i ♥ amicute

the cat bus coming to a bus stop near you

2012-01-24T01:54:00.000-08:00

totoro slept through his alarm this morning and nearly missed the cat bus! good thing he has his spinning top!

this was a personal challenge as well as a commissioned piece. little by little, i pieced the bus together over the course of several months. i didn't use a pattern and this design is all my own. i used stills from the movie as a reference and let my hands and mind do the work! i especially love the mice headlights. i couldn't leave those off, of course!

this totoro and cat bus combo will soon be adopted by a blue-eyed soon-to-be three year-old! they're nervous to move into a new home, but so excited for a new play-mate!

click here to see my handmade and hand-crocheted totoro costume!

totoro + cat bus

hopping on just in time!

view of opposite side

view of cat bus when he's flying overhead

riding along

here totoro is peeking out the door to make sure he doesn't miss his bus stop!

the vegan voyeur watches you at your family christmas dinner

2011-12-24T02:37:00.000-08:00

the vegan voyeur: a tofu in disguise

he's wishing you a very happy holidays! ...while he watches you eat that christmas ham...

ollie the owlet

2011-12-20T01:33:00.000-08:00

this is ollie the owlet. ollie is in 4th grade. sometimes her other classmates bully her because she's "too quiet" or "weird," but ollie is just daydreaming about when she grows up and becomes a prominent activist working to end discrimination and bullying in schools. ♥ go ollie!

sweet happenings at bazaar no. 2

2011-12-11T01:34:00.001-08:00

while at today's bazaar, these things happened:

1) "your mind is so warped... i love it."

2) "I LOVE YOUR BRAIN!"

3) a little girl fell in love with penelope the bunny and came by every 15 minutes during a 5 hour span to hold her or stared longingly at her from across the room. when she left the room, the girl's father rushed over and purchased the bunny and hid it. the little girl came back into the room and immediately starting crying silently when she saw that penelope was gone. she slowly walked over and let the tears roll down her cheeks as her eyes searched my table for her now missing friend. my heart was touched to know that she had become so attached to something that i created with my own hands. it was a good feeling, but it was so bittersweet because she was so sad! she's going to LOVE Christmas morning when she finds penelope in her hands once more, now forever hers to cherish ♥

below are photos of some of the items i sold at the bazaar:

bucket o' heads

all in a row

boogie boogie

dancing like nobody's watching

my very first bazaar!

2011-12-04T17:54:00.001-08:00

after over a month of hair-pulling, dry-heaving, and no sleep due to the farmer's market's failure to notify me whether or not i got into their bazaar, it ended when i received a call just over a week before the event that they had run out of space and i "didn't make the cut." so, i sulked for five minutes and then decided i didn't crochet all these critters for nothing, and called up two businesses that would be holding events and bazaars this month. i immediately received responses saying that they would LOVE to have me - yay!

on december 2, i had my very first booth at a brand new yoga studio in town called heart stream yoga for their first friday event. being that it is fairly new, a small space, and a bit hard to find, with tons of other events happening that day, i thought it went really well! in all, there were eight vendors in the studio, including myself. plenty of specialty wines, ciders, and gluten-free goodies! my artisan friends included a knitter, an up-cycler, photographer, drum maker, authors, painter, and yoga and martial art instructors! the atmosphere was laid back, everyone in their socks or bare feet, and even if we didn't make a lot of money, we made friends, new contacts, and plenty of moments for laughter. it was the best first bazaar a crafter could ask for :)

leopold the snowman

2011-11-10T21:15:00.001-08:00

meet leopold. he only likes to come out on cold, wintery days when you've got the seasonal affective disorder (S.A.D.) and you're caught looking longingly through the window of that ice cream shop. He's here to cheer you up!

totoro, to-to-ro

2011-10-29T01:31:00.000-07:00

thumbs up to miyazaki hayao for creating my favorite childhood character and story. my sister and i saw ourselves as satsuki and little mei, frolicking totoro's woods in our big, alaskan backyard in the middle of nowhere. every dark, frigid, wintery morning we walked to our bus stop anticipating the cat bus to come running up with its big smile and warm, fuzzy seats and take us to school. pretend dust bunnies occupied the dark corners of our house.

♥
this is a tribute to totoro. i crocheted a scoodie (scarf + hood) and attached ears and a big, green leaf on top. I crocheted pockets to resemble paws onto the ends of the scarf part complete with long, brown totoro nails. my romper is one i purchased from american apparel. i cut out the mouth and gray belly spots from jersey knit material and hand-stitched the teeth. i then hand-sewed the belly and mouth onto the romper WHILE wearing it and WHILE looking into a mirror... because the romper had an elastic band around the waist and would scrunch up if i took it off. so it took a while... but it was definitely worth it. i had gray boots and my co-worker happened to have fur laying about so i just wrapped it around my boots and sewed up the sides. i love my totoro costume and i hope it provides you with a bit of inspiration to create something that commemorates the feel-good, happy, fuzzy moments of your childhood, too.

happy halloween!

peekin' around

waiting for the cat bus

hoping for rain

skulls for my phalanges

2011-10-11T01:48:00.000-07:00

skulls for my phalanges: my army is growing.

in honor of october and all of its spookiness, i crocheted a little skull for my finger.

crocheted brass knuckles = instantaneous badassness

2011-08-08T23:12:00.000-07:00

reasons to get your own set of crocheted brass knuckles:

you will look badass
initial intimidation transitions to immediate life of the party
you can sit on them and they won't hurt your bum
you can wear them out and not receive a felony for possession of a dangerous weapon
face punching people will be more pleasant for both parties

model: erik whitney

timmy the broken condom: a socially inappropriate newborn baby hat

2011-06-23T19:32:00.000-07:00

timmy was born in a factory like all the other typical condoms. he's generic brand without all the doodads and colors, but he's anything but bland! timmy is playful and sweet, charming and adventurous.

timmy's hobbies:

climbing trees

hollering at cute girls

resting on baby heads

and he LOVES surprises!

timmy enjoying the sun on a tree branch. what a nice treat after climbing.

peace out, homies. it's nap time!

dear motivation: you are missing from my life

2011-05-21T14:00:00.000-07:00

why am i not motivated to create? for the past two months, all i want to do is crochet, but i can't find the motivation to pick up a hook, a ball of yarn and create all the great ideas i have jingling around in my brain. is it because summer has arrived in alaska and i'd rather not be cooped up inside? is it because i need to focus on other things like finding a graduate program? or is it because i don't have someone pushing me to create and i'm simply procrastinating? i think it's all of the above. hopefully, writing this out will get the wheels turning once again. i'm heading to the craft store now to pick up some yarn for my next project. it's a huge project and it needs to be completed before the city fair starts. :) i'll keep you updated, folks! thanks for checking in and supporting me from all corners of the world.

tamara the toilet paper roll: revamped

2011-05-07T21:33:00.000-07:00

remember tamara? well, she got a makeover and she's lovin' it.

tamara's new hobbies:
whispering with birds
cloud gazing
visiting charming boutiques
dreaming about her crush, Harold the Poo

the original tamara and harold. click HERE for the original blog post!

tamara and poo: old and new

dearest blog followers:

i need to thank you from the very deepest layers of my heart. my blog has recently reached 10,000 page views thanks to you! you give me the motivation to keep creating so that i can bring a smile to your face - no matter where you are in the world. i want to keep creating, crafting, and living a life full of creativity, inspiration, and accomplishment! thank you for reading and clicking through the last seven months since i first created this blog. i'm a little shy to admit, but i opened my etsy store. i don't have many items in the shop, but i vow to only crochet as much as i can before it becomes a job, not a joy. i want each amigurumi to be stuffed with originality, care, and my love - not a sense of obligation to create.

thanks for checking in with me from time to time: i ♥ amicute

hettie sends hope to japan

2011-04-24T23:07:00.000-07:00

while the rest of the world moves on with their lives, hettie stumbles upon a little thing called hope. she decides to send it to the people of japan still struggling with the aftermath of the march 11, 2011 earthquake and the multitude of disasters that followed. hettie knows that although her gift of hope is small, it will lighten up a saddened soul or two, even just for a moment.

hope? what's hope?

i think it's something that i need to give to the people of japan

i'm going to give them all that my heart can handle ❤

brunhilda the easter bunny meets hettie the holiday ham

2011-04-18T02:31:00.000-07:00

brunhilda is a sweet, miniature bunny that frolics in the imaginations of millions of greedy, egg-overdosed children during the month of april. her exterior may be expressionless, but inside, she's bursting with double rainbows and sunshine. enter hettie the holiday ham: brunhilda is seriously miffed that this busy little rodent would try to impersonate her. Good thing Hettie's bunny suit didn't fit her.

this is brunhilda frolicking.

enter hettie. she spots the easter bunny's basket and wants it for herself. she thinks she's better at hiding eggs than brunhilda.

oh hi, brunhilda.

well, if you can do it, then i can do it.

ok, maybe it's not worth the giant human hands forcing faux-bunny ears onto my head.

remnants of hettie's failed bunny costume.

april fool's day revenge: hettie wants to keep her dignity this year

2011-03-31T22:36:00.000-07:00

hettie's trying to keep her nice image for the new cute boy in the office. this year, she's determined not to be the butt of another cruel april fool's day prank. this year, she's gonna get them good.

shopping list: sugar? check. salt? check. spoon to scoop the sugar and pour into the salt shaker with? check, check, check!

gotta get this done before everyone goes to lunch! oooooh, i'm so bad and i love it!

now... i put this into that?

*blink* she's looking at you looking at her.

licking the leftover sugar off of the spoon... before swallowing it whole.

nonchalantly waiting for an office fool to stumble upon her prank.

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alaskan amigurumi challenge: subsistence bear stocks up for winter

2011-03-29T18:37:00.000-07:00

someone asked me if i knew how to crochet a kuskokwim* style canoe. uh, no. but i tried and i think the end result was a successful, cute ode to the traditional alaskan lifestyle. the recipient shot her first black bear (i know, this must be horrifying to you animal lovers) a couple years ago so we thought it would be ... fitting... for lack of better word, to have a fluffy black bear scrounging for blueberries, cranberries and salmon before the harsh winter.

*kuskowim (my definition): a giant river in alaska. for a more thorough grasp of the kuskokwim river and it's significance, please visit this wikipedia explanation

disaster in japan: i am heartbroken

2011-03-14T10:23:00.000-07:00

source

We've contacted all our family and friends in Japan and everyone is fine. But there are many thousands of others that have lost their lives, their loved ones, their homes, all that they possess, and their day-to-day lifestyles. Some still have no power or running water. Others are stranded in shelters and are running out of food with threat of radiation exposure. Yes, natural disasters occur all the time. Yes, japan is not a third world country. Yes, Japan is resourceful and the northeast will eventually rebuild their infrastructure from the damage caused by this crippling disaster, but these people are emotionally scarred forever. I can only imagine the pain they must be feeling now and for the years to come.

A bright light shines through the muddy rubble the quake and tsunami has left behind. The light of millions of prayers, good thoughts, donations and support by people like you.

Click on this link to see photos of the disaster: The Calamity of Japan's 8.9-Magnitude Quake

meat: a recurring nightmare

2011-03-07T23:42:00.000-08:00

the vegan voyeur: a tofu in disguise

he's watching you... not eat meat

about meat: a recurring nightmare

lately, the vegan voyeur has been having very vivid and disturbing dreams about meat processing and packaging plants, the meat department in the supermarket and of sizzling steaks on the grill. he tosses and turns all night long, dragging himself into work half an hour late.

he wonders: is this a sign that i should start eating meat?

inspiration sterility, Fast Food Nation, meat packing plants, steel, modernization

materials paper, cardboard, recycled household garbage, yarn, creativity

i created this diorama for my very first first friday event. what is first friday? every first friday of the month, many of the art galleries, cafe's and boutiques in town will showcase local artwork, have live local music, wine and hors d'œuvres. it's a town-wide fancy party. i was thrilled when people looked at my crochet, looked at me and said, "i don't get it..." i was equally pleased with all that enjoyed the vegan voyeur this time around. thanks for the support!

see more of the vegan voyeur by clicking here!

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and the oscar goes to... hettie!

2011-02-20T23:53:00.000-08:00

hamsters have their own awards shows, too: welcome to a series of photos from the 2011 hamcademy awards
hello? is this thing even on?

ooooh! i can't believe i won!

i really wasn't expecting to win anything, but i still made some notes just in case!

i'd like to thank my owners, molly and scott, for their love and support during the grueling filming process of black hamster. you paid for all my ballerina lessons and for that i am truly grateful. i'd also like to thank the creators of cheese and cardboard toilet paper tubes. now i'm off to the after party!

what? i need an invitation?? but i won best hamtress! i'm natalie portham! ...no, not portman...

you know what? i don't care about this oscar anyway. it's made out of yarn.

harumph.

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news flash: nelson the crobot attempts to hijack hot air balloon!

2011-02-12T20:23:00.000-08:00

why nelson decided to hijack this particular hot air balloon: he wanted to find the perfect baby shower gift for a little boy that will be born soon. nelson was picnicking under the shade of an industrial building when he saw the hot air balloon drift by. he quickly shimmied his way up the escape ladder and jumped onto the balloon. now, how to get it down?

crobot: a crocheted or amigurumi robot

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etsy crafter of the week: tiny owl's magic attic

2011-02-11T21:19:00.000-08:00

i never thought i'd say this... but i want to learn how to knit (better)!! the most adorable whimsical etsy knits at tiny owl's magic attic.

knitting needles & crochet hooks holder - effing CYOOT!!!

little bo peep bow

hettie doesn't have a boyfriend now, but she's still hopeful for the 14th!

2011-02-09T22:25:00.000-08:00

i ♥ amicute and hettie are wishing you a happy heart day! now go do something amazing like stand frozen at the grocery store for 30 minutes staring at nothing, walk into a crowded elevator and stare at everyone while chuckling to oneself, dress up like someone you're not, or say something that you've had pent up for far too long. surprise yourself this commercialized, corporate holiday when you catch yourself amidst the overflowing supply of cheap red and pink goods and corn syrupy candies.

or... i prefer to just crochet:

give someone a heart using this crochet pattern by MyGurumi.

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the superbowl is an american holiday, right?

2011-02-06T19:20:00.000-08:00

hettie the holiday ham represents the green bay packers* for this american "holiday" that results in an overflowing amount of cheap beer, pizza, screaming, crying, money-losing, and wearing of obnoxious mascot thingamabobs. hettie has made this traditionally rowdy and sometimes gross american pastime into an "awww" worthy event.

*please note that i don't have a favorite team nor do i particularly like football or even know what's happening as i'm watching it. to me, it looks like giants with future knee problems lumbering around on a patch of grass surrounded by costumed, drunk, maniacal fanatics. therefore, please do not shoot me hate mail and/or post obscenities on my blog if you happen to be a fan of a team other than the green bay packers.

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who needs a groundhog when you have hettie the holiday ham?

2011-02-01T23:04:00.000-08:00

Happy Groundhog's Day! This is Hettie's first appearance... with her crocheted shadow! Please root her on! She's planning on modeling for all future American holidays.

looks like six more weeks of winter, folks! better stock up on some more berries! (do you see the big berry in her cheek pouch?)

hettie is tired of her shadow following her around and has decided to sneak off unnoticed... until the next holiday!

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cletus the mini dachshund wishes you a happy valentine's day

2011-01-31T00:38:00.000-08:00

despite being an educated and sophisticated sociologist, cletus can't help but fall into the commercialized corporate trap that is valentine's day. something about those red hearts just makes him so giddy!

ami ami dogs: the first installment

2011-01-25T22:44:00.000-08:00

meet carlile the corgi. he's a shy but loving little pooch. he wishes he could find the courage to ask the cute dachshund next door for a walk along the neighborhood stream, but alas, all he can do is hide behind his human's leg whenever she trots by.

so, i had some issues with this little guy. living in a small city = limited yarn variety. consequently, i had to use two different yarn gauges to create the corgi. no matter how many times i stomped through the aisles, i couldn't find the perfect corgi fur-like yarn. another thing: the selection of eyeballs and noses are limited as well. i had to order them from an etsy store called 6060. if you're looking for doll eyes, noses, doll joints, and/or buttons, this is the place for you. no really, there's literally no other store online to buy a good selection of doll thingamabobs for cheap. and they shipped fast.

the pattern is from a japanese book (photo below) that i lugged back with me this past month.

a bale of turtles

2011-01-17T01:02:00.000-08:00

here's a request for a family of turtles that i had since before i left for japan... I KNOW! i'm so sorry it was delayed.

here are my excuses:

i had food poisoning (really, i did!)
jet lag (now this, i definitely had)
worldwide snowstorms
had to leave the state to attend a protest (i didn't really..)
general apathy and laziness (what?...)

ok, in all seriousness: this is not my own pattern. it comes from amigurumi two! crocheted toys for me and you and baby too. I did make the stitching on the shell and the underside pink instead of orange.

a few things i picked up along the way

2011-01-09T02:25:00.000-08:00

my trip in sum

2011-01-09T02:10:00.000-08:00

the traveling crocheter: japan is summoning me

2010-12-07T22:13:00.000-08:00

news flash: i'm heading to japan on sunday!

after weeks of moving money around, emailing back and forth with contacts, and high-pitched screaming, i finally feel like i can relax a bit and enjoy the packing process. i love to pack. actually, i love to make lists of the things i need to pack and then subsequently accidentally forget to pack the most important items. i roll my clothing items into tight, neat rolls which will later be jarred apart by oily TSA hands and the carefree tossing of my luggage into cargo. as long as they don't tear off a wheel again, i'll be fine.

this time, i'm heading to okinawa where it's warm, sunny, green, blue, and skin cancer galore versus here in Fairbanks where it is frigid, dry, white, icy, frustrating, dark, glum, and everyone is running low on vitamin d. i'm going to learn the ancient history, visit the war monuments, experience the small island culture, and let's not forget my real reason for going: IT'S NOT COLD! i would have loved to visit the odd, red-butted hot spring monkeys, but they live in the north. and the north is cold.

http://travel.3yen.com/wp-content/images/jigokudani_hotspring_in_nagano_japan_001.jpg

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fv20100103a1.html

perhaps you envision me as a wimp that can't handle a bit of nipple-y weather. perhaps i am. or maybe i've experienced 23 years of fairbanks winters that last 9 months out of the year in constant darkness, dryness, extreme sub-zero temperatures that i feel i deserve a beachy, blue-y, relaxing break from it all.

i'll hop over from okinawa to taketomi island - a tiny little island complete with traditional okinawan day-to-day living and cow-drawn carts. yes, i'm going to be pulled around by a cow and i'm going to enjoy it.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/53/Water_buffalo_Taketomijima.jpg

if i can, i'll continue to post up photos of random cuteness or coolness that i encounter during my travels. keep checking back for some japanese kawaii!!

http://www.elizabethannedesigns.com/living/2009/09/11/attempt-at-a-new-hobby/

concept drawing: greasy spoon brigade

2010-12-07T21:54:00.000-08:00

meet the greasy brigadiers: filthy spoon, oily sunny side up, and burnt toast. watch out, they're rebellious. these brigadiers are friends with liza the bacon slice and frequently spit grease onto unsuspecting passersby.

free pattern: mini poo

2010-11-22T21:49:00.000-08:00

now you can boogie the night away with your very own harriet! free amigurumi pattern for a crocheted harold and harriet the poo! click here for the pattern.

lyza the bacon: short for lyza the crispy bacon slice

2010-11-22T19:51:00.000-08:00

lyza, oh lyza. she's ready for just about anything. film, theater, singing, multiple husbands, illnesses, and philanthropy - she can do it all... with no hands even! here she is lounging in her favorite frying pan at a posh resort called la graisse pot (the grease pot).

lyza was born from a crochet concept i had a few months back. i didn't have time to make the amigurumi stove, but it's still on my to-do list. here's the concept drawing:

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concept drawing: more poos with personalities

2010-11-22T19:13:00.000-08:00

my plan is to create a whole parade of little crocheted poos, each complemented by distinct personalities. i hope you liked harriet the pre-op tranny poo and harold the poo (pre-sexual-self-realization). hmm, do you have any ideas?

cross-contamination: voyeuristic tofu and crocheted poo

2010-11-18T23:31:00.000-08:00

the vegan voyeur is in a state of conundrum. he wants to make new friends, but these poos are contaminating his tofu exterior.

scenario one: he makes friends with the poos, but they can't keep quiet so they'll give him away when he's watching you... not eat meat.

scenario two: he's lonely but he gets to watch you eat your green beans in peace.

how ever will his heart decide?

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harold the poo transformed: harriet the pre-op tranny poo

2010-11-18T19:34:00.000-08:00

welcome to harriet's world. formerly known as harold the poo, he's finally found the courage to admit to his friends and family that he identifies as a woman, a woman named harriet. she's glamorous, she's fun, she's sassy and everything you wish you could be. she even does a little drag here and there.

harriet's hobbies:

lip syncing

boogying

giggling about boys

taking photos of herself

being an LGBT-rights activist

harriet's role models:

ru paul

hillary clinton

mothers

people that are true to themselves

harriet is so happy she is finally a free and independent amigurumi poo.

work it, girl!

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concept drawing: bacon and stove - a pair in love

2010-11-08T22:39:00.000-08:00

the cutest couple you'll ever meet! my coworker asked me to crochet something for his girlfriend for christmas. his gal LOVES bacon and so we wanted to incorporate it in a cute way into something amigurumi. i can't wait to crochet the stove. don't they just look so happy?

monday night mustached voyeurism

2010-11-08T22:05:00.000-08:00

it's monday night and the vegan voyeur wants to beat that slummish feeling that typically accompanies the beginning of the week by relaxing in his favorite chair while watching you... not eat meat.

a teapot cozy: mishaps and extra flaps

2010-11-08T19:36:00.000-08:00

did you miss me?

probably not, but the reason why i haven't posted in so long is because i have been working on above mentioned teapot cozy for my so-sweet co-worker that just got married. to be honest, i was going to whip up a scarf for her - easy and fast. after i purchased the light blue THIN yarn, she asked me for a teapot cozy instead. i got to thinking: should i go buy new yarn for the cozy that is thicker (so that it would take less time) and darker (to hide stains)? i was either too lazy or just stubborn (truthfully, i am both) and i ended up crocheted the cozy with what i had. i had a vague idea of what to do and how to do it. there were no patterns online for a bodum teapot cozy so i knew i had to wing it. increasing and decreasing my stitches as i went up the curve of the teapot, and, literally weeks later, i ended up with a nice round pouch with an opening for the handle.

my plan for the top flap was to have JUST ONE with a cute button. i sewed on the flap and giddily put back on the cozy... and to my horror the flap was on diagonally. i immediately shriveled up and pitied myself for my mistake until an idea hit me like an elephant kicking your face with its hind leg. i'll just make a criss-cross pattern and she won't even know it was a mistake! and here is my product with a few blips here and there, but i was careful not to show them in my photos. ;)

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the vegan voyeur: a tofu in disguise

2010-10-27T02:13:00.000-07:00

he's watching you... not eat meat.

lady gaga wore meat... i'm disappointed.

a curious house cat inspects the vegan voyeur

the vegan voyeur was born from an idea that my friend and I had late one night sans alcohol - i know! surprising, right?? a voyeuristic tofu with a mustache?? YES! what an AMAZING idea! i whipped him up, threw on eyeballs and a mustache, and VOILA! he's perfectly creepy-cute. i used super chunky lions brand white yarn with fuzzy black yarn for the amigurumi style mustache. he's actually only four pieces because the sides are an extension of his front piece, but normally, one would crochet six pieces and sew them together to create a square. he's all free-hand - i didn't have a pattern... consequently, his right side of his mustache is a bit larger than the left side, but i'm going to blame it on his own poor mustache trimming abilities.

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pick of the week: OhMafelt - just in time for halloween!

2010-10-26T01:21:00.000-07:00

oh. my. guh. these felt stuffies are so adorable! i love them because they're not the typical cutesy, wide-eyed, pink and frilly stuffy. these are unique, a little odd... and so i fell in love with them. visit OhMafelt's etsy shop and see what other goodies they have. the shop is located in port townsend, oregon... yet another reason i must move to oregon.

ベッドを占領する子猫

2010-10-25T23:47:00.000-07:00

i need to get me a neck ring for our resident house cats, stanley and nigel. i'll pretend stanley is a lion - he's got long orange fur and he's a bit neurotic, to put it mildly. :)

bears: i'm done with them for now

2010-10-25T02:05:00.000-07:00

sigh. remember when i was gung-ho about making an adorable amigurumi zombie bear line? well, that concept died and will never come back to life (pun!)... i can't find the motivation to finish my black bear! he's just going to have to remain head-less for the time being. they're just not that unique and my interest level is dissipating as quickly as the lindsey lohan news rolls in. i'm now working on animating inanimate objects - i'm very excited to introduce my new line! i won't tell you what it is... yet. hopefully i'll be finished with him by tuesday. until then, at the edge of your seat i shall leave you.

adorable amigurumi books from japan!

2010-10-25T01:53:00.000-07:00

yes! my amigurumi books have finally arrived! I asked my mother's friend if i could ship two books to her when she went to japan to visit family and if she could bring them back to alaska for me, and she said yes! i'm very excited to make the kangaroo with pouch and all the little vegetables: onion, eggplant, asparagus... so kawaii! i can't wait to crochet them!

pick of the week: tiny terrariums

2010-10-19T00:21:00.000-07:00

have you ever looked a little glass container and thought, "gosh, i want a tiny gnome to live in there..." well, now your desires can be fulfilled! ...to an extent. etsy crafters: OneGiftOneWorld and The Little Red Door sell adorable little terrariums and miniature ceramic houses. the terrariums fulfill my love of glass and the color green and the ceramic minis satiate my hunger for small, disgustingly adorable tchotchkes.

i plan on crocheting an amigurumi gnome in the near future. maybe i'll crochet him a terrarium for him to play in!

the place where my ideas come to life

2010-10-09T18:38:00.000-07:00

my room, my inspiration: welcome to the place where my ideas come to life. this is where i crochet, browse etsy stores, felt, flip through amigurumi and other craft books, dress, un-dress, and put my face on. it's a busy little room. can you believe that these walls were originally a blindingly hideous glossy brown wall-paneling circa 1970s?? ugh. thank goodness the landlord let me paint over it. i installed the wall shelving, the treasure boxes and mirror for my "vanity" area, and the wall mounted desk. i bought the paper lamps dangling above my bed online at Asian Import Store. the black frame was found at a local thrift store, spray painted black and hung neatly on my accent wall. i successfully manipulated this space into one in which i am comfortable, brightens my mood even during the darkest day of the alaskan winter, and inspires me to create.

surly surly pastries: concept drawing

2010-10-09T18:02:00.000-07:00

this drawing is the beginning of a possible amigurumi line called "surly surly pastries." i hope to crochet sour mood donuts, aggravated muffins, and perturbed fruit tartlets. my friend also suggested that i create mini flip books with her using these tasty characters. she will create the story line and i will draw. i hope it turns out well!

nigel and his prey

2010-10-09T17:42:00.000-07:00

often uninvited, nigel the resident house cat likes to sneak into my room to stalk and attack my poor, defenseless crocheted creations. he better watch out because tiff is getting perturbed!

an unwilling recipient

2010-10-09T17:32:00.000-07:00

this is the matching hat that goes with the red fox i made for my friend who then gifted it to her friend who in turn forces her baby to wear it. i think he just needs some time to readjust to his new status of cute fox baby. :)

pick of the week: sighfoo - recycled wool stuffies by jennifer syfu

2010-10-09T17:13:00.000-07:00

clockwise starting at top right: grey dog, big black penguin, mr. sad tooth, and purple quadropus.

these stuffies have an interesting intellectual background. their creator, jennifer syfu, received her bachelor of fine arts from the university of illinois and worked at a design firm in chicago as a motion graphic designer for years. now she hunts for used wool sweaters and creates adorable recycled stuffies for cute lovers on etsy! please visit her store here.

bradley the big poo

2010-10-09T15:52:00.000-07:00

everyone, meet bradley, the newest addition to the household. he's a loving mound of crocheted chunky brown yarn. he's a bit sensitive about his size since he was bullied as a young'n about his weight, but he's taking self-confidence boosting seminars to improve his body image. let's help support his efforts towards becoming self-accepting.

he'll be moving to seattle in a new weeks to start a new life. wish him luck! bradley is my own crochet pattern and i hope to write one out in the near future so that you all can make your very own amigurumi big poo.

* bradley has a distant sister named harriet the pre-op tranny poo (formerly known as harold the poo)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

marty the sprinkled cupcake

2010-10-02T14:53:00.000-07:00

marty is a shy but an accepting and loving sprinkled little cupcake. he wants to make the recipient of his birthday cake a happy little baby. happy first birthday!

this is my first attempt at crocheting a cupcake. he doesn't conform to traditional gender roles as his favorite color is pink, but he does like to bring out his rough and tumble side by playing intramural soccer and climb trees. i crocheted him without a pattern and the candle was a last minute add-on. the sprinkles took forever to sew on but was definitely a necessary touch to make him stand out out of all the other crocheted cupcakes. i think marty turned out pretty well.

marty is the beginnings of a new crochet line called: surly surly pastries. please stay tuned for more!

the return of the mini pea pod

2010-10-02T14:35:00.000-07:00

i can't help but post more pictures of my crocheted mini pea pod... they are just so darn cute! i got the original pattern from amigurumi two!: crocheted toys for me and you and baby too. i shrunk it down and made a more manageable size, although the yarn i was using kept getting caught on my hook so the entire process took a lot longer than i had hoped - but, the end result was totally worth the cramped fingers and unraveling and light cursing.

tiff the tampon: rejected!

2010-09-28T22:31:00.000-07:00

no, not by a creeper utilizing a profit driven match-making organization like e-harmony, but www.crochetville.org. this forum is geared towards crochet lovers. no matter your level or interest, there's a forum for you to spill your hooking woes or showcase your creations and gloat in the oohing and aahing of the world wide crocheting community. WELL, i placed several photos of tiff the tampon up in the "showcase" thread under the "toys" section where you would place photos of your amigurumi* among other items created for play.

i was getting a lot of views on my post and someone even left a comment saying that she was so inspired by how cute tiff turned out that she was going to create her very own tampon shaped tampon holder. a day later, i went back to crochetville to check on my post for more comments and i could not find it! tampons are an american necessity! is it obscene to showcase a winking tampon named tiff complete with hat on a crochet forum? apparently the forum police thought so.

look at her... even though she's a fiesty chica, she's got a sweet heart. i suppose i have to accept that not every forum will consider a hatted winking tampon to be family friendly material.

* "amigurumi" is a Japanese word roughly translated to: a crocheted or knitted doll. my blog name "i heart amicute" takes a bit of that word smashed together with "cute" and I came up with "amicute."

pick of the week: artmind - 99 feelings ceramics project

2010-09-26T14:56:00.000-07:00

this particular crafter has been one of my favorites for a long, long time. there are some adorable ones that you just want to pick up, coo at it, then crush it because it's so effing cute... to ones you have to think about a little until it hits you like a stove being thrown at you from an eighth story apartment window. i love the idea of branching off of a simple base shape and designing 99 different "feelings" using texture or objects meant to represent those feelings. please visit this etsy crafter by clicking here.

tiff the tampon

2010-09-25T17:05:00.000-07:00

my friend told me that i should make an amigurumi winking tampon - so i did! i came up with the idea of crocheting a little red hat with earflaps for her to wear as well. I think it turned out prettttttyyyy darn well :)

she likes to spend her time looking cute, tripping people with her string, and acting as a play toy for the resident house cats stanley and nigel. do you have something you'd like to say to her? she simply loves anything punk rock and is looking for a steady boyfriend.

mini peas in a pod

2010-09-19T23:01:00.000-07:00

my friend asked for a smaller set of amigurumi peas in a pod for a pregnant friend. i decided to crochet the baby a yellow hat since the gender isn't determined yet. the father has mini indie hair. :D

polar bear

2010-09-19T22:51:00.000-07:00

i picked up a ball of fuzzy off-white yarn and i immediately thought of crocheting a cute amigurumi polar bear. then i saw the brown and black fuzzy yarn and decided to make a whole array of bear species! pandas, black and brown bears, sun bears, etc. we'll see how long this obsession will last. i just finished my first crocheted fuzzy polar bear named jules.

pick of the week: closet gothic

2010-09-17T22:50:00.000-07:00

i've always been a fan of steampunk jewelry on one side of the spectrum and frilly, pink, cute jewelry on the other. now i've found a classy mix of the two! closet gothic creates beautiful vintagey jewelry inspired from the mechanical era. take a look for yourself!

diamond head

2010-09-14T23:45:00.000-07:00

my friend just posted a youtube video on my facebook page. it made me smile. click on the link to listen to music by japanese crochet'd creatures.

poo and toilet paper

2010-09-14T23:37:00.000-07:00

harold the poo and tamara the toilet paper roll. they've just met and have been on several sweet dates together. requested by my roommate. he likes to carry harold around on his shoulder at the bar.

red fox

2010-09-14T23:34:00.000-07:00

meet phillip the fox

pink bunny

2010-09-14T23:33:00.000-07:00

turtle

2010-09-14T23:29:00.000-07:00

he was bit by the love bug.

snow bunny

2010-09-14T23:19:00.000-07:00

For my friend in Arizona - a reminder of the cold place you come from :)

ninja

2010-09-14T23:09:00.000-07:00

he'll be creeping in the shadows behind your house

hot air balloon

2010-09-14T23:06:00.000-07:00

timmy's view from the hot air balloon

peas in a pod

2010-09-14T23:03:00.000-07:00

My friend's baby's crib has a new addition :)

worm in an apple

2010-09-14T22:56:00.000-07:00

My first craft blog. It all started becoming serious when my good friend from high school learned she was pregnant. I knew I had to crochet her something cute. First it was a worm in an apple.