Happy Birthday!!! - A Short Story

For my sister's birthday, I made an itty bitty teddy amigurumi! Although this post is late (because her birthday was a few days ago), I am going to post about the cutie's story.

So, this little cutie was really made a few weeks ago and was made like most of my projects are - during 'television & craft session'! I don't mean to call the activity that, but it just so happens that I tend to craft (knit, crochet, whatnot) while watching TV. SIGH. But... give me points for multi-tasking!!! YEAH!!! :D *imaginary high-fives!!!*

Anyway... my sister and I are sitting on the couch and she asks what it is this time that I am attempting to make. And I shrug her off (like I do all things when knitting or crocheting - I'M COUNTING!!!) and say, "A bear." When I finished, this was what I got. She took it (him) away from me and started making him dace. Suddenly it hit her. "Is this for me," she asks. I look up at her from my yarn and smile a huge, mischievous smile (because I hadn't really thought of it) and replied, "Yeessss?" Hehe. I guess I am evil. But, she loved it and I insisted that she give it a name on the spot.... Poor little thing. Even to this day, it has no name. My sister had gone back to watching the television and had thought no further into naming him.

The next morning, I noticed that he was just sitting on the TV counter, where she had left him the night before.

Me: So, don't you like the amigurumi?
Her: Yeah....
Me: So? Why is it just sitting there?

Her: Because! What? Am I supposed to carry it around with me?

Me: No.

Her: It just seems lonely by itself. Oooo! Make another one to go with it! It needs a best friend!

So this happened:

This little bunny finally met the tiny teddy. And they became best friends!!! ❤ Sadly, she also has no name...which I can entirely blame myself for, because she is mine.

You'd think their stories end here with no names and no place to live, but nooooo....

The next night, after having seen a panda in a cartoon show, my sister (the same one - we have two other sisters) insisted that I make a panda amigurumi! And so I did!

The tiny teddy and the little bunny made a new friend, Peter the panda. Peter, as you may have already known, was a luckier amigurumi because he actually got a name! His name is the same as the panda in the cartoon! When Peter arrived, he shared the tiny space inside a tiny house with the tiny teddy and the little bunny.

And they lived happily ever after....

Whew, that was a lot to put into one post!!!

But I'm not done! (There's not much more to say, I promise!) I just need to add that these little items: the tiny teddy, little bunny, Peter the panda, and the tiny house; all came from my big head. The amigurumis are made with Red Heart Super Saver yarn (which are the most common yarns I use) in white and pink as well has black, brown, and beige felt for muzzles, ears, arms, legs, and Peter's eye patches. They have beaded eyes and are stuffed with love (actually the same fiberfill as Mr. Darcy from the previous post). The tiny house is cardboard with construction paper shingles, wall paper, carpet, and facade. The windowsill flower pots are pipe cleaners and the flowers are beads. The foam hearts and red knob are from a small valentines mail box another of my sisters no longer uses. The amigurumis are each about 3.5" and the house is 6.5" x 5" x 5.5".

Heh heh. I bet that's a lot to read!!!

P. S. The tiny bear was not all I got my sister. I also got her a pet hamster, something she has been wanting for a long time.

A Lady's Gentleman

I always wanted to make a teddy bear amigurumi big enough to cuddle... and toss around on the bed without losing... so when my sister and I stumbled upon a very soft skein of yarn in our local Joann store, I had to buy it. I loved the nature-esque color! The brand of yarn, Patons, has very beautiful browns and reds. The skein I purchased was "Patons Shetland Chunky: Earthy Brown" and this is what I made:

His name is Boe Darcy, but is also known just as "Mr. Darcy". I had ideas of giving him a more relaxed/laid back personality, however, after he got his bow tie, it was sort of out of the picture. So now he is a kind and helpful gentleman (quite opinionated, also). Mr. Darcy's bow is made of black felt and adjustable, being able to turn all 360 around his neck if he preferred. In addition to being made of Patons' Natrue Brown, his ears, arms, legs, and muzzle are crocheted out of Red Heart Super Saver: Aran Fleck yarn. OH!!! Mr. Darcy took up the entire Patons skein... to the very last inch... and even that.

Here Mr. Darcy was posing a few weeks ago on a late afternoon, right before the sun sat. He is enjoying the front yard from the porch (and trying not to knock over the daisy in the vase!). From this picture, you can see my poor crochet work... as there are many visible holes in Mr. Darcy. I did not skip stitches, but rather crocheted too loosely (I am still learning to crochet amigurumis correctly).

Mr. Darcy is made from my own design, mostly freestyled as I went on. I probably won't create another one like him because I really don't remember my exact steps into his making.... Actually, I am thinking of creating one-of-a-kinds, so it doesn't really matter that I don't remember the pattern to this, I guess. heh heh

I really had fun making Mr. Boe Darcy, who is already a few months old. And he loves watching television late into the night and napping by my pillow.

P.S. Mr. Darcy stands (if he could stand on his own) about 12 inches tall, from his ears to the tips of his toes. He is also stuffed with Heritage 'A Touch of Silk' Luxury Fiberfill (95% polyester, 5% silk blend).

Summer

About a year ago I had taught myself to knit. Because I was a complete newbie, I focused on small projects like scarves and dishcloths. I was pushing myself to learn crochet, but was frustrated each time I opened the little crochet booklet that came with my starter kit. A few weeks later, I was finally able to sit and properly read the booklet's (now simple) instructions and illustrations.

As soon as I learned to crochet, I went into amigurumi. This was when Summer was born.

Summer was my first amigurumi project, following the spiral crochet technique. Summer was given the name of the same season in which she was created. She is not made from my own pattern, of course, because I was just beginning to learn crochet, but is from the 'Little Teddy Bear' pattern in Kyuuto! Japanese Crafts! Amigurumi! by Tomoko Takamori. Summer turned out different from the bears shown inside the book because she was made from different yarn and also because I made plenty of mistakes from the given pattern. (Hehe...it was my first attempt....)

Now, Summer is a year old. She is very sweet, yet spunky. Her main outfit is her felt 'sun' t-shirt and pink crochet cap, which shows her fun and bright spirit. Her second favorite outfit is her warm winter vest and flower skirt that she feels most comfortable wearing in Autumn (although she wears it throughout the cold seasons). The pink polka-dot dress fits her snugly, but she doesn't like it much because it is too girly.

Summer is very cherished and has her own space at the end of my bed.