Sunday, April 26, 2009

Big Things Come in Small Packages

These little gals look like my usual ami bunnies, don't they? But what you don't know is that they're packing a little surprise . . . and I do mean LITTLE. :)

I never imagined I would -- or even could -- make amigurumi this small, but after a yarn mail order mishap (the new yarn I purchased was soooooo thin), I decided to make do with what I had. When life gives you lemons, you know? :)

All in all it wasn't so bad working with lace weight mohair yarn. It involved a ton of squinting. And lots of creative thinking to try to scale things down, yet still maintain my meticulous, borderline obsessive attention to detail. Oh, and there was a bit of cursing, too. :)

Sewing their fabric ear insets were a bit of chore. And I decided to crochet their smocks because just thinking about sewing something so tiny would likely cause my head to explode. I did, however, crochet the tiniest heart applique and stitched that onto the smock. I'll admit I'm a bit of a masochist when it comes to my crafting.

Here's a shot of their backside. I had to nix the pom-pom tails since I could not make them that small. I crocheted them instead.

Finally, in my unending quest to use what I have, I grabbed some origami paper and made these little origami packages to tuck the bunnies in. I crocheted the handles with some cotton thread and I cut some tags from cardstock. They're now ready for gift giving!

I'll likely have these mini ami bunnies in my shop next weekend if anyone is interested.

Thank you again for visiting! Happy crafting!

Friday, April 17, 2009

A "Something Special" Ami Bear, some Mother's Day Goodies, and Happy Mail

Aloha friends! What have you all been up to? As for me, I've just been crafting my behind off as usual.

In my ever expanding series of "Something Special" ami softies, I've created this sweet, little bear. I've named her "Posy" for obvious reasons -- the garland of flowers she wears around her head and the freshly plucked blossom in her hand. I crocheted her out of a new brand of lavender mohair yarn, which is wonderfully soft and full. Her smock dress is cut from embroidered pink cotton gauze and trimmed with white lace.

Here is the entire "Posy" set complete with mini portrait and drawstring bag.


And here are the Mother's Day goodies I've been working on. I thought My Happy Swirly Cupcakes and Bashful Blooming Cacti would make lovely gifts for mom so I decided to put a few more in my shop.

Please visit my shop if you are interested in any of these. I will be listing one or two of them daily starting tomorrow.

Oh, I wanted to show you some happy mail that just came in. These are a set of Clover crochet hooks all tucked into its own velcro closure cozy. I've been thinking that serious crocheting requires some serious tools and I've heard that the thick handles on these Clover hooks are more ergonomic and give you better control. I can't wait to try my new fancy-pants crochet hooks. I feel like I'm graduating from a student violin to a Stradivarius! :)

Before I go I must thank you for all your kind birthday wishes! I appreciate it so much! I'm also happy to announce that the winner of April's Reader Appreciation Giveaway is Little Brown Rabbit! I will get in touch with you soon!

Well, that's it for now! Best wishes to all! :)

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Hello Ami Bears, Goodbye Blythe Hoods, and an Extra Special Reader Appreciation Giveaway

So what happens when I run out of yarn to make a Sweet Apple Cheek Ami Bunny?

I make a Sweet Apple Cheek Ami Bear! These little girls began life as amigurumi bunnies until I realized that there wasn't enough yarn left in the skein for their big ears and pom-pom tails. I've never made an amigurumi bear before so this was a new adventure for me.

I did a lot of sketching in my trusty doodle notebook before I found a bear head that felt right to me. You'd be surprised by how dramatic a simple bear face can change just by altering the size of the nose or the placement of the ears.

Here is another shot of them wearing the other side of their reversible apron dresses.

These little gals will be in my shop soon if anyone is interested.


Speaking of the shop, the last of the Blythe Bouncy Bunny Ear Hoods will go in, too. It's not the last hoods forever, but certainly the last for awhile (unless somone makes a special request because I always oblige). It's just that I have so many exciting project ideas whirling around in my head that I need to get to before they dissipate.

I'm so thrilled because I'm having my birthday this month! It will be doubly exciting because my best pal P has his birthday just four days after mine so we plan on a ton of celebrating. I want to extend the celebration to you by making April's Reader Appreciation Giveaway something extra special. The person I choose at random from the comment pool will receive all the goodies below (a stationary set, a lead pencil, a refrigerator magnet, 3 rubber stamps, a mini sticker book, a stencil ruler) and then some -- I will throw in another surprise gift for some extra fun! :)

Finally, to anyone else that shares a birthday in April with me -- HAPPY BIRTH MONTH!!! :)