What is in your crochet tool kit?

    Since I got back into crocheting "seriously" a little over a year to 2 years ago I have gone thru a series of bags and containers that I store and carry all of my crochet paraphernalia around in. Since I do bring my crochet work with me about everywhere (no telling where you will be able to find a few extra minutes to get projects done) I have gone from carrying a purse and extra bag with yarn, tools and projects in varying degrees of completion to my current travel companion a laptop/messenger bag I got for a steal when we had back-to-school supplies on clearance at my day job. I can put everything in it from my cell phone, tablet, yarn, current projects, notepad, etc. When I go to visit my mother and step-father they always jokingly ask if I am planning on moving in. :-)

       Another of my back-to-school clearance buys was the pencil pouch (above) that when I saw it I knew it would make a perfect place to keep all of my smaller crochet tools in one place. At only $1.00 I knew if that didn't work there would always be some other use for it instead. Up til now I had the hooks and scissors thrown in one of the pockets on whatever bag I was using. The tapestry needles and safety eyes were in one of those little magnetic lipstick cases. Then the yarn and project I was working on would be in another bag.

       So I was looking at the case and remembering the recent series of articles Stacey Trock from FreshStitches did on crochet hooks I got to wondering.... just what tools do other crocheters have in their arsenals and what could they not do without.

 

     The pencil pouch is made of neoprene so I am able to stick the tapestry needles, safety pins and t-pins thru the inner layer. Working (left to right / clockwise) A small tape measure when I have to measure progress. I also have pens to sketch out ideas or write down notes as I design patterns and highlighters to mark changes when editing. There are small, sharp scissors. Next are 2 yarn ball winders for hand-winding center-pull yarn balls which I have discovered do not bounce around when using them. Next are some crochet hooks with bamboo handles (just had to try some different ones after reading Stacey's reviews). Don't quite know how got 2 more pairs of scissors, but I did. "Tip" - the green grips for hooks (the ones you snip the ends off of) are really handy to slip over the tips of your scissors so you don't reach into your bag and stick yourself. In the center are my ergonomic hooks which are my favorite because the tips of my fingers were starting to feel numb and my hands were cramping when I spent too much time hooking (ya, no hooker jokes please). The remaining are my first set of aluminum hooks that sometimes I will use, but have been replaced with the ergonomic ones. Oh and I cannot forget in the back is my favorite tool, my Toshiba Thrive tablet. So much easier to carry around than my laptop and get better viewing online than my smartphone when on the go. Can also store all the .pdf patterns and other files on the removable SD card. I love it!!!

     So I want to know "What so you have in your crochet tool kit?" and "What one item can you not do without?" Come on now I want to hear back from you.

Best Wishes to All this Holiday Season... and Happy Ami - Shannon

  
Meet Henry Turkey

     Hi there. This is Henry Turkey and he is the newest addition to the A.O. family. His pattern is now available on both my Etsy and Ravelry sites.
     I wasn't initially going to make a turkey. I cannot really tell you why except to say that I had already gotten into working on my Christmas ornament designs and pattern and my brain just hadn't gotten into it. But I was working on them during a break at my "day job" and several of my friends asked when I was going to make a turkey. Since they have all watched my amigurumi obsession grow over the last year+ they are getting used to all the new designs that I've worked on. 
     I am just getting used to trying to having my designs and patterns completed and ready in time for a holiday schedule. My brain thinking is still kind of on regular calendar time. I am having to train it to be on an earlier "designer" schedule so people can have the patterns in time to actually make the products for the holiday.
     Henry does have a cousin who should be coming to visit soon. Don't really think he will be available in pattern form though, but is an idea I have to do.

     I think my friends and family are finally getting used to the fact that this ami thing is probably not going away anytime soon. As I figured out a long time ago absolutely none of my friends or family have the same interests I do. So the fact that I still get "whats that?" when I tell someone about my amigurumi designing hobby/obsession is something I am getting used to.


.... Welcome to Hobby Lobby

     I also have to mention that I am just thrilled that we have a new Hobby Lobby that has come to our area. I have been using acrylic yarn for my designs but having tried cotton yarn (that I had to order online) I am wanting to do more with it. While there is 1 local yarn store it is way out of my way and the other crafting stores are stocked with mostly acrylic and wool. While their selection is "slowly" evolving I have found that Hobby Lobby has a very large selection of yarn (including their own "I Love This Cotton Yarn"). So now I do not have to go online for my last minute ideas. When I think it , I like to go get it and get started. So thank you!!! They are expanding a lot right now so if they come to your area I would highly recommend checking them out. I believe in supporting all my favorite craft stores so I also quite frequently go to Beverly's Crafts also. (I nice that they are right next to my work also.) They've always been really good to me too (... and I've been doing their copies at my "day job" for more years than I can mention). Hobby Lobby is family though so I am glad they are here now. Apparently lots of other people are too cause the parking lot is usually always full.

Happy Holidays to all and Merry Ami,      Shannon

Ami-Halloween & Holiday Prep 2011

Ami-Halloween Trick-or-Treat Bunny???

... is really the Trick-or-Treat Kitten

Ami-Halloween Ghostboy

Francisco Frog, Ducky & the USA Bunny

WIP Wednesday

    My current WIP (works in progress) are for the "new" Ami 4ur Pup line I have been designing. On the right is the duckie (no name yet) who is about 6" long and is completed. On the left is Francisco Frog the current project I am working on. One of the guys I work with wanted me to name one of my ami's after him. Since his name is Francisco I had broken down the choices to a fox, falcon or frog. Okay so maybe the frog isn't the "coolest" one of the 3 options, but I do think he is coming out pretty cute. Both designs contain the "squeakers" that make noise when you squeese them. They are also made to be "pup friendly" sizes (i.e. dogs and puppies can get a hold of them with their mouth). Still working with squeaker placement though. You wouldn't think that, that would be all that a big a deal. But if it isn't placed in the right spot it makes squeaking a little more difficult.

USA Bunny

     The other project that I just finished was a request from a friend (Emi) for a white bunny. After starting the bunny I decided I would do one wearing a sweater and scarf so using Emi's favorite color red I started with the red & white star fabric I used in the ears. This is the first time I have used fabric. Usually I use felt but wanted to try something a little different this time. Since the bunny is red white & blue and has stars on it I thought that it fit perfectly into a patriotic / USA theme. Emi's dad is in the military too so I thought the patriotic idea appropriate.

Best Wishes to All.... and Happy Ami,                        Shannon

Pinterest - More Than a Fancy Bulletin Board

    Recently I have discovered the site Pinterest. For those unfamiliar with what Pinterest is it could be described in it's simplicity as a fancy, electronic bulletin board. But in working to try and find ways to make my blogging and foundling amigurumi designing better I came across this wonderful article on the Handmade Success blog by guest blogger Bettie. In the article "Organize Your Online Content with Pinterest" (click link to read article in it's entirety - recommended) it talks about more of the possible ways the site can be used other than just another online time sucker.
    The thing I initially loved about Pinterest is that it was a great place to visually organize any of the ideas that I would find online. Much better than cutting & pasting to Word as I had been doing. I look to those ideas when I am looking for that spark of inspiration that we creative types sometimes need to get our "juices flowing" when we are getting a new project started. I love that it is quick, easy and I can leave my own notes or comments for when I go back.
    Even better you can follow others boards and repin them to your own. As you repin you will also start to notice that others become interested in the boards you've created and might start to follow you in return.
    So I recommend checking out the article by Bettie and if you can even check out my Pinterest boards if you haven't heard of it before and just want to check it out.

Best wishes to all ... and Happy Ami,            Shannon

Porter Penguin & Ami 4ur Pup

Porter Penguin
 
    Meet Porter Penguin the newest addition to the A.O. family of designs. The meaning of Porter is door keeper or gatekeeper and I thought he was a little stocky so I thought it would be a fitting name until he reaches his new daddy who can give him the name he wants. Porter stands about 8" high and is a slightly larger version of a penguin named Percy who hangs around with me guarding keys. Hopefully I should have the pattern of him done soon so I can add to my Etsy and Ravelry sites.

Ami 4ur Pup


    Have been thinking about making a line of amigurumi for people and their pups. I must admit that the idea has been brought up to me before but I never really gave it much thought before now. I've been looking for a way to be creative and unique in my designs.
    Recently I gave my friend Wanda a completed set of the turtle/tortoise since she collects turtles. Since she loved them so much she was quite distressed the next time I talked to her when she wanted to tell me what had happened to them. She had put them up on a shelf in a closet until she had decided where she was going to put them out at. One day she noticed that both of her dogs Boo boo and Tyke were paying extra attention to the closet. When investigating what had them so entranced, especially the younger one Tyke she had noticed that he had somehow gotten a hold of them. Taking them away she moved them to the dresser in the bedroom. It was then that Tyke proceeded to go lay on the bed where he could stare at the turtle & tortoise and wine until Wanda finally gave in and let Tyke have them. Tyke is after all one of her babies. I just had to laugh, since I actually thought it was adorable. The thing that has surprised Wanda the most is that Tyke no longer wants to play with his other toys. (She did try to go out and get him something new also, but he was not having it. No way!) He and Boo Boo share all their toys, but Boo Boo is not allowed to play with either the turtle or tortoise. Tyke will growl if Boo Boo tries. He also will not "chew" on them. Instead he likes to lay on them with his front paws. (Go figure!)

    So that got me started again in thinking about the ami line of doggie toys. I really want to know what you all think of the idea.  Ya :-) - good idea     (or)     Na :-( - not so good

Have a wonderful day and Happy Ami,           Shannon

Works In Progress Wednesday - H.R. Puff-n-Stuff

   It's the middle of the week and in the tradition of other amigurumiers (is that a word???, lol) my current Wednesday WIP (work in progress) is for a friend who asked if I could do a H.R. Puff-n-Stuff. She wants to give it to a friend who is a big collector so I have to make sure I get it right.

   Now for anyone who is asking who/what is a H.R. Puff-n-Stuff, well the short answer is that it was a live action childrens show from the 70's.  H.R. Puff-n-Stuff was the main character along with (okay this will date me and require some brain cells to wake up), Witchie Pooh, Sigmund the Sea Monster, and a kid whose name I don't recall. Now if I do remember correctly H.R. is supposed to be a dragon. (Any die hard fans out there please forgive me if I am wrong). I cannot honestly say that I watched the show too much. Scooby Doo and the Peanut's specials were more my thing.

   Above center was the best picture I could find for reference so I hope I have done him justice. Not many actual pics of the back of him were available so I had to go off photos of some of the promo products that were produced in promotion of the show (which I have to say weren't all that great and really kind of scary looking in that some don't seem to be close to the original - sorry).

Have a wonderful week... and Happy Ami,        Shannon

Amazon Associates Cancelled California Contracts (updated)

   UPDATE: 6/29 pm - Gov. Brown signed it, now contracts have been cancelled!!!

This is really gonna suck if it goes thru and will do little if anything to help the failing California economy or to balance it's budget. All it is going to do is take money from the little guy cause for starters as Amazon is not based in California so any sales that the program leads to aren't subject to California sales taxes anyway.
    I cannot say that I have been making lots of money from the program, but really if the state want to get some money to help pay their bills I can make a big suggestion (Legislatures) Cut those "fatcats" paychecks and remove the "perks" they seem to think they are entitled to cause they haven't been able to do their job in what over 10 years getting a budget in on time. Most of us "regular" people get paid on our performance. Why shouldn't they be held to the same standard. Yes, we passed the law that if they don't get the budget in on time they don't get paid (not sure why that took so long to do either). I think it should be added that when they do get paid they only can draw minimum wage too! Let's see how they like living on that.
   I posted a copy of the email from Amazon below in case anyone is interested in reading it. As you can see I am just a bit "fried". I cannot really put any blame on Amazon though. It all goes back to the politicians (bunch of gov't criminals if you ask me)!

EMAIL/LETTER:
Hello,
For well over a decade, the Amazon Associates Program has worked with thousands of California residents. Unfortunately, a potential new law that may be signed by Governor Brown compels us to terminate this program for California-based participants. It specifically imposes the collection of taxes from consumers on sales by online retailers - including but not limited to those referred by California-based marketing affiliates like you - even if those retailers have no physical presence in the state.
We oppose this bill because it is unconstitutional and counterproductive. It is supported by big-box retailers, most of which are based outside California, that seek to harm the affiliate advertising programs of their competitors. Similar legislation in other states has led to job and income losses, and little, if any, new tax revenue. We deeply regret that we must take this action.
As a result, we will terminate contracts with all California residents that are participants in the Amazon Associates Program as of the date (if any) that the California law becomes effective. We will send a follow-up notice to you confirming the termination date if the California law is enacted. In the event that the California law does not become effective before September 30, 2011, we withdraw this notice. As of the termination date, California residents will no longer receive advertising fees for sales referred to Amazon.com , Endless.com , MYHABIT.COM or SmallParts.com . Please be assured that all qualifying advertising fees earned on or before the termination date will be processed and paid in full in accordance with the regular payment schedule.
You are receiving this email because our records indicate that you are a resident of California. If you are not currently a resident of California, or if you are relocating to another state in the near future, you can manage the details of your Associates account here . And if you relocate to another state in the near future please contact us for reinstatement into the Amazon Associates Program.
To avoid confusion, we would like to clarify that this development will only impact our ability to offer the Associates Program to California residents and will not affect their ability to purchase from Amazon.com , Endless.com , MYHABIT.COM or SmallParts.com .

We have enjoyed working with you and other California-based participants in the Amazon Associates Program and, if this situation is rectified, would very much welcome the opportunity to re-open our Associates Program to California residents. We are also working on alternative ways to help California residents monetize their websites and we will be sure to contact you when these become available.

Regards,
The Amazon Associates Team

Meet Emily Elephant

     Meet Emily Elephant the newest addition to the A.O. family. Emily is here straight from her home on the African Serengeti. She stands a stout 7 1/2" to 8" high (that's inches - American) .

     I loved the idea of doing an elephant with big, floppy ears and decided to go with the 2 yarns (variegated and a solid), but she would be just as cute in a solid color only. I also used the variegated yarn on the top of the head and bottoms of the feet (which can be seen on my etsy site).

     I have slowly but surely started to post patterns as I am getting them completed. I have sites set up on both Etsy and Ravelry, but as still working on getting the pattern postings linked here to my blogsite as there are still many things I am learning about this as I go along.

      Hope you like Emily as much as I enjoyed making her.


Best Wishes to All.... and Happy Ami,        Shannon

Turtle & Tortoise Pattern 1/2 Price

   For a limited time only my "new" (duo-pattern) Turtle & the Tortoise is available thru my new Etsy site for 1/2 price when you use the coupon code TANDTINTROCOUPONS  at checkout.
   Right now it is the only item listed. You can go to AmiObssnbyShannon to get the pattern that can be used to crochet both turtles (have flippers) tortoise (have legs) with minimal adjustments needed. You can even choose to make a shorter (see green turtle) or taller (see brown tortoise) shell.

   This is really my first pattern out there for sale so I would like to hear feedback from all of you as to what you think about it. Please be honest... I can take it.

    Thank you for stopping by... Best Wishes & Happy Ami,
                                                                        Shannon

Hello Kitty Has Gone Zebra

   One of the guys I work with and his wife are expecting a little girl coming up in August. The colors for the baby are zebra stripes and hot pink. When I asked about what they might want he said "Well I was going to ask if you could do something with Hello Kitty and zebra stripes."

   Do they make black, white & pink yarn? Of course. Well then chances are that I can do something with it then.

   No really, I had just finished my turtle/tortoise project and was looking for a new idea for inspiration. So there I had it and here it is for you to see too. She's pink, she's white and now she has stripes... meet zebra striped Hello Kitty.

Best wishes to all... and Happy Ami,      Shannon

National Teddy Bear Day - Meet Techie Teddy

    
     Everyone meet the newest addition to the A.O. family. His name is Techie Teddy and I though what better day to introduce him to all than National Teddy Bear Day.
     Techie loves all kinds of technological things. One of his favorite ways to spend time is sitting at the keyboard in front of the computer as you can see above. Some of the sites he likes to spend time on are checking out all the cool, nerdie gadgets at www.thinkgeek.com and www.accessorygeek.com along with learning new computer tips from www.cnet.com (after of course checking out what his fellow ami's are up to at the favorite links on A.O. ).

     Techie has also just recently gotten into photography too. After checking out some of the latest tips at Digital Photography School.com or some cool HDR (High Dynamic Range) photography at Stuck in Customs he has been inspired to get out into the world to learn about all that is out there to see.

So... welcome to Techie Teddy on this National Teddy Bear Day. All at A.O. would like to send out...

Best Wishes, Happy Ami...
    Techie Teddy, Picasso Bunny & Shannon

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all Moms.

    To friends & family moms. To past, present & future moms. Especially to those who while they may not have given birth have stepped up selflessly & willingly to be the mom, whether it be step-, grandmother raising the kids, girlfriend to boyfriends kids, adopted, etc.

   May this day be beautiful and may you all be blessed.

Best Wishes.... and Happy-Ami,         Shannon

Meet Paddington Bear

     Well now that he has been delivered to his new family I can post my version of the British Paddington Bear, based on the same line of childrens books. (you can follow the link to learn more about him). He has been completed for some time now, but I didn't want to post him until he arrived at his new home. The problem with me is that when it comes to mailing or shipping "anything" I am infamously late. I'd make tons of money off myself if I came up with a line of "belated" products. The even sadder part is that we actually do "shipping" out of my department at my "other" job. I know bad, bad Shannon. On the plus side though, when it comes to me actually being places I am usually always on time. LOL Go figure, I don't get it either.
     .... but back to Paddington Bear.
     I made Paddington for my friend Kathy's new little boy Bryden. I was looking for something that was different from the popular Pooh Bear and Mickey Mouse themes that many people have for their new babies. I picked Paddington for a number of reasons. 1.) He is based on a line of childrens books that is made for a wide range of ages and his "theme" could hold up for years to come. 2.) I'd swear to my parents if I wasn't certain that I was born here in the US, I'd think I could have been born a brit. (I guess that makes me an Anglophile then doesn't it?) and 3.) ... lets face it he is just so darned cute!!
      Well I do have to admit I put his color scheme together before I did all the research, but I did find out that it should be okay since different versions of the bear have been done in various colors throughout the years. Like most of my projects I used Vanna's Choice yarn for all the crochet work. There is some felt along with buttons in the details. I glued together with Fabric Fusion glue 2 layers of felt for the bottom of his yellow Wellingtons (rain boots). He also has ears under the hat. Some people seem to leave off the hidden details since they would be covered up anyway like with the hat, but I thought what if for some reason the hat becomes removed? Well then he would just look like and egg-headed creature wouldn't he, and well that just wouldn't be good.
       Once again like Hello Kitty, Paddington created spontaneously so there isn't a pattern to go with him.

Best Wishes to All... and Happy Ami,         Shannon

Blog Posting Reruns

Please forgive me, but I since moving blog locations I wanted a record of my previous blog postings from the old location. So here they are a little out of order from original postings and well some are obviously out of season.

Thank you for your understanding.

Well Wishes to All... and Happy Ami,       Shannon

Rudolph and More…

Re-Posted from November 21, 2010 by slprintgirl

Working on “tweaking” my Rudolph design. Lightened the color. Changed the eyes. This one is for a friend so they wanted the shorter legs.

My other project was to finish a second dachshund, as request by a friend of mine. They sent me photos of their 2 dogs. Since the first one looks very similar to on of their dogs her husband had asked her to have me make a second to resemble their other dog. So this one is lighter in color, slightly larger and longer in sizing.
Finally… Santa arrived early and I received my own T.J. (chihuahua). His name is Spenser and he is quite a handful. So, I am pretty sure chihuahuas will be next on the dog amigurumi list. Am working on housebreaking first though so he is getting quite a bit of my free amigurumi time.
Now that the holidays are almost here I am looking forward to them this year. I made a really cool amigurumi from a pattern, “I call the Pirate Dog”, that I got from Amigurumi Artist for my nephew for Christmas (shush… no one tell him… lol, lol). He’s just 3 so I don’t think there’s any chance he will see this. Earlier in the year I gave him a set of Koala Bears I made from one of Ana Paula Rimoli‘s book “Amigurumi Two!”. He really loved them so much I decided to make him the “Pirate Dog”. Once he get’s it I will post pictures.
That’s about all for now. Thanksgiving (US) is coming up this Thursday, so I have to make my traditional “pumpkin cheesecake” to take. Not sure how much work will get done during the week as my “day job” hours are kinda screwy.
Happy Holidays to All… and Merry Amigurumi…
Shannon

Rudolph and Clarise

Re-Posted from November 9, 2010 by slprintgirl

Getting inspired for the holidays here is Rudolph and Clarise inspired from the 1964 holiday classic cartoon Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.
I made both using the same pattern just using different colors. Clarise came out a bit smaller cause I think I used a smaller hook when I made her, but really that works out cause if you look at the picture of both of them together (see below) she is a bit smaller. I’m not entirely pleased with the eyelashes, they’re kinda bushy. Next time I might try embroidery floss instead. Didn’t put her bow on either.

All in all though I do think they came out cute and am happy with them. This is about my 3rd design that I have made the pattern up myself. Please let me know what you think.
Happy Holidays All, Shannon

Snoopy

Re-Posted from November 6, 2010 by slprintgirl

Snoopy is one of my favorite characters. I like to joke that he has a multiple personality disorder. You can see him in the comics acting anywhere from the most widely known WWII Flying Ace or Joe Cool to the Easter Beagle or playing any of a number of sports from baseball to ice hockey or even tennis.
I made both of the designs above. The regular Snoopy on the left was made as a birthday request / gift for one of my friends. The WWII Flying Ace on the right (not to be confused with the Red Barron – who is actually his WWII foe) is one of my favorites of Snoopy’s personalities (Joe Cool is #2). This one if for me and I will be keeping it.

Dachshund

Re-Posted from November 9, 2010 by slprintgirl

Some people are cat people, some are dog people… not me, I love them both. Now if you asked me about 5 years ago I would say that I liked big dogs over smaller ones though. That was until my parents got T.J. … a “small” light chocolate colored chihuahua. Well obviously this is not a chihuahua… it is a dachshund. Point being made now I think that all sizes of dogs deserve equal representation and this is the first of several designs that I am planning on doing.
This dachshund was a request by one of my vendor reps from work who had seen one of the other projects I was working on and immediately asked if I could make her a dachshund to add to her collection. This one is small, about 4.5″x6.25″. I’m not sure if future designs will continue to be small like this one, larger like the Snoopy I made or perhaps both. (Smaller dogs – smaller designs & larger dogs – larger designs) reflecting the real size differences in the breeds.
I e-mailed pictures to my friend and hope that she likes how it came out. I think it is very cute and just the start of many more to come. For now the dog designs will have to wait though cause I have been working on some things for the upcoming Christmas season. I think my next posting will have more on this and I hope my first pattern design available for sale.
Please leave me comments about what you think about my work. All input is welcome.
Thanks a lot, Shannon.

Stitch Marker

Re-Posted from December 29, 2010 by slprintgirl

Crochet Stitch Marker
Got tired of using safety pins and other things as stitch markers when making my designs and I don’t really care for most of the ones available to purchase. I did see some that were made out of beads, but couldn’t see how the round ring on the end that they came with would work. They did not seem to have any opening on them.
Having made jewelry from beading before and looking for a better fastener (finally chose the lobster claw clasp), I decided I could make my own markers. It might be a little longer in length than I would have liked though. I have used it on a couple designs already and it is working out really well. I used blue beads cause it is my favorite color.
Hope you all have a Happy New Year, Shannon

Ami-wild Giraffe and Alley Kitty

Re-Posted from January 15, 2011 by slprintgirl

Ami-wild Giraffe
For the holidays I gave out certificates to several of my friends allowing them to pick the type of amigurumi they wanted me to make for them. Previously I friends had chosen a penguin and a kitty. For this one my friend Sarah chose a giraffe. I have seen different versions of giraffes made. Many are really cute, but my favorite pictures of giraffes are when they are bent forward like when they are drinking water. That is what really shows how their legs are jointed in 2 different directions. That is what the primary inspiration for my Ami-wild version of a giraffe. I made the legs so that they can used for many different poses (see above). The legs were stuffed halfway then I stitched across so they would easily bend in the middle. I then stuffed the remainder of the way before attaching to the body. The spots are made with brown felt and are glued on with Aleen’s Okay to Wash It. I decided to use that glue when I first started making amigurumi in case with kids who have a tendency to get things dirty hopefully they would be able to hold up thru a possible washing (though I must admit I haven’t tested my hypothisis    ).

Alley Kitty
This kitty is made using the same pattern as my calico kitty. I liked this natural ivory yarn with flecks of brown, rust & blacks in it and after making the pattern for the calico kitty(see below)  I needed to test it and thought this yarn would make a good cat. I then brushed him when completed to give a “fuzzy” look which I must admit didn’t come out exactly like I had thought. This one came out more “alley” than “furry”. For now I am thinking about keeping this one for myself cause I do think he is kinda cute. Just hope I can keep him away from Spenser or he might end up looking more “alley” than he already does.

Calico Kitty
Hope everyone is having a good start to the new year and …
Happy-Ami, Shannon

“Busted” Kitten

Re-Posted from March 4, 2011 by slprintgirl

This cute little kitten has gotten caught doing what kittens do best…. getting into mischief. Having got caught after getting into the yarn basket the only thing that could be said is that he is now “busted”.

“Meow”, It’s Hello Kitty!!!

Re-Posted from March 8, 2011 by slprintgirl

Hello Kitty
Mom works with someone who collects Hello Kitty and wanted me to make one that she could give her co-worker for her birthday.
I actually don’t know much about Hello Kitty (Snoopy is really my thing), so I had to refer to the web for help. I found that there are several different looks and she is usually either pink & white or red & white. I liked the pink best so you can see here how she came out. She is about 11″ high and I must admit my favorite part is actually the bow on her head.
For all you Hello Kitty lovers you can click on the link here and go to her “official” website. Hello Kitty is a fictional character, full name “White Kitty”, produced by the Japanese company Sanrio. She was first designed by Yuko Shimizu. Here you can read all about her and many of the other characters they have.
For all you Hello Kitty lovers out there, I hope I did her justice.
Well Wishes to All… & Happy Amigurumi,    Shannon
FYI: Since Hello Kitty is really a copyrighted character I did not make up a pattern and she is not available for sale.

Meet "Picasso" the fastener Bunny

     Well he is finally finished. Meet Picasso my Fastener Bunny. First I would like to thank Teresa from Konigotes for the name.Once the beret and scarf were put on him I knew that the name was perfect.

     I had initially designed and created him to give away, but I decided instead that he would make a perfect "mascot" for the Amigurumi Obsession blog. So I guess that means he will find a home next to Snoopy WWII Flying Ace the only other of my designs that I have decided to keep. 

     The reason he is called a "fastener" bunny is that he has all kinds of fasteners that are made to teach little kids how to snap (the wrist wrap), button (lapels on the vest), Velcro (on the scarf), zip (front of the vest) and lace& tie (under layer of the vest). The idea comes from the Playskool line of "Activity" dolls. I loved the idea and thought it would make a good Amigurumi.

     As for the Tony Stewart poster. Well I took the pictures at work and thought that the poster would make just as good a background as anything else. So now yes, I guess you could say that Picasso is "Smoke" fan too. 

Happy Easter to all.... and Happy Ami,        Shannon

W.I.P. Fastener Bunny (no name yet)

     This is one of the projects I've been working on that is turning out to become a little more detailed than I had anticipated. My inspiration is from those "fastener" dolls, you know the ones that teach little kids to use snaps, buttons & zippers. How to lace and tie & use Velcro fasteners. I love the concept of the doll, but they are just so ugly (no offense meant to PlaySkool, who usually puts them out).

     So far my bunny is going to have snaps on the wrist warmer & the scarf Velcro's. The vest will have button down lapels, lace & tie under layer and a zipper front. I am not going to put "hooks" on it cause the pieces are so very small and pointy I don't think they should go on a kids toy. The blue beret and brown booties are just a part of the outfit for now.

     I was intending on making the bunny as a gift to give away, but I just might send him to their nana & papa's (grandparents) so that he/she will be available for more that one kid to use.

     Now you all can help me out cause the bunny does not have a name yet, and I haven't even decided if it will be a girl or a boy. I would appreciate any suggestions that you can give me. Just post to the comments below. I will post the final choice and give credit to the person when I post the completed bunny pictures to my blog. Please help me out here. :-)


Hoppy Easter.... and Happy Ami,            Shannon