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Meet the very berry trio – Dave the Blueberry, Sandy the Strawberry, and Meg the Raspberry. They are named after, in my very biased opinion, the best trio around – me and my brother and sister! Don’t tell my big brother he is the little blueberry. Learn more about them.
In celebration of their arrival, I am hosting a Tutti Frutti CAL for the entire month of May. Until May 31st, join in and crochet not only the three cutie berries, but also Bill the Pineapple! There are already lots of fruit being made over in the CAL thread of the hookabee ravelry group.
There will be prizes, including a very fruity handmade crochet hook by Krystle of HeartSprinkle - wait till you see it! It is still being made, but I already know it is pretty juicy. The handle is being crafted on a Clover Amour hook, so if you have never tried one before (my personal favourite hook), now may be your chance! And of course, there will be hookabee patterns up for grabs. The more fruit you make and post in the CAL thread, the greater chance you have of winning!
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Just because it's fun:
Jumbo knit mushrooms? Yes please!
Janine of Moji-Moji Design has a great blog post on the design process of her latest pattern in the works: a sloth! She talks about her struggles with this particular design. Love his "stuck [his] face in the peanut butter jar and eaten the lot" face.
Alyssa of Monster's Toy Box has a new Stripy Monster pattern out - love his adorable underbite. He is very customizable: make the stripes any which way you want!
Amigurumi designer Stephanie (All About Ami blog) is now selling her patterns as concise and neat PDF files on Etsy and Craftsy.
Kinda wish I had an iphone of ipad instead of an Android phone so I could use these crafty emojis. Than I could be a yarn ball ninja head. My favourites are the cute little notions!!
I just love that this cow amigurumi has UDDERS! Haha! They look great on her, too. So cute!
Now this is one wide eyed bunny! I can't stop staring at it...hypnotizing, but adorable.
Ami designers:
I enjoyed this interview with the ami designer behind Gallimelmas e Imaginancias. She talks about the challenge, but also excitement, of running her own crochet business and how she got started. Wish my pattern sketches were as nice as hers!
Amigurumi techniques:
This is a new technique (to me!) for making pompoms with cardboard - you don't need to cut the cardboard into a circle, but a simple rectangle!
Has anyone used this technique to mark the start of your round before? You run a scrap strand of contrasting yarn up the piece you are crocheting, bringing it forwards and backwards with each alternate round. Looks like it would be less tedious than moving a stitch marker every round!
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Want to make a smaller version of an amigurumi? Grab some finer weight yarn, such as DK or fingering, plus a smaller hook to match and follow the same exact pattern. It can be a little fiddly working with really fine yarn, so be patient and take your time!
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Each newsletter I interview a fellow amigurumi maker. In this issue, meet Michaela! Learn more about her and her work on her ravelry profile.
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Tell us a little about yourself!
I used to be a preschool teacher but last year transitioned into a more “normal” office job. I like to decorate my cube with all my stuffed animal creations and enjoy doing something a little different each day =)
Why did you start making amis? How did you find out about them?
I started making amis in 2013. I came across Freshstitches podcast in the itunes store and started listening and then immediately decided i needed to learn how to make all the cute animals she had pictured on her blog.
Do you like to knit your amigurumi or crochet them?
Crochet. I have never really mastered the art of knitting a scarf let alone an ami! =)
What is your favourite yarn to use for amigurumi and why?
I mostly use Hobby Lobby ILTY and Red Heart With Love. I mainly make amis to sell so these are yarns that are towards the cheaper end of the scale but not super scratchy.
What is your favourite hook to use for amigurumi and why?
A bates 5.0. It was the first hook i picked up when i began making amis and I've stuck with it ever since. I own at least 5 because I'm always losing them in couches/my backpack/etc. and then replacing them only to find the lost one later =p
Do you prefer crocheting through blo (back-loop only) or both loops when making amigurumi? Why?
I enjoy the back loops because that's how I learned and I found it to be faster for me since I’m so used to it. I also think it doesn't hurt my wrists as much.
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Do you like making little or big amigurumi?
I love all ami equally! I think it's super fun to occasionally make small little adorable amis, but its just as fun to make big cuddly ones!
Who do you give your amis to? Do you keep any for yourself? If so, where do they live?
Like I said before, I mostly make them to sell as part of my side business, but some I have kept, like when I test a pattern, or I make things for craft shows and they don't sell. I also have a few throughout my house because my husband likes to steal them from my craft room and display them in his office. I have a collection on top of my yarn shelf in my craft room, a handful in his office, and then I also have a collection on my desk at work usually =)
What do you like most about making amigurumi?
I love that they are usually a fairly quick project. I’m impatient sometimes so making blankets/etc. are not as enjoyable for me. With amis its usually short little bursts of various body parts and then the fun of putting it all together to make something adorable!
Are you crafty in other ways or do you prefer to just stick to crochet/knitting?
I mostly just crochet. I have tried my hand(s) at knitting and haven’t been very successful…mostly because my lack of patience..since crocheting is so fast for me its hard for my brain to comprehend taking on something so much slower and learning to get faster. I also dabble a little in sewing but again..not so handy at that ;D
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What have I been up to? I am learning how to sew with a sewing machine! I bought a not-so-fancy machine off Amazon, ordered some fabric online (slim pickings for fabric stores near me), and off I went.
For some reason I thought it would be a good idea to start with a project that included a zipper (because, why not!?!) - and it went surprisingly well! It probably helped that I used a free class on Craftsy to make it: Bag-Making Basics (I made the zippered pouch). Seeing someone actually do all the steps is super helpful. Plus, being my usual self, I read a lot, both articles online and books from the library, on how to sew and what the best tools and materials were before I even turned on my machine. I don't like to jump into anything new without reading everything I can first - I feel a lot more comfortable that way.
Despite the slightly wonky seams around the zipper, I am quite proud of my first creation. It is functional (and of course cute with little mice on the fabric), and is now currently holding all my circular and dpn knitting needles. I love having this new skill and the ability to make even more things myself in my own style, plus it is fun! I am excited to continue to grow my skills and discover new projects to make.
Any other sewers out there? Have any tips or favourite tools of the trade?
Until next time,
P.S. I just won a beautiful skein of yarn from Kaleidoscope Dye Works after entering her birthday giveaway on Instragram! AH! SO EXCITING! I have been eyeing this Canadian dyer's yarn for some time now. All this month she is donating all profit to the Red Cross to help those who were displaced by the huge fire in Fort McMurry, so check her out!!
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