December 1980 – Finished Angel and a Confession

Confession time. 

​I skim pattern directions and often don’t read them through completely.  I look through the materials list a little more thoroughly and sort of assume that if I’ve seen all the materials being used I’ve caught all the important bits.  Sometimes I’m surprised part way through the pattern by a process I didn’t expect.  That happened with this pattern.
 
About the pattern:
 
The pattern as I understood it on the first read is this:
The pattern starts with the body done in a cone shape. The arms are done as a long rectangle and then twisted to form the arms.  A chain is done in the white to go through one arm, the body and then the other arm to attach the arms and the end of the chain folded over to make “hands.”  The head is done separately.  The hair is done as a single piece and attached to the head.    The wings are done with single crochet over wire and then shaped into the wings. 
 
 
How it went:
 
I started off with the body and followed the directions and end up with a very wide and short body.

This isn't the best picture to show how short this was but it was almost a flat circle.  ​I pulled all of that out and redid the body with alternating rows without increases to get a shape that looks more like the original photo.  I think that the yarn/thread I used is stiffer than the recommended thread so it got bigger faster than it would have if I’d used softer thread. 
 
Version 2 of the body worked out perfect.
 
Then the surprise – “Dip in white glue, twist out excess”
I looked back at the material list. 
It didn’t mention glue. 
The directions ask you to soak the body in glue and then shape it over a cone shaped paper cup (which is in the material list).  I looked at the angel’s fairly stiff shiny body and decided I was not going to soak it in glue and dim the sparkle.  If it didn’t stand on its own I would either make it so it had a hanger or I could stuff the body and make a piece to fit over it on the bottom.   Decision made – moving on.
 
Arms – Directions have you make two gold rectangles and a long chain with the silver and set aside for later assembly.
 
The hair and the head were easy enough.  The head was a pretty basic ball and the hair worked like a wig that was sewn on.  I don't love the loop stitch and her hair looks like she just had a long flight through a storm.
 
The wings were also pretty easy.  I had some wire in my jewelry making box and that worked perfectly.  I combine two different sparkly white threads to make the wings.
 
I skipped the collar.  It was a crocheted piece with a velvet ribbon threaded through it.  I didn’t have a ribbon and I didn’t think it was necessary.

Here's my version that stands just fine without glue:

And the cover version:
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​Next week I'll have the January voting up!