Rolife loyalty customer, Wendy Craft Lover poses the question to our community, “Is it possible to mix hobbies, like building miniatures and crocheting?” Her answer is a resounding yes. If you love to build Rolife DIY miniature houses, then you can enhance them with figures and accessories which you have crocheted.

Wendy’s Inspiration

Wendy has experimented with miniature crochet ideas to supplement her DIY miniature houses. However, amigurumi, which is the Japanese art of creating stuffed yarn creatures, is made with a 2 - 3 mm hook.

She says, “ That size is perfect for adorable creations but it can be a bit big for most miniature scales…….but they can still be used in a different way - for example to present the scene rather than be part of it.”

She goes on to say, “Unlike Nanci figures, amigurumi is usually a larger scale so even small ones can look huge next to your Nanci.”

Rolife Nanci figures are made from PVC and capture unique personalities and Chinese cultural elements. The original Nanci has a round face, two buns, and closed eyes because she is in a dream world.

She continues to talk about crocheting, “One of the easiest crochet items you can make are little blankets, rugs or cushions…... .But if you want them to fit the scale better, try micro crochet.”

Micro crochet is like regular crocheting except on a much smaller scale using a very fine hook and thin thread. If you’re a crocheting beginner, try regular crocheting first as micro crocheting is harder because you are working on a minute scale. However, the results are well worth the effort.

Micro Crochet and Detail Enhancement

Micro crocheting has become popular in recent years because you can create detailed people, animals, and home decor on a tiny scale. To start, follow these rules:

1. Choose the right hook size

The smaller the hook, the more delicate your stitches will be. Micro crochet hooks range from 0.4 mm to 1 mm. If you are just starting out with micro crocheting, we suggest that you start practicing with a hook size of 0.75 mm and work your way down to a smaller size as your skills improve.

2. Use thin thread or yarn

As with the hook, the thinner the thread the finer your stitches will be.

With micro crocheting, you usually work with cotton or synthetic sewing thread rather than yarn. Synthetic thread is usually polyester. The advantages of cotton thread is that it is a tiny bit thicker than synthetic. However it can break more easily and it doesn’t have the same amount of sheen that synthetic thread has.

Thread comes in different sizes. In general the lower the number the thicker the thread. If you are new to micro crocheting start with a yarn size of 20 or 40.

Experiment with different types and sizes of thread to see which you find the easiest to work with.

3. Wash your hands before you start crocheting

Make sure that you keep your hands clean throughout the whole process of crocheting. If you get your yarn dirty it will be seen in your final product and will be near impossible to get clean.

4. Use the right lighting

Because micro crocheting needs precision and focus, you will need good lighting so that you can see what you are doing. As well as a well-lit room, a lighted magnifier will help you to see the tiny details. It will also help to stop eye strain.

If you are using dark-colored thread, put a piece of white paper or cloth underneath your work. This will help you to see the stitches better.

5. Follow a Pattern

You can create your own designs, but if you’re new to micro crocheting, it is a good idea to start with a pattern. To begin with, choose an easy, repetitive pattern with just a few colors.

It is always a good idea to crochet the pattern in normal size first so that you have a better idea of what you are doing. As you get more familiar with micro crocheting, you won’t have to do this.  

6. Go Slowly

MIcro crocheting is not for those who are in a hurry to complete their projects. It needs patience and attention to detail. Take your time and don’t be disheartened if you make mistakes. It’s all a normal process as you learn a new skill.

It is also useful to take a break if you feel eye strain. You could also suffer from hand cramps so taking regular breaks should help to prevent this happening.

7. Add Embellishments

You can use beads, sequins or other decorations to embellish your designs.

Beads, for example, make great eyes on a doll. You can add beads after you have finished crocheting in which case you would do this with a needle and thread. Otherwise you can add the beads as you crochet. To do this you would need beads with a hole big enough to pull the yarn and crochet hook through.

8. Extra Tips

Keep your thread tension tight. Loose stitches can result in larger and not as well defined designs.

Keep track of the stitch count. The best way to do this is to use stitch markers. This will help to prevent mistakes.

If you find it difficult to work with small hooks and thin thread, use a thimble to protect your finger. This will help you to hold onto the hook more easily and comfortably.

If you plan to micro crochet on a regular basis, invest in ergonomic crochet hooks which have been especially designed for micro crocheting.

When finishing, weaving in the ends as in normal crocheting does not work too well. In addition, knot the thread once at the end and hide it inside the body.    

The Perfect Pairing of DIY Miniature Houses and Crochet

Combining a DIY miniature house with miniature crochet ideas makes for a great project. Rolife’s miniatures showcase beautiful homes, stylish cafes, interesting shops, and even magical scenes. Bring them to life by adding crochet figures which fit into the surroundings.

Let’s take a look at some of the DIY miniature houses and see what characters would add warmth to the scene.

Cheers Bar & Dining, a barman behind the bar would add life to the scene. You could also have a customer sitting on one of the barstools at the bar or a couple sitting at the table.

Leisure Time Tea Room and Flavory Cafe would benefit from people sitting at the table and a barista would make both scenes more authentic.

Puppy’s Cozy Villa, you could crochet a cute puppy or two.

When it comes to rooms in homes, place a couple of people at the dining table in Warm Dining Room. Catherine’s Living Room shows the cultured personality of its owner, Catherine. You could crochet a figure of her, elegantly dressed.

For Halloween you may want to make the The Magic Study. Make it even more spooky by adding a figure of a witch or wizard. A black cat would also add to the atmosphere. Kiki’s Magic Emporium is another Halloween inspired kit which would be enhanced by a figure of the young witch, Kiki.

For Christmas, construct the Twinkling Christmas House. Crochet a child to sit by the Christmas tree and place a crocheted Father Christmas to stand just outside the house.    

Miniature Furniture and Decor

Enhancing your DIY miniature house with figures is a fantastic idea, but your crocheting skills can be put to further use. You can create accessories, such as blankets and pillows, to decorate your Rolife miniatures. Micro crocheting really comes into its own here as many of these accessories will be tiny.

Let’s take a look at some Rolife DIY miniature houses and see what accessories we could add.

The Rolife SlowLife Cafe, Cheers Bar & Dining, and Tipsy Restaurant could all have tablecloths on the tables. If you have crocheted people to sit at the tables, crochet a bag or handbag to put on the floor next to the customer.

For Rolife Elsa’s Tailoring, you could crochet an item of clothing such as a hat, while in Baking Kitchen, add some T towels.

Catherine’s Living Room offers plenty of scope for inspiration. Crochet a blanket and cushions to put on the sofa. Put a tablecloth on the table underneath the chess set. Hang curtains from the rectangular window and put a handbag on the floor and a hat hanging on the coatstand.

It will be fun to create accessories for Rolife DIY Miniature House Puppy’s Cozy Villa. Crochet dog toys such as ropes and balls, bones, and puppy baskets.

Rolife’s Christmas Miniature Houses and book nooks will all be enhanced with crocheted Christmas gifts and Christmas stockings.

Conclusion

Rolife Miniatures can definitely be enhanced by crochet figures and accessories. You will need to learn how to micro crochet but once you have mastered this skill, you can let your imagination run wild.

We’d love to know what other hobbies you like to combine with our DIY miniature builds! Share your thoughts in the comments below and see if you can find like-minded friends in our Rolife big family!