Crocheting a Window Display in Self-isolation

We are living in trying times right now, with a global pandemic currently in full swing. I have spent the past few weeks stuck inside the house, trying to find some form of entertainment to help me get through the long hours, days and weeks that lie ahead. Luckily for me, crochet and knitting have always been a reliable hobby in difficult times. I have a huge yarn stash, plenty of needles, and an online database with millions of patterns. But even with such a huge collection of crafting resources readily available for hours of social distancing, the question still persisted: what should I make?

Recently I have been making garments that I can eventually wear out, but the idea of knitting or crocheting something for the outside world didn't seem particularly pandemic appropriate. After seeing so many beautiful rainbow paintings and stuffed animals in the windows of houses on my state-approved daily walk, I decided that crocheting a window display would be a better use of my time. Rainbow paintings, or 'rainbows of hope', are becoming an international display of community spirit, resilience and positive thinking, so creating a colourful window display for the neighbourhood seemed like a fantastic thing to make in trying times.

My window display of hope

For my window display of hope, I decided to combine both rainbows and stuffed animals. Using an adorable penguin pattern from Storyland Amis, I've created a penguin in every colour of the rainbow and displayed each one in the front window of our house. They have been suspended in an 'arc' formation using invisible thread and duct tape to secure them. 

How to make your own window display

You can easily make your own window display by picking out the amigurumi pattern(s) of your choice. It might vary according to your pattern, but here are the materials that I used for my window display:

• • Yarn in 6-12 different colours - I used 10-15g of each colour per penguin, with three colours used per penguin
• • A crochet hook (I used a 2.5mm hook)
• • A plastic sewing needle
• • Stuffing
• • Safety eyes
• • Stitch markers
• • Invisible thread
• • Duct tape

Just remember: stay safe, stay home and help us protect our health services and the vulnerable. It'll take patience and resilience but we'll get through this, one crochet stitch at a time.