feet using a crocheted sock tutorial video I found online. And, lo and behold, it worked!

 

Crocheted Hobbit Feet

Ta da!

On my blog, HappilyGrim (the only portmanteau of Grace and Jim that worked), I try and give directions both in stitches, and in relation to what part of the slipper is being created (i.e., 10 stitches, or however many to cover the tips of your toes). Let me know if you have any questions, and have fun making hairy hobbity feet!