Day 22 of 30… It’s a long road.

I thought I would do an update on how I am going with the 30 Days of Creativity challenge. 

So far it’s been pretty fun. I have gotten some projects done that I have been wanting to do for a while and I have also done a few things that I haven’t been planning/that were not on my list.

Yes, being the chronic list maker that I am, I made a list of thirty {Well, really twenty~nine, as the last one sort of does not count.  You’ll see what I mean in a moment.} things that I could do for the 30 Days. 

I think that there are a lot of fun things to do and I have only written down a few ideas.  I do not think that I will actually get to do everything as I have only crossed off a few things and I have repeated a few others, but that’s okay.  So far it has been really cool to participate in this challenge ~ it is my first time to be involved in anything like it, and I am really enjoying it!

Here are some pictures of finished projects:

~* ♥ * ~  Amigurumi Bunny Broach  ~* ♥ * ~

~* ♥ * ~  Crocheted rainbow baby mittens for Theodore  ~* ♥ * ~

~* ♥ * ~   Weekly manicure and nail deco: Mode Cosmetics Polish in Runway  ~* ♥ * ~

xox,

bonita

P.S.  ~  If you want to see all of my 30 Days of Creativity projects I have pictures up on Pinterest.  You can find them here.

How to ~ An Amigurumi Cat Key Chain Fob Pattern

Key Chain Fob Bear/Cat

Materials List

1.  Crochet Hook size of 2.5 mm  {I used a 1.75 mm hook with 2 ply cotton thread}
2.  Acrylic Yarn 4 ply - 1 skein
3.  1 pair of black beads as for eyes
4.  Fibrefill or polyester to stuff the head
5.  Black thread for embroidering the mouth
6.  Jump ring and chain to hang the bear/cat off

Finished Size

Approximately 2 inches wide

Gauge

Recommended: Crochet hook size 2.5 mm. with 4 ply yarn

Abbreviations

ch - chain
sc - single crochet
hdc – half double crochet
dc – double crochet
tr – treble crochet
dec - decrease
sl st - slip stitch
sts - stiches

~ * ♥ * ~

The Pattern

HEAD – Make one

ROW 1: Ch 2, 6 sc in second chain from hook (Magic Ring) (6 sts)

ROW 2: 2 sc, in each sc around (12 sts)

ROW 3: 1 sc, 2 sc in next sc , repeat 6 times (18 sts)

ROW 4: 2 sc, 2 sc in next sc, repeat 6 times (24 sts)

ROW 5: 3 sc, 2 sc in next sc, repeat 6 times (30 sts)

ROW 6: 4 sc, 2 sc in next sc, repeat 6 times (36 sts)

ROW 7-11: (sc 36 sts)

ROW 12: 10 sc, dec 1 , repeat 3 times (33 sts)

ROW 13: 9 sc, dec 1 , repeat 3 times (30 sts)

ROW 14: sc (30 sts)

ROW 15: 3 sc, dec 1, repeat 6 times (24 sts)

ROW 16: sc (24 sts)

ROW 17: 2 sc, dec 1 , repeat 6 times (18 sts)

ROW 18: 1 sc, dec1 , repeat 8 times, (10 sts) sl st in next sc

Weave in loose end of yarn, stuff head with stuffing, pull yarn tight to close hole, bind off and tuck in the remaining tail

~ * ♥ * ~

BEAR EARS – Make two

ROW 1: Ch 2, 6 sc in second chain from hook (6 sts)

ROW 2: 2 sc, in each sc around (12 sts)

ROW 3-4: sc (12 sts), sl st in next sc, bind off and leaving long tail for sewing with body.

~ * ♥ * ~

CAT EARS - Make two

ROW 1: Ch4

ROW 2: sc in first sc, hdc, dc, tr in next sc, dc, hdc in next sc

ROW 3: 2 sc into next sc, repeat 3 times (6 sts) 2 hdc, 2 dc, tr, 2 dc, 2 hdc, 1 sc, sl st into next sc, bind off, leaving a long tail for sewing to the head.

 ~ * ♥ * ~

Instructions for Finishing Off

Step 1:  Sew ears to the top of the head

Step 2:  Embroider mouth on ~ you can use embroidery thread or yarn.  I used some 2 ply cotton thread in black

Step 3:  Sew or glue eyes in place

Step 4:  Using the tail left from where you start crocheting the head sew the jump ring to the top of the head and attach chain

Step 5:   Enjoy your new key critter!!

~ * ♥ * ~

Credit for this pattern and the inspiration I drew from it to create a variation goes to Nikii who posted her pattern on http://crochetme.com.  Original bear pattern HERE.

I have a bunch of helpful crochet tutorials here if you would like to know about some of the stitches.  I also have a very handy abbreviations guide and stitch instruction guide in my Beginner’s Tutorial for Amigurumi & Crochet if you would like to print it out.

I hope you enjoy making your own bear or kitty to keep your keys company, and as always I’d love to see them if you make one!  Send me a picture at bonita@bdotdepictions.com and I’ll post it on my blog. 

xox,

bonita

How to ~ A Beginner’s Tutorial for Amigurumi & Crochet

Hi everyone,

I thought that as I had a few tutorials already on crochet stitches, and also a crochet project coming up that I want to share with you, that I would put together a guide of the resources that I used to start doing crochet and amigurumi. 

If you have been following my blog for a long time, you might find that some of this information is a repeat of what you have already read, so I apologise if this post is slightly boring!   I still hope that you find it useful though, and maybe you will be inspired to take up crochet and make amigurumi or something else with your new skill.  ^ U ^

What are amigurumi? ~ A helpful description from Holly of Berrysprite

Amigurumi  ~  (pronounced ah-me-goo-roo-me) is a craft from Japan that makes an excellent hobby or passion; you should be forewarned that making amigurumi is very addicting. Luckily, it is a relatively inexpensive craft that does not take much time to complete. In recent years, amigurumi have become increasingly popular and trendy, due to the handmade revolution.  {…}

Amigurumi utilizes crocheting in-the-round, meaning stitches are worked in a circle/spiral (and not joined) to build shapes. The result of crocheting in the round is sculptural yarn pieces that can then be stuffed, joined and embellished to form dolls. Most amigurumi utilize only a few basic concepts of crochet, and most use only the single crochet stitch (sc): increasing, decreasing, and slip stitch, are also vital things to know how to do before starting to crochet.

Although there are many different styles (usually influenced by the individual preferences of the crafter), amigurumi are usually characterized by their large heads and small limbs in proportion to their bodies. These seemingly bizarre proportions often give amigurumi a kawaii (“cute” in Japanese) appearance, and are a distinctive feature that is common to Japanese illustrations and amigurumi designs. Although there are so many inspirations for amigurumi, the most common themes that appear are animals/creatures, people, and food…

~* ♥ * ~   Read More   ~* ♥ *~

Crochet ~ A guide to the abbreviations & Tutorials on the basic stitches.

I have complied a pdf guide on the different crochet abbreviations and a how~to on the stitches to carry around with my crochet.  I find this guide very helpful if I come across a new term I don’t understand, or if I forget how to do a stitch and want to check that I get it right {this happens a lot…  > . >; }.

Download Crochet Abbreviations and Stitches:

If you someone who prefers to watch something rather than read about it, here are a few basic stitch tutorials that you can use.   Bear in mind that amigurumi doesn’t use most of the crochet stitches so it is a really easy beginner project! 

How to do a Magic Circle

The magic circle is an easy, alternative way to starting an amigurumi project.  It is the alternative to crocheting a chain of stitches and joining them together by crocheting back into the end of the chain.

If the amigurumi pattern calls for a chain of 6 stitches to start with, you would do 6 stitches on your magic circle and visa versa if you wanted to start with the chain and not a magic circle.

How to do a crochet chain

If you do not want to do a magic circle, you use a chain instead, as explained above.  You also use chains for other things in amigurumi, so it is a good idea to know how to do a crochet chain.

The basic crochet stitch ~ single crochet

The single crochet stitch is the most basic crochet stitch.   All other crochet stitches are a variation of this stitch and are also relatively easy to learn.

Most amigurumi patterns only use the single crochet stitch, so if it is amigurumi you want to do, you don’t need to learn any other stitch!

Increasing your crochet

Because amigurumi is worked in “rounds” ~ i.e., you crochet in a circular manner, each row building on the last, that means that to make a shape you need to increase or decrease the number of stitches in a row.  

Decreasing your crochet

So to make a ball shape, you start increasing your stitches until you have the diameter you desire, and then you decrease back down again.   Once the crochet is stuffed, you will then have the ball.

This ball can be a head, or a body; it all depends on the pattern.  You can also do more complicated shapes simply by increasing and decreasing, like a cone or a pear shape.  The pattern will tell you what to do to achieve the right shape.

How to slip stitch ~ another basic crochet stitch

 

To finish off your amigurumi, there is often a slip stitch to end the pattern, so you will need to used this stitch as well.   Now you are ready to crochet your own amigurumi!

Your First Amigurumi Project  ~ A Strawberry!

Pattern curtsey of Leanne Fairweather; lyra1 ~ posted on Crochet Me

 

Materials List:

• 4 ply Red Yarn
• 4 or 3 ply yarn in green
• 4.0mm/US G6 hook
• beads for eyes (optional)
• black thread (optional)
• sewing or tapestry needle (optional)
• tiny amount black wool(optional)
• polyester fiberfill or stuffing of choice - smelly stuff, catnip, beans, natural fibers etc.

Finished Size:

Approximately  5cm / 2" without stalk, about 6cm/ 2.5" with stalk straight up

Notes:

The body is worked in continuous rounds, so place a marker in the first stitch of each row throughout to help you keep track of what round you are up to.

Abbreviations:

Ch  = chain
Rnd  = Round; sometime called Row
sc  = single crochet
sl st  = slip stitch
st  =  stitch
*  =  repeat until you have the right number of stitches

The Pattern:

Body (in Red):

Rnd 1:   Ch 2, work 6 sc in ring (6) or make a magic circle with 6 sts

Rnd 2:   2 sc in next sc, * (12)

Rnd 3:   *2 sc in next sc, 1 sc in next sc* throughout (18)

Rnd 4-6:   1 sc in each st around (18)

Rnd 7:   *sc 2tog, 1 sc in each of next 2 sc* throughout (13)

Rnd 8:   sc in each st around (13)

You may want to start stuffing here. 

Bonita’s Note:  You can leave the stuffing until the body is finished,  just don’t forget to stuff before you sew the top up.

Rnd 9:  same as Rnd 7, continue to do this until you have only 6 sc left, ending with the last sc, 2 together (so once you sc 2 together and there is 6 stitches left total).

Continue stuffing.

Next Rnd:  work 1 sc, sc 2 together, fasten off leaving a tail for sewing.

Make sure you have desired amount of stuffing, flatten edges of remaining stitches at the top and sew together. Weave in end.

Leaves and stalk (green):

Ch 4, sl st in 2nd 3rd and 4th ch from hook.

Rnd 1:  In same 4th ch, work 6 sc, join with a sl st to 1st sc.

Rnd 2:  *Ch 3, sc in 2nd and 3rd ch from hook, sl st in next sc of 6-sc ring* around, making six leaves, join with sl st to beginning leaf. Fasten off with long tail for sewing onto body.

Stick your crochet hook through the middle ring and pull the stalk through if you would like it to be right side facing up (strawberries in picture are).

Finishing:

Step 1:  Sew or glue eyes onto body (can be beads like my berries shown or knots in wool etc) , create mouth with either thread or yarn.

Step 2:  Sew leaves and stalk onto the top of the strawberry, varying angles will create different personalities.

Step 3:  You’re done!  You can attach a keychain, ribbon, magnet, string, anything.  One of my friends even suggested filling it with smelly stuff instead of polyester and using it as a car air freshener!

And if you don’t want to do a strawberry ~ how about an acorn in its cup instead?  These cuties are another super easy beginner's pattern to do.   Find the pattern HERE.

 

Free Amigurumi Pattern Websites

Berrysprite  ~  Cute and easy amigurumi tutorials; I did the takochu tutorial for my very first amigurumi ever.  And I enjoyed it so much I made four more and now have a family of takochu sitting on my desk!

Crochet Me  ~  A huge resource of crochet patterns contributed by

Crochet Pattern Central  ~  An amazing resource of crochet patterns ~ some are amigurumi; some are not; but I am sure you will find something cute to make on this site!

Free Amigurumi Patterns  ~  I love this blog; there are so many cute patterns just waiting to be made up! 

Squidoo  ~  Some of these patterns in this link are knitted and some are not technically amigurumi {so they are not worked in rounds} but there are a bunch of patterns for you to browse through and decided if you want to make them up.

Wolfdreamer  ~  These patterns are harder to do and require more than your basic single crochet stitch.  There are some easy ones to try though, so they are worth looking out for.  Otherwise, you might want to save these patterns for later.  Any Mario and Pokémon fans will love this site!

~ * ♥ * ~

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and if you do make anything please show me!  I would love to see your finished pieces.   > ω < 

xox,

bonita

How to ~ Crochet your own amigurumi strawberry charm

Greetings one and all!  I hope your week has been good so far.  Mine has been good and filled to the brim with cute things.  I thought I would share one of them with you in my third tutorial.  {You can find the other two tutorials by clicking on the “tutorial” category at the bottom of this post or in the label  cloud on the left hand side of this blog}.

Note:  When writing this tutorial I actually figured out that it is pretty advanced ~ you have to be a serious crafter to tackle this one I think, because it is quite tricky.  Although the techniques are easy, the process of putting them all together maybe daunting for a beginner DYI or crocheter.

I have put in some beginner crochet tutorial videos, so that if anyone would just like to learn those methods and leave it at that ~ you can do that too.

I hope that everyone, no matter your previous knowledge, will get something out of this. 

Firstly, gather your materials ~

You will need:

~  Green felt at least 1 inch square

~  2 ply red yarn/cotton wool  or to make a large one 4 ply red yarn/cotton wool

~  1.75mm crochet hook  or  2.50mm hook

~  Black flat back pearls or safety eyes 4mm in diameter or chosen size

~  Green thread,  white thread and a needle

~  Scissors and super glue

~  Acrylic stuffing ~ a ball the size of your thumb! 

Have you guess what we are making yet?    Tada!! 

      

Cute as a button and smaller than said article strawberry amigurumi charms to hang off your phone, keys, handbag, etc.

If you do not know how to crochet, please do not worry.  I have posted some excellent instructions below on the stitch that you will need.  That’s right, ONE stitch.  And it is the most basic crochet stitch.  It does not get much simpler than this.  There are three techniques used in combination with the one stitch to make this little guy, but they are really easy to learn too.

If you already know how to crochet, skip this part and the bit that has the abbreviations and go straight on.

Crochet things you will need to know:

~  Single crochet stitch

~  The magic loop/circle technique

~  Decreasing and increasing techniques

~  Crochet abbreviations

Starting with the magic loop ~ do not worry if you can not see what the instructor does at first because they play it back in slow motion.

How to do a single crochet stitch.    Abbreviation:   single crochet  =  SC

Next ~ how to increase.  The pattern will say something like 2 sc into 1 stitch.    Abbreviation:  stitch  = st

And lastly ~ how to decrease.  The instructions in the pattern for decrease will simply say decrease 1, sc 1, decrease 1, etc.   Abbreviation:  decrease  = dec. 

Crochet Abbreviations Used in this Pattern:

stitch  =  st

single crochet  =  sc

decrease  =  dec

*  =  repeat

x 3  =  three times, etc. 

♥  ~ Strawberry amigurumi pattern ~ ♥

Step 1:   Make a magic loop with four sc st.

Step 2:  sc 1, 2 sc into 1 st, sc 1, 2 sc into 1 st, sc 1, * x  3, or until you have 16 st in total

Step 3:  sc around {16 st}, * x 1   

Note:  If you have safety eyes, now is the time to put them one.  We are working from the bottom of the amigurumi to the top, so do not forget to take that into account.

Step 4:  Dec 1, sc 2,    *  until you have 12 st

Step 5:  Dec 1, sc 1, * until you have 6 st

Step 6:  Dec 1 until you have 4 st

Step 7:  Without wrapping any yarn around the crochet hook pull the first loop on your crochet hook through the second one {this is a slip stitch}.    Cut your working yarn into a long tail, thread it through the single loop and pull tight. 

Step 8:  Take the tail and thread your needle with it.  Now push the needle through the closest crochet stitch and back through the next, effectively weaving the tail around the tiny hole left.  Once you have woven it through five stitches it is time to stuff.

Step 9:  Take your stuffing and stuff your amigurumi!  You will probably need to use a thin stick to help with this ~ a bamboo skewer or the end of your crochet hook.

Step 10:  Yank that tail hard to close the hole {as small as it is we still want it closed}.  Now with the needle thread the tail through the top of the amigurumi and back through the bottom.  Leave only a tiny bit of the end to poke through the bottom as the rest will make the loop to hang your strawberry from.  Tie a knot then poke the remainder of the tail in.

Step 11:  Cut three leaves out of your green felt and attach them to the top of the strawberry around the base of the loop with your green thread.

Step 12:  Glue the eyes on.   {If you have safety eye skip this step}

Step 13:  Thread your needle with the white thread and sew little seeds all over the amigurumi by stitching a few stitches close together for each seed.

Step 14:  Enjoy your strawberry amigurumi!!!  ^w^

~ * ♥ * ~ * ♥ * ~ * ♥ * ~

I hope this tutorial was easy to understand.  If you have any question or problems please let me know.  I am thinking about doing a video, so if you do want to see that let me know and I’ll do a Crochet your own strawberry amigurumi charm Part II in video!

xox,

bonita

Takochu Amigurumi ~ Take Two!

So I finished my takochu amigurumi, but then I had an idea.  I want to see if I could adapt the pattern and make a takochu small enough to hang from my mobile phone.  And I could!  I an now the proud owner of the cutest mobile phone charm ~ Bubble.

Here she is!

   

She turned out just the right size and it wasn’t that hard to rework the pattern so that her body would be shaped the way I wanted it to be ~ which was smaller than what the original pattern called for.

 

 

I know I have already shown you pictures of the other takochu I did, but I did not show all of the family as it ended up ~ all polished and decorated.  So I hope I do not bore you, but here are more takochu family shots.  These are the last of the takochu amigurumi I promise!

~ ♥   Left to Right: Big Brother, Happy Lucky, Sailor Boy, Lilly Sister and Baby  ♥  ~

 

 

 

I am so please with how they all came out ~ particularly as it was my first ever go at amigurumi.  I have done quite a bit of crochet before I tried these however, and I think that really helped.   Oo, and I made up a pattern for Baby’s pacifier!   Isn’t it so cute?    =3= ~♥

On a final note, amigurumi is a really easy hobby to learn and I would totally encourage you to go out there and try it yourself.  It is so much fun!

xox,

b.

Takochu Amigurimi

I posted about amigurumi ~ the awesome new craft I discovered last week, and this week while I have not been feeling so great, I have been working with a takochu amigurumi pattern that you can find here ~ ♥  Takochu Amigurumi ♥

I had actually found a whole bunch of amigurumi patterns, but I decided to start with this one because it looked like the easiest to understand as well as complete!  =o=

 

~ ♥  In the middle of decorating my second Takochu   ♥ ~

 

 

~ ♥  Left to Right:  Big Bother Takochu ~ he’s not finished yet!!  Just an empty shell…  -__-   ♥ ~

 

Lilly Sister Takochu ~ she may have been born second, but she’s the only girl in the family so she gets a lot of petting from the boys

 

Sailor Boy Takochu ~ born first, he is the eldest {but not the biggest} and he is the clever adventurer of the family

 

Baby Takochu ~ he is the third born, but has not got any eyes yet as I don’t have any small enough!!

 

    

 

~ ♥  Sailor Boy has an anchor behind and three bubbles on his head and Lilly Sister has a hand sewn flower and curly hair with a bow  ♥ ~

 

 

 

~ ♥  Baby can not see  ;_;  and Big Brother is missing his stuffing, legs and snout!  =_=  ♥ ~

 

I am planning one more Takochu to finish off the family ~ okay, so as I type this I have already started him.  >w<  Big Brother can now see as well as having all his pieces sewn on.   Baby is still stuck for eyes, but hopefully I can buy some soon for him.  I did try felt eyes, but they looked silly so I did not stitch them on.

 

Next amigurumi?   Um….  Maybe a bunny or a snail.  I really can not decide as they are all soooo cute.  ^3^

 

xox,

b.

Sickness *

 

Yes,  that is pretty much how I feel today.   I was feeling icky last night, and it got so bad that I was dreaming about feeling sick and throwing up! 

@_@     Ewwww…

I do not have much else to write about, but I will give a hint to a new project that is exciting me very much ~ Amigurumi. 

Look it up here ~

What are amigurumi?

What are amigurumi?

Amigurumi

(pronounced ah-me-goo-roo-me) is a craft from Japan that makes an excellent hobby or passion; you should be forewarned that making amigurumi is very addicting. Luckily, it is a relatively inexpensive craft that does not take much time to complete. In recent years, amigurumi have become increasingly popular and trendy, due to the handmade revolution.  {…}

Amigurumi utilizes crocheting in-the-round, meaning stitches are worked in a circle/spiral (and not joined) to build shapes. The result of crocheting in the round is sculptural yarn pieces that can then be stuffed, joined and embellished to form dolls. Most amigurumi utilize only a few basic concepts of crochet, and most use only the single crochet stitch (sc): increasing, decreasing, and slip stitch, are also vital things to know how to do before starting to crochet.

Although there are many different styles (usually influenced by the individual preferences of the crafter), amigurumi are usually characterized by their large heads and small limbs in proportion to their bodies. These seemingly bizarre proportions often give amigurumi a kawaii (“cute” in Japanese) appearance, and are a distinctive feature that is common to Japanese illustrations and amigurumi designs. Although there are so many inspirations for amigurumi, the most common themes that appear are animals/creatures, people, and food…

~*~ ♥ ~*~ ♥ ~*~   Read More   ~*~ ♥ ~*~ ♥ ~*~

 

It is going to be so much fun to try my hand at these, as I already have some really cute ideas swirling around in my head.  Amigurumi ~ here I come!

xox,

b.