Ami Amore

Pusheen Amigurumi Crochet Pattern & Tutorial: Candy Corn Halloween

2017-10-24T16:31:00.001-04:00

Like many people, I love to follow cute characters on Instagram and Pusheen is a long time favorite. This week this picture was in my feed and when I saw it, I fell in love! How freakin' adorable, right!? I just had to try to make my own Candy Corn Pusheen and I decided that if it was a success, I'd share my pattern with you! And here she is!

The pattern was a success so, as promised, here's the FREE pattern! This pattern took me about 2 hrs to create, a fast crocheter might only need an hour to make this sweetie!

Crochet Candy Corn Pusheen Pattern

Difficulty: ❤❤♡♡ Advanced Beginner

This is a wonderful beginner's project but it does use a few advanced techniques: The magic ring, invisible decrease and a slip stitch join of the two halves. Planet June has a wonderful tutorial of how to do the invisible decrease and the magic ring.

Materials You'll Need:

• Worsted weight yarn - I used White, Yellow and Orange

• Crochet hook - Size E (3.5 mm)

• Embroidery thread - Black

• 2 - 6 mm safety eyes

• Key chain or lanyard

• Stuffing - Polyfil

• Yarn or Darning Needle

• Scissors

Stitch Pattern Key

Rnd - Round

MR - Magic Ring (magic circle, magic loop)

st - Stitch

ch - Chain

sc - Single Crochet

sl st - Slip Stitch

inc - Increase (two sc in one)

dec - Decrease (Invisible Decrease recommended)

[##] - Number of stitches in Round

( ) x 6 - Repeat action within ( ) 6 times

Notes: Finished Size: 2.5" x 2" (6 cm x 5 cm) ❤ I use the joined-round method of amigurumi, most people do not. This pattern works for both spiral and joined rounds, use the method you are most comfortable with.

Candy Corn Pusheen

BODY
Starting at the top with her ears: Make 2, tie off EAR #1 but do not tie off EAR #2.
Start with white yarn:
Rnd 1: In a MR, sc 4 [4]
Rnd 2: (Inc then sc) x 2 [6]
Ch 2 and sl st EARS together, as shown below:

Rnd 3: Sc in each st [16]
Rnd 4: (sc 2 then inc) x 5, sc in last st. [21]
Rnd 5: Sc in each st [21]
Rnd 6: (Inc then sc 3) x 5, inc in last st [27]
Insert two 6 mm eyes between Rnds 4 & 5, 6 holes apart.

Switch to Orange yarn:
Rnds 7 - 11: (5 Rnds) Sc in each st [27]

Switch to Yellow yarn:
Rnds 12 -14: (3 Rnds) Sc in each st [27]
Stitch on a mouth with black embroidery thread. Also, gently stretch out the orange band to make the body look round and full.

Rnd 15: (sc 3 then dec) x 5, sc in last 2 sts [22]
Rnd 16: (dec then sc 2) x 5, dec the last 2 sts together [16]
Start stuffing the body.
Rnd 17: Dec around eight times. Finish stuffing and tie off hole. The body should sit up-right.
The Finished Body:

FEET - Make 4: 2 Orange, 2 Yellow
Rnd 1: In a MR, sc 5 [5]
Rnd 2: Sc in each st [5]
Fold foot in half and sc 2 times, with both halves together, across the top to close the piece as shown:

Sew the orange FEET onto Rnds 8-10. Sew the yellow FEET onto Rnds 14-15.

TAIL
Start with Orange yarn:
Rnd 1: In a MR, sc 6 [6]
Rnd 2: Sc in each st [6]
Tie off and leave a tail for sewing orange stripes on the yellow part of the tail.

Switch to Yellow yarn:
Rnd 3-5: (3 Rnds) Sc in each st [6]
Fold tail in half and sc 3 times, with both halves together, across the top to close the piece as shown above for the feet. With the extra orange yarn tail, sew a few stripes on the yellow part of tail as shown below.

Sew tail onto the lower back side of Pusheen's body, like in this picture:

You can stop there or add a key chain and take your cute little Pusheen with you wherever you go! My little helper loves her, I bet any kid or kid-at-heart would!

That's it, friends! I hope you enjoyed this mini pattern and tutorial! If you loved this design and would like to see more of my work and support Ami Amore, please visit my Etsy shop! You can also find my designs on Ravelry and Amigurumipatterns.net.

Want to stay in the loop on new designs and promotions? Follow me on Instagram or Facebook!

If you have any questions, send me an email and I'll do my best to reply quickly. Also, if you comment below, your comment won't appear until it's approved. This blog receives a lot of spam and I do my best to keep Ami Amore clean and happy :)

Until next time,

Snuggle Puppy Pattern

2017-08-21T17:08:00.000-04:00

Hey Everyone!

I am very excited to share my latest pattern with you! Meet the Snuggle Puppy! He's cute, cuddly, he's perfect for babies and children. The pattern is great for beginners, it has a difficulty rating of EASY! Standing, the finished toy is about 6 inches, with sitting height is about 4.5 inches. From start to finish, the pattern will take about 3-5 hours to complete, but that does depend on your skill level and crocheting speed. The pattern is detailed and professional; it's a seven page tutorial filled with clear process pics, and instructions!

His every side is just so adorable! I'm in love with this little guy! My two-year-old son loves carrying him around and taking him with to nap time~

Want to make your own little pup? Visit one of my pattern shops to get your pattern and start your cutie today!

Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/listing/544050658/tutorial-pattern-crochet-puppy-dog?ref=shop_home_active_2
AmigurumiPatterns.net: http://www.amigurumipatterns.net/shop/AmiAmore/
Ravelry: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/snuggle-puppy-dog

Share a picture of your finished to with me! Go to Instagram and post your puppy with the hashtag #snugglepuppypattern so I can find your work!

Have a great week guys!

An Update

2014-07-24T09:53:00.000-04:00

Hello Friends! How are you all doing? Well, I hope :)

I know this update is a long time coming. I don't have any really good excuses but I hope "buying a new home" is one that will suffice :D And it's true too! My husband and I are currently in the process of closing on our first house! We're both super excited to experience and enjoy home-ownership, along with being very relieved that the house-hunt it over.

It's been over 2 years since we started looking, but all the labor was fruitful and well worth the effort. We cannot take all or any credit as God's hand was clearly visible through everything from start to finish. We are extremely grateful!

~

Here's a recap of my summer!

Row 1: For our anniversary in May we stayed in the local area on a short "stay-cation" in order to save up for our down payment! We planned a couple trips to local tourist-y spots like: a fancy dinner out, a day along Lake Michigan, and another day at the local zoo. Our zoo is a bit small but had many types of animals!

Row 2: Square 1- You really can't see him well, but that's a Red Panda in the tree! He was so cute and a lot smaller than I imagined them to be! Square 2 - Our day along the lake was wonderful! We went through a few shops, ate dinner at an open-top restaurant/grill (the food was amazing!), bought ice cream and chocolate candies at the South Bend Chocolate Company Cafe', and soaked in the sun! Also, it was Memorial Day and there were people everywhere! Street performers, musicians, food vendors, families, dogs on leashes (I seriously NEED a pet!! The cravings are so strong! Soon, sooon...), loud music, and an endless stream of teenagers! Square 3 - Me and my handsome hubs :)

Row 3: Once we got our accepted offer and the closing date was set, we got packing! Cue unpreventable mess and chaos... Goodbye apartment, hello new home! Well, we haven't closed yet, but we are trusting it will be soon!

~

Amid the fervent house hunting, then waiting, then packing; I did make a few new ami's, mostly gifts.

1 & 2: A custom order for a friend who gifted it to her friend :D She's a happy bear with a vest and hat, who loves to take her bunny friend on walks in her basket!

3: A bear doll I've talked about before; I finally finished her! I loved how she turned out, so cute! She was a gift for my baby niece.

4: Tuxedo Cat, a birthday gift for a sweet friend.

5: Strawberry Bunny, a birthday gift for my little sister.

6 & 7: I've been eyeing Blythe dolls for a long time and really wanted to customize one and sew sweet little dresses for her! So, after much research, I bought an Icy Doll and a very cheap Blythe fake. So far, I've carved the fake doll, and made a few outfits for the Icy. The fake Blythe's body is horrible and I plan to replace it with a Pure Neemo small body, if the carving turns out well. I really like the quality of the Icy. Her hair is soft and silky, her body is sturdy and an even color, and her eye chips are in great shape! I don't like her mouth so I plan to carve it into something more appealing :) Here's hoping I'm good at it! So far, so good with carving the fake...

With all my crafty stuff boxed away, I'm spending most of my free time picking out paint colors, decorating styles, making plans for diy's and renovations, gardens, dreams... So excited!

How has your summer been? Any new and excited events, plans, or surprises?

7 Free Amigurumi Patterns for Valentine's Day!

2014-02-03T15:35:00.001-05:00

With Valentine's Day barely ten days away, it's time to get out your crochet supplies and start a cute Valentine's project for your special someone!

I've compiled my favorite 8 free amigurumi patterns for this holiday season! Click on the photos to take you to their pages.

1: Sweet Heart Bunny

Stephanie, from All About Ami, designs the sweetest amigurumi on the internet, and each pattern is free! How awesome is that?! I love her patterns and tutorials, each one is clear with lots of pictures and step-by-step instructions. Two of her patterns are for Valentine's Day and this first one is my favorite!

2: Valentine Teddy

The second pattern by Stephanie, a teddy bear. Like the bunny, his pattern is super clear to follow. He's so adorable!! I love his little bow-tie and his irresistible fuzziness!

3: Pop Heart

Diana, from MyGurumi, wrote this adorable puffy heart anyone can make! It's size is quite large, about 4" when finished!

4: Strawberry

Valentine's Day isn't complete without a couple of strawberries, preferably dipped in chocolate! This is a great pattern by TheSunandTheTurtle! Check out their site, you'll love all the cute patterns!

5: The Love Nest

How cute are these little birds snuggled in a nest?! Such a precious pattern by Yellow, Pink, and Sparkly!

6: Heart Shaped Cookies

Valentine's Day never passes without a batch of heart shaped cookies! A sweet pattern by Crochet N Play! Check out her blog, she has many adorable patterns designed for children!

7: Small Heart Plush

The perfect size for keychains or ornaments, this tutorial is great for the beginner and expert alike! The hearts are easy and quick, so make one for all your friends! Pattern by moi :)

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Amigurumi Chick Pattern & Rilakkuma Pattern Mods

2014-01-16T16:21:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year Friends!!

Don't you just love the fresh feeling of a new year? It's like a blank slate covered in hope, ready for the pen of your heart to write all manner of plans and dreams! I don't know about you but plans are hard for me to make and keep, as I am more of a dreamer and as such, my plans continually change!

One of the dreams I've had for a while, but haven't succeeded in producing a solid plan, is to start a series of free amigurumi patterns and modifications for your favorite kawaii characters! By pattern modifications, I'm talking about a few simple changes to an amigurumi pattern you purchased in one of my shops.

The first pattern mods I'd like to start this series with are for Rilakkuma and Korilakkuma and a free amigurumi pattern for Kiiroitori! To make Rilakkuma as shown here, you are going to need to follow my Cutie Bear Pattern. If you haven't heard of Rilakkuma or his friends, let me introduce you!

Rilakkuma is a character produced by the Japanese company San-X. His name is a combination of the word relax and the Japanese word for bear. As his name implies, Rilakkuma loves to relax and be very lazy. He enjoys laying around, sleeping, watching TV, soaking in hot springs and listening to music.

His friend Korilakkuma is is a younger, smaller bear hence "Ko" which means child in Japanese. She is an energetic and mischievous friend who enjoys playing tricks on Rilakkuma while he is sleeping, like drawing on him and sewing odd colored patches to his clothes!

Kiiroitori is a chick who lives with both the bears. He is a sensible and very mature bird, often scolding Rilakkuma for being too lazy and Korilakkuma for being too naughty. He's the opposite of Rilakkuma with his hard working nature and love of cleanliness.

Cutie Pattern Modifications

Cutie Pattern Link

The pattern used for both bears is the Cutie Bear pattern, available HERE.

Both bear's body and head patterns are close to the same as the Cutie Bear pattern. The only difference is Rilakkuma's body has one extra round of single crochets, between Rnds 6 & 7. This is to make Rilakkuma taller than Korilakkuma. You can see the height difference one round makes!

The pattern for the "Belly and Nose" is as follows, make two:

Belly and Nose
In a MR, sc 1, hdc 2, sc 2, hdc 2, sc 1. Sl st to close. [8 sts total]
Pull the ring closed tightly, cut leaving a long tail for sewing. Sew the first one to the body. Use black embroidery thread to sew a small nose and mouth on the second one. Sew on to the Head in the same fashion as the Belly.

The pattern for the "Inner Ears" is really simple, but this one feature is so defining for Rilakkuma, he's just a regular bear without them!

Inner Ears
In a MR, sc 4 times.
Make 2. Pull ring tightly closed and cut a long tail. Sew the Inner Ears onto the Outer Ears and Head, before or after the Ears are attached - which ever way is simpler for you!

Kiiroitori's Free Amigurumi Pattern

Difficulty: ❤♡♡♡ Beginner

Materials You'll Need:
• A small amount of yarn, I used Impeccable Loops & Threads in Yellow and Orange
• Crochet hook - D to F depends on yarn weight
• Stuffing - Polyfil
• Yarn or Darning Needle
• Scissors
• 2 - 4 mm safety eyes

Stitch Pattern Key
Rnd - Round
MR - Magic Ring (magic circle, magic loop)
st - Stitch
ch - Chain
sc - Single Crochet
dc - Double Crochet
hdc - Half-double Crochet
Sl st - Slip Stitch
inc - Increase (two sc in one)
dec - Decrease (Invisible Decrease recommended)
[##] - Number of stitches in Round
( ) x 6 - Repeat action within ( ) 6 times

Notes: Finished Size: 1.5" x 1.5" (3.5 cm x 4.5 cm) ❤ I use the joined-round method of amigurumi, most people do not. This pattern works for both spiral and joined rounds, use the method you are most comfortable with.

Kiiroitori
BODY
Rnd 1: In a MR, sc 6 [6]
Rnd 2: (inc in each st) x 6 [12]
Rnd 3: (inc then sc 1) x 6 [18]
Rnd 4-6: sc in each st [18]
Rnd 7: (sc 3 then Inc) x 4, sc in last 2 sts [22]
Rnd 8: Sc in each st [22]
Rnd 9: (sc 2, then dec) x 5, sc in last 2 sts [17]
Place 4 mm eyes 4 holes apart, between Rnds 4&5
Rnd 10: (dec then sc 1) x 5, dec last 2 sts together [11]
Stuff firmly.
Rnd 11: Dec around, sc in last st. [6]
Tie off, finish stuffing, and close hole.

WINGS
Rnd 1: in a MR: sc, hdc, dc 2, hdc, sc, sl st. [7]
Pull ring closed, cut thread leaving a long tail. Make 2 and sew to opposite sides of body.

BEAKS
Top Beak (larger sized)
In a MR: sc, dc 3, sc. Sl st, Tie off.

Bottom Beak
In a MR, sc 3, sl st and tie off.

Sew top on first, between eyes. Sew bottom on next, as close as you can, underneath the top beak. With black thread, add hair, legs, and nostrils . And you've finished Kiiroitori!

I hope you enjoy his little pattern and the modifications to making your own Rilakkuma set! I know I did :) If you have any questions, please let me know in the comments below or send me an email and I'll do my best to reply quickly. Remember, your comment won't appear until it's approved. This blog receives a lot of spam comments and I do my best to keep Ami Amore clean and happy :)

Thanks for stopping by! Enjoy~

As this is an original Ami Amore pattern, kindly do not claim it as your own. You may place a link to this pattern from your site, but please do not repost it onto your page. Share a picture of your own Rilakkuma set with everyone on Facebook, we'd love to see your finished work!

Celebrating With Free Cupcakes! {Amigurumi Tutorial}

2013-08-29T10:52:00.001-04:00

Exactly one year ago, I published my very first post with much excitement and trepidation! Honestly, I never thought Ami Amore would grow so much, so quickly! Blogging is harder than I originally thought it would be but it's so worth the time and effort it takes! I've met so many great people through this experience and I look forward to another wonderful year! Thank you all for your support!

To celebrate, I made everyone cupcakes! Well, a cupcake pattern and tutorial anyway! This pattern is fun and simple, perfect for beginners. Cupcakes are a great way to celebrate almost any occasion!

With a little inspiration and a lot of imagination, the variations that you could come up with using this tutorial are limitless! Add pearly beads, french knots, or straight stitches, all will look like different sprinkles. Add a pair of safety eyes and a little mouth and you'll have a cutie cupcake! Aww!

Amigurumi Cupcake Pattern Tutorial

Difficulty: ❤♡♡♡ Beginner
This is a wonderful beginner's project as it does not contain any difficult techniques. The magic ring is probably the only tricky point but is easily and quickly mastered. Planet June has a wonderful tutorial of how to do the magic ring.

Materials You'll Need:
• Yarn in your choice of colors
• Crochet hook - D to F depends on yarn weight
• Stuffing - Polyfil
• Yarn or Darning Needle
• Scissors
❤ Optional - embroidery thread, beads, 5 mm safety eyes, keychain, or phone lanyard.

Crochet Terms:
This pattern is written in American terms, but for those unfamiliar with them, the British terms are in blue.

American (UK/British)

MR - Magic Ring (magic ring)

sl st- Slip Stitch (Slip Stitch)

ch - Chain (chain)

sc - Single Crochet (dc- double crochet)

invdec - Inv. Decrease (inv. decrease)

inc - increase (inc - increase)
hdc - half double crochet (htr - half treble)

Notes: Finished Size: 1.25" x 1.5" (3.5 cm x 4.5 cm) ❤ I use the joined-round method of amigurumi, most people do not. This pattern is written for both spiral and joined rounds, use the method you are most comfortable with.

WRITTEN PATTERN - The abbreviated pattern is at the end of this post if you'd like to work on it alone. It's a very simple pattern, feel free to jump to the end!

Let's go!!

The Cupcake Bottom

Left: Rnd 1) In a MR, single crochet 6 times. Pull your ring tightly closed. This is important so it doesn't work it's way loose, leaving a hole in the bottom of your work.

Right: Rnd 2) Increase in each stitch, you should have 12 stitches at the end.

Left: Rnd 3) Single crochet in the back loop of every stitch. Your stitches will naturally curve inwards, creating a sharp turn and a flat bottom. Another 12 stitches at the end.

Right: Rnd 4) Single crochet in 2 stitches then increase in the next stitch. Repeat this pattern around 3 more times. You should have 16 stitches at the end of this round.

Left: Rnd 5) Single crochet in each stitch. Tie off and hide your tail inside the bottom.

Right: Finished Bottom! Note how crocheting in the back loops created a 90 degree turn, giving the cupcake a nice flat base to sit on!

The Frosted Top

Left: Rnd 1) Choose a nice frosting color and in a magic ring, single crochet 6 times. Again, pull your right tightly closed.

Right: Rnd 2) Increase in each stitch, you should have 12 stitches at the end. Rnd 3) Single crochet in the first stitch then increase in the next. Repeat this pattern around 5 more times for a total of 18 stitches. Rnds 4 & 5) For the next two rounds, single crochet in each stitch to the end, with 18 stitches in each round.

Left: Rnd 6) To add the scalloped frosting edge: chain 1, in next stitch, half double crochet 1 stitch, chain 1 and slip stitch in the next stitch. Repeat around the bottom, about 8 more times. Tie off and leave a long tail for sewing the top to the cupcake bottom.

Right: Edging Step-by-Step: (Step 1) If you are using the joined rounds method, simply begin with 1 chain. For those using the spiral rounds method, close your piece with a slip stitch then chain 1.

Left: (Step 2) In the next stitch, make a half double crochet. (Step 3) Chain 1.

Right: (Step 4) Slip stitch in the next stitch. Repeat these 4-steps around the edge to the end, about 8 more times.

Left: The completed cupcake top! Remember to leave a long tail for sewing.

Right: Thread your yarn needle with the tail, and insert it through the stitches on cupcake's bottom as shown.

Left: Pull your needle through and push it from the inside - outward of the top as shown. Sewing this way will cause the top edge of the brown bottom to be hidden inside the red frosting's top creating a realistic cupcake!

Right: As you sew, pull your thread tightly and evenly. This will prevent stuffing from coming out and create a sturdy, attractive finished piece.

Left: With only about an inch wide opening left, stop and stuff your cupcake. I used a pair of scissors to push my Polyfil inside.

Right: Sew your opening closed and hide the tail inside the cupcake. Cut the string and ...

You're Done!!

WRITTEN PATTERN

American (UK/British)

MR - Magic Ring (magic ring)

sl st- Slip Stitch (Slip Stitch)

ch - Chain (chain)

sc - Single Crochet (dc- double crochet)

invdec - Inv. Decrease (inv. decrease)

inc - increase (inc - increase)

hdc - half double crochet (htr - half treble)

Amigurumi Cupcake Pattern

Cupcake Bottom:

Rnd 1- In a MR, sc 6 [6]

Rnd 2- Inc in each st [12]
Rnd 3- sc in each st, back loops only [12]
Rnd 4- (sc 2 then inc) x4 [16]
Rnd 5- sc in each st [16]
❤ Tie off and hide the end inside the bottom.

Frosted Top:

Rnd 1- In a MR 6 [6]
Rnd 2- Inc in each st [12]
Rnd 3- (sc then inc) x6 [18]
Rnd 4&5- sc in each st [18]
Rnd 6- Edging: Ch 1, hdc in next st, ch 1, sl st in next st. Repeat around, about 8 more times.
❤Tie off and leave a long tail for sewing the frosting top to the cupcake bottom. Sew the bottom under the frosting's top edge to that the brown top edge isn't visible. Stuff when there's about an inch wide opening left. Finish sewing the cupcake closed. Hide the tail inside the cupcake and you're done!

The finished cupcake is quite small. Add a key chain or phone lanyard and take your handiwork with you or gift it to a friend for their birthday! Also, since Christmas is coming soon, make a whole bunch in your favorite colors and designs, add ornament hooks, and hang them on your mini Christmas tree! Have fun!

Thank you for a great year of blogging!

If you enjoyed this tutorial and found it useful, please subscribe to my blog or subscribe on BlogLovin'. Thank you!!

As this is an original Ami Amore pattern, kindly do not claim it as your own. You may place a link to this pattern from your site, but please do not repost it onto your page. Remember to share a picture of your own amigurumi heart!

Amigurumi WIPs and Sewing Projects

2013-08-13T17:09:00.002-04:00

(Caution! Word and Picture Heavy Post Ahead!)

Am I the only one who feels like this summer is going by too quickly? Wasn't yesterday the 4th of July?

It was a gorgeous day to pick blueberries! It was so cool that I needed my sweatshirt, at the end of July too! In total, my husband and I picked over 14 quarts of berries! Freezing them is the best option and I can't wait to break out a couple bags this winter! Blueberry cobbler anyone?

Looking back over the last few weeks, I feel like I accomplished little but I know it can't be not true. Ever feel like that? I think it's because I haven't made many new designs for my shop. I did sell many narwhals and whales (yay!) whose pattern is now etched in my memory - permanently. I can't complain, they are simple to make and apparently really popular!

Aside from crafting, this summer has been eventful for my husband and I. Blueberry picking with family, hung out with friends, and prepared dinner with different family members at our apartment. My husband's brother and his wife recently had a baby girl, graduated from college, and moved home from WA; all within six weeks! Definitely a big change and adjustment that has brought many busy moments for everyone. It's so wonderful to have them home! Their little girl is my very first niece and I'm smitten! She's so sweet and adorable! Yes, I've made her a few hats and no, I didn't take any pics. Shame on me too, because the hats turned out great! Ah well, I have many more that I'd like to make and I'll be sure to share about those :]

The dressed-up amigurumi dolls that I have in my shop are selling well so I made two more, but I've hit the "Now what should they wear?" wall. Help! I need some inspiration and suggestions!

The next project that I've been causally working on is this lovely bear. I've tried to made larger, more doll-like ami's in the past but each one was a total flop. Not this one though! I'm so happy how she's been progressing! She does need a nose and mouth and once that's been perfected, I'm looking forward to making other animals based on this pattern. Also, I'd like to sell a pattern set of 3 to 4 different animals and their outfits. It'd be easier for me to write up a set of patterns than individual ones, I think. <-- Key phrase: I think. I have no idea if that's true!

And now, an official Ami-Flop! Meet Cowboy Pig!

Yeeeah, not so cute. I was trying to make a joined-leg body with some space between the legs but the body is way too short. Or his head is too small, not sure which. He's kinda cute, but I don't know, just not really "there"- if that makes any sense. Ah well :] Moving on...

Sometimes my hands wear out from crocheting or I get bored with my work so I dabble in other crafts that I find more interesting or calming. At the moment I'm really enjoying sewing and embroidery. Up first: My blog binder. It all started with a desire to be a better blogger, which meant I needed to get serious about organizing my posts, ideas, and plans. I looked all over the internet for tips to organize my blog and there were tons of options from post outlines to planners, to printables.

(Left) What started it all: The Post Outlines. The best one I found was this one at BridgettEdwards.com; I loved her helpful accompanying post too! Her form is the closest to what I wanted but I decided to create my own that would be best suited for my needs and style. I used Word to create them from a list of points I used most often when writing my posts. And of course they needed a holder, so a piece cardboard and three yards of washi tape later, I had a nifty envelope.

(Right) All my organizing-stuff needed to be kept together and I didn't want to use a plastic 3-ring binder. Yuck. Something soft with lots of room and pockets would be much better! I spent a whole Saturday sewing this thing together and it's one of my better sewing creations. If I could go back, I would use a different fabric for the front, this pattern is pretty in small doses but the whole cover is too over powering and the embroidery can hardly be seen.

(Top) I love the inside! You can't see them but the beige fabric has little white stars all over it! There's a large pocket on both sides, with another pocket on the left - you can't see it, it's under the Post Outline's envelope.

(Bottom) Filling my binder was easy. I found the perfect journal at Target for $10. The cover is a soft faux-leather in the prettiest blue! It's been super handy for planning my life, posts, and projects. The TOPS comp book was also from Target for $.50- great deal and I wish I had bought more than one! It contains my filled out Post Outlines, writing tips and ideas, and patterns. The Sharpie pens were also from Target for $1.50 and come in many colors.

All in all, I love my binder but regret the cover fabric choice. But it's handy, sturdy, and travels well; what more could I ask for?

Second Sewing Project: A Needle Book

I love Japanese crafts, (amigurumi is just one of them) and the Japanese Kawaii & Zakka style. Amy, from NanaCompany, has perfected this style down to an art form. Her pieces inspire me to become a better designer! I love her work! If you've never heard or seen her work, do check out her beautiful blog!

It was her lovely tutorial I used to create this needle book. The embroidery is my own design.

The book was a serene and relaxing project where I could let my mind wonder and just enjoy the process.

Every time I open it to take a needle, the clouds, balloons, and happy colors make me smile :]

I hope everyone's enjoying their summer! What projects are you working on or have completed?

Bonnie, the Cutie Bunny

2013-07-18T15:01:00.000-04:00

Bonnie is the newest member of the Cutie Collection. She loves to pick strawberries on warm, summer days (who doesn't!), and you will almost always see with Chickie, her friendly baby bird.

Chickie - "Peeep! Peep, peep!", Bonnie - "Oh? What's that?"

Chickie - "Look out behind you! An evil cat hides in that bowl!"

Bonnie - "In here? I don't see any cat. Are you sure? I think I'll climb in just to make sure.", Chickie - "Nooo!"

Bonnie - "Ha! See? No cat in here!", Chickie - whispering, "It might still be in there, it can turn invisible!"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Bonnie is a bit smaller than the other Cuties, as she's made from Martha Stewart's Extra Soft Wool Blend yarn which is a lighter weight than the regular acrylic yarn I use. The animal designs I have done so far are: the bear, puppy, kitty, and bunny. My plan is to have each pattern for sale so you can make the Cutie of your choice! The Cutie Kitty Pattern is done and I'm currently working on the bear pattern. In the meantime, I'd like to remake the bunny but give her lop ears, she'd be so adorable with long, droopy ears!

I had lop-eared bunnies once...I grew up on a small vegetable farm in southern Michigan. We never had any farm animals, only pet barn cats and a dog. During our mid-to-late teens, my sister and I finally wore my dad down to the point where he allowed us to get a few animals if we promised to care for them ourselves. He didn't want to be stuck doing all the work. My sister raised 7 well-loved chickens from eggs we hatched ourselves, and I bought a pair of Mini Lop rabbits.

The female was a sweet tempered, gray rabbit named Lady, and the male was a white and cream, grumpy fellow named Buck. Wanting to expand my brood to keep up with my sister, I bred them and Lady had 5 tiny little bunnies! As you probably know, bunnies grow up very quickly and it wasn't long before I had the whole group out in the grass hopping around! A few times, one or two of the bunnies would hop too far away (I didn't want to loose them!), so I'd reach out and snatch them up. They would be so startled by this that they'd squeal/squeak and scream! The first time it happened, it startled me! I had no idea they made that noise, sounds like a loud rat! Ha ha! They were so cute!

Even though they were lops, their ears stood up straight like a normal rabbit but once they were older, their ears gradually fell downwards, like their parent's. When they were old enough, I sold them to families, I didn't have room to keep them all. I miss my bunnies, they were a fun and easy pet to have. I kept all of mine outside so I don't know how they are in the house but they are pretty stinky, just to warn you! :] So many good memories~

Growing up, did you have a favorite pet or animal? Any other farm-girls out there? What's your favorite animal memory?

Amigurumi Heart Tutorial

2013-07-08T22:49:00.000-04:00

This quick and fun heart tutorial is a good starting point for anyone wishing to move beyond designing amigurumi plush that are mix of ball and tube shapes. The slip stitch join is a very useful technique that has many possibilities besides hearts :] Here are some ideas for it's use: straight legs for dolls and animals, fingers for hands, bunny or monster ears, plant branches . . .

Difficulty: Beginner
This is a wonderful beginner's project but it does use a few advanced techniques: The magic ring, invisible decrease and a slip stitch join of the two halves. Planet June has a wonderful tutorial of how to do the invisible decrease and the magic ring.

Materials You'll Need:
• Yarn in your choice of color(s)
• Crochet hook - D to F depends on yarn weight
• Stuffing - Polyfil
• Yarn or Darning Needle
• Scissors
*Optional - keychain, phone lanyard, pin back, necklace chain, ornament hook

Crochet Terms:
This pattern is written in American terms. But for my UK friends, the British terms are in blue.

American (UK/British)

MR - Magic Ring (magic ring)

sl st- Slip Stitch (Slip Stitch)

ch - Chain (chain)

sc - Single Crochet (dc- double crochet)

dec - Inv. Decrease (inv. decrease)

WRITTEN PATTERN - The abbreviated pattern is at the end of this post if you'd like to work on it alone. It's a very simple pattern, feel free to jump to the end!

Notes: Finished Size: 1.75" x 1.75" (4.5 cm x 4.5 cm) I use the joined-rounds method of amigurumi, most people do not, use the method you are most comfortable with.

Ready? Here we go!

LEFT: Rnd 1: In a magic ring, single crochet 6 times. Pull your ring tightly closed. This is important so it doesn't work it's way loose, leaving a hole at the top of your work.

RIGHT: Rnd 2: Single crochet in first stitch, increase in the next. Repeat this pattern around the circle 2 more times. You should have 9 stitches at the end. Rnd 3: Single crochet in each stitch. You should have nine (9) stitches again. Tie off, and weave in the end to get it out of your way. Repeat Rnd 1, 2, & 3 to produce the other half heart "lobe". Do not tie off or cut the yarn.

LEFT: With the second "lobe" still on your hook, take your first "lobe" and insert your hook through one stitch. Yarn over.

RIGHT: Pull the yarn through the stitch and the loop on your hook. You just made a slip stitch to join the two halves. That was easy!

LEFT: Here's the tricky part: Rnd 4: Single crochet in each stitch around both halves - 9 stitches each, with a total of 18 single crochet stitches around. Be sure to count, it's easy to miss the tight stitches in-between where the two halves are joined.

RIGHT: Rnd 5: Single crochet into each stitch around, another 18 stitches.

LEFT: Rnd 6: Single crochet in first 2 stitches then invisible decrease the next two stitches together. Repeat this pattern around 3 more times. Single crochet in the last 2 stitches. There should be a total of 14 stitches when done. As you can see, the heart's shape is very visible now, though up-side down.

RIGHT: Rnd 7: Start this round with an invisible decrease, then single crochet in next stitch. Repeat pattern around 3 more times, invisible decrease the last two stitches together. The total stitch count is 9.

LEFT: Take out your hook and start stuffing your heart. Start with small pieces of stuffing, I use Polyfil, on one side. After that side is done, move to the second lobe.

RIGHT: Lastly, stuff the center of the heart. Make sure to stuff it firmly as this improves the heart's shape and creates a more pleasing look at the end. A little might be sticking out but that's ok.

Center: Rnd 8: Work invisible decreases around, 4 in total. Single crochet in the last remaining stitch, for a total of 5 stitches.

LEFT: Finishing off - The tying off of this heart is important because it gives the appearance of a sharp point at it's bottom. Cut a medium length tail and thread your needle. Pass your needle through the front loops of the 5 stitches -toward the center- like you are doing a whip stitch.

RIGHT: Pull tight and your opening should close tightly shut. Hide your yarn tail inside the body of the heart. This is also a useful method of tying off any closed amigurumi project as it makes the final piece much neater. PlanetJune has a step by step tutorial if this isn't clear here.

Annndd... You're done!

WRITTEN PATTERN

American (UK/British)

MR - Magic Ring (magic ring)

sl st- Slip Stitch (Slip Stitch)

ch - Chain (chain)

sc - Single Crochet (dc- double crochet)

dec - Inv. Decrease (inv. decrease)

Amigurumi Heart Pattern

Rnd 1: In a MR, sc 6 [6]
Rnd 2: (Sc then inc) x3 [9]
Rnd 3: Sc in each st [9]
Make 2 lobes, tie off first one. Do not tie off second lobe! Sl st both halves together.
Rnd 4&5: Sc in each st [18]
Rnd 6: (Sc 2 then dec) x4, sc in last 2 sts [14]
Rnd 7: (dec then sc) x4, dec last 2 sts together [9]
Stuff both lobs and center off heart firmly
Rnd 8: (dec around) x4, sc in last st (5)
Tie off and you're done!

The finished heart is quite tiny, making it the perfect size for gifts and decor! Add a keychain, phone charm lanyard, brooch or pin-back, or turn them into ornaments. String them on a piece of yarn or ribbon as an adorable garland! Have fun! Most importantly, make one for someone you love~

I'd love to see your finished work! Send me your picture or post it to Ami Amore's Fan Page on Facebook! If you enjoyed this tutorial and found it useful, please subscribe to my blog or subscribe on BlogLovin'.

Enjoy!

Ami Amore's New Look

2013-06-28T17:27:00.000-04:00

Some of you probably noticed that I've been MIA for awhile. I've been devoting many free hours creating this new blog design! The hours weren't wasted because it didn't turn out half bad! Actually, it's way better than what I was envisioning :D Here's how it all started:

I'm sure changes will come but that is one of the big reasons I wanted a new template and to build it myself. I can't and won't take all the credit though, Carrie from carrieloves.com, helped me with the Pages Ribbon and gave me a few tips and tricks that proved to be extremely helpful. I couldn't have done it without her help! Thank you so much Carrie!

When I first started up my blog, I used a cute free template I found online and it worked great as a start-up platform for Ami Amore. Over time I did discover quite a few code errors that proved to be frustrating and the design was very limited in what could be changed. Example: the post's comment links on the Home page didn't even show up. Readers had to click each title to be able to leave a comment. Also, I was unable to change any of the fonts or their properties to customize the template to suit my whims of fancy.

Here's how it used to look. Cute, right? Thank you, Mr. Biyan Pasau for the good design! May your skills continue to grow, I appreciated your hard work!

And here's the new: I guess I have a thing for gray. . .

This is a two column layout that's been expanded about 300px wider than the standard Blogger template. Doing so created much needed space in the post body area and allowed for a wider sidebar. So far, I love the space and haven't run into any problems viewing my blog on a phone or tablet which are much smaller than the large computer screen I used for designing at home.

Tidbits about the design:

Blogger's "Simple" template is the base the new design is built on.

I designed the header, the Pages ribbon, along with the sidebar ribbons to match, all on PicMonkey! It was a little tricky at first but once I got the hang of what shapes and sizes different areas required, it went smoothly.

Chevrons are popular everywhere it seems and blog backgrounds are no exception. I originally wasn't going to use chevrons but when I tried one on for size, it looked perfect! I found this one at tinysea.net. I did lighten it a bit, I wanted a background that would be easy on the reader's eyes.

The social media icons were designed by Carrie, the lady who helped me. She posted free icons in 30 different colors! If you don't have any on your site, you should garb a set of hers! They look and work great!

The other widgets I either found online or signed up for and added them to my layout. The "Followers" widget has been discontinued by Google to make way for Google+. I don't use G+ and my "Followers" gadget was great so I found a work around. All widgets are listed in the template's HTML code, so after digging through the old template, I copied the Followers gadget's code and pasted it into the new template. Worked like a charm!

If you'd like to build your own template or add new widgets and such, start by doing lots of research. Google your questions, you're not the first person to ask them! There are many, many great resources and tutorials for blog design. When it comes to code, practice is the best advice I can give. Practice and a browser add-on called Web Developer to help you learn to identify the coding on your site as well as other sites.

After this experience, I've really come to admire web designers! It's hard work programming a button to work the way you need it to. It's like a complicated puzzle that's all one color. But when it's finished and works, you feel like jumping up and down! I know I did, several times! :D

I hope you enjoy the new look! Let me know if you run into any bugs!

Ami Amore is on BlogLovin!

2013-06-20T22:43:00.001-04:00

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/4523173/?claim=wxug9j7v4y8">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

Ami Amore is now on BlogLovin!! Yay!! http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/4523173 <--- click link to follow!

Product Love: Mini Memo Pads

2013-06-19T22:33:00.000-04:00

A Review of KawaiiShopJapan

I don't remember when or how I caught the kawaii bug, but I am in love with cute-kawaii characters! Some of my favorites are Sabo Kappa, Toromi, Molang, Crux's bears and bunnies, etc... I dream of owning a cute character stationery set that includes: a diary/scheduler to organize my time and activities in, sticky note/tabs, regular and mini memo sheets for extra notes or pages. Oh, and stickers: I'd like to use lots of stickers and washi tape for pretty pops of color!

In my online searches for my dream stationery set, I came across an intriguing little store: KawaiiShopJapan.com. Miki, the shop owner in Japan, was a kind and informative seller; after I placed my order, she kept me up to date on it's progress. Miki even went so far as taking a photo of my package when she mailed it! Oh, and the best part: shipping only cost me $3.50 and took 4 days! That's going from Japan to MI, USA in FOUR days! Incredible!!

Here's what I bought: San-x Kutusita Nyanko mini memo pad - $1.70
I love the color blue and strawberries so picking this one was a no-brainer for me :D

Crux Clover's Town mini memo pad - $1.85

My favorite because of the sweet little bears! I want to design an amigurumi after them!

Crux Sweet My Home mini memo pad - $1.85

The Crux pads were 3.5 x 2.5 inches, while the San-x pad was .25 inches smaller, :( bummer, but oh well. Their quality easily makes up for such a minor detail. I love each pad! I want to use them but can't bring myself to writing on one! They are so adorable!

Miki packaged all three in bubble wrap and they arrived in perfect condition!

KawaiiShopJapan offers great prices and super fast shipping, but being a small shop, it does lack variety. I just wish there were large memo pads and loose sheets to choose from so I can buy more from one shop. Overall, I'm very happy with my purchase, definitely will be ordering again in the future!

Check out her store, I'm sure there's at least one item you'll fall in love with!

Do you collect any kawaii character stationery/items? If so, where did you find yours? Do you have a favorite shop or site you'd like to recommend?

Craft Swap with MillieOnHerWorld

2013-06-07T16:45:00.002-04:00

It's time for another craft swap! For this one I joined with my Blogger and Etsy friend, Millie of millieonherworld!

Millie is a super sweet girl who I was blessed to meet via Etsy. We chatted back and forth about our shops, blogging, amigurumi, general life and girly stuff and one day she asked if I'd be willing to do a swap with her. Of course I said yes! She's super talented and it's been wonderful getting to know her. It's so nice to share with someone who has similar interests and a passion for amigurumi! Do you have a friend like that?

Millie lives only two states over so her package arrived very quickly! I work in our company mailroom so I received the box in the morning. I was so excited when it arrived that I squeaked with excitement (not too loudly tho!) and opened it right away!

Here's the lovely package she sent me! It was full to the top with many lovely wrapped packages!

I think she hand wrapped everything she could! It was so sweet!

I loved all the colors she chose and I noticed all the blue too! Blue's my favorite color :]

Isn't that the most adorable envelope ever?!? She wrote me a long note too!

We both made each other our favorite San-x character. I love Sabo Kappa so naturally I chose her. Millie did a great job! She's perfect!

She can stand in her pot and she's on my desk right now, she keeps me company when I'm designing a project or writing notes :]

As a bonus, Millie also made the moss balls as a cute keychain!

Each of us requested a certain favorite item the other makes. She requested a purple narwhal and I, a blue pony! Isn't she so cute?! I named her Ciela~

Along with the wonderful ami's, she sent me a bunch of lovely goodies!!

Thank you so much, Millie!

Everything she sent was beautifully made and carefully chosen and I couldn't be happier with this swap! Millie is going to be famous for her ponies and dolls soon! I'm looking forward to joining her in more amigurumi fun in the future!

Please visit her blog and say hello! Oh, and while you're at it, see her shop too :D If you're curious as the what I made her, check out her blog post about our swap!

Have a great week everyone!

Cutie Kitty Pattern Is In Zoomigurumi 2!!

2013-05-02T17:02:00.000-04:00

Remember when I hinted about a pattern project my Cutie Kitty pattern was chosen to be a part of here in my post last month? I'm very excited to announce that Evie, the Cutie Kitty, is part of Zoomigurumi 2!!
Joke, the curator of amigurumipatterns.net saw her on Tumblr and asked if I'd like to be part of her next book! Of course I said yes! Joke was very kind and patient answering all my questions during this whole process. Check out her site, she has many great amigurumi patterns for sale and free. I'm sure you'll find many patterns that would suite your fancy!

It's definitely been a growing experience and I feel so honored to join designers like Josephine of AMorningCupofJo, Amy of LittleMuggles, Sarsel, Emi of EnnaDesign's, and Shannen of Sweetn'CuteCreations! This is how I met Josephine. She was in Zoomigurumi 1 and I had many questions for her about her experience with the first book. Also, she was my pattern tester/proof reader, she is very knowledgeable and caught some errors in places that I wasn't sure what to do.

I write all my patterns down but they aren't perfect and I didn't know much about creating a complete pattern that others could read and understand. Jo gave me a template to work from, it was a life-saver! Thank you Josephine!!

The Kitty pattern along with the 13 others that are featured in Zoomigurumi2 are now available for sale on amigurumipatterns.net. You can also buy just the PDF if you prefer an e-book format.

You can now purchase your copy of this book on Amazon.com! Be sure to check them out! You won't be disappointed, I promise!

~Denae

We Have 3 Winners!!

2013-04-16T14:32:00.000-04:00

Hip, hip, hooray!!

Yay!!! It's time to announce the winners of the 250+ Fans Giveaway!

Thank you to everyone who joined in, your comments were so encouraging and each one warmed my heart! ❤ Thank you, Thank you!! My hope is to continue to grow Ami Amore into a place where anyone can learn how to make amigurumi and fun crafts! Hobbies are important, they reopen our imaginations to creativity, release stress, and make us happy! Plus, there's just nothing like making your own plush! So satisfying!

Anywho, onto the good stuff... The winners are:
1st place - McJilly Math who will receive the Dandy Lion
2nd Place - Sarah O'Neill will receive the Pink Narwhal
3rd Place - Courtney A. who will receive the baby Gray Narwhal

Congratulations to each winner! I've sent each of you an email, you have 2 days to respond to mine with your address so I can send you your sweet ami animal! I'll pick new winners if I don't hear from you by Friday.

The flagstaff outside my window at work

I'd like to take a moment and honor those in Boston. It's always a shock when such hate and violence is displayed. In this time of confusion and anger, may we stop and say wholeheartedly: Our thoughts and prayers are with you, Boston! May God mend your broken hearts and heavy wounds. May the perpetrator pay for his crimes, may justice prevail!

~Denae

250+ Fans Giveaway!!

2013-04-10T13:36:00.001-04:00

This giveaway is now closed:

250+ fans! Woohoo!! This little giveaway is my way of showing gratitude to you all! Thank you, dear fans, for all your support! You all are the best :D

Enjoy and Good Luck!!

The Prizes:

First Place: Dandy, the Sunny Lion finished Amigurumi Animal
Second Place: Large Pink Narwhal finished Amigurumi Animal
Third Place: Baby Gray Narwhal finished Amigurumi Animal

The Rules:

There are two ways to enter the giveaway:

International entries are welcome!

Everyone has two chances to win!

Giveaway closes at midnight, Sunday, April 14th.

I'll use a random number generator to pick the three winners.

I'll be posting the winners on Tuesday, April 16th. I'll contact the winner through email.

If I don't receive a response from the winners within two days, I'll choose a new winner(s).

Thanks, everyone!

~Denae

*Facebook is no way involved or responsible for this giveaway in any way, shape, or form and it entirely owned and operated by me, Denae, the owner of Ami Amore. This giveaway is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.*

Craft Swap with LouLovesThis...

2013-04-04T22:11:00.000-04:00

On Monday of last week, my package from Louise arrived in the mail!! I immediately grabbed it and ran down stairs to open it with my husband (we work in the same building). I opened it and I was so surprised! Everything inside the box was beautiful!! I wasn't able to take any pics when I opened it the then, but decided to wait until the weekend for a bright sunny day.

If you haven't seen Louise's dolls or her blog, please take a moment and visit her site. As you can see, her handiwork is amazing! I was very excited to do this swap with her, she is a good friend of mine- super sweet lady- and plus, I wanted one of her dolls!! I had never been a part of a swap before and neither had Lou so we made up our own rules and both of us requested an item to be made by the other person. She wanted an amigurumi dachshund to go with her dolls and I wanted a fox doll.

The box's contents laid out in all their glory!g

Look at all the goodies she sent me! Wow! the doll blew me away and the extras were amazing! Lou was super generous!

I'd like to go over the doll in detail, Sylvie is too gorgeous to just pass over quickly!

Sylvie is made from a high quality felt as was her cape. Every stitch was hand-sewn. Every single one. Her body, dress, basket, even the apples were hand formed and painted by Louise!

Her hood has little slits for her ears to peak through and longer slits on the sides for her arms.

Here you can see the stitches better. Look at how perfect they are!

Sylvie's face is so sweet! I love her little nose and smile :]

The gingham cloth inside the basket was edged in red with with her monogram in the corner. Each apple was super cute and realistic! Here's a close-up:

Aren't they amazing?!?! I am a detail oriented person and each of these little details are great treasures, each one mean so much to me.

Her cute cotton dress :] The toile underneath was so soft!

Her backside :]

The patch is such a great idea! I'll never forget her name! Can you see the tiny heart in the red running stitch? Eeek! So adorable!! Also the cotton used for her underpants has little giraffes on it! lol super cute! :D

Sylvie with all her accessories :] I was in awe when I unwrapped her for the first time, she's so beautiful! I'm going to keep her for forever! I already have a shelf picked out, I'm going to set her in my craft room where she can watch me work and inspire my imagination!

Louise also wrote a lovely handwritten letter, sent a felt kit, a bunch of wonderful chocolates made near her home in Northern Ireland, they tasted delicious! Also, a big bag of English tea, lip balm, body wash, and body butter that smelled wonderful!

The big bag is full of different kinds of yarn she had and generously passed on to me. I look forward to trying the different textures and types of yarn with my amigurumi! The colors are a lovely range of pinks, yellows, a green or two, and a few others too.

This swap has been wonderful from the very start! It's been a great opportunity to know Louise better, grow as a crafter, and blogger. I have so much to learn! I hope to do another swap with Lou sometime this year!

If you're curious, Lou posted about the package I sent her here

Everything she did with my doll is the same quality and attention she puts into all her dolls! She loves making each one and it certainly shows! Please check out her blog and her shop, you won't be disappointed!

Thank you so much for my lovely doll and all the goodies, Lou!

~Denae

My Sweet Saturday

2013-04-02T14:02:00.002-04:00

Aaaaaaah! Saturday :] It's my favorite day of the week so I'm always looking forward to its arrival. My husband and I always try our best to keep our Saturdays empty - no plans, nowhere to go, no one to see. Just me and him bumming all day!

I usually start and end the day looking like this, haha! I love my baggy jammies!

I start my day off bright and early (11am) in the kitchen. I love that utensil crock, it was a Christmas present and when I opened the box, I was so surprised! It had my name on it in blue!!

While the coffee is brewing, I make myself a wonderfully fatty smoothie for brunch. Lots of cream, some coconut milk, a scoop and a half of protein powder, 4-5 ice cubes, and two spoons of cocoa later:

Lots of yummy, chocolate-y goodness that lasts me until dinner! Oh, and yes that is our coffee in some old, really ugly mugs. The "mugs" that came with our servingware set were more like tea cups. Coffee is always supposed to be in large mugs :]

While I sip my coffee and drink my shake, I almost always plop on the couch to make an amigurumi or two and check my email. This Saturday was bright and sunny! Spring finally is here and I'm very excited to see flowers popping up and birds singing in the trees!

In our apartment, we're not allowed to own any pets, so I made friends with these hens and chicks! I have about 4 different varieties that I planted almost a year ago. They've overgrown their pot but I haven't bought a new home for them yet. I love growing these! Succulents are hard to kill, just don't over-water them, put them in a sunny spot, and they're happy!

What do you do on your weekends? Stay in, shop, hang out with friends?

~Denae

Cutie Pup & Hello Kitty!

2013-03-28T16:24:00.000-04:00

Happy Easter!! I hope everyone is enjoying the approaching springtime! I love spring and Easter, it's always a time filled with hope for a bright year! My husband and I don't have a family of our own yet so no egg hunts for us! We always have a nice lunch with family and enjoy watching the little cousins search for the eggs. I live in Michigan and it might snow, I really hope not, it makes the hunt no fun!

~

I love adding to my Cutie Collection! Each new addition is so cute I find it hard to let them go! The Cutie Pup is no exception:

As with the Kitty and Bears, the Pup is from the same base pattern. The only differences are the obvious ears, nose and tail. He was designed to wear a hat or hood but it I thought it was distracting attention away from his adorable ears! I love the possibilities that this pattern presents. I'd love to try different dog breeds, like a pug nose or a the long, skinny nose and pointy ears of a chihuahua. I think spots would be cute too :]

One thing I adore about the base pattern is the limitless design potentials! For example: This pink Hello Kitty a friend requested.

Last night I finished making this Hello Kitty using the base pattern but added a few changes like the dress and thick ears. I think she turned out great, I'm very happy with the results! (Sorry for the bad picture, it was late at night and I had some really bad lighting!) I don't think she would have been as cute without the base to work off of. I have another one almost done as well, not in pink but with the blue trousers and yellow shirt.

I'm still not sure how to market and sell such a diverse collection of animals and characters when they all have the same base. I'm not sure people will be willing to buy the same pattern over and over when the only differences are ears, noses, tails, and cosmetic details. By theme, maybe? Does anyone have any suggestions? I'd appreciate your feedback!

What do you do for Easter? Do you have a favorite tradition or meal with family?

Happy Easter Everyone!

~Denae

Cutie Kitty News and Amigurumi Joined Rounds!

2013-03-27T14:51:00.000-04:00

I have great news!

The Cutie Kitty has been chosen to be part of a pattern project!!!

I'm super excited! I'm not going to reveal what project it is until May, sorry. hehe :D

To give you a hint, I will be joining designers like Josephine of AMorningCupofJo, Amy of LittleMuggles, Sarsel, Emi of EnnaDesign's, and Shannen of Sweetn'CuteCreations! If you've figured it out, shhh! don't tell!

I feel really honored to be a part of this project! I've contacted a few of the designers and have gotten to know them better. Josephine is a super sweet person! She has gone above and beyond when helping me (a newbie) figure out how to format my pattern correctly. Check out her site, her patterns are amazing! Each one is clear, very detailed with pictures, and professional. You can tell she's put a lot of time and effort into her pattern designs.

The Cutie Kitty pattern will be for sale before the big reveal, so keep an eye out for its availability, plus I'll keep everyone updated on its progress!

I feel this opportunity has been the proverbial nudge-out-the-nest.

As some of you know, I've been struggling with sore and painful wrists, shoulders, and neck when crocheting too much. The demand for narwhals is high in my shop, so I can't seem to keep enough of them stocked!

I believe selling that pattern will help alleviate the demand. With selling any of my patterns, my hope is less duplicate crocheting and more designing!

Writing the Kitty pattern has been a stretching experience for me but a good one. It's opened my eyes to the idea that I can do this, and they will sell.

Over the weekend, Josephine promoted my FB Fan Page that led 130+ people to follow my page! I was in awe! I had several people ask for the patterns for the Cutie's, narwhals, and pony! (Thank you Josephine!)

One area of question that I ran into was the spiral vs. joined rounds argument. I use the joined rounds in all my designs but most people do not.

I chose the picture above from a Japanese amigurumi book, so you can clearly see the seam created by the slip stitch used to join the round. This along with the difficulty to learn are what seem to be the major causes of disdain among crocheters. I like the seam joined rounds create, some people don't. Most all stuffed animals have sewed seams so it seems logical that amigurumi would have them too. In a way, all crocheted plush has one seam somewhere, like where the arms or legs or ears attached and for round-ball shapes, the closed end could be considered a seam as well. A positive of joined rounds, which you can see in the picture, would be perfect stripes. The stripes on the dogs' sweaters don't jog or slant and the color changes are perfect.

As for the difficulty of joined rounds, I can understand. It took time, effort and lots of frustration before I finally figured it out. It's hard going back to working in spirals now that I have this technique perfected. I love its simplicity. Once I finish a round, which is a slip stitch and one chain, I'm done with that round. No stitch marker, no counting to make sure all the stitches are there. It's kinda like laying brick: start your row up with a chain stitch, go around, then when you come back to your first stitch, connect to it with a slip stitch, pull tight and that row is done! Easy peasy :]

I do hope to go into further detail in an upcoming post, but if you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask! I'd be more than happy to help you!

Anywho, my plan is to create patterns that both spiral and joined round crocheters can use with ease along with plenty of pics to help demonstrate certain aspects of the pattern, especially confusing or difficult parts. Along with selling my patterns, I will have free patterns available as well! This, I'm pretty excited about! I already have one in my patterns page, it's a fall pumpkin, check it out and let me know what you think! I'd love to see your finished pumpkin!

I hope everyone has a great week!

~Denae

Thank you!

2013-03-14T15:43:00.000-04:00

Sweet Millie of millieonherworld nominated me for the "Inspiring Blogger Award"! Wow! Thank you Millie!

This is the first blogger award I've received and I'm surprised and honored to have been picked!

I feel like my blog is still very new and still has a lot of growing to do but this award is definitely much appreciated!

So the rules for this award are:

1. Add your award image to your blog

2. List 7 Facts about yourself

3. Share the love and nominate others!

#1 - done - I placed it in my new Awards page

#2 - a. I'm an introvert

b. When I was a teenager, I LOVED classical music, I know- odd.

c. I love living out in the country

d. Someday I'd like to have a pet squirrel

e. My favorite color is Blue in just about every shade

f. I hate leaving a project unfinished and stay up all night if I could to complete it.

g. Last random fact - I'd rather eat something salty than sweet - every time! Unless it's chocolate...

#3 - Blogs that inspire me to improve my work, try something new or different, and stretch my imagination are:

{ p a p e r ♥ f o r e s t }

Possums Love Art

Enjoy!!

~Denae

My First Swap! And a Cutie Kitty

2013-03-13T16:41:00.000-04:00

Today I mailed my first swap package! Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of my box, as I was in too much of a hurry mailing it out... boo...

But! I'm so excited!! Louise from loulovesthis is my partner and I couldn't have picked a better person to participate with. She's a very talented soft doll maker and she designs and fashions the entire item by hand! Every stitch is hand sewn in a very neat, beautiful fashion. Each one is a work of art! You've got to check out her work! I feel very lucky to soon hold my very own "Lou Loves This" doll!

Ok, I'm not going to say anymore about it, I want it to be a surprise!

I'm definitely going to take pics of everything!

In my post about the Cutie Bear, I mentioned this Cutie Kitty.

She was made using the same base pattern as the bear. I changed the ears, the nose is different and of course, a tail! Her ears came out a little crooked but like all handmade items, I think it adds some charm :] I really loved how she turned out! Unlike the Cutie Bears, the Kitty doesn't have a hat or hood; at least not yet. I positioned the ears so a hat will fit but it was so cute without the hat that I decided to not make it one. If I were to make another one, I'd like to make it a light yellow kitty with a strawberry hood and a tiny strawberry basket! Wouldn't that be adorable!?

I didn't mention in the Cutie Bear post where I got my inspiration. Has anyone heard of WELOVESTITCHES?

Christy is the girl who makes these adorable plushies and I saw this bear on her Etsy, WELOVESTITCHES, and I wanted to try my hand at making an amigurumi version.

The crochet version is a bit different but the concept is close to the same. I love how cute they are, both the plushies and amigurumi versions!

What I liked most was the hoods and how the legs and body were one piece. I thought making each a basket or backpack would add a playful, imaginative side, so it's not a plush just for a shelf, but it's something you or a child can play with. I imagine him starting off on a sunny day to enjoy a picnic, carrying lunch in his basket :]

In other crafty news: I bought 3 patterns from Noialand! Eeek! Her dolls are super adorable!! I printed out the pattern pieces for the French Bakery Girl last night and I hope to make some progress on her soon. I'm very, VERY excited to make one of her dolls! I'll keep you posted with the latest on each one I finish.

I hope everyone has a great week and weekend!

~Denae

New Narwhals

2013-03-01T15:46:00.001-05:00

I have more narwhals!! Both in new colors and a new size are now available!

I've been making and selling mom and baby narwhal/whale sets for a little while now; and I thought customers would want to make their own color combos. Not all the ones in the photo are babies, I did list a few full sized narwhals in new colors. All the original colors are sold out so I need to make some more, my plan it to finish a couple tonight.

Last month I mentioned the pain problems I was having when I crochet too much. I'm happy to say that my hands and arms are feeling much better! We'll see how they do tonight, it's been a good week since I've completed any ami projects. I really miss it :[ There's so much satisfaction in finishing a project!

Ever had a project that just sat there staring at you? There were two bears sitting on my chair almost finished for weeks begging to be finished!

Typically I sew a tiny felt nose and glue it between their eyes but trying to get it right the first time is pretty much impossible!

That's the felt nose that I used to make, see how tiny it is? It would take about three tries to get it right and that's just to cut it out! Sewing it was another story! To say the least, they were frustrating to make.

So, I decided to try something a lot different. I crocheted a flat circle and sewed on the shape using yarn. Then I sewed on the nose with the circle's tail.

I love it! It's easier and cuter than the original felt nose! At least, I think so :]

I like the dimension this nose adds to their little faces. It sticks out all round and plump with no extra effort on my part! :] Adorable ❤

What do you think?

Cute or dorky?

~Denae

Oh, all the animals shown today are currently listed. Check 'um out!

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Winter Wonderland

2013-02-28T22:46:00.000-05:00

Wednesday Morning Beauty

I live in Michigan, a land of many seasons.

Not four like other normal, northern states, but 6 or 7 "seasons."

Now, to be fair, not all of Michigan has these extra "seasons," just the areas around the Great Lakes and I'm sure - somewhere - other people experience this as well. Monday it was sunny and 43 degrees, the sun was shinning and spring was here! Then, like magic on Wednesday, winter arrives all over again! This fickle weather isn't limited to winter/spring. There's winter/summer where we've had snow in the middle of May, then a fall/summer season of 80-85 degree October days. The fun never ends!

Even though our weather is frustrating and keeps us on our toes, I love living in Michigan. It's so beautiful here! We have a huge lake (it's basically a sea, but shhh, no one calls it that!) with awesome, gorgeous beaches only 10 minutes away! Also, because of the mild, wet, but quite warm weather; we have an area known as The Fruit Belt. We grow all kinds of fruit, nearly everyone does because it's so easy and nothing compares to Michigan peaches, apples, cherries, and blueberries! Of course, it's waaay too cold to grow citrus, but that's ok, I'll keep our strawberries instead :]

Has your winter been like mine?

~Denae

Felt Phone Case: A Little Deer

2013-02-26T12:05:00.002-05:00

I tried a different project over the weekend that wasn't amigurumi! A felt phone cover.

This last month, crochet was really making me sore. I couldn't complete my projects like I used to, sometimes I'd have to stop soon after I started. The pain wasn't limited to my thumbs and fingers, but traveling up my forearms and into my elbows and shoulders. I love crocheting so much and amigurumi is my stress release after a long day at work. I find the whole process relaxing and soothing. So not being able to do what I love was so discouraging!

Fortunately, I'm not a girl of one hobby and I had a bunch of felt from a past Christmas ornament project so I sat down with YouTube to find some inspiration. And it worked! There are some awesome felt tutorial on YouTube!

I found a bunch of tutorials by Tammy Hallam, she makes the cutest little plushies and does a great job sharing her process in a clear and easy to understand way. Plus, I love her British accent! If you'd like to check out her channel, click her name. The pic below is from her DeviantArt, click it to view her gallary.

Aiko, from HapyFriendsShoppe, shares tutorials for many really adorable felt plushies along with jewelry and fashion accessories. I love her channel and blog, she's very creative and friendly but also has an inspiring story about a major turning point in her life. If you like felt, or sewing, or would like to try a new hobby, I encourage you to check both ladies out!

So armed with plenty of inspiration, I sat down and started to draw out a fox phone case. The drawing looked more like a deer so I followed that path instead.

Along the way, I learned a new trick for cutting out and sewing together the pieces. Wee Folk Art has a great how-to for both these tedious tasks. The secret? Staples! And they work great! No more bleeding and pain from sticking yourself with pins, the felt lies perfectly flat and will not move or shift during the cutting and sewing process. And when finished, the staples are easy to remove.

For the stitches, I used a fell stitch to attach the eyes, nose and forehead, a backstitch to outline the eyes, and then the blanket stitch around the ears and to hold everything together around the edges. The inside is lined with felt for added protection.

Originally, I was only going to do the spots but that seemed too plain.

I kinda wanted a pocket too so I thought a tail pocket would be cute!

Ehh... I decided against that and I'm glad I did, it would have been kinda weird! Instead, I just attached it like the forehead but outlined the edge with a backstitch to make it stand out a little.

I sized the case to fit my Samsung SIII, and it fits nice and cozy! The felt protects my phone well from the hazards of "The Purse" and any short falls it might take. I tried a iPhone 4 but the case was way too big! So, if it's to fit the iPhone, I'd shorten the length by at least a half inch and then make it about a quarter inch narrower.

My favorite features are the colors and her eyes! I'd like to modify the pattern for other animals like the fox or an owl would be cute. Oh a bear would be adorable too!! So many possibilities!

I was thinking of turning the pattern into a PDF, would anyone be interested in making their own?

~Denae

UPDATE: 6/22/2013 - Pros: I've used this case everyday since this post and it's held up very well keeping my phone from scratches and falls. No tears or loose stitches. Cons: Cheap, acrylic felt pills like no ones business, and quickly too! Big suggestion: Don't use acrylic felt like I did. It's pilling so bad that it's pretty ugly now. Next time I will use a wool blend which is easier to work with and very long-lasting without that aweful pilling.

Overall, it's a great case. It's just unfortunate that the felt looks poorly now. I guess I'll just have to make another one! :D

~Denae