FO: Red Blood Cell

Cross posted at Sally Comes Unraveled and Year Long Gift-A-Long.

My mother has had serious problems with anemia in the past year or so. She's adopted the phrase "Don't take your hemoglobin for granted" as her new motto. (It was on a pamphlet at the doctor's office.)

A while back I sent her a link to this picture. She replied "I hope mine are that pretty."

So it seemed fitting to crochet her a red blood cell for her birthday.

Of course, now that I compare the finished product with the photo that inspired it, I realize just how far off I was.

If I had kept trying, I may have gotten closer to the "biconcave disc shape." I realize now I should have focused more on making a dent in the middle and less on creating a ridge around the outside. (Basically, I should have listened to Lyndsey, but I had this all figured out in my mind.)

There isn't really a ridge to speak of, just a puckery edge:

The other thing I could have tried was sewing a strip around the edge and filling it with stuffing.

And yes, that is a zipper you see. This red blood cell is also a coin purse. Or a make up bag. Or something.

Mainly, I wanted Mom to be able to see the "hemoglobin" inside. I used curling ribbon, which I decided was close enough for a red blood cell with 10mm
"Googly Eyes" sewn on it. (I probably should have used bigger eyes.)

Everything is better with Googly Eyes. I'm convinced this red blood cell talks like Insanity Prawn Boy from On The Moon.

Here is a look of the haphazard way I sewed in the zipper. (I know it's hard to see with the red on red.) I think it's a running stitch. I used the same yarn and a fairly sharp tapestry needle. I used a six inch zipper, so I didn't have to trim it.

I also used a US H aluminum crochet hook and some Pop'n Yarn that only seems to exist on eBay and at the Goodwill. I found mine at Goodwill. (I keep old acrylic yarn like this around for occasions like this.) I used color 218 Flame Red. I think I used about half of a 3.5 ounce skein.

At some point, I might write this pattern out, or try to make it better. We shall see.