A Penguin Reunion

Now my sister is sucked into the world of amigurumi.  W just learned to crochet on Thursday night, and is already making her own creations from start to finish.  She made a penguin just as I have, and the two of them engaged in the photo shoot, below.

You Can Call Me Octopus... Octopus!

My newest creation... in just a little over a day I made this little guy.  I wanted to use this beautiful shade of blue for some project, and the octopus just seemed fitting.  My husband, D, is requesting a 'Nanerpus (as in from those really funny Denny's breakfast commercials), and while I think that my main skill is to follow other people's directions, maybe just a little yellow yarn and some creative adjustments could make his dreams come true.

Side note: this pattern comes from the adorable Amigurumi World: Seriously Cute Crochet by Ana Paula Rimoli.  It's really a great collection, with a "How To" beginning and a wide variety of seriously cute patterns.

Pingy the Penguin

One of my absolute favorite projects -- and it just took an evening!  I had all of the colors ready to go, and again used a pattern from Lions Brand Yarn/Michaels.  This little guy is just a two-colored sphere, with the added extras of the eyes, wings and feet.  My newly purchased craft/safety eyes (courtesy of Joann Fabrics) made my life a lot easier, and produced a better end product.  I replaced the eyes in my previous projects, and I thought they look significantly cuter for it.  My next project is already underway... soon I will have a whole zoo.

It's Totoro!

The second that I saw this pattern (http://heavens-hellcat.livejournal.com/420.html -- THANK YOU!), I immediately thought that I would have to make it for my sister.  We loved this movie as younger children; this seemed the perfect gift for W, as a Japanese aficionado (having learned the language and lived there for a semester).  While I would not quite consider this normal amigurumi size (being about 14 inches tall), and consuming quite a bit of yarn, it was one of my most favorite projects so far, and it definitely received the biggest reaction from W and my family.  A really fun project (and it only took about 3 days)!

The Only Puppy We're Allowed to Have

This little dachshund was made for my sister, W, who one her list of dogs that she wants (just as I have one) is a dachshund.  My aunt had one that was named Cookie, and while this little guy looks nothing like her, it does look somewhat like the pattern from Lion Brand Yarn that I used (available for free from Michaels or from their website directly).  In addition, I made a little collar for him from red yarn, and added a little piece of metal jewelry that looked like a dog tag (it said "Hope).  I thought that it would make him just that much more special.  W really liked him... but another gift seemed to overshadow his cuteness (see next post).

Not for Eating...

My very first amigurumi... as promised.  Friday after exams, all I wanted to do was begin crocheting these adorable little Japanese-inspired animals.  This first cupcake was my learning trial, courtesy of Nimoe's blog (http://nimoe.wordpress.com/2007/12/16/amigurumi-cupcake-tutorial/).  While it doesn't quite look as good as her work, it was my first and I learned all about the techniques necessary.  My animals have definitely improved in quality since this; I have definitely caught the bug.