Truffle the Valentine's Pig

 



Some pigs can find mushroom truffles...





 



... this pig finds "chocolate" truffles. 

       Meet Truffle the Valentines Pig. He (or she) has a unique talent. Truffle is the only pig who instead of being able to sniff out mushroom truffles is able to find "chocolate" truffles.
     Truffle has his own basket with 4 (zero calorie) truffles in it. The basket is sized where if you want you could switch out the ami-truffles for 3-4 real chocolate ones to make Truffle a truly unique gift for the one you love.
     







     The pattern is available from both my etsy and ravelry links (above) and has instructions to make Truffle and all the "optional" accessories such as the bow, hat, basket and truffles.

Ami-Halloween & Holiday Prep 2011

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

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

Ami-Halloween Ghostboy

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

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

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.

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

Easter Chick & Bunny in an Egg ???

 

(a Fresh Stitches CAL Easter 2011 activity)

     From time to time Stacey Trock at Fresh Stitches will do a CAL or "Crochet-A-Long" where several people will work on the same project together from one of her patterns. Here are pictures of my contributions to this years Easter CAL.

     The chick above is from her pattern "Russ the Chick in an Egg". (the pattern can be purchased from her site www.freshstitches.com . It is super easy and quick to make. I really loved the creativity of making it reversible. I made up my own Easter Bunny using the same pattern for the base. Not quite sure what happened though to make the egg look more "cone head-ish" on the bunny's egg. Stacey does have a bunny version of the egg available thru her website though along with lots of other wonderful cute patterns.

      I think these are going to find their way to some Easter baskets of some "little ones" that I know. I am going to have to make at least 1 more so that everyone can have one though.

Hope everyone has a Happy Easter and .... Happy Ami,            Shannon

Clover "SoftTouch" Crochet Hooks

After making amigurumi for over a year now I had found that that amount of time I was spending crocheting was starting to make my first couple of fingers feel numb from holding the crochet hook. I had seen in the store the Clover SoftTouch Crochet Hooks and decided to give them a try. According to the product reviews they were supposed to be lightweight and ergonomic. This crochet hook is designed to make crocheting comfortable for fingers and hand. The crochet hook has a built in soft cushion for easy crocheting.

Having used them for some time now I am very glad I invested in them. After several hours of crocheting my fingers no longer are feeling numb from holding the hook. While the cost can be anywhere from $7.99-$9.99 per hook I think that it was money well spent. Not to mention as an item that I had not ever seen go on sale I was able to use a coupon for 40% off (which can be found online) from Michaels. There are only 3 sizes of hooks I usually use (F/3.75 mm, G/4.0 mm & the 7/4.5 mm). So I did not have to replace a lot.  They are available to purchase individually or as a set from Amazon.com (see below).

If anyone has been having the same issues I hope that this might be a solution rather than having to give up doing something you might love to do or continue to deal with pain or numbness.

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

 

"Meow", It's Hello Kitty

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.