horsing around bracelet

this was a project i came up with for my daughter to give her friend for a birthday gift.   

let me just say how much i dislike buying birthday gifts for kids parties.   i love that the kids get to go and it's not that i mind getting them something.   it's the "what" to get them that i have such disdain for.   what do they like?   what do they collect?   do they have any hobbies?   always answered by i don't know.   eventually, i can usually drag enough info out of my kids to figure something out.   i don't think i am the only parent with such dilemmas though.   my daughter has come home and reported that most of the other kids give gift cards form the electronics store.   that seems like a societal statement in itself.   alas, back to the horse bracelet -

ok, i have been playing with . .i mean utilizing my tiny crochet hooks to their fullest lately.   my daughter said her friend liked horses so i tried out a tiny horse.   i looked for horse patterns but, couldn't find one i liked that i could read etc.   yep, made it up as i went.   these guys are all made of mostly chain stitches.   

i chained 5 or 6 and then doubled back and kept going around until i had an oval.   the body is going to get another layer so don't make it as big as you want it at first.

 then, at one end, i chained up 4-5 (neck) and made a little bump by chaining 2-3 and doubling back (ear) then chained 3-4 for the head.   then i used some half double crochets to make the head and neck.   you have to skip a couple stitches between the head and neck to keep your head from pointing at the sky.   then i continued down the body and at the bottom i chained 8 turned around and came back up for a leg.   i put the next leg in the same stitch.   chain across the belly and add two more legs.   then continue around the body and head in chains.   this always gives me a chance to clean up the edges a bit, change the shape just a bit and makes it a bit more finished.

 after that, it's just some little pieces looped on for a tail and mane and i bit for the bangs.   this brown guy ended up with a bent leg but i just let him do his thing.  

 last was the bracelet itself.   my tomboy princess said that her friend likes blue.   i used a variegated blue and just a basic triple crochet.   i started with the ball actually, not really sure how to explain that one.   i just went around and used chains and half doubles to make it.   before i closed it, i shoved some cotton in it to make it keep it's round shape.   i started it with a shell made from half doubles and then straightened it out when it was a wide as i wanted.   on the end, i added a little chain for the button ball to go through and went over it with some half doubles.  

i hope that made some sense or at least inspires you to do your own thing.