WIP Wednesday 7 - Best Pals Pattern (WIP 6 skipped)

This is WIP Wednesday 7 and not 6 because I wanted to keep up Tami's Amis blog since she is hosting the WIP Wednesday blog-share. I skipped number 6 because I didn't get any crocheting done! You gotta take a break from things every once in a while!

Over the weekend, I did get to work on my Best Pals Pattern that I talked about in the last WIP Wednesday post. I have all the text written for the pattern, but I really like to include photos so I am recreating each animal and taking photos that I can go through to add to the pattern. The sunlight is different these days since the seasons are changing so that makes it tough to take photos! There is either too much sun which gives my amis a weird neon glow or it's too gray outside. I don't know what I'm going to when Fall really hits!


I'm designing each of the animals in the pattern to have a different facial expression. I want to showcase different ways of making the face besides just different shapes for their body parts (ears and tails mostly). Can you guess which animal I have planned for each of the four featured in the photo above? They could be anything, but I made them each with a certain animal in mind.

Finally, I wanted to show off this awesome decal I got from etsy shop Macetera for my MacBook Pro. I love it and everyone is jealous even if they don't know who Totoro is! Only one co-worker at the school I work at recognized that it was from a Hayao Miyazaki film because her husband and daughters watch his films. I promoted his movies every time someone asked about my decal so I hope they remember if they ever come across Miyazaki or Studio Ghibli films when movie-hunting!

WIP Wednesday 5 - Best Pals Pattern

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Thanks for keeping me going, Tami! Work-in-Progress Wednesdays always come sooner than I expect! School started officially yesterday...I barely had a chance to sit down! Of course I wore heels too and after a summer of wearing flip-flops and flats my feet were just a tad tired. In fact, my entire body was tired! Anyway, I realized today that I can only get so much done in a day and I shouldn't stay for too much longer after school gets out to work on things. There is always tomorrow and people will just have to wait! Everything is going very well though all in all and I do feel the excitement now of my job. Helping teachers incorporate technology and showing people new tricks is fun and I feel good about what I do.

Moving on to the crochet part of things...I started to make a pattern for what I like to call Best Pals! It will include how to make bears, bunnies, puppies, kitties, piggies, and who knows what else. It's meant to be like a starter package for amigurumi beginners!




I have all my notes written out because I've made the lil guys several times, I just never photographed the steps and pieces and I like to include progress photos in my patterns. I know I appreciate them when I purchase patterns because sometimes the text just isn't enough!


Here's all i have so far from the weekend. It's really windy outside and getting a little dark so my photos didn't turn out so well. I just placed an antique effect to give it a little something. I know, I did say I was going to focus on my Meden Patapon...I just can't seem to get the motivation! I don't know what's gotten into me! Maybe because she's turning out to be harder than I thought. She'll make an appearance soon. I promise.

Tip - Yarn Color Change

This is how I change colors of yarn in the middle of an amigurumi project. There may be other ways, but this is how I figured out how to do it! This project shows changing colors when beginning a new row. Your last stitch of the previous row is where you actually begin the color change. So, if my patterns says to complete 30 single crochet (sc) stitches and then change colors for the next row, you will pull your new color up during the 30th sc. Sounds weird, but then it makes it so you actually end with your last sc being that original color and then already being ready with your next color in hand to being your very first sc of the new row.

Insert hook through your last stitch.
Pick up your new color yarn.

Pull the new yarn through your stitch.

Yarn over with the new color, and pull through the two loops (one will be the original color, the other will be the new color). Your final stitch will be the original color!

You now have the new color to begin your next row...

...and your first sc of the new row will be your new color!

When you know you're good to go, snip off the original color leaving a tail to sew/weave/hide the end. You'll have to do this with the tail of the original color as well as the beginning tail of your new color so when you begin with your new color, make sure you leave a long enough tail! I usually give myself 6 inches or so with these tails--whatever is long enough for you to put a needle on the end and poke through a couple times. It's always better to have more than not enough.

WIP Wednesday 4 - Tear Fairy Complete

Voila! Finally finished and ready to share with Tami's Amis for her WIP Wednesdays. I know, took me long enough, right? I've been a busy girl with the start of the school year! The kids officially start next week so I'll still have some details to take care of to get everyone and everything situated and then once we're all in a routine, I'll be able to relax a bit more. Anyway, I crocheted the little Tear Fairy to be sitting since I have no idea how to make this guy stand on his own with such tiny legs. Plus, I figured his legs could be used as support if he falls over since his nose is heavy. He sits very nicely though! Sometimes you have to press on him and flatten out his bum a little but is just wonderful to me!






Now that I have my companion, I just need the game! Gahh!

Edit--I just did a google search and according to dshyper, this guy is named Shizuku (which translates to "droplet" in Japanese). Cool, huh!?

WIP Wednesday 3 - One more step left for the Tear Fairy!

I was hoping to get the Tear Fairy completed for this week's "Work-In Progress-Wednesday" from Tami's Amis. Due the rainy weather I was unable to take my progress photos outside so I kept pushing back my work. Anyways, the next steps were to work on his face:



When I placed the black eyes in the crocheted circle, I did not place it in the center hole, but rather in between stitches in the next row. I used embroidery floss for his smile :)



Stuffed him super tightly and then sewed him together!



All he needs now are his arms and feet! I don't know why I didn't at least crochet those during the rainy weather! Oh well, I guess the finished project will have to wait until next week! I switched gears a bit since I was pushing the Tear Fairy aside and also worked on my Meden Patapon Amigurumi.



I had this project requested a long time ago and I must apologize to my customer for taking so long. Finding the right yarn was rough, finding the time was tough, and attempting to make some of her parts was frustrating! Once the Tear Fairy is finished and I write up a pattern, Meden Patapon will be my main focus. I needed some time away from Patapons. Anyway, I'll discuss her in the future.

On another note, my monsters were featured in the Super Cute Kawaii blog from their Flickr Friday! I didn't know I was cool enough to be noticed on there! Yay! Finally, in other news, school will be starting officially for the teachers and myself next week and then officially for the students the following week! I have a ton of presentations to prepare, my room to organize, technology to update and so much more! I'm getting a little nervous!!! Once school starts and everything settles, I'll have more time on my hands (sounds strange, but I will...hehe). G'night!!!!

Gorge has a brother!

I had some leftover green yarn from the first time I made Gorge, so I decided it was time for his brother to make his entrance. I did have to buy another skein for less than half of his body (from his belly button down). Lucky for me, the colors matched perfectly! I hate when you don't buy enough the first time! Anyway, I followed my pattern exactly but for some reason he is a little larger overall. Maybe I stuffed him more? /shrug . His fangs are longer and sharper, too!


**I love this yarn and if you're wondering what it is, it's Sensations Angel Hair yarn. I believe it is made by Jo-Ann Fabrics, but their shopping pages are under construction now so I'll create a link later!

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On a side note, I found my very first amigurumi attempt! I don't know what was happening exactly, but I did manage to improve my skills! Lots of practice and a few sessions with online tutorials = Yes! You can learn how to crochet amigurumi! Yay!

Another word about photographing amigurumi...

When photographing amigurumis, I think it's important to make sure your background enhances your ami and lets the true colors stand out. In the first two photos with the blue and orange background, the colors don't look right. The blue against the blue doesn't work well and the orange makes the brown ears and limbs looks orange-tinted.
In this case of my bear amigurumi, the white was the best background.
Also, don't forget to use the Macro feature on your camera (it's the little flower symbol) and take your photos on a nice day outside. Too much or too little sun is bad. I can't give any tips on photographing inside because I don't have proper lighting.

Bad background colors (and unedited):



Good background color (and edited):



I just use iPhoto on my Mac to edit my photos. (I just switched Macs so I wish I could have shown the before pictures of the white background, but since it's a new Mac, I was not able to revert the photo to its original state). Anyways, I just use the "Enhance Photo" option (not always though, sometimes it's too much) as well as the "Effects" and manual "Adjust" features.

You don't want to change the colors, but you want them to be bright and true to the original quality. I am still working on perfecting my photography skills with amigurumi, but I think what I'm doing is pretty good!

Gorge the Monster - FREE PATTERN!

Hullo! I am back! It's been a while since I have posted anything on my blog! So let's kick it off to a good start!

Gorge the Monster Dude would like to make his appearance! He is a simple, easy-going guy who loves to eat (if you can't already tell). Food is always on his mind and he would have it no other way! He's a great friend too--one who will always listen. Be wary though, if you ask him for suggestions or advice or any conversation topic, it will always be...food! He's kind of like his creator to be honest! Although, he is never grumpy when he is hungry, lol. Gorge is always a good sport.


You can create your own Gorge if you'd like! He's really good at sitting on your tables, desks and shelves. He's also really good at being thrown and tossed gently in the air. He's not a ball, but he's pretty darn close to the shape...he's good at spinning and doing flips in the air. Maybe it's the spikes that help...?

Anyway, you can get the directions from my free pattern!

download now

Dewei the Panda!

This is Dewei! The origin of his name is Chinese and it means "of great principle." I thought it was a very fitting name for a panda because they just look so wise beautiful to me. Dewei does a bit of silliness to him though--he's got his own personality!!! He is available for purchase at my etsy shop.

Here's his story: "You can almost always find Dewei among the bamboo! He’s quite a serious little fellow, taking his time with every thought and action but he has proved to be a very wise and philosophical one indeed."

My boyfriend's mom has a bamboo plant and they even have bamboo growing in their yard in one area! At first, Dewei's photo shoot was with the bamboo plants outside. It was tough to get there because of the other shrubbery around the bamboo. The time of the day, wasn't the best so I was not too pleased with the results. A few days later, I saw the small bamboo plant and used that for my photo shoot with a green solid background. (This photo was taken by my boyfriend, Taylor. Thanks!)


Speaking of backgrounds, I use scrapbook paper for most of my amigurumi backgrounds. I prop up 12X12 scrapbook paper booklet against a seat outside, position my amigurumi in different ways and take A LOT of photos. Having a lot of photos at different angles ensures you get great shots! Then I upload them onto my computer and edit--I usually use iPhoto because I don't have Photoshop, but I have used Piknik and am going to look into Gimp.


I know my photos are not the greatest, but I'm learning and I think they get better each time! Do you have any tips or techniques? I'd love to hear!

Looking for a Home!

Haruko the Hare, Tomomi the Bear and Zeki the Bear are all looking for a home! To learn more about them, visit my etsy shop. Visit my Flickr account to see more pictures and descriptions of their personalities!


They are each handmade with love by me! I used Sensations Angel Hair yarn, Caron Simply Soft yarn and Patons Divine yarn.--my absolute three favorite yarns!!! I love the look and feel of them all.


A great thing about these little guys is that their personalities come to life as they are being created. I love that they are each different in their own way even though they are from the same family. One thing they all have in common is totally their cuteness factor making them great little pals!


I did say that I was going to work on new patterns and they are coming....I just need the time! I have a busy weekend in store so I'm not sure how much I'll be able to accomplish. The photos are an important element in my patterns but they can also be difficult to take. It's good to have an extra pair of hands sometimes so I'll ask my boyfriend to take pictures while I hold a pose with the yarn and hook (just a close-up of my hands and project!). Plus you need good lighting and now that Spring and has sprung I should be good to go!!! I'll give it two weeks...now that Ive written it I am obligated to really get going!!!!

Happy Easter!

Wishing everyone a wonderful Easter holiday!

See? I really am busy.

Whenever I get the chance--which is most days after work and every Saturday and Sunday--I am crocheting little bear and bunny dudes. They are made from a simple pattern I made up, but they all having something different about them allowing them to have their own personalities. For the most part, their heads are all the same size, but their facial expression, arms, legs, ears, tails and sometimes body are changed just slightly to fit the type of character they are crocheted into being.


Most of these little guys will be put up for sale in my etsy shop. Some are gifts for friends and family.

I am also working on a new pattern set called "Best Pals: Amigurumi Patterns!" The Best Pals patterns will consist of simple patterns to create bears, bunnies, puppies, kitties and more--it's still a huge work in progress. Now that the weather is nicer, I can take photos to add to my patterns. I am still working on creating one more Dream Demon but I ran out of the black fuzzy yarn and I want them to be consistent! I need to make another trip to the craft store yet again...

I am also thinking up more Patapon items, one of which will be a free pattern. I won't say what it is yet, but it will be something to compliment your coffee table nicely.

Happy Easter, everyone!!!

Dextra of the Dream Demons

I've decided that besides creating and selling crochet patterns on etsy, that I will sell the dolls as well. I'm really enjoying the Angel Hair yarn because the overall look is soooo cute! I like to make "traditional" amigurumis such as bears and bunnies, but I'm also loving making made-up critters! With the help of my friends and family, I am getting great ideas for future amigurumi critters complete with a personal story to tell! Dimitri is the first amigurumi with a story. And now, I'd like to introduce Dextra of the Dream Demons!


I realize that the word "demon" is more commonly thought of having a negative connotation, but the real meaning of the word never originally intended to mean malevolence. These little Dream Demons are spirits that we allow to influence our thoughts.

Anyways, more amigurumis to come! Can't wait to buy more yarn...

Dimitri the Dream Demon

Dimitri the Dream Demon is one of the lesser dream demons. He likes to play those tiny tricks on your when you're having a pleasant dream--not turning it into a nightmare, but causing you think "...wha-?..." Remember that dream when you holding a beautiful bird in your hands and then it pooped on you? That was Dimitri. Or the one where you landed your job interview but then tripped and spilled the coffee on your way out the door? Dimitri.


I can't wait to make more of these little guys! I have to give credit to my boyfriend for suggesting he have cute-grabby-hands and also for his story. Thanks, Taylor!

Kawaii Bear - Doh!

Doh! Bear
I love the simplicity of amigurumi. It is a Japanese art of crocheting or knitting animals and personified objects, and we all know anything Japanese is super kawaii!!!! I've noticed sometimes when I'm crocheting animals I tend to make them in a realistic way or a just a typical stuffed animal style. I really wanted to make something that was truly a kawaii amigurumi. I gave this bear a large head, cute lil arms, and an expression that says "doh!" >.<


Doh! Bear is a very basic little guy. I used Sensations Angel Hair Yarn in Turquoise (SKU# 07796154, Color # 645). The funny thing is, I first bought this yarn several months ago at Joann Fabrics. I had made a blue bunny for my sister and still had leftover yarn so I began my bear. Then, I found out I definitely didn't have enough to finish his body. So, I went back to Joann's and picked up the only Turquoise yarn by Sensations they had--looked just like I had remembered. When I returned home and began crocheting the body I realized the yarns were actually slightly different. The overall color is a bit darker and there is a small, thin, fuzzy string that runs with the main yarn that in my previous yarn is a light color (almost white-ish-blue-ish) and the thin string with this new yarn is a turquoise color! I always keep the labels for the yarn and they are the same color name, color number, so I knew they were supposed to be the same. THEN, I looked up the yarn to link to on this blog and all the photos for their Turquoise yarn looks like it has a purplish tint to it!

Finally, my boyfriend pointed out the Lot #. It also says right on the label to make sure you buy yarns from the same lot to keep continuity in the color of your projects! Lol!

Makes me feel just like my little bear! Doh! >.<

Meet Ollie the Owl!

The photos I took after work today were pretty good except the daylight was still not enough. The skies are just so gray. Tomorrow is Saturday so I'm hoping I can get some better pictures to add to my pattern so I can get it up and move on to the next thing! It might snow so hopefully that doesn't put a damper in my plans. If I can't take photos, I'll at least be working on my next project.

In comparison to the last post with the parts of Ollie not yet attached, he had white wings prepared. I think the gray wings really worked out nicely.

For now, I think it's time to take a break from amigurumi and play WoW with the boyfriend :^)

My Newest Project

Ollie the Owl is in the works! Owls are such amazing birds and I love how they are portrayed in crafts. I think there is something about their eyes that draws artists in.

I have a couple ideas of different types of owl amigurumi. I'm starting with a simple little owl and then I have plans to make variations with details in different areas.

This photo shows white oval wings but I just got done completing gray wings with some shape because my boyfriend offered his thoughts of what he thinks would look good. I value what he says and I am glad I followed his advice because I think what I have now is better.

I need to take more pictures to add to my pattern, but now that I've changed some things I'm not exactly sure what photos will stay and what will go. I've already attached the eyes, head and body together so I won't be able to take an "all the pieces" photo like the one above. Oh, well!
The weather has been gloomy so it's been hard to get good lighting...we'll see what happens tomorrow! It would be wonderful to get Ollie together in one piece!

Pan Pakapon and Angry Patapon

Here is my completed Pan Pakapon! I couldn't figure out how to crochet a trumpet...the horn part baffled me. Nothing I tried worked so he'll do without :)



I also modified my regular patapon by giving him an angry look. I just crocheted a half circle and sewed it on.




I think they're pretty darn cute!

Building a Patapon Army!

Here are some snapshots of my patapons! I've got a regular patapon, Pan Pakapon (the trumpet-playing patapon from the first mini-game) and an angry patapon. They look so cute together!