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!!!

Jamie Oliver's TED Prize wish: Teach every child about food | Video on TED.com

Alright, I'm going for a change of topic today. I love to eat. I LOVE to eat. My favorite food is tacos and in fact, I see them in my future very soon.

I think my parents did a great job of teaching us to eat right. Every night we sat around our big table (everyone had their own seat) and shared stories, talked about hour day, laughed at jokes all while enjoying a yummy dinner. We were never forced to eat our veggies, but we had to try them. There were things I didn't like but as I grew, I wasn't afraid to try them again and guess what? I like them!

Dinner time was always a special time and I hope people still take the time to cook together and share a meal together. I hope people slow down and re-think the way our industrialized country has led us and that we should go back to our roots. We don't have to all have farms and gardens, but I think we need to be more aware and careful about what we are doing our bodies. And watch out for what food labels are telling us! I think I'd rather have normal sugar than a chlorinated artificial sweetener.

I saw this video on TED and thought I'd share.



Jamie Oliver's TED Prize wish: Teach every child about food | Video on TED.com

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!