There’s a delay in getting my cupcake hat pattern up- I only got my sample hats out to my testers today (for trying on for size, etc.) and I’m still waiting to hear from my test crocheter (which should be today, as she let me know yesterday that she’d get it done and send me her thoughts on it. So I’m hoping to get that done soon.

My little monster amigurumi is nearly done as well, I just need to make a few final touches and to take photos of it and then finalize the pattern before getting that up, yay! It’s going to be pretty interesting!

What would you name a monster with 3 eyes?

So much has changed since I last posted here! Since May 10th, I’ve started work full time (temporarily until September when school starts again). Toadette is currently sitting on my desk at work and has her hands on the highlighters that I use. I also participated in another handmade Blythe swap  (theme was ‘geekcraft’!) and right now I’m working on a few new patterns to share!

The first pattern is an infant/child hat pattern – it will be available in three sizes and so far I’ve got two of the hat sizes all figured out. I’m still working on the last prototype hat before I get the hats tried out on people who are appropriately aged for them. I’m hoping to get the pattern finalized and up on the site before the end of the month!

The next project I’d like to mention is that I’m working on is a sampler stitch scarf for beginning crocheters who want practice with all the different stitches that there are for crochet (i.e. single, half-double, double, triple) all in one scarf! It’s looking pretty good so far and that pattern should be made available by early to mid July.

The last/third pattern that I’ve been working on is a little monster! I’m really excited about this one because he’s super cute and will be the star in part 2 of the upcoming article all about eyes for amigurumi! The pattern for my little monster should be available by early to mid July as well.

A short while ago, an online friend commented on how she’d love a mushroom Blythe hat that would look like Toadette’s head (pink with white dots). I was sure I could do it, since I had done one in red and white, but I got bored today, and umm, I ended up with this little friend:

Meet Toadette, a minor character from Nintendo’s Mario series. She first appeared in Mario Kart: Double Dash!! as Toad’s (her male counterpart) racing partner. She has since appeared in multiple Mario games.

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They say that eyes are the windows to a person’s soul. But how does that translate for amigurumi? One of the things that I like doing is having an assortment of different eye choices when I’m making a project, just so I can make a decision about what the final look is going to be. I present to you three different eye options: safety eyes, yarn eyes (crocheted/knitted and embroidered) and button eyes. I also include my personal thoughts on them as well as some safety issues you may want to take into consideration.

Safety Eyes

Incredibly popular, safety eyes are most commonly used in commercially produced stuffed animals and can be bought in stores – some general craft stores will carry them, as well as some fabric stores and online websites. Safety eyes have require some assembly – there’s the piece for the eye that has a post and a washer (metal or plastic). What you do is put the post through the piece and then place the washer over the post and push it down the post until it’s all the way down. Safety eyes are very snug and difficult to pull apart. However, a safety concern is that crocheted or knitted fabric can fray or the spaces between the stitches (especially in crochet) can stretch or get larger, allowing the eye (washer and all) to come through, creating a choking hazard for children and pets. One way to remedy this is to use a small piece of felt between the washer and the crocheted/knitted fabric. Safety eyes can be pricey, if you’re purchasing them in pairs, so consider a bulk purchase – this would require you to buy a large amount of eyes in the same size and colour though. So if you’re an occasional amigurumi creator, you might want to consider other eye options as this would be an expensive option for you.

Safety Factor: relatively child-safe (can be reinforced, if assembled correctly)
Cost Factor: most expensive

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What is amigurumi? Where did the word come from? How the %#*! do I pronounce it?

All very good questions!

Amigurumi is a Japanese word and encompasses knitted and crocheted toys – usually animals or human-like dolls. They generally have cute features (like big eyes), are made of yarn, stuffed with love (or polyester stuffing). Due to the nature of the stuffie (or amigurumi, I just find ‘stuffie’ to be a lot easier, and quicker, to type out), it is generally recommended that you use a smaller size crochet hook or knitting needles when making them in order to ensure that you are making a tight fabric. This makes sure that when you stuff (with love!) that the stuffing does not show through.

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