The Itsy Bitsy Spider Crochet

Clem's Little Secret

2012-01-23T10:44:00.001-05:00

Everyone has their dirty little secrets... some are dirtier than others.

Take Clem, for example. It started off with a long summer walk through a dusty Texas town. Clem was hungry. He stopped at a diner. The menu read ham-burger...

Isn't ham supposed to be pork?

One bite and Clem was in love. Two bites and he realized his mistake. Three bites and it was impossible to go back.

Now - when he thinks the rest of the herd isn't looking - Clem sneaks off to that diner. He is oh-so-careful in keeping his little secret... he even makes sure to bring his little bib so that he doesn't dribble on his sweater.

Oh, Clem.

The pattern (called "Clem's Little Secret") is now available for download on Ravelry ($3.00) or you can purchase from my Etsy Shop and have the pattern emailed directly to you for $5.00. As always, the pattern is loaded with step-by-step instructions and photos to help you create Clem, his little bib, and the fateful cheeseburger.

And for those of you who would rather purchase without creating a Ravelry account ($3.00 download), just click the Buy Now below!

New & Improved Cupcake Pattern!

2012-01-16T09:22:00.001-05:00

It's been a while (AGAIN!). The holidays kept me super busy this year and I feel like my hook has been going non-stop for the past two months... just not on anything new!

But finally, finally -- I have something to share. Do you remember that cupcake pattern I made up so long ago? -- When I was first cutting my teeth on pattern design? Well, it has been born anew -- as a free pattern download for the Knit Picks IDP (independent design program).

I have been using yarn from Knit Picks here and there for years now. Much of it is high-quality natural fibers at a fraction of the price you'd expect to pay. Unfortunately, as many of you know, natural fibers aren't always the best for amigurumi projects....

Brava Sport drool-worthy color palette

But then Knit Picks introduced their latest line: Brava. Brava is a beautiful acrylic yarn that has a super soft texture. As if that wasn't enough to love, Brava comes in worsted, bulky, and -- wait for it -- SPORT!

Those of you who have used my patterns know how I love sport weight yarns and many of my blog followers will remember my dismay when Red Heart toned back their distribution of Designer Sport. Well, Red Heart... your sport weight yarn is dead to me. At only $2.99 a ball ($.50 - $.75 less than Red Heart) and with a quality that Designer Sport could not hope to match, I am a Brava girl from here on out!

So, back to the pattern -- you can find my new cupcake design on the Knit Picks site (along with hundreds of great IDP patterns), or if you love having everything together on Ravelry, I just loaded the pattern there too! Those who prefer Etsy will also still be able to get the pattern emailed directly to them for the nominal cost of $2.00 (to cover Etsy fees and processing time).

So, now that you know where to get your hands on the patterns, I have only to ask... what colors will you choose?

Newest Pattern Release: Mousey Howsee

2011-11-18T13:59:00.000-05:00

About a month ago, I dropped a few teasers on Facebook to show off my latest design -- well, my Mousey Howsee pattern is finally ready for prime time!

Let me introduce you to this sweet little gal...

When Mousye Howsee's creater, Lithuanian children's book author Jurga Sakalauskaite, first approached me with the idea of creating an amigurumi character after her herione, I fell in love instantly!

You see, Mousey Howsee has adventure in her blood, plain and simple. This little mouse wants to try all sorts of new things -- and even when her adventues don't turn out the way she planned, she keeps pushing to make everything work out all right.

Her latest story, Mousey Howsee And The Rescuers, is the #1 downloaded eBook in Lithuania and the English translation has been a hit with my own daughter. If you'd like to learn more about that, you can check out Mousey Howsee's own web site, here.

My pattern is suitable for intermediates and would make a great holiday gift -- whether you know Mousey Howsee's story or not (but for those of you who are tech saavy, the doll bundled with an iTunes gift card would make for a sweet treat!)

The pattern is available in my Etsy shop ($5.)) or you can download through Ravelry ($4.00).

Last but not least, I've provided you with a purchase button here -- in case you prefer not to become a member of Etsy or Ravelry.

$4.00 USD

Part 3: Using Recycled Yarn - Balling It Up!

2011-11-14T08:29:00.000-05:00

Right shoulder from my sweater

By now, you should have had a chance to find the perfect sweater for your recycling project and dissect it into 4-5 pieces... are you ready to ball some yarn? Alllll right! Let's get started!

The front and the back of the sweater typically yield the most yarn and give you the most satisfaction, so I like to start with them. Now, in most cases, commercial sweaters are knit from the bottom (waist line) up. So when you take them apart, you're going to start at the top and pull.

There's a quick and easy way to make sure this is the case with your sweater... take a look at the picture on the right ==>

Do you see those little triangle stitches? They're pointed down -- you can tell ths by looking at the vertical row closest to the edge of the piece. That means the piece was started at the bottom and you need to pull from the top. If the triangles on your sweater point up -- the piece was started at the top and you need to pull from the bottm.

So now that you know which end of the piece to sart at, it's time to find that one strand of yarn that will magically turn your sewater piece into a ball og glorious, usable yarn. If your sweater is like mine, you're probably looking at something like this...

Now, you could get in there with your scissors and unravel all that gobeldy-gook that makes up the neck bind-off or, you can give up a some yardage and do things the easy way...

Cutting away the neck bind off

Look closely at the fabric and those little triangle stitches. You want to find the first unbroken horizontal row under the neck line where none of the stitches has any kind of snag in it. By "snag," I mean bind-off stitches, places where tags were sewn in, and any other sort of little knots.

An ideal place to start

Follow that row all the way across the sweater, snipping the stitches in half as you go. You should end up with a nice, clean line (and a lot of fuzz)... something like this:

Snipped through

Now, tug gently at the edge with your fingers. Since it's hard to tell whether you're on a knit or a purl row, you might have to try both edges before you're successful, but eventually that magical yarn will come free!

The yarn we've all been waiting for!

You know what to do from here... ball that puppy up!

For my last post in this series, I'm going to show you how to get the sleeves started. Now, get to work!

Part 2: Using Recycled Yarn - Sweater Anatomy & Dissection

2011-11-11T08:48:00.001-05:00

You've had a few days to get some quality thrifting in and scoop up a gorgeous sweater or two (read how to shoose your sweaters here) -- now it's time for getting your snip-snip on! But before we get crazy witht he craft supplies, let's sit back and take a little sweater anatomy lesson.

Sweater seams

The key seams in a sweater run:

From your hip to the arm pit (red)
From your arm pit to the wrist (blue)
Around the top of the sleeve (green)
Across each shoulder (orange)

If you cut all these seams, you end up with the following 4-5 pieces:

Sleeve (2)
Front
Back
Neck/Collar (Optional)

Sweater pieces (neck/collar not shown)

Pretty self explanatory, right? But only if you've made (or taken apart) a sweater before!

So now that you know what keeps a sweater together... let's take a closer look at those seams.

Turn your sweater inside-out and head straight for the arm pit. Follow the seam up from the hip until you reach a cross (like the picture on the right).

See how there are two "ribs" of fabric? These are the salvage edges from the pieces we talked about earlier. In most of the knit sweaters I have taken apart, the salvage are knitted together with a finer weight yarn... let's take a look:

Find a place where you want to dig in and take one of the two ribs of fabric in each hand. Pull them gently apart and you should be able to just see some small stitches. THAT is where you want to put your scissors in!

The first snips!

Continue along the length of the seam, snipping an inch or so at a time and then pulling the seam apart again.

Because the seams are often knitted, you may even get lucky and just be able to pull them apart -- but don't force it if it's not coming easily. You're better off using your scissors and avoiding the chance of stretching out our otherwise messing up the yarn.

Once you've split all the seams, you should have pieces like the ones shown in the diagram above. Again, I'll give you a couple days to get through this part than then we're off to ball some yarn!

Front piece from my sweater

Part 1: Using Recycled Yarn - Choosing Your Sweater

2011-11-07T08:40:00.001-05:00

The holidays are coming and all of us have special projects in mind for our loved ones... but with yarn prices constantly on the rise, it's getting a little more difficult to fit hand made into the budget.

But there's a way to share your hand made treasures without breaking the bank -- and it's even good for the planet... recycled yarn!

I've found that a singe, medium-sized women's sweater can provide enough yarn for at least 5 projects. For example, I used an acrylic blend sweater from Old Navy (purchased at Goodwill for $5) to make a kitty and two owls (including this little guy ==>) I have at least enough yarn remaining for another kitty and another owl -- or any number of smaller projects!

So of course, that begs the question... how do we go from the Goodwill sweater rack to treasured amigurumi pal? Let's take a little walk through...

The first thing you need to know about using recycled yarn is how to choose the sweater for you. When you're shopping the Goodwill sweater rack, really LOOK at the sweaters that draw your attention. Is the yarn really chunky? Really fine? Some kind of novelty or angora yarn? You also need to think about how much yarn you're going to get from a given sweater and what that yarn is made from.

For me, an ideal sweater for recycling has:

Worsted weight or heaver (it is much easier to unravel heavier yarns)
Smooth yarn (again, novelty/angora type yarns are harder to unravel)
Acrylic, cotton, or wool blends (my favorites for amigurumi)
Limited stripes/patterns/embelishments (more yardage without breaks)

Once you've looked over the outside of the sweater and decied that the yarn is going to work for your project, you need to take a look at the inside. Yes, most thrift stores typically wash garmets before putting them on the rack -- but there are some things a casual washing will not help. Check out the arm pits for deoderant stains and look for other stains, holes, etc in the yarn. Remeber that you'll lose a lot of yardage from those little blemishes!

If the sweater still passes muster after an inside-outside review, you've found yourself a treasure. Head up to the cash register and take that baby home!

I'll give you a couple days to shop around for your treasures here before going on to the next part -- taking your sweater apart. In the mean time, you should also stop by a sewing store and pick up some sharp pointed scissors -- if you don't have a pair already. I use a pair of Fiskars soft-grips, like the ones shown below:

Happy thrifting and see you soon!

The Batties Are Here!

2011-09-25T16:36:00.000-04:00

This pattern has been hiding in my pattern book for about a year now, begging to be published in time for this Halloween... and here it is, my friends... my Little Amigurumi Bat!

My little bats are the perfect companions for the ever-popular spooky little ghosties (pattern here) and look ever-so-adorable perched on one of those perfect little pumpkins we made in last fall's crochet-along.

So, are you ready for the hook-up?

You can get my Little Amigurumi Bat pattern on Ravelry for just $3.00 or purchase on Etsy for a little more and have the pattern emailed directly to you. As always, for those of you who would prefer not to be members of either site, you can click the button below to pay securely through PayPal and download a copy of this pattern:

Happy crocheting!

And the winners are......

2011-09-06T13:21:00.000-04:00

It's a rainy Tuesday afternoon here -- perfect for cuddling up with a hot cup of coffee and my latest project. But before I do that, I have some winners to announce!

I ran the entries through my good friend RANDOM.ORG and got back the following entries:

ebonyspalace
Melissa Murray
Tee*
Ashley

Congratulations! I'll be sending an email out shortly to get your shipping addresses... then your stitch marker prize packs will be on their way!

For the rest of those who entered and did not win, I want to sincerely thank you for taking the time to visit my blog and for leaving your encouraging comments. The online crochet/craft comunity is such a wonderful group of people that I am proud to belong to!

And... keep your eyes peeled for some new posts coming very soon. I have plans to walk you through recycling yarn from a sweater (photos are already taken -- I just need to write it up) and I'll have another new pattern coming very soon. Cheers!

Finally... The PUPPY!

2011-09-02T16:12:00.002-04:00

Has this whole thing dragged on for nearly a month? Well, yes... I suppose it has. But I hope to be able to tell you that is was well worth the wait. In fact, I hope that you tell me it was well worth the wait, because that adorable puppy you saw my daughter cuddling is finally here!

The pattern is loaded into Ravelry and likewise available for purchase on Etsy. Keep in mind that -- like all my other patterns -- if you purchase on Ravelry, you will receive a discounted price of $3.00 (Etsy is $5.00). I offer the discounted price because it's easier for me to manage sales on Ravelry and it costs less to use that venue. Of course, I am happy to provide patterns through Etsy and will have all purchased patterns emailed within 24 hours.

And, if you prefer to go without creating a Ravelry or Etsy account, you can always purchase my patterns using the Buy Now button!

Playful Cotton Puppy pattern $3.00

I can't wait to see all your puppies (I have a feeling there are going to be quite a few popping up here and there as we move into the holiday season!)

Saved by Spindle Cat -- and a GIVEAWAY!

2011-08-29T09:02:00.005-04:00

One of the first Etsy sellers ever featured on this blog was S. Kate Hutchison of Spindle Cat Studio (see story here). Back then, in spring of 2009, I was still trying to figure out my way around Etsy. I was also trying to figure out how to keep a stitch marker intact for more than a week or so.

You see, I am really hard on my stitch markers. I started out with those plastic loops from the craft store and was going through about one a week. After those turned out to be a total fail, I switched to a paperclip -- but that kept snagging my yarn. Then I tried using a yarn stitch marker, but it just got in my way. I was at the end of my rope.

So, I shopped around on Etsy and found S. Kate Hutchison. She makes her own beautiful stitch markers from copper and was willing to work with me to do a custom crochet stitch marker. After a few tries, we had a set that I liked. But then she went one step further. She played around with what we had discovered and came up with MY stitch marker.

If you have my patterns, you've probably seen it peeking out from my projects. It is a beautiful Czech glass tear-drop-shaped marker with a twirl of copper. After receiving my "embrace" crochet stitch marker from S. Kate, I never used the set I bought from her. I was in love.

Until a few weeks ago...

My wonderful, perfect stitch marker gave in to all the abuse I put it through and broke. I contacted S. Kate in despair and told her my story. She had never had one of her stitch markers broken before me! S. Kate agreed that if I sent back the broken marker, she would fix it for me -- at no cost. And fix it she did...

You see why I love this lady and her work?

So, here's the deal. I noticed that recently my blog passed the 400 followers mark and decided that it was time to do something to celebrate. I special ordered four more of the embrace stitch markers from S. Kate -- just like mine. And, I've decided to offer them as a giveaway: one stitch marker for every hundred blog followers!

S. Kate was even willing to throw in some little treats of her own... so each of the winners will also receive some Spindle Cat swag -- including a nifty little keychain pen that is perfect for marking patterns!

So, here's what you need to do to get yourself entered for this prize...

First off, you MUST be a follower of my blog via Google Friend Connect or Networked Blogs. To join, scroll down to the Google Friend Connect widget on the right side of the screen and click Join This Site. Or, click the Networked Blogs link and then click the Follow button there.
Next, complete this form.

That's it!

The giveaway runs from today (8/29/11) through midnight EST on September 5, 2011. I will select a winner at random and announce the winner via blog and Facebook on September 6.

Good luck!

The Terms and Conditions: This giveaway is open to anyone -- unless your country specifically prohibits the import of the items offered in this giveaway (for a list of import regulations, please see the USPS web site). In cases where import license is required, the winner of the giveaway is responsible for obtaining such license. Winners will be contacted on Septmber 6, 2011 via the email address provided in the entry form. If this email goes unanswered for more than one week, The Itsy Bitsy Spider reserves the right to choose a different winner for the prize package.

Prizes will be shipped via USPS first class mail during the week of September 6, 2011. Once prizes have been shipped, The Itsy Bitsy Spider claims no further responsibility for delivery of the item.

New & Improved Dust Kitten Pattern

2011-08-21T09:00:00.003-04:00

I've needed to revamp some of my older patterns for a long time now and since I've been working on a big batch of Dust Kittens for The Nest, I figured there was no harm in snapping the pictures I needed for a new Dust Kitten pattern.

So what does the new pattern have that the old version did not? Well, for one, lots of new photos that are much clearer and easier to see.

The new pattern is (hopefully) a lot easier on your printr too. I'm trying out a new two-column format that should save some space and result in a shorter print. All of the detailed instructions you've come to know and love are still there, but we'll be killing just a couple a less trees in the process!

For those of you who purchased the pattern via Ravelry, you should be able to download the new pattern free of cost via your pattern library. If you're an Etsy customer, just attach your copy of the pattern to an email (or send me a link to your Etsy receipt) and I'll be hapy to send you off a new copy. My email address (in case you lost it) is ibscrochet@gmail.com

And if you don't own a copy of this pattern already, now is a great time to start whipping up some Dust Kittens of your very own (they make great stocking stuffers!). You can purchase online using the Buy Now button below or visit my Etsy shop.

Dust kitten pattern $3.00 USD

As usual, please note that the prices in my Etsy shop are slightly higher to cover my costs of selling in that venue. Ravelry charges me less to sell patterns, so I pass my savings on to you!

Cute Cotton Kitty

2011-08-17T09:02:00.001-04:00

One of the best things about designing patterns is getting to see how people make them their own and enjoy them. Because the Cute Cotton Kitty pattern is so versitile, I've already gotten quite a few photos and stories of how folks are having fun with this design -- but none of them have melted my heart the way this one, from Irene did. Here's the note I received from Irene the other day in the email:

Hi Karla,

I know you're busy hooking away with the new project, but I wanted to share with you my latest creation (thanks to you).

So a bit of a back story first... Attached is a picture of our real Kitty. I had her for 14 years and she passed away in March.

Finally, after several months, we decided to adopt a new kitty and ended up with 2 new kitties (brother and sis). Shortly thereafter, we discovered that our youngest son (age 3) has a level 5 allergy to cats, where 1 is mild and 5 is horrendous. Go figure. Not sure why, but he never reacted to Kitty.

I decided to make them an "allergy free" kitty and based it on the colors of the original Kitty. Attached is a picture of Kitty Jr. The boys love her!

Thank you, Irene, for sharing your kitty pictures and you story. And by the way, Kitty Jr. is cute, but that handsome young fellow with her really steals the show!

Getting Ready for the Grand Opening...

2011-08-13T16:22:00.000-04:00

Last night, I swung by The Nest to drop off my first load of goodies for their shop grand opening. I made sure to bring my trusty camera with me so you can have a look at my newest venture!

The paint is barely dry on the walls (co-owner, Ben, told me that he was at the gallery until 1:30 the previous night painting), and the protective papers are still hung over the shop's frint windows. But that didn't stop a steady stream of folks from wandering in during a special pre-opening show...

Even though things are still in a bit of a disarray, many of my creatures had no trouble finding themselves little nooks here and there to look absolutely adorable!

In fact, The Nest is excited to have two of the very first available of my new Cotton Puppy design!

There is still much to be done before September 1, but I think this is going to be a great adventure for me. If you're in the Cleveland area, I hope you'll mark your calendar!

Nesting

2011-08-08T19:10:00.001-04:00

So, some of you have seen on facebook that I've been working on some finished plush for a special client. Well, I guess it's about time I fessed up... I'm finally going to do the gallery thing.

I've been contacted by a few in the past, but The Nest in Tremont, OH is somehow different. The owners (Robin and Ben) are genuinely excited about having The Itsy Bitsy Spider in their shop/boutique/coffee-pastry bar and I really felt a good vibe with them. So after a lot of thought, I decided that I'm in!

The Nest is scheduled to open on September 1, 2011 and I'll be one of 30 or so artists helping to kick things off. I don't have a lot of online information right now, but I promise to update everyone with The Nest's links, Facebook, etc. as soon as they become available.

In the mean time, I'm gonna be a little busy stocking up for the grand opening, so please be patient with me!

Meet "Sasha"

2011-07-25T09:28:00.003-04:00

I made a little cotton puppy to go with my Cute Cotton Kitty, but wouldn't you know someone got to it before I could photograph, pattern, and properly primp it for the viewing public. And then she named it... there's just no taking a toy away from a little girl after it's been named.

Little Miss and "Sasha" watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse together

I guess this one has aldready gotten the kid stamp of approval. More photos coming soon... well, as soon as I have enough time to make another one!

Knitting?

2011-07-18T15:51:00.000-04:00

Once upon a time, back before there even was an Itsy Bitsy Spider, I was a two-craft kind of girl. Yes, crochet has always been my first love... but on the side, I'm a knitter.

Scandalized? I should say so.

So, every once in a while, I feel the need to drop the hook and get my needles going. The sad part is that I just make the same thing over and over.

Socks.

A new pair of socks for my husband

I don't know why I always return to socks. I don't even have a copy of the pattern I once used anymore. I've made it that many times.

You know what the crazy part is? I don't even like to wear knitted socks. They all go to my husband. And he gladly wears every last zany-colored pair... to work, no less.

It takes all types, right?

So I'm wondering, how many of you are combination knitter-crocheters? Do you have a favorite of the two? And, what's your go-to project when your brain just doesn't want to deal with something new?

Cute Cotton Kitty

2011-07-06T10:18:00.000-04:00

I love the colors available in cotton yarn and have slowly built up quite a little hoard of it. Each skein begs me every time I go in the craft room to do something adorable with it, and I have finally found an answer... meet Kitty.

She's a lanky lass and just the friend for summertime fun all year round. Made from touchably soft cotton yarn, this playtime pal has the durability of the dish cloths your grandmother used to make with all the appeal of a purrfect handmade friend. Take your kitty for a splash in the pool -- she’s sure to dry out -- and when everyone has rested up from their adventures, you can bet your kitty will be the first one to the car for ice cream!

My Cute Cotton Kitty pattern is available on Ravelry for $3.00. Or, if you want the pattern hand-delivered to your email inbox, you can purchase it on Etsy for $5.00 (remember -- the price is different because Etsy charges me more per transaction and I have to do a bit of extra work to get the patterns delivered).

I have also been whipping up quite a few of these kitties for my own personal enjoyment (the pattern is actually that much fun to make) and should be offering them very soon in my Etsy shop. Keep your eyes on my Facebook page for updates!

My Crochet Tea Set

2011-06-17T08:42:00.002-04:00

I finally have some good news and some new patters for you all -- my crochet tea set pattern is ready and available on Ravelry!

If you remember, the te set was my entry for the 2011 Vanna's Choice Yarn Contest. Well, I received an email the other day from Lion Brand Sales Support Manager, Carla Horvath, and guess what? the set took second prize in the craft category! Here is Ms. Horvath's kind note:

We are thrilled to be able to share the good news that you have been selected as a Second Prize Winner in the Crafts & Gifts category in the 3rd Annual Vanna’s Choice contest.

Your entry, My Nana’s Tea Set, was chosen from among thousands of creative and beautiful hand-crafted items made from Vanna’s Choice, Vanna’s Choice Baby, and/or Vanna’s Glamour yarns. On behalf of Michaels and the Lion Brand Yarn Company, we congratulate you.

A photograph of your entry will be posted to the contest website, VannasChoice.com. It may also be featured on the Michaels and Lion Brand websites, and in press releases about the contest. We hope you have enjoyed being involved in this contest as much as we have enjoyed seeing your work.

We greatly appreciate your participation in this contest, your kind interest in our products, and your enthusiasm for yarn crafting. Thank you.

Since Lion Brand still has my first tea set, I had to make up a new one to design the pattern. I chose their pink and dusty green for the set and I really like how it turned out.

The patterns are available individually for $2.50 each (the cup and sucer is only $2.00), or you can purchase the entire set for the discounted price of $6.50

For those of you who don't have a Ravelry membership (you really should get one -- it's free!), here are the links to purchase the patterns:

And, if you want to check out the tea set on Ravelry, here is that link too ==> Crochet Tea Set

Last but not least, I want to thank everyone again for all the encouragement you've given me over the past couple weeks. Knowing that I have a caring group of friends out there who love crochet as much as I dohas really helped push me to get these patterns ready for you.

The end of the Angry Birds

2011-06-09T12:12:00.000-04:00

It was a lot of fun while it lasted. I got to know people from all over the world and I got to share my patterns in a way that made people happy. But it's over.

On Tuesday, I was asked to stop selling the Angry Birds patterns. I cannot get into the details, but suffice it to say that I stand to lose more than just my business if I continue.

The patterns have been pulled from Etsy and pattern sales have been deactivated on Ravelry. They will not be re-listed or re-activated.

I will continue to sell my other original patterns in both venues and I have some new designs that should be released very soon. I am truly sorry to everyone who did not get the opportunity to get copies of the patterns.

Thank you for your support and understanding.

My Absence & My Apologies

2011-06-02T19:16:00.002-04:00

Hello friends.

Some of you... OK, many of you have noticed that I have been rather absentee from my blog and other social media lately. I'm writing today to offer my apologies and a little explanation.

I've often written about my daughter on this blog -- she's my amigurumi muse and my inspiration. Most of my designs have been for her, in one way or another.

The last six months have been hectic for us. My daughter started preschool in February. Back then, I was elated. I thought I was going to have more time to crochet -- more time to dedicate to The Itsy Bitsy Spider. And in some ways, I did have more time. Those few hours in the afternoon on school days have been a little slice of heaven for me. I guard that time jealously and give it up only when I absolutely must.

As my daughter began to "get in the groove" with school, her needs also began to change. And so did her behaviors.

My husband and I have known about our daughter's developmental delays since she first became a part of our family. Her gross motor and fine motor development were consistently between 4-6 months behind her peers and her speech was 10-12 months behind. Until recently, we blamed that on the conditions of her adoption and her expeirences living in a foreign country.

As she began school, we realized that we needed more answers for our daughter. These types of answers would ensure that she got the services she needed. We sought out specialists. We had her tested. And, we received several diagnoses. In April, we found out that our daughter has a speech disorder known as Mixed Expressive Receptive Language Disorder (MERLD) and Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD). Then after an MRI last week, we discovered the root of these disorders -- a pre-birth brain injury known as Periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) and underdeveloped portions of the brain used to keeping and categorizing memories.

With my daughter's disabilities, early intervention is the key. Her neurologist was very positive when he gave her diagnosis and encouraged us that with the progress he's already seen from our daughter, he has no doubt that she is going to be able to get past a lot of difficulties -- in effect, to "re-train her brain to take over the functionality of the parts that have been injured."

It's been intense. Every week we have speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and behavioral therapy. In addition to shuttling my daughter between therapies, I've been making First-Then boards, visiual communication aids, practicing pretend play, and dozens of other activities designed to help her get to where she needs to be.

There are some bright spots for The Itsy Bitsy Spider. My Angy Birds patterns have been even more popular than I ever expected. I've been using the money I've made from the sales to help defray the cost of therapies (I won't even go into the insureance situation). I can't begin to tell you all what a blessing your continued support for these designs has been.

And, my amigurumi tea set is a finalist in the Vanna's Choice Challenge. I don't know when the winners are supposed to be announced, but any way it goes, I am pleased and honored to have gotten that far.

I also just finished one of my biggest projects -- EVER for Voodoo Labs in Italy.

Finally, I am working on a very special project for a group who has become very near and dear to me over the past few months -- the incredibly supportive community over at The SPD Blogger Network.

In a nutshell, my friends, it's been a rough ride these last couple of months... but I am here. I still love each and every one of you and I still am doing my best to responde to all the emails, Etsy conversations, and Ravelry messages I receive.

Your support keeps me crocheting and designing. Thank you.

A Big Project in the Books...

2011-05-10T21:24:00.001-04:00

Yesterday I shipped out a big project that has literally been keeping me busy for the past month. If you follow me on Facebook, you know what I'm talking about. These guys.

Earlier this year, I was approached by a man from Italy who loved my Angry Birds patterns. He told me that his company, Voodoo Lab, had a voodoo doll in its logo and asked if I would be interested in doing the doll in amigurumi. I wasn't sure how "heck yeah!" would translate in Italian, so I simply gave him an emphatic "sure!" And so it began.

The project started with a request for two of the logo-style voodoo dolls in chef outfits. It took several tries to get the basic design right, but after a few weeks, I had two of these little guys to show:

Next up, came the company's signature logo doll, the black voodoo doll with red button eyes...

And then my favorite -- the yellow doll with blue eyes. As a fun side note, the eyes are 1 3/8 inch buttons -- which are nearly impossible to find. I came upon the bunch of red buttons by luck, but after searching every craft and fabric store I could come up with, I could NOT find any 1 3/8 inch blue buttons. So, I painted my own!

As it turns out, the new Sally Hansen quick-dry nail polish comes in a perfect array of colors that works great on smooth plastic buttons. It took a few tries to get my technique right (I almost considered going to a nail salon and asking how much it would cost to get a manicure for my buttons!), but I got two pairs I was happy with and was able to finish the dolls.

Last up was a girl version of the logo doll. Unlike the first three dolls, there were no existing graphics of the girl doll, so I got to be a little more creative with this one. I added the red heart lips per my client's request but decided that the doll was missing something. So, I added her big white bow, just slightly askew.

I had a lot of fun with the project, but I'm glad to be moving on to something else now -- at least for a little while. My new friend in Italy promises me that there will be more characters coming to his lineup soon and I, for one, am truly excited to see what they come up with next!

Pattern Pricing Changes

2011-04-28T19:32:00.002-04:00

I received news today from Ravelry.com (my online pattern host) that some changes are being made to the way patterns profits are divided amongst pattern designers and retailers. Essentially, I've been told that since many of my patterns are less than $2.50, I will now be giving more than half of my profit to any retailer who wishes to offer my patterns through the Raverly Local Yarn Store (LYS) partnership program. I'll show you how that breaks down for me with my current prices:

Pattern Price: $2.00
PayPal Fees: $.38
LYS Fee: $1.00
My net profit: $.62

I count on the profits from my patterns to offset my daughter's therapies (she's in speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and will start behavioral therapy next week). And unfortunately, I just can't stand to lose that much.

As a result, I've decided to increase the minimum price for many of my Ravelry patterns to $3.00. This includes all of the Angry Birds patterns and some other popular designs, including my doves and owls.

I've fought hard to keep my pattern prices reasonable and am still offering my savings from Ravelry back to my customers (for example, you'll notice higher prices on my patterns listed on Etsy due to the additional costs of doing business in that venue).

I hope you can understand my rationale for the price change and I look forward to continuing to delight you with fun, new amigurumi designs!

A Wedding Inspiration

2011-04-24T07:58:00.000-04:00

A little over a year ago, I released a pair of strange critters that I "found" in my back yard. I enjoyed making them and thought they were cute, but never really got around to making more or sharing the pattern. And so, I mostly forgot about them... that is, until a few weeks ago...

I got an email from a couple in Sweden that read:

Hi! My name is Sofia and I saw some cute little critters on your web page.

My boyfriend and I liked them so much so we used them as inspiration for our wedding invite and wedding webpage.

Now we're thinking about maybe having some made and use as table decorations for our wedding reception to stay with the theme.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Regards Sofia

Sofia also sent me a link to her wedding web page, and here is what I found!

I can't tell you how tickled I was to see my little forgotten creatures helping a couple to celebrate one of the most important moments of their lives!

I got to work on a very special order for the couple immediately and here is the result... a whole wedding aprty of strange little creatures!

I do have the pattern written down this time and hope to be able to publish it after I finish working on another special order that has been keeping me very busy for some time now. In the mean time, I hope you enjoy the photos of these little sweeties!

Forgotten Creatures together

Forgotton Creature - back view

Forgotten Creature - side view

Floyd

2011-04-06T13:18:00.000-04:00

A while back, I hinted at a secret project that I was working on for the lovely Janet of I Only Like Monsters. Well, today that project is no longer a secret. Everyone... I want you to meet Floyd!

Floyd Fingermonster

Floyd is one of the brothers that I created for Roland Fingermonster, president, CEO, and chief mascot of the I Only Like Monsters blog. I also created Fred (sorry, he was camera shy and refused a photo) and Finn.

Finn Fingermonster

And of course -- because you knew I would -- there's a pattern! You can head on over to Ravelry today and get started on your own monster for just $3.00 or us the Buy Now button below to purchase and download your pattern without a Ravelry login.

RAWR! (That's Fingermonster for "happy crocheting!")

Our Red Cross Donation

2011-04-03T08:46:00.002-04:00

I totaled up the sales from the Japanese Lantern Amigurumi Pattern and finished lanterns this morning and we were able to donate $150 to the American Red Cross!

The donation was made via MissionFish, PayPal's official non-profit partner...

And here is the official receipt for our donation:

A big THANK YOU to everyone who purchased the Japanese Lantern Pattern! It just goes to show that crocheters are the best kind of people out there!

Angry Birds Video!

2011-03-27T08:35:00.000-04:00

I got an email this morning from a talented young lady who has busily been making all of my Angry Birds patterns. Let's just say that there was no way I could go without sharing this with all of you!

Ashley (DaddysGirl91 on Etsy) is a 20-year-old daughter of a Baptist Pastor who loves to crochet, bake and decorate cakes. She also keeps a blog where you can learn more about her and see some of her work (make sure to check out her cake gallery -- she's amazing!)

Ashley sells her finished Angry Birds in her Etsy shop too -- so if you don't have time to work up one of my patterns for yourself, stop by and see her!

Either way, I hope you'll visit her shop or her blog and send her a little love. This young lady certainly made my day!

The Boomerang Bird Has Landed

2011-03-25T16:24:00.001-04:00

I've gotta admit it. I like this guy. I like the crazy look in his eye. I like that he's unpredictable. He's my kind of guy.

Get the Angry Birds Pattern Set and Do Some Good

2011-03-24T08:16:00.000-04:00

From now through March 27, you have a chance to get the complete set of my Angry Birds patterns and help out a family who has just begun their journey toward international adoption!

Here's the deal. Desiree, Arron and their family are trying to adopt a baby from Ethiopia. As you might know, I have a special place in my heart for international adoption. After all, without this wonderful opportunity, we would not have brought my beautiful daughter into our own family.

I have donated two complete sets of the Angry Birds patterns to the family to help them raise funds for the adoption. These sets are being auctioned off on the family's blog and the price starts at $8 (that's like getting one pattern free!)

Here's what you need to do to place your bid.

Visit either of the two items on Desiree's blog. Here is the first pattern set and here is the second.
Leave your name, email address, and your bid in the comments.
If you win the item, Desiree will contact you via email to arrange payment.

You can read complete rules for the auction and additional instructions here.

And, if you've already purchased your pattern set, there are still some great opportunities to help this family with the enormous costs associated with international adoption. Check out the amazing list of auction items, including jewelry, housewares, art, and children's items here!

Crochet Pattern Writing - Part 2: Pattern Notes

2011-03-21T08:57:00.000-04:00

I wanted to get a picture of what it looks like while I'm working on a new pattern, but haven't had time to start anything lately -- so, you'll have to forgive me for the delay in getting this post out. But at long last... here we go!

Working on my latest pattern

For those of you who don't guess immediately, I'm working on the green Angry Bird pattern now (I think it's a toucan).

Whenever I work on a new pattern, I like to set up a work space where I have enough room for my supplies and my beloved pattern notebooks. My personal favorite for the little books I keep my notes in is a 5" x 7" spiral bound notebook. The ones shown in the picture are by Carolina Pad and have a little pocket inside the flap for my scribbles that got torn out.

But enough about the books I keep my notes in... let's talk about the notes themselves. In my last post on pattern writing, I told you that I often sketch the object that I want to crochet in my notebook -- especially if I'm having trouble getting my head around the shapes that make up the whole. But this trick can also act as a great little "visual index" in your pattern notebook. That way, when you flip through the pages looking for a long lost pattern -- you know exactly where one pattern ends and the next one ends.

Sketches, color notes, and the start of a pattern

Like many other amigurumi designers, I use a lot of spherical shapes in my patterns and often start out with a plain, flat circle (see above). At first, I wrote down the exact instructions to makes these shapes, but as you can imagine... that takes a lot of time. So, I've narrowed it down to my own kind of shorthand. For example, a sphere that will have 48 stitches in its widest round will look like this in my pattern notes:

6 - 12 - 18 - 24 - 30 - 36 - 42 - 48
48 x ||||| |||
42 - 36 - 30 - 24 - 18 - 12 - 6

Since I usually work in multiples of six, I only need the final stitch counts for each round on my increase and decrease rounds. Since I don't always know how big a sphere is going to be until I've made that beginning flat circle, I list stitch counts for each of the rounds as I go (as opposed to noting "make a sphere with a circumference of 48 SC STS").

When I get to a round that I want to repeat (in the case of the example, the round with 48 STS), I make a slash after completing each round. This quick notation allows me to pause only briefly when I complete a round and get back to crocheting quickly.

If I need to do a round that has some kind of variation on my typical multiple-of-six design, then I write out the entire instruction. For example, in the egg for the white Angry Bird, my increase rounds went like this:

6
*(2 SC in first, SC, SC). Repeat x1 (8)
*(2 SC in first, SC, SC). Repeat x2 (12)
18
18 x |
24...

In rounds 2 and three, I did an unusual increase pattern and wanted to make sure I was able to duplicate that when I wrote out the pattern. But in round 4, I was back to my usual multiple-of-six scheme, so there was no need for extra notes.

Once I've done a shape that I know will work, I also will refer back to previous patterns. For example, in my Angry Birds blue bird pattern, I use essentially the same feathers and beak as the cardinal...

Refer back to an older pattern with modifications

So, my notes have a "refer back" and a penciled in modification (remove one round of 10 STS from the beak).

So there you have it -- a peek into my precious pattern notebooks! When I get time next, I'm going to try to start putting out some basic shape designs to help you get started with your own pattern writing. But if you want to get started right away, I've just published a simple pattern for Japanese Paper Lanterns that will help you get the idea of how to make a sphere and an elongated sphere. Best of all, all the proceeds for this pattern will go to the American Red Cross to help with disaster relief in Japan. Check it out!

Purchase a pattern and help Japan

2011-03-14T17:11:00.002-04:00

The disaster in Japan has weighed on my mind over since I first saw pictures on CNN. I wanted to do something to help and so I came up with a very special little pattern.

These two little lanterns are perfect sized for your Blythe or Pullip dolls -- or they can be strung together to make a garland of strength and hope for our friends in Japan. No matter how you choose to use the design, you will be helping out too.

Here's the deal... you can purchase the pattern from my Ravelry pattern shop, straight off the blog (no Ravelry/Etsy sign-in needed) or in my Etsy shop for just $2.25 -- I keep $.25 to cover listing fees, PayPal fees, etc., and the remaining $2.00 goes to the American Red Cross.

And, if you're new to amigurumi crochet, this pattern is perfect for you. The lanterns' simple design will teach you two very important shapes used all over the place in amigurumi -- the sphere and the elongated sphere. Master these and you open the doors to your own world of amigurumi design.

As always, I hope you enjoy the designs as much as I enjoyed coming up with them and I thank you for your help in supporting Japan during this time of need!

Crochet Pattern Writing

2011-03-11T14:41:00.001-05:00

I get asked a lot how this....

Dragon pattern beginnings from my pattern notebook

... gets to this...

Finished dragon

And after thinking about it for a while, I decided it would be fun to work through the pattern-writing process in my blog... so grab a nice hot mug of tea and let's see what there is to see!

I usually start a new design with a vision already in mind of what the final piece is going to look like. Sometimes (like with my dragon here), I sketch the design in my pattern notebook... sometimes not.

I've always been visual person. I remember taking those tests in school where you looked at a flattened shape and then had to figure out what it would be in three dimensions. For example, this one on the right becomes a cube. I always scored perfect -- no matter how complex the shapes were. It's just something that has always been second nature to me.

When I started designing my first amigurumi, I guess the part of my brain that handled all those three-dimensional shape tests kicked on. Not only do I see simple shapes in my designs, I see them three-dimensionally. In my mind's eye, something like my dragon looks more like this...

The shapes that make up a dragon

One a piece is broken down into its primary shapes, I start working out how the shape is going to come together in yarn. For example, I talked a bit about how a sphere is shaped back when we did the pumpkin patch crochet-along... here's an excerpt from that:

To visualize 3-D shaping, look at it this way... imagine that you're supposed to sculpt a sphere with pancakes. You have at your disposal a limitless supply of pancakes in assorted sizes, but that is all you are allowed to use in your sculpture.

Pancake number one would represent the foundation of your sphere. It will also be the smallest pancake in the entire sculpture.

To make the sphere begin to get taller and keep the sides going outward, you begin adding larger and larger pancakes to the stack...

See how the stack is getting a more spherical shape?

Now, if we just kept stacking larger and larger pancakes on top of each other, our sphere would probably turn out more oval-shaped than spherical. So, to get the height we need, we're going to have to use more than one pancake of the same size... like this:

Ok -- now think of the rounds in your pattern as those pancakes. Each time you make a larger round, you are adding a larger pancake to the stack. When you repeat the same size round a couple times, you're adding height.

See how that works?

If you think about the shapes in your piece in this way, you can turn yarn into anything.

Next time, I'll talk about how I take notes when I'm designing. In the mean time, I hope you found this helpful!

The White Bird Has Landed!

2011-03-09T13:38:00.001-05:00

At long last, I have finished the white Angry Bird -- and it's my favorite pattern of the whole set! This bird has a secret surprise inside -- a crocheted egg that pops out when you squeeze the bird's body!

Bombs Away!

2011-02-23T08:51:00.001-05:00

Last night, I finished and listed my pattern for the Angry Birds bomb bird!

Up next: Angry Birds Bomb Bird!

2011-02-18T08:48:00.001-05:00

A lot of folks have been asking whether I plan to do crochet patterns for the entire Angry Birds lineup. So, I thought I'd give you a sneak peek at what I've been working on over this past week...

This is what I like to call my "draft" of the bomb bird. I'm not entirely pleased with how the belly patch sits and need to give it another try before I'm ready to make a go at the pattern.

But, belly patch or no - he should be ready for you to start hooking yourself in the next week or so.

After the bomb, I'm planning to move on to the white bird. I do have a couple of special orders that need tending to before I can start the white bird but I'm thinking Mid-March at the latest on that pattern. Then the toucan and maybe on to some pig variations!

Angry Birds blue bird is here!

2011-02-13T08:36:00.002-05:00

After no less than FIVE tries, the blue bird from Angry Birds (aka, the blue bird of angryness) crochet pattern is finally finished!

I have no idea what my mental block was on this particular Angry Bird, but I ended up remaking the little fellow over and over again. My pattern notebook looks like it was written by a person with serious personality issues!

On the bright side, this pattern is my favorite yet -- so perhaps it was worth all the extra work.

Ten days? Really?

2011-02-09T09:02:00.004-05:00

I can't believe it's been ten days since my last blog post. Where have I been?

Admittedly, I have been working on a sort-of-secret project for the amazing curator and chief monster keeper of the blog, I Only Like Monsters. What do I mean by sort-of-secret? Well, I mean I can't really show you my finished project just yet. But I can tell you the details surrounding the project.

A few weeks back, Roland (the mascot of I Only Like Monsters) posted a request for brothers. As I found out, Fingermonsters have birthdays and even get birthday money (who knew, right?)

I've been a fan of Roland's for a while now -- his mistress, Janet, turns up the coolest monster designs on the web after all! So, I decided to join in the effort to grow his family.

After a few tries (and some massive failures), I managed to come up with a suitable brother for Roland. We named him Floyd. He's already made his way to join Roland's family -- and from what I understand, Roland and his new brother Floyd are already the best of friends.

So why am I keeping Floyd a secret? Well, Roland is planning on introducing all his new brothers after everyone has arrived home. I've agreed with Janet to hold on to my pattern (oh, yes... you're going to be able to make your own Floyd Fingermonster if you like) until the announcement is out. Who knows, maybe there will even be a giveaway!

So, if you love monsters (and you all know I do), I encourage you to had over to the I Only Like Monsters blog and see what new monster is featured today. And, if you make monsters, you can get in touch with Roland for a possible feature on the blog and maybe even get involved in the family project!

I just couldn't leave well enough alone...

2011-01-31T21:32:00.002-05:00

I loved working on the Angry Birds pig pattern. I loved working on it so much that I had to jump in and do my favorite of all the angry birds... the goldfinch (yellow bird).

Lucky for me, that order of safety eyes that I needed to complete a few special orders of gumdrop mice arrived after I started working on the angry goldfinch -- so there was really no guilt on my part.

The goldfinch has probably been one of the hardest designs I've worked on in a while. Usually, I just have a feeling about the proportions and things come out right. The goldfinch that you're looking at in the pictures here is my third attempt.

I just could NOT get the distance between the beak and the top of the head right on the first two trials. Needless to say, my daughter has a couple more crocheted toys. I found this one in her play house this morning...

I love the fact that the bird is sitting on her stove, next to an open, empty egg carton (don't worry -- I gave her the egg carton to play with after the eggs were removed). It makes me think that my daughter share more of a kinship with the green pigs than with the angry birds!

The Angry Birds Pig Pattern is READY!

2011-01-29T17:03:00.002-05:00

I just hit the Publish button... my angry pig is READY!

Coming Soon!

2011-01-26T16:04:00.001-05:00

You asked for it over and over and I've finally had time to get it done... the perfect enemy for your angry cardinal!

I really still cannot believe how ridiculously popular the free Angry Birds Cardinal pattern has been and I have been holding tightly to a perfectly colored ball of green yarn since before Christmas -- waiting to get enough time to design an proper adversary.

I'm so excited with how he turned out that I decided to make the announcement before I've gotten the pattern finalized. Hopefully, that doesn't cause any profound disappointment!

My goal is to have the pattern finalized and posted this weekend or early next week. So, if you haven't had a chance to make up one of the cardinals, now is the time to get your hook out and get busy!

FINALLY

2011-01-20T15:23:00.002-05:00

I FINALLY got around to finishing up that tea set I've been working on since oh... late November. Many of you saw a preview in my December 1 post, "I Hate WIPS." Well, here it is in person... with all 19 pieces completed!

Yes friends, that's:

One tea pot with removable lid
Four cups
Four saucers
Creamer
Sugar bowl with removable lid
Sugar spoon
Dessert plate
Three petit fours
One pretty little mat to show everything off

Now, the question is, am I ever going to be able to make up a second set so that I can get the pattern down on paper?

I suppose that only time (which has not been ample around here lately) will tell. In the mean time, I have submitted the whole thing for the Vanna's Choice Knit and Crochet Competition. I am pretty excited about that and would be floored if I actually make it past the first round... again -- it's all a matter of that whole time thing.

But I promise not to let you all down -- you've been so patient! Now that the design process is over, the patterning part should go more quickly. So, maybe we'll see a pattern before spring?

Plush Team in Candyland!

2011-01-20T09:19:00.001-05:00

A heads up to all you plush lovers on this amazing show opening THIS WEEKEND in Milwaukee, WI. The Itsy Bitsy Spider will not be there, but there WILL BE amazing plush designs from all over the world -- including amigurumi designs from Yummy Pancake, Out of the Frame and more!

The Plush Team in Candyland upcoming gallery show

What: The Plush Team in Candyland
When: January 21-March 20, 2011
Where: Hot*Pop Gallery, 213 N Broadway, Milwaukee, WI 53202-5839
Who: The Plush Team is an international group of plush artists who create unique dolls, toys, soft sculpture and all manner of soft creations. Together for the first time in a gallery setting, The Plush Team in Candyland show will feature sewn, knitted, and crocheted tasty confection creations.

Make plans to attend the opening reception, where many participating artists from all over the United States will be in attendance, a "candy bar" featuring the artists' candy faves, and super sweet libations to keep everyone from getting too salty. The opening reception is Friday, January 21, 2011 from 6p.m. to 10p.m. RSVP for the opening reception on Facebook!

Mail Bag: The Adventures of Lucky the Dust Kitten

2011-01-19T09:01:00.000-05:00

I always love getting emails and pictures from the new owners of my creations and was (of course) excited to get a great update about "Lucky" the dust kitten last night. Lucky's new owner, Celinda, has a real white cat named Lucky... so little Lucky seemed very welcome right away!

The best part about this kitty family is that Celinda has a fantastic sense of humor. She sent me nearly a dozen pictures of little Lucky, getting into all sorts of mischief...

For example, I found out that the little guy apparently has a bit of a sweet tooth. After polishing off some of Celinda's chocolate and a cupcake, Lucky had a tummy ache. Luckily, Celinda was on hand to give him a Tums!

With his tummy on the mend, Lucky decided to strike out into the world of high fashion. Can you believe the little devil got Celinda's favorite sparkly earrings in all by himself? But, they DO match his eyes!

Ready to travel home after his latest adventures, Lucky takes a place of honor in Celinda's carry on bag.

Thanks so much to Celinda for sharing her adventures with Lucky! It always gives me a warm and fuzzy when I find out that one of my creations has gone to such a great home!

Sweet Vindication

2011-01-14T07:35:00.002-05:00

At the beginning of November, I blogged about some amigurumi key chains that my husband and I happened to see in the Macy's holiday shop. If you remember, the little things were poorly made with cheap materials and priced to the tune of $10!

I didn't have much time during the holidays to check back on the inventory of crappy little hand-made amigurumi wanna-be's, but when we went to the mall a few weeks after the holidays, I was confronted with this:

That's them...in... count 'em -- three plastic bins full -- marked down to 75% off ($2.50 each). Most of the other stuff from the G-Shop was G-o-n-e, gone! But these little key chains remained (along with a bunch of plastic bugs that had suction cups on the bottom to make them "hop.")

On one hand, I'm happy to be right. No consumer in her (or his) right mind is going to shell out more for a poorly made, unoriginal amigurumi key chain at a department store when they could have something beautiful, unique, and hand made with love from and number of talented crocheters online and at local craft shows.

On the other hand, I'm a little sad. Macy's getting $10 for a poorly made key chain would mean that I'm not charging near enough for my work. How wonderful would it be to have real evidence that my work is worth more than $1.50 an hour?

For Macy's part, I hope they did something thoughtful with the leftover inventory and pray that I don't see it next time I pop into Dollar General. Perhaps give the key chains away to tweens/teens at a children's hospital or contribute to help keeping our soldiers safe with operation gratitude. We shall see.

You're my inspiration!

2011-01-12T19:34:00.002-05:00

I love getting emails from people who have used my patterns and/or purchased finished items from my shop. The emails are the stuff of inspiration for me -- especially when I receive emails from remarkable people.

Last week, I received a Ravelry message from a fellow blogger and crocheter who goes by the pen name, Purple Photokitty. Purple Photokitty has just embarked on a tough journey and she told me how she's using dust kittens to help inspire her along the way!

To ring in 2011, Purple Photokitty joined Weight Watchers. Her current weight is 116 kgs (that's about 255 lbs, U.S.), so she began by crocheting this very inspiring little dust kitten:

Here's what she had to say about her plans to use dust kittens as inspiration on her weight loss journey:

"I plan to use them to mark my achievements, and each kitty will get smaller when I do. The number stitches at its widest part will equal my weight in kg. I plan on using embroidery, some other amigurumi techniques, and a little bit of creativity to show what each one means to me. i.e. for trying a new veggie, I would have one with that veggie in mini form. Or for losing certain amount of kgs I plan to stitch the lost amount on the kitty. I can only imagine that through the year I will find creative ways to showcase the good, and sometimes hard parts of dieting, but I believe in looking at the positive in life so the kitties for the low points will [also] be encouragement kitties."

This past week's update included Purple Photokitty's latest dust kitten creation -- an inspiring little fellow sporting one rocker shoe and one rocker flip flop to show her newest commitment to exercising!

I've helped cheer my mom through Weight Watchers and I know how hard it can be to lose weight and keep it off. My hat is off to you, Purple Photokitty! And, I hope that these rest of you who read my blog will take few minutes to visit with Purple Photokitty on her blog and help cheer her on.

And last but not least, thanks for sharing your amazing story!

P.S. As always, the dust kitten pattern is available as a Ravelry download for only $2.00

Valentine Craft Swap at The Strumpet's Crumpets

2011-01-08T12:28:00.001-05:00

My blog buddy Becky (over at The Strumpet's Crumpets) is hosting a Valentine's Day Craft Swap! I haven't done a swap in a while and thought it might be a fun way to break up the otherwise bland Northeast Ohio winter.

Anyone can participate in the swap and you can make any kind of craft. Best of all, you only have to make one thing, so it's very manageable for even the busiest crafters out there.

You have until Jan 12 to sign up and will be matched with a swap partner on the 14th. For all the yummy details, visit Becky's blog.

And who knows... maybe I'll get you as a partner!

A new baby dragon!

2011-01-05T15:05:00.001-05:00

I just wrapped up a special order that should be heading to the UK and was so pleased with the final result that I HAD to share. Here is my latest baby dragon!

The requester asked for a red dragon with black spines and grass-green eyes. Of course, Clara at 6060.etsy.com came through for me with the most beautiful hand painted eyes. Aren't they just amazing?

This guy was a little change from my previous dragons. Instead of using Red Heart acrylic yarns, I used a soft yarn (like Caron Simply Soft). It gave the body a beautiful shine and looks more like real scales than the Red Heart. I think this may end up being a permanent change for me!

So welcome to the world, little baby dragon. May all your flights be happy ones.

And for those of you out there looking for a fun winter amigurumi project, the dragon pattern is available in my Ravelry pattern shop for only $4!

Is it really New Year's Eve already?

2010-12-31T09:24:00.002-05:00

2010 has been one heck of a year. The Itsy Bitsy Spider celebrated its one-year anniversary in February 2010. The shop passed the 200 sales mark... and the 300 sales mark... and the 400 sales mark. I started selling my patterns on Etsy and have been absolutely blown away by the reception I've gotten. I've more than doubled my collection of pattens available -- from Dinosaur Puppets to Gumdrop Mice. I've even hosted two wicked fun crochet-alongs.

But beyond all this stuff, there's been one thing that has really mattered most to me. I have met and come to enjoy the friendships of some of the most interesting, talented, and just-plain-friendly crocheters and crochet lovers in the world.

So, today -- as my family and I get ready to ring in 2011 -- I'll be thinking about what a great ride it's been. But I'll also be thinking about you. My readers, customers, and fans -- you are the ones that keep me cooking up new patterns and designs. You've inspired me. You celebrate with me. And, you encourage me.

For that, I thank you. And as a special thank you, I'd like to offer you a special discount on my patterns available through Ravelry. From today through January 5th, use the coupon code ThankYou2010 to save 25% on your entire pattern purchase. Please note that you can only use this code once and the offer will expire at midnight on January 5, 2011.

Wishing each and every one of you a happy, healthy 2011,
Karla

2010-12-28T10:42:00.000-05:00

The Plush Team has an annual tradition of finishing out the year in style with a secret-Santa-style swap on Russian Christmas and the 2010-2011 transition is already turning out to be warm and bright for me. Two days before Christmas (yes, the traditional Christmas!), I received a package in the mail from my secret Santa!

We all know that plush goddess Abbydid is an amazingly talented lady and her latest creations are no exception. My gift included two of Abbydid's newest designs... a new and improved monster muff and a monster scarf!

Those of you who follow Abbydid's work may know that she already has a line of monster muffs, including adorable muffettes for children. Her new and improved design for adults is smaller so that you can keep your hands closer together in the snuggly warmth. And OH MY GOSH... my monster muff IS SNUGGLY!

My other gift from Abbydid was an amazing, extra-long, monster scarf -- complete with a snuggly soft mitten-sized monster at each end to keep my hands warm and toasty. It goes without saying -- I love it!

All of the Plush Team members participating in the swap have promised to post pictures of their gifts on the blog, so keep your eyes peeled for more incredible warm and fuzzies made by the people who love plush most FOR the people who love plush most!

And to all our friends and fans, a happy healthy 2011!

Cross-posted with The Plush Team blog, http://www.plushteam.com

Thank goodness that's over with!

2010-12-26T09:46:00.000-05:00

The "Christmas Meltdown"

Ok... we did have a good Christmas and lots of fun with the family. But I, for one, am glad that things will be getting back to normal. Well, as normal as things get with Kaia on the prowl, that is.

I've got some fun plans for the new year, and while at this point it seems like I'm never going to get back to picking up my hook to write a new pattern, you can rest assured that there is plenty of cool stuff in the works. For those of you who are extra curious, my plans include:

Finishing that tea set pattern I showed off a few weeks ago
Some more angry birds patterns (I hope to do a pig next)
A pattern for the yeti I made up for last year's Threadknits competition

There's plenty more where that came from too... but I'm starting to overwhelm myself with my own list!

Well, my coffee's almost gone and I'd better go wake up the sleeping beauty so she can get to work playing with all her new Christmas presents. I hope you and yours had a wonderful Christmas holiday together!

Hook, hookin' away

2010-12-21T17:09:00.000-05:00

It's less than a week until Christmas and I can't believe that I'm still working on a few Christmas special orders! Talk about cutting it short! In the past week, I have finished adorable little Buffy here...

and these three sweeties...

I've also sent out an angry cardinal, a fairy hideaway, a toad, a gumdrop mouse, another blue dust kitten... and I still have two cuff bracelets, a monkey, an owl, and another kitten to finish! Luckily, the people who I still owe were very understanding because Santa's sleigh (the good ol' USPS) just can't make it to their houses that fast.

On the bright side, I am having a lot of fun with all the orders. And hopefully, when the dust settles I'll be able to splurge a little of the earnings on some yummy new yarn. Don't worry, my friends. I promise to share pictures ;-)

Young Talent

2010-12-19T11:07:00.000-05:00

I'm always excited to meet young people who want to take up knit or crochet and even more excited when these young people have a natural talent for designing their own amigurumi. That said, I'd like you to meet Brea, age 14.

Also known as MangaGirl56 on Etsy, Brea recently opened her own shop where she's selling some really cute creations. For example, check out this bat she recently blogged about:

Brea is new to the world of blogging and I'm hoping that you'll visit her and give her a little encouragement.

I hope all of you are having a great weekend!

Custom Dust Kittens

2010-12-16T09:20:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite custom orders is for dust kittens made to look like a person's pet. I love receiving the pictures of beloved felines and tracing out the unique color details on each feline friend. And I love trying to get the yarn colors just right to match that special pet's purr-sonality.

But for the same reasons that I find these orders so much fun, they can also be the most dangerous. What if I somehow overlook the one special detail that the owner loves most about her kitty? What if that eye color I selected just doesn't match his companion's eyes?

And then there are just some things that are a given when making a custom dust kitten. The most annoying one for me is that there just isn't any affordable yarn out there suitable for making orange tabby cats. A devoted orange tabby-lover myself, I have searched far and wide for the perfect yarn for my dear Sebastian and repeatedly come up empty handed.

Everything is either "too orange" or not orange enough.

So, for now, I make lots of gray, black, white and other colored dust kittens and secretly fear the day that I get a custom request for a perfectly orange tabby.

By the way -- if you are still looking for a cute stocking stuffer for someone special, dust kittens in a single color work up very quickly. You can get the pattern on Ravelry for only $2.00 US!

A great visit, but not much time for anything else!

2010-12-14T18:40:00.001-05:00

Taking lessons from mommy --
Kaia checks her email on her cell phone
while waiting for daddy to bring dinner

My out-of-town company has headed home and the week is gradually turning itself back into a "normal" week -- with a few exceptions. As soon as my company left, I came down with the flu - so now, in addition to digging out from the leftover work that got neglected last week, I'm digging out from the weekend too. When am I ever going to get time to blog again?!

We also got the great (and finally official) news that my daughter has been accepted into the city preschool. It's the result of several weeks of evaluations, running back and forth between Help Me Grow (state early intervention), private physical and occupational therapists, and the city school's LEAPS program. And I thought adoption required a lot of paperwork!

With our start date looming (her first day of preschool will be 2/23/11!), we have MUCH to prepare. The most significant is to completely change her schedule. Kaia is a VERY busy kid. If she's awake, she's moving. As a result, she naps like it's her job -- typically between 2:00 PM and 5 PM. Yeah, I know... lucky mom! After all how many three-year-olds nap for almost 3 hours?

Well, the only slot the new preschool has is in the afternoon. That means, Kaia starts to school at 12:40 and ends her day at 3:15. Not good. So, I expect that my typical time for crocheting, blogging, and generally being sane is going to decrease dramatically over the next two months while I try to reset my kid's clock.

I won't be going away completely, and believe me... 2/23 is already circled on my 2011 calendar. But you may be hearing a bit less from me over the next month or so, and for that, I do apologize.

I promise to be in touch as much as I can, but if you miss me for longer than my usual span, please try to be patient. And for those of you who are eagerly waiting for my next crochet-along, never fear... there will be one. It will just happen after 2/23.

All right... too much babble... too few pictures. That just means it's time to get my hook moving so that I have something exciting to show you next time I check in!

Long time, no blog-eee

2010-12-08T09:18:00.000-05:00

Hi there! I wanted to let you know that I am still alive. This week has been a little too hectic for blogging -- but I have a got some good reasons to share.

First... I bought a couple of showcases on Etsy's front page. Etsy is highlighting stocking stuffers this week and I was lucky enough to get two spots! My first spot was on Monday (12/6) and I am STILL cleaning up and processing orders from all the attention it got.

Needles to say that quite a few little gumdrop mice are heading to new homes - along with several other furry creations of mine. I have another showcase to get ready for on 12/10, so please bear with me -- I have lots of items to photograph (and rephotograph) before I can get them listed.

Second... it's been our somewhat semi-annual visit from my best friend and her daughter. My best friend lives in Denver and I live in Cleveland, so I only get to see them once or twice a year. Our girls are about 3 months apart in age, so in short -- it has been a toddler-fest at my house.

And lastly, I have been trying to get those WIPs in order in time to give them as Christmas gifts. That includes special orders like this one:

So, be patient with me. I will be back on track soon. I hope that you week is just as busy and happy as mine is turning out to be!

I hate WIPs

2010-12-01T10:07:00.000-05:00

WIPs -- or work-in-process projects -- whatever you wanna call 'em, I hate them. Don't get me wrong. I love the activity of crocheting (and knitting). I just hate the pieces parts of partially-finished projects that pile up here and there.

This time of year, I have more WIPs than usual. I'm working on special orders, a contest entry or two, and oh -- don't forget Christmas presents. Looking at my kitchen counter this morning, I decided I need to clean up a few of my WIPs pronto. I've got a dragon (special order), a tea set (my own special adventure), and a scarf -- and that's just what hasn't been put away in the craft room!

The tea set will probably wait until last -- since I'm only doing it to see if I can. Unfortunately, that's also the project I WANT to finish most. You know how that goes ;-)

Well, I guess these WIPs aren't going to finish themselves... I'd better get hooking (or at least put them away until I do have time to finish them!)

Pocket Trolls

2010-11-27T14:18:00.002-05:00

The feeding frenzy is over (nearly) and it's back to the grind for me. That means laundry. Ugh.

Would you believe I actually found a pair of socks at the bottom of the pile with a Halloween pattern on them? No doubt they somehow got leftover from a previous load, but still a little alarming.

While I'm folding laundry I usually daydream. Our laundry room is in the basement (hence off limits to Kaia), so it's one of the few household tasks I get to do completely uninterrupted. It was while folding laundry one day that I first came up with the idea of pocket trolls.

I don't know what it is about the little buggers, but I really do enjoy making them. Unfortunately, they're not the most popular item in the shop. They sit and wait patiently while monkeys and dust kittens are shipped all over, waiting for that special kindred spirit who just understands.

I'm OK with it. I mean, I know I could go and market the heck out of the little guys, but somehow they're just never going to have the appeal that the dust kittens have.

What about the rest of you? Do you have a design that makes you happy but others just don't seem to get it? How did you "come to peace" with that? Do you make it anyhow?

I hope all of you are having a warm November weekend (and that those of you in the southern hemisphere are having a cool November weekend ;-)

XOXO, Karla

P.S. If you are feeling a bit lonely or uninspired in your own laundry room, there are a few really cute pocket trolls in the shop looking for homes right now ;-)

Today I am Thankful for... (& pattern giveaway winners announcement!)

2010-11-25T09:49:00.002-05:00

It's Thanksgiving here in the United States and as always, we have much to be thankful for. For my part, I am thankful for my family (of course)... I am thankful for my sister-in-law (who is hosting Thanksgiving dinner)... and I am Thankful for all the great friends and readers I have met through this blog, Facebook, and Etsy. You guys are the best!

I did do the drawing yesterday, but technical issues prevented me from posting the winners. So, without further ado, I'd like to congratulate Jen and Emily. You're the winners of my free monkey pattern! Jen and Emily, please send your email addresses to ibscrochet [at] gmail [dot] com and I'll get your patterns off to you.

To everyone else, thank you so much for sharing your special days with me. I really enjoyed reading each and every one of the special days your celebrate -- from anniversaries to Thanksgiving and everything in between.

Last but not least, from my family to all of you, we wish you a safe and very happy Thanksgiving!

A special day, another new pattern, and a giveaway

2010-11-21T11:37:00.002-05:00

November 21 is a special day around here... it's our family's birthday. A lot of adoptive families also call it "airport day." Simply put, on this day two years ago, a little girl came through the doors of the international customs area at the Detroit International Airport and out family was instantly made complete.

That little bundle has come a long way from her first look at her new parents (and our first look at her). She's got her own personality... her own sense of style... and her own likes and dislikes.

Yup... that's her last night... jeans and a tutu. Twinkle Toes light-up shoes (from Sketchers), a black cat chenille hoodie, and her daddy's favorite hat -- riding mommy's old hobby horse. My Korean kid with fashion tastes trending toward the Polish side of the family. God love her!

One thing Kaia tastes have always included are my amigurumi toys and the monkey (it comes out "mut-ney" when she says it) has always been her favorite. That's why I waited until today to publish Kaia's favorite of my designs... my Amigurumi Monkey pattern.

I hope you'll like this little guy as much as she does.

Since we're all smiles and celebrations today, I thought I'd do a little giveaway too. Two lucky winners will have a chance to take home copies of the monkey pattern... all you have to do is leave a message in the comments and tell me about a special day for you and your family. I'll draw the winners at random on Wednesday (11/24/2010) and announce in a blog post that day.

If you'd rather not take your chances (or wait), you can pick up the pattern today in the Ravelry pattern shop for only $3.00

Thanks for being some of the best blog readers in the world and good luck!

Another New Pattern!

2010-11-19T16:19:00.000-05:00

Since my brother (you know, the guy with the pumpkin patch) showed me how to use the raw NEF files from my camera to make more detailed work-in-process photos, I've been really inspired to work on some of the patterns I've been putting off. This time around, I finished up my gumdrop mouse pattern!

I know that a few of you have been waiting to make one of these little sweeties for your own and now's your chance! If you haven't been think of gumdrop mice, here is one little thought to tickle your temptation (or something)... how cute would a little pair of red and green gumdrop mice look with your holiday decorations (or blue and white for you folks celebrating Hanukkah). They would also make adorable stocking stuffers!

And because they work up very quickly, you have lots of time to make a ton of the little fellas. What could be more festive than that?

As always, the pattern is filed with pictures and step-by-step instructions. The Ravelry download is only $3.00 (Etsy is available for $5.00 -- increased price due to Etsy's fee structure, etc.) To get your pattern today, click the button below... and be on the lookout for more soon!

Oh no she didn't... (Oh yes, she did!)

2010-11-17T17:53:00.002-05:00

During her last visit, my sister-in-law introduced me to a little game called Angry Birds. The basic premise is that you have these birds who are angry with some pigs for stealing their eggs (presumably, so the pigs can make bacon and eggs... creepy, yes... I know.) To get even with the pigs, the birds use a slingshot to fling themselves at the pigs (and the pigs' protective constructs), thus killing themselves and the pigs. Well, at least that's the goal.

Despite the somewhat strange story line, this game is ridiculously addictive. I've even caught my husband trying to teach our daughter to play!

Well, add this recent addition to my lifelong addiction and you get this...

The Happy Hooker's Holiday Wish List

2010-11-17T08:51:00.002-05:00

So I thought it might be time for another edition of The Happy Hooker's Holiday Wish List - especially since I've been MIA for about a week now. Here's what I've got for today.... STITCH MARKERS!

Anyone who has been through my patterns knows that I live or die by my stitch markers. In fact, you may have even seen a special, custom-made stitch marker show up here and there:

Custom "Embrace" stitch marker by SpindleCat Studio

I adore my stitch markers from SpindleCat Studio and really recommend her work. They're easy to use. They don't snag. And best of all, they're made of copper -- so they bend a little, making them easy to get in and out of your work.

On the down side, Kate (of SpindleCat) usually doesn't keep the removable stitch markers you need for crocheting in her shop. She's very convo friendly, but keep in mind that if you're ordering for a hooker, it's probably going to be a custom order!

I recently found another seller who does keep removable stitch markers in her shop and I'm intrigued by the design.

Melody Removable Stitch Markers by TwiceShearedSheep

I haven't personally tried the Melody Removable Stitch Markers by TwiceShearedSheep, but they are beautiful and look like they'd be great for amigurumi.

Of course, gem stone stitch markers are a bit of an extravagance (that's what makes them such a great gift!). But that gets me to wondering -- what do the rest of you use to keep track of rounds? Give me a shout in the comments and share your favorite stitch marker (or stitch marker maker!)

I thought...

2010-11-11T15:10:00.003-05:00

I thought life would calm down a little after Oddmall. I guess from the hurry-up-and-get-your-inventory-ready standpoint, it did. But what has NOT calmed down is my daughter, Kaia. She has been an eating terror for the past few weeks and I'm seriously running out of things to try.

Kaia has always been picky. And sensitive. She doesn't like certain textures (especially purees) and was very reluctant to take a spoon. For all you fellow moms out there, I'm sure you can appreciate the challenge of feeding a baby who still had no teeth even though she refuses purees and spoons.

Kaia has gotten a LOT better and she has a much more diverse diet -- thanks to occupational therapy and amazing patience from my family. But now we're getting into some new territory. Apparently, this little person has developed tastes. And, as a two-year-old, she's more than willing to exert her individuality and do everything possible to get her own way when it comes to the menu. There's just one problem. She can't tell me what she wants.

The first ten months of her life were spent in Korea -- so naturally, Kaia has been a little slower than her peers to pick up English. Oh, she has the words... and she knows them when you say them to her... but getting them out of her can be torture. Enter in the menu conflict. How does a person who doesn't have the words to say "I don't want Cheerios. I would rather have something else, please," tell you what she's thinking? Well, right now, she acts out, flings food, and refuses to eat.

And mom freaks out.

After all, the kid has been living on Pediasure an pretzels the past couple days.

Today, the occupational therapist suggested that Kaia may need some help communicating what she wants to eat. She suggested pictures that Kaia could point to. So, when we got home from the therapist's (and after Kaia magically ate half of my Spaghetti-O's -- yeah... who would have guessed that?!), I started working on these...

So, if you've been wondering why the blog has gotten a little sparse lately... or just plain where I've been... you now know. I've been drawing pictures of Kaia's favorite foods and laminating them to construction paper with packing tape (note to self -- will need more packing tape before shipping next order). Hopefully, as my dad says, "this too shall pass," and I'll be back to my regular stuff in no time. In the mean time, can someone please pass me the crayons? I need to draw a picture of Spaghetti-O's.

A little post script... the plushie that Kaia is holding in that first picture is a little treat I got for myself at Oddmall (yeah, I know, I know... silly naive mom... you don't get treats now until the kid is 30). It's an Abbydid original Mr. Spunkity monkey and everyone in the family just loves it. And yup... that is a twin in her shop... I sure hope it gets a good home by Christmas time!

The Happy Hooker's Holiday Wish List

2010-11-09T08:50:00.000-05:00

Every year, my mother-in-law asks me for a holiday wish list. And for some reason, every year, this request catches me by surprise. It's not like I think she's not going to ask... I just forget to put one together!

Well, my holiday wish list is in for this year, but I thought I'd give a helping hand to some of you who still have mother-in-laws (or other family members) asking you for gift ideas. I put together an Etsy Treasury with some gorgeous items. Some of them are so special that I'd like to feature them here on the blog, starting with these...

I purchased a pair of these fingerless gloves a few weeks ago from HeidiTheArtist of Vancouver, Canada, and they have quickly become a must-have item for chilly fall evening crochet sessions. Just enough to keep your hands warm without getting in the way of hooking, these gloves are also fashionable and so very very soft!

By the way, bloggers and writers, these little babies are also great for typing fingers (I'm wearing them right now).

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more of my holiday wish list favorites. And in the mean time, I'd love to hear what's on *your* holiday wish list! Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

Meet the Designer: AmiEggs

2010-11-08T08:40:00.001-05:00

Over the past two crochet-alongs, I've had the opportunity to meet several other amazing designers who, like me, are getting started along the path of selling their own patterns. One of those designers is Clara. Clara is a student, living in Barcelona, and the creator of AmiEggs (http://www.etsy.com/shop/nayami).

I've been chatting with Clara and learning about her, her beginnings in crochet, and her inspirations. Here's what she had to say:

IBS: Where/how did you learn to crochet?

Clara: Around February this year, my best friend one day came up with the idea of learning this thing she'd seen on YouTube called "amigurumi"... and after a few hours of looking puzzled to the hook and yarn and going over and over some videos, we finally managed to make a crochet ball! =D I guess that was the beggining of everything... =P

IBS: What was your first amigurumi project?
Clara: After a couple of failed simple balls, the first success was a brown bear made with Ana Paola's pattern (http://amigurumipatterns.blogspot.com/2008/03/amigurumi-bear-pot-of-honey.html). I have to admit it had a strange shape when it was done, but it is now in hands of someone who really appreciates it =)

IBS: With all the beautiful crochet projects out there, why did you choose amigurumi crochet as your specialty?

Clara: I tried making a hat and a scarf, but it is so much more fun to make cute stuff!!! So I started making toys (I have a collection of amigurumi eggs), and then one day I had the idea of making furniture... and a few patterns later, I still love both!

IBS: What inspires your designs?

Clara: The eggs were actually my sister's idea, and then I get ideas for the different models from everyday life: the food I eat, a movie I see... On the other hand, most of the furniture I have designed has been inspired on existing items on the Facebook game "pet society", which I completely adore for its cuteness =)

IBS: What made you decide to go on to pattern-writing?

Clara: I started making small amigurumi, but when I changed to larger projects like my first armchair, I decided it was too much work to sell made, since I take a couple hours to make each item and I'd have to sell it at high prices I myself wouldn't pay to cover up my costs. That is where the idea of making and selling patterns instead of the finished products came from.

IBS: What is your work area like?

Clara: I actually have little space, so I work in my room. During the summer, I was stuck home because of a leg injury, and sat on the living room table with all the stuff I needed at an arm's reach, but since classes started over again and my leg got better I moved back to my room, and my yarns have to share space in my drawers next to my books and other stuff.

IBS: If you could choose any place in the world to hang out with your hook and yarn and spend a few hours crocheting, where would that be?

Clara: Wow that's a good question... I think I'd chose somewhere quiet and still, like a sunny day in the countryside, leaning against a big tree.

IBS: Tell us about some of your other passions (besides crochet). What do you like to do in your free time?

Clara: I'm a crafty person. I love sewing, and have been making doll clothes for my doll for the last months. I have to admit I almost have no free time, I am still an undergrad student, and I spend most of my time at university, but when I do have some free time I love to meet up with my friends and walk around my beautiful city Barcelona =D

IBS: How do you fit crochet in with the rest of your life?

Clara: I basically crochet as much as I can, specially at night in front of the TV. I'm a nervous person, and I always have so much to do that it is hard for me to sit still in front of the TV without doing anything, so crocheting is perfect for me. The bad side to this is that I've managed to see a whole movie, lift my eyes around the end and not recognize the main character...

IBS: Do you have any advice for new crocheters and budding amigurumi designers?

Clara: Amigurumi is all about the fun it involves. Even if you have never crocheted, try grabbing any yarn you can find lying aroud home (I found some of my mom's old yarns) and a hook, and spend a few hours trying to follow simple tutorials... step by step in a few days you'll manage to do awesome things! As for the designs, I have to admit that even though teddy bears are cute, there are way too many out there... so I'd try to design something completely different from everybody else. Amigurumi offers so many possibilities out there... be creative!!!! =)

Thanks so much for taking the time to chat with me Clara!

Note: To get to know Clara and her work even better, you can also check out her blog (http://ami-eggs.blogspot.com), her Flikr photostream (http://www.flickr.com/photos/clara_amigurumi/), and her Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/amieggs).

And the winners are...

2010-11-07T09:06:00.000-05:00

The votes are in and the races were really, really close! And with votes from more than 160 people, we have our winners of The Pumpkin Patch Crochet-Along contest! Are you ready?

Category 1 - Most Creative Idea:

"Sr. Pepita, The Rock Star" by Doodles & Cupcakes!

Category 2 - Best Pumpkin Photo:

"With A Real Pumpkin," by Onihook!

And... our best in show... the favorite of favorite pumpkins is...

Category 3 - Best Pumpkin

"Pumpkin Patch" by Hind K!

I've decided to give all three of the winners copies of all my patterns to celebrate their amazing accomplishment. I will be in touch with you as soon as I can get all the files put together in a nice, email-able format.

To the rest of you -- thank you so much for participating in this crochet-along. We have a gorgeous virtual pumpkin patch with a showcase of amazing talent from all over the world. The reason this little adventure was such a big success is because of YOU!

I'll be putting together a new crochet-along that will probably kick off shortly after the holidays, so keep an eye on the blog. And once again, THANK YOU!

2010-11-06T08:41:00.001-04:00

For all of you in Northeast Ohio, Oddmall is today! Come see me and some other amazing artists from 10 until 6 at the Clarion Hotel in Hudson, OH! For more information, visit http://oddmall.info

An Etsy group for amigurumi?

2010-11-04T09:03:00.000-04:00

I have to admit - I am really surprised about the number of responses I got on my Mini Monday Rant. This morning as I mused over my coffee, I starting looking around so I could post some follow-up with more about pricing in relation to amigurumi and/or knit/crochet crafts.

I went through the Etsy Storque and started skimming the forums but then had an idea -- what if there is an amigurumi street team that I can ask?

Would you believe there ISN'T one?

I really want to start one, but Etsy asks that you have a couple of like-minded people who are willing to join before you request a new team. So, I thought I'd start with some of my fabulous readers.

Right now, I'm not asking for any commitments -- just whether you're willing to join. I need to think about the team structure and some other stuff before all that can happen and that definitely won't happen until after my show this weekend.

So... anyone interested?

Mini Monday Rant

2010-11-01T15:52:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, my husband and I went to the mall with our daughter. The plan was to take her to the play area and let her run down some energy so that she would get a decent nap in and be rested for her first trick-or-treat. We decided to enter he mall through Macy's and couldn't help but notice Macy's new G-Shop. Actually, it was kind of hard NOT to notice the shop. Bright, bold colors... right next to the escalators. Macy's definitely wants this new marketing fling to be noticed.

We took a little look around and I found myself standing face to face with these...

Yeah, that's the right price on that little sucker... $10 USD. There were three or four different designs and all were rather shabby -- cheap materials, you could see the stuffing through the stitches, etc. I couldn't see one of these things lasting more than six months for even the most gentle recipient.

So, the rant. I'm still a little singed from an Etsy blog post last week that suggested we use the following formula for pricing our work:

Cost Price (Labor + Materials Cost) x 2 = Your Wholesale Price

Wholesale Price x 2 = Retail Price

Let's do the math from Etsy with one of my Fuzzy Whazzits.

Labor: 1.5 hours @ $7.25/hr = $10.875 ($7.25/hr is US minimum wage)
Materials: $1.25 (roughly)

( 10.875 + 1.25 ) x 2 = $24.25

$24.25!? And that's WHOLESALE! Yeah. Right. Like I could EVER get $24 for a Fuzzy Whazzit.

I'm lucky if I can get $7.00 each for the little guys. I tried raising the price to $9.00 at one point -- even added in fun stuff like a little care manual and stickers -- and people balked. I sold almost none of them.

So now I see these key chains at Macy's (retail) and they're $10. My stuff is surely better made than those key chains, so I will be interested to see how many are left in the bin at the end of the holiday season.

In the mean time, I just don't know what to think about my pricing. My biggest show of the year is in less than one week. Etsy tells me to charge more than anyone in their right mind is willing to pay. Macy's is charging more than I thought reasonable for way less quality, and I'm busting my fingers for, well... let's do the reverse math...

( X + 1.25 ) x 2 = $7.00

X = $2.25 = Labor

*sigh*

Vote for your favorite pumpkins!

2010-10-30T09:25:00.006-04:00

The nominations are in and sorted and the cream of the crop has risen to the top. We're ready to vote for the best pumpkins!

A little about the nominations... we had A LOT. After all, there are so many amazing pumpkins in our virtual pumpkin patch -- how could we not have a lot of great nominations?! So, to make the voting a little less confusing, I used only the three pumpkins from each of the first two categories that had the most nominations. In the "Best Pumpkin" category, it was pretty clear who the nominees were, so I used only the top two.

But enough bantering about the way things sorted out... let's have a look at those pumpkins!

Category 1: Most Creative Idea
The three "Most Creative Idea" nominees are are shown in no particular order. They are:

Option 1: Amigurumi Octo-Lantern by evereeve
Option 2: Pumpkin Coach by Micha
Option 3: Sr. Pepita, The Rock Star by Doodles and Cupcakes

Category 2: Best Pumpkin Photo
Again, nominees are are shown in no particular order. They are:

Option 1: Pumpkin Patch by Hind K.
Option 2: Pumpkins on a Fence by Velma
Option 3: With a Real Pumpkin by Onihook

Category 3: Best Pumpkin Overall
Drum-roll please! The nominees for the best pumpkin overall are... (in no particular order)

Note: For other photo submissions by Hind K., see Hind's photostream. Other photo submissions by Anita E. can be seen here.

Ready, set, VOTE!
You've seen the nominees - now it's time to tell the world which pumpkins are the best in the patch. Just use my voting form to log your choices. And remember -- ANYONE can vote. You do not need to have participated in the crochet-along!

TIP: Keep in mind that you can click on any of the composite photos to see a bigger view or go directly to the photo on Flikr (Categories 1 & 2) by clicking the linked title.

You have until next Saturday (11/6/2010) at midnight EST to cast your vote. Good luck to all the nominees!

Vickie Howell?!

2010-10-28T09:07:00.000-04:00

So, the day after I stocked up on all kinds of Caron yarn (I use Caron Simply Soft exclusively for my gumdrop mice, monkeys, and my little ghosties), I got the most wonderful message in my Ravelry inbox....

Oh yes, my friends... that is THE Vickie Howell -- Caron spokeswoman, crochet trendsetter, and feature writer for Caron Connections!

I don't know if my Little Ghostie is going to show up on the blog or in the newsletter, but I am SUPER STOKED! I'll let you know as soon as I hear more!

And to celebrate, I'm putting my Little Ghostie pattern on sale now through the end of the month for just $1.00. this is a SUPER-FAST pattern and you can still make several in time for little Halloween gifts. To purchase the pattern at the new sale price, click the button below:

Happy Halloween!

JoAnn comes through with free shipping and a yarn sale!

2010-10-27T09:13:00.003-04:00

I've gotta hand it them... not even a week after my lament over the disappearance of "good yarns" from the local craft stores, JoAnn stores has come through. I found this little bit of glory and wonder in my email this morning...

It's only good through tomorrow, so I jumped right in to the site. Lo and behold, do you see what I see?

Oh yeah, baby... not only is there free shipping, IT'S ON SALE! The yarn sale also includes 25% off on ALL Lion Brand yarns, 25% off on ALL Red Heart Yarns, AND a sale on Caron Simply Soft.

Friends and fellow crocheters, if you were looking for a reason to stock up for winter... here it is.

And thank you, JoAnn. Leave it to my favorite Cleveland-based craft store to help a gal out. You made my week!

Pumpkin Patch Crochet-Along Nominations!

2010-10-26T08:00:00.001-04:00

Hooray! Our pumpkin patch is ready for harvest! It's finally time to pick the best pumpkins from the patch for our pumpkin contest!

Here's what you need to do:
Visit the Flikr group and talk a "walk" through our pumpkin patch. While you're doing that, keep in mind that you can only nominate one pumpkin photo in each category. Your nomination should also fall into one of the following categories:

Most Creative Idea: For this category, you're looking at the idea -- not necessarily the implementation. For example, let's say that someone came up with a way to make a pumpkin into a time machine. The stitching may not necessarily be perfect, but the idea is really, really cool.
Best Pumpkin Photo: This category includes all those awesome and adorable pumpkin photos in the group. It could be a group of pumpkins, a funny shot, whatever. Again, the pumpkins in this photo don't necessarily have to be the best-made or the most perfect -- it's the picture that counts.
Best Pumpkin Overall: This is the one where the pumpkin itself counts. Pick the most beautiful, most amazing, best pumpkin in the patch.

Once you've chosen your pumpkins, it's time to submit your nominations. Just use my nomination form and paste the URL for the pumpkin photos you want to nominate.

And just a little reminder -- you don't have to be a crochet-along participant to nominate or vote -- so let's hear from everyone!

Nominations will be open until midnight EST on 10/28/2010. After that, it'll be time to vote for the best pumpkins in the patch! Good Luck!

That's it!

Where have all the good yarns gone?

2010-10-23T09:13:00.000-04:00

Is it me, or dies it seem like the good Red Heart Yarns are becoming harder and harder to find? Granted, I still love and use quite a bit of the classic Red Heart yarn -- but I dare you to find a store now-a-days that sells Red Heart Designer Sport right off the shelf.

If you're familiar with my patterns or my finished work, you'll know that I user Designer Sport A LOT. I chose it because it has a great color palette and it was one of the few sport weight yarns available in craft stores. But, sometime during the summer, even the craft stores with the biggest yarn selections had a clearance on Designer Sport and I haven't seen a single skein since.

Now I'm finding the same problem with Red Heart Soft. I've been to Jo-Ann's, Pat Catan's, and I'm even going to try to hit the loathsome Michael's today.

At least with Red Heart Soft, I can substitute Caron Simply Soft, but after checking for a comparable color (I need a bright red), none of the stores can help me. I mean come on, people! Christmas is right around the corner and you don't carry bright red yarn?! What gives?!

I'm beginning to resign myself to ordering online. I started a cart at Herschners, but get this... two skeins of Red Heart Soft, plus tax, plus shipping = $13.48 -- For those of you who are a little slow on the math side (like me), that's $6.50 for one ball of Red Heart Soft!

I'm not sure what' I'm going to do here. I don't want to sacrifice the quality of my finished work and I don't want to raise prices. But if my yarn cost continues to increase like this, I'm going to have to give somewhere.

What are the rest of you doing? Has anyone found a good craft store or brand that offers a good quality, diverse palette, and different weights of yarn for a reasonable price? I'd love to hear your ideas!

Batty Cuff Bracelet - Featured on The Indie Tot!

2010-10-20T16:21:00.000-04:00

I had so much fun making my Ladybug and Turtle Cuff Bracelets that I decided to make one up in time for Halloween. Introducing, my Batty Cuff Bracelet:

The pattern is free and available right now from The Indie Tot! I will also have a Ravelry download available eventually. But for now, you'll have to check out this awesome site that focuses on organic, handmade, unique and eco-friendly products for babies and kids.

Getting Ready for the Pumpkin Contest

2010-10-20T09:05:00.000-04:00

By Doodles & Cupcakes

So, it's about time we started thinking about the pumpkin contest and I have a few ideas for how this thing is going to go. Of course, you all know that the deadline to have your pumpkin photos loaded to the Flikr group is October 25. For those of you who aren't good with dates -- that's next Monday!

On October 26, I'm going to open the floor for nominations with a blog post. Remember that while you can nominate yourself, you are only allowed to nominate one pumpkin photo! And you need not have participated in the crochet-along in order to nominate -- so, I want to hear from you crochet fans too!

We'll leave the nominations open for a couple days to make sure everyone has a chance to name their favorite and then it's off to the voting!

By Heather

To make the voting interesting for everyone (regardless of skill level), I'm planning on offering three categories for the voting:

Most Creative Idea
Best Pumpkin Photo
Best Pumpkin (overall)

You will be able to vote for your favorite pumpkin in each of these categories, so we should have three very cool winners at the end!


By Micha

So, if you still need to finish up your pumpkin, it's time to get rolling! Don't forget that you can check out the Post Index section on the Pumpkin Patch page to catch up on any lessons you missed!

Oddmall

2010-10-19T08:45:00.001-04:00

I can't believe it's almost here. Just two and a half weeks and I'll be selling my Itsy Bitsy Spiderlings live, in Hudson, OH, at the world's coolest show. And yes, if the banner didn't tip you off, that show is Oddmall.

I've been really busy getting my critters ready this year -- not only because I want to have all my best work ready for my fellow Cleveleanders, but also because the legendary April Winchell, curator of Regretsy, will be a special guest!

Put it on your calendar. Now. And look for me, along with Abbydid and Yummy Pancake. Because we will be totally rocking the Plush Team in our "Corner of Cuddliness."

Did you know...?

2010-10-16T09:43:00.000-04:00

That Fuzzy Whazzits like Fruity Cheerios for breakfast?

Yeah. Me neither. But, apparently they're extra inspired when they have their own special bowls!

And the winner is....

2010-10-13T14:58:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to Jodizmom! She's the winner of my little bat giveaway and will be receiving my cute amigurumi bat!

A big thank you to everyone who entered and especially those who took a few minutes to give me some feedback! I loved reading your comments and I hope to be implementing a few of them very soon!

Networked Blogs on Facebook

2010-10-12T08:58:00.002-04:00

I'm always interested in tinkering with new geeky things and I recently discovered this Facebook application called Newtworked Blogs. The idea is that it will import my blog content to Facebook along with any other blogs I choose to follow. A lot of times, Facebook is easier to get on my phone than Blogger and I do like to catch up on my blog stores while I wait in line, etc. So I figured it's worth a try.

I'm throwing it out there because I don't know if any of you already do the same thing and would prefer to follow The Itsy Bitsy Spider that way. If you do prefer the Networked Blogs route, I'd love to hear how it works for you. And before I forget, here's the link to my blog page on Facebook!

If you'd rather not mess with the Networked Blogs thing, you can still get all your Itsy Bitsy Spidery goodness right here. No changes needed.

Piles of pumpkins with personality!

2010-10-11T08:47:00.001-04:00

I was going through the Flikr pumpkin patch this morning and the pumpkins still just keep rolling in! Check out some of these amazing pumpkins!

This first group was made by Shatteredshdw27 for her son's class! What a lucky bunch of kids!

I think I already showed off the variegated green and white pumpkin by Lisa in an earlier post, but I had to show off how she's grown her collection. The stack is just such a clever idea!

We've seen some piles of pumpkins... now, let's go on to some pumpkins with personality!

So I ask -- how could I NOT feature this pumpkin by Heather, the Happy Hoopy Wool Junkie? Two words, Heather: "Me WANT!"

If you're looking for personality, look no further than Cat's mustached pumpkin! LOVE IT!

Evelyn, one of the great Owl Crochet-Along alumni, has one of the most creative pumpkins I've seen yet -- a pump-octopus? or a oct-pump-ta-pus? or a ... Whatever it is, it's is definitely awesome!

My last pumpkin feature has some real purrr-sonality. Check out Purplephotokitty's pumpkin puss!

Pumpkin Patch CAL - Stems

2010-10-08T16:11:00.000-04:00

I was trying to think of a plant where we eat the stems on purpose last night, but really nothing comes to mind. Yet, stems are a sign of sign of freshness -- and based on what I've seen in the grocery store, people are willing to pay a premium for stem-on produce. If you don't believe me, check out the stem-on tomatoes next time you go to the store -- they don't taste any better than the ones without stems and you just end up throwing the stems away (or composting). So, what's the appeal?

I personally like a long, twisty stem on my pumpkins. Just check out the marzipan stems on these pumpkin cakes I found on CountryLiving.com!

But back when I made the prototype, that idea didn't end up so great! So, the consensus was to make the pumpkin #1 pattern with a shorter stem.

Well, enough talking about stems, let's get to the good stuff! You'll start your stem the same way you started the pumpkin -- use either the magic ring or you can start by chaining two and then adding six single crochet stitches to make a circle.

For the next round, you're going to work in the outside loops. This gives your stem the appearance that it has been cut off the vine -- with a well-defined top and sides. This picture from AmigurumiCat's pumpkin gives a great perspective of how working in the outside loops gives the stem a defined top and sides.

By AmigurumiCat

Next, you'll work a round of just single crochet in order to build the length. And then, start making those rounds larger, and larger.

My pattern gets you out to a 12-single-crochet round, but if you chose to grow your pumpkin larger, you might want to go out to 18 or even 24 stitches in your round. Remember though -- if you do make your stem larger, this is going to affect how you add the little "leaves" that connect to the pumpkin!

One option (as I did on the smaller pumpkin) is to leave the leaves off entirely. LOL... "Leave the leaves off." I kill me. You could also try chaining a few extra stitches and working up to a double crochet or or even a triple to make the leaves wider. If you do go this route, I'd love to see how your leaves turn out!

Last but not least, we'll talk about the little curly vine bit that goes with the stem. Crochet naturally has a tendency to curl up on itself when you're only making one row, so we use that to our advantage on the vine.

All you need to do is chain your way out and then single crochet your way back. If you want even more curl to your vine, add a single crochet here and there along the way, so that there are more single crochet stitches than there were chain stitches.

Slide on in to the home stretch by sewing the finished stem and vine piece to your pumpkin and ta-da! You're done!

Happy day and a giveaway!

2010-10-06T09:01:00.000-04:00

I got a comment yesterday from RainbowCookies (what a yummy screen name, by the way!) telling me some good news about my pumpkin #1 pattern - check this out!!

It's hard to see if you don't click on it, but that is my pumpkin pattern at the #3 spot in the Ravelry New & Popular Patterns List! And, it's all because of you guys. Thank you!

That and the fact that I've got almost 200 followers now has inspired me to have a little Halloween giveaway. Just in time for my favorite holiday -- this little guy could be yours!

To enter, complete this form. Anyone is eligible to win -- but if I discover that the winner is one of my blog followers too, there could be in extra surprise in it for you ;-)

All of the information is 100% confidential. I will not share your email address or real name with anyone, and I'll delete the spreadsheet when the giveaway is over -- so you know I'm not going to spam you.

I'll announce a winner on Wednesday the 13th -- so make sure you're following my blog and don't miss it!

Pumpkin Patch CAL Bonus - Flowers and Leaves

2010-10-04T08:05:00.001-04:00

By Anita of ASE Knits n' Crochets

I've gotten a couple requests for embellishments like the ones Anita used to make her two beautiful pumpkins. Lucky for all of us, Anita is generous with her sources -- so I'm able to present you with some bonus patterns!

I also did a little searching around on the web myself to see what kind of organic embelishments I could turn up. So, let's have a look -- shall we?

Flowers

Mimi's Crochet Flowers

The flowers Anita used are from Mimi's Crochet & Other Stuff. Mimi is a fellow Raveler (and the most recent addition to my Ravelry friends list). You can find her flower pattern there along with some other adorable designs!

I also discovered this free flower fridgie tutorial on the Salihan Crafts blog. Salihan uses her flowers to decorate her giant amigurumi fruits (strawberries, pears, and apples) and shows you how to attach a pin back or magnet!

Easy Peasy Crochet Flowers

Another design I really liked was Hennypenny's Easy Peasy crochet flowers. I can imagine having a lot of fun with choosing some cool vintage buttons to really make these flowers pop!

Last but not least, Lucy of Attic24 has a really neat layered flower design that would look gorgeous on a pumpkin vine.

Leaves

Craft Stylish Leaves

Anita's leaves came from a Craft Stylish tutorial. I absolutely love the variegated one -- don't you?

Lion Brand also has a gorgeous felted leaf coaster pattern. The finished leaves might be too big to attach to the pumpkins, but they could make a very cool "nest" to display your pumpkin. Either way, when I get time, I need to try this pattern!

Rhonda Rowley has two really nice leaf patterns. Her elm and birch leaf appliques are simple-looking enough to not take away from the pumpkin and would look beautiful in some fall colors.

I hope you enjoyed this little "bonus" post and thanks again to Anita for sharing her sources. I'll see you later in the week with stem instructions!

Pumpkin Patch CAL - Pumpkin Shaping

2010-10-02T08:44:00.000-04:00

I can't believe it's October already! Halloween is right around the corner and fall is DEFINITELY in the air around here!

Choosing our pumpkin at a local roadside stand - 2009

I live in a suburb of Cleveland that is still pretty rural, so I'm seeing a lot of pumpkins for sale in peoples' front yards and at small farm stands. The picture above is from last fall when Kaia helped to pick out our pumpkin -- I can't wait to see what kind of pumpkin she picks this year!

Ok, so enough blathering on about pumpkins... let's get to the real deal. By now, you should have decreased your pumpkin until all that remains at the top is a small hole, 6 single-crochet stitches around. You'll need to pull a bit more than a yard (1 meter) of extra yarn off the ball and set it to the side. Then, finish off.

If the hole seems a little too large to you, now is a great time to use your trusty yarn needle to gather the stitches and pull them a little tighter. You can also do this after you make the lobes or sections of the pumpkin -- it depends on what you prefer.

Take your slack yarn and pull it downward, across the side of your pumpkin, toward the bottom. To get really defined sections, you'll want to keep the yarn very tight as you do this.

When you get to the bottom, sew through one of the stitches in the foundation chain and pull your slack up tight. Then, turn the pumpkin and pull the slack yarn back up to the top where you started, keeping the yarn tight.

Repeat this 4-5 more times, and finish off when you get back to the top after your last section.

And, if you feel like the hole at the top has gotten to big with all the tugging and stretching, you can still gather the stitches with a little extra yarn. Remember though that we'll be putting the stem over the hole, so it doesn't have to be perfect.

As for the bottom, if you don't like the hole there, check out this brilliant idea by Lstein0:

That's right! She added a button to the bottom of her pumpkin! Thanks for the great idea!

Ok... next up, the stem. So get out your green yarn and keep your eyes out for the next lesson!

Plush Team October Giveaway!

2010-10-01T15:37:00.000-04:00

Did you know that each month, the Etsy Plush Team hosts a giveaway on their blog?

Did you know that this month, you could win an original dust kitten, hand made by yours truly?

You do now! So, there's no excuse not to head over to the Plush Team blog and get your name in the running for a little dust kitten named Sam!

Good luck!

Pumpkin Patch CAL - The Incredible Shrinking Pumpkin

2010-09-28T09:26:00.002-04:00

By Shatteredshdw27

Ok... so, I'm not exactly going to talk about shrinking the entire pumpkin like Shatteredshdw27 did here, but it is time to talk about those decrease rounds. By now, you've already built your pumpkin out and worked through those doldrums in the middle. If you've been following along with the whole pancake shaping analogy, it's time to start adding some "smaller pancakes" to the stack.

To do this, we'll use an invisible decrease. The big reason for using the invisible decrease is that it doesn't show up on the right side of your work. For example, check this out:

See any decreases here? Nope! Neither do I!

Extra Large (Round) Pumpkins
If you decided to grow your pumpkin a little larger than the pattern called for, you're going to need to compensate when you do your decreases by adding some more rounds. Just like when we were growing the pumpkin, I used a repeating pattern to decrease the size. That pattern is:

Round A: Decrease evenly
Round B: Single-crochet around
Round C: Single-crochet around
Repeat

So, if you chose to make your pumpkin 72 stitches around (for example), you'll need to throw in one extra set of the A, B, C decrease pattern. 78 stitches around? -- throw in two extra sets of the A, B, C decrease pattern.

Tall, Skinnier Pumpkins
Pumpkin #3 is actually a variation on the pumpkin #1 pattern where I changed up the A, B, C decrease pattern. Well actually, I pretty much threw the A, B, C decrease pattern out the window.

To get this look, I knew I needed to decrease quickly at first -- then more slowly. Let me show you how it would have looked in pancakes...

First, I built up and out -- just like the pumpkin #1 pattern:

Next, I threw in a couple of rapid-fire decreases:

After that, I began to decrease more slowly by adding a few rounds where I just single crocheted in each stitch:

I continued working this way (throwing in a decrease after a few rounds of single crochet) until I had roughly the height I wanted and about 30 stitches left in the round.

Then, I finished it off the same as the pumpkin #1 pattern!

Speaking of Finishing...

Once you get to 30 stitches in your round, you should probably stuff your pumpkin. You can wait until you get even fewer stitches or you can do it sooner -- but after playing around a bit, I decided that 30 was the optimum round size for me.

As I mentioned in the beginning, stuffing is really up to you. For items I plan to sell, I use 100% new Poly-Fil. Honestly, it's just easier to keep track of the fiber content that way and I don't have to put any disclaimers out to protect myself from the fiber police.

But, you can really use pretty much anything (softish) to stuff your pumpkin. In her Flikr group entry, Dsecrist says she used plastic bags (with smashing results -- in my opinion!):

By Dsecrist

You could also use fabric scraps, some beans (to make a bean bag), or a number of other items. My mother-in-law even suggested using shoulder pads that had been cut out of blouses!

I can see that this post is getting rather long, so I think I'll save shaping the "lobes" of the pumpkin for next time. Let me know if you try any unique fibers for stuffing or if you decide to make a tall skinny pumpkin. I'd love to hear how it goes!

Halloween treats are in the shop!

2010-09-26T10:46:00.000-04:00

Hip Hip Hooray! The sun cooperated yesterday just long enough for me to get some pictures of my Halloween creations. The first batch is listed in my shop and some of them are already getting packed up for travel to their new homes!

This year's Halloween collection includes ghosties, little pumpkin pals, and a brand new bat design! Of course, there are also some finished pumpkins available if you'd prefer not to grow your own...

Just like my favorite holiday (which is Halloween, of course) -- when these spooky cute amigurumi are gone, you just have to wait until next year for more... so get 'em while you can!

Short & Sweet Invisible Decrease Tutorial

2010-09-26T09:53:00.000-04:00

The invisible decrease is one of the most useful stitches in amigurumi crochet. You can, of course, make a typical decrease if you prefer. But, if you use an invisible decrease, you'll avoid having yucky lumps and gaps in your work.

There are two key pieces to making a decrease invisible.

Number one -- instead of working in both loops of the stitches from the previous round -- you work in just the front loops.
Number two -- You do not yarn over (YO) before picking up the first and second loops.

Let's have a look at your project. The back loops of your stitches are the ones facing the inside of your owl (where the stuffing will be). The front loops are on the outside.

To begin an invisible decrease, poke your hook through the front loop of the first stitch you're decreasing.

Then, without doing a yarn over, poke your hook through the front loop of the second stitch you're decreasing.

Now, you can yarn over and pull through all three loops on your hook. Can you spot the decrease in the round I just finished below? Me neither!

While you were away...

2010-09-24T11:39:00.000-04:00

There appears to have been some kind of explosion in the CAL pumpkin patch while I was away on vacation. I'm still working my way through all of the new pictures, but here are just a few of the new pumpkins that caught my eye!

I'm really drawn to the pumpkins with personality and the first two featured pumpkins just reek of awesomeness:

Frankenpumpkin by Okwat

By Greenpixey

My fellow designer, Anita, just keeps astounding me with the details she's been adding to her pumpkins. Check out this fall pumpkin:

By Anita

Some folks are really putting together some magazine-quality photo compositions with their finished pumpkins too. Onihook (I think her name is Eileen?) photographed her pumpkin with a real, live, cousin!


By Onihook

I also love this group on the fence by Veejm79:

By Veejm79

I have a secret love for variegated yarn, but not much opportunity to use it (variegated amigurumi characters often don't turn out well). But, these variegated pumpkins are just AMAZING!


By Lstein0

By Kimmzy

All in all, there is just some incredible talent popping up all over the pumpkin patch and I am SO excited to be a part of it!

Keep your eyes open for the next CAL lesson (I'm battling the flu right now, but am hoping to get something posted by the end of the weekend) and keep up the amazing work!

Pumpkin Patch CAL - Growing Your Pumpkins

2010-09-21T08:00:00.028-04:00


By Bokurtis

After round 17, your pumpkin will have reached its widest point (according to the pattern). But, let's say you want to "grow" your pumpkin a little larger... Here's how:

Take a look at rounds 8-16 in the pattern. Notice anything in particular? If you said "yes," you're right! When we were shaping the pumpkin to go out and up, I used the same repeating pattern of rounds:

Round A: Increase evenly
Round B: Single-crochet around
Round C: Single-crochet around
Repeat

So, what do you need to do to make your pumpkin even bigger and fatter than the pattern? If you think of round 17 as an "A" round (increase evenly), your next two rounds (18-19) need to be like rounds B & C (single-crochet around). Then, repeat the A, B, C pattern again (and again, and again...) For example:

Round 20: Increase evenly (you should end up with 72 stitches in the round)
Round 21-22: Single-crochet around

Working the Middle

In the middle of the pumpkin (what I think of as the doldrums of the pattern), you need to go round and round without increasing. In the pattern, I have you go around four times (rounds 18-21).

If you decided to grow your pumpkin a little bigger, you may want to add a few more middle rounds to even things out -- otherwise, you will end up with more of an oval pumpkin than a sphere.

Next time we chat, we'll talk about decreasing and I'll revisit the invisible decrease technique. Enjoy!

Taking a Short Break

2010-09-17T09:12:00.000-04:00

I'll be taking a short break from the Etsy shop this coming week to take some much-needed family time. But never fear! When the shop re-opens on 9/24, it will be loaded with new Halloween goodies -- including ghosties, pumpkins, and batties -- OH MY!

In the mean time, you can still get all of my patterns by visiting my Ravelry shop.

Feature Friday!

2010-09-17T08:51:00.000-04:00

The submissions to The Itsy Bitsy Spider Amigurumi Flikr Group get more amazing every day. If you haven't been to the group photo stream recently, you've GOT to check out some of the new additions!

One of the most amazing pieces in the group, my first feature is knit and crochet version of a Mawlid sugar doll by Hind K. from Egypt. According to Wikipedia, Mawlid is the "observance of the birthday of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. The term Mawlid is also used in some parts of the world, such as Egypt, as a generic term for the birthday celebrations of other historical religious figures such as Sufi saints."

Hind's description of the doll tells how she used a plastic bottle for shaping (genuis!) and embroidered/crocheted the details to took like the traditional sugar, crepe, and foil decorations found on the actual dolls.

Next up, we have an adorable owl named Percy by Kermsm. I actually received a note yesterday from Kermsm, telling me that she made the owl for her sister's elementary school library. Her sister hosts a night owls program and Percy the owl their new mascot.

As a life-long lover of reading, I'm so touched by Kermsm's use of the owl pattern for such a wonderful cause! What a wonderful and generous gift to that reading program!

Finally, I have another new creation from my blog buddy Heather, in the UK. Heather has been working hard on her new patterns (she also has a cat that I featured last week and a bunny), gtting them ready for her new Etsy shop! I wish Heather all the best on her Etsy venture and just know she'll have tons of sales on her amazing designs!

Pumpkin Patch CAL - Getting Started

2010-09-16T08:00:00.000-04:00

By Zanya750

The pumpkins keep rolling in to the Flikr group, but if you haven't started that's OK -- because you're right on track!

Back when we did the Great Owl Crochet-Along, we had a pretty good conversation about the pros and cons of using a magic ring versus a chain stitch circle to start a new amigurumi project. To give you a quick summary, I prefer to tell people to create their foundation round by making single crochet stitches into the second chain from the hook for simplicity's sake. In addition to making for simpler instructions, I find that using the magic ring is a bit overkill when you're only working with six stitches in a round.

Whether you choose to use the magic ring or the chain stitch circle to start your pumpkin is up to you. If you'd like to try the magic ring, you can check out the tutorial I posted earlier this week.

Getting to Round Two (and beyond)
The base of the pumpkin is a flat circle, made by increasing evenly with each round. Since we started out with six stitches, I made the pattern so that each round increases by a multiple of six (6, 12, 18... you get the idea). As long as you continue to increase evenly, the circle will get larger and larger and larger -- but your pumpkin will also stay one-dimensional. That's great if we want pumpkin pancakes, but the object here is a 3-D pumpkin!

After making enough rounds to get a good foundation, we need to begin bringing the sides of the pumpkin upward. This is where we get into some basic three-dimensional shaping.

To visualize 3-D shaping, look at it this way... imagine that you're supposed to sculpt a sphere with pancakes. You have at your disposal a limitless supply of pancakes in assorted sizes, but that is all you are allowed to use in your sculpture.

Pancake number one would represent the foundation of your sphere. It will also be the smallest pancake in the entire sculpture.

To make the sphere begin to get taller and keep the sides going outward, you begin adding larger and larger pancakes to the stack...

Clear as syrup, right? try working through the first 12-15 rounds in the pattern and see if you get what I'm talking about. In the mean time, I'm going to go cook myself up a batch of pancakes!

The Magic Ring

2010-09-13T15:31:00.000-04:00

As some of you may already know, the magic ring is a method of starting a circular crochet project that allows for a little more flexibility while making the foundation round. What do I mean by flexibility? Well, think of it this way... my amigurumi pattern instructions typically tell you to make six single crochet stitches in the second chain from the hook in order to start your project. In the grand scheme of things, six stitches aren't too bad for a single chain stitch... but what if you had to make 16 stitches? or 60? That's where the magic ring comes in handy.

Check out the next picture. Instead of making your stitches into a single chain stitch, you (#1) make your stitches into a larger loop. When you're done making stitches for the foundation round, you (#2) pull the tail on the loop...and ta-da!

Now you get the whole "magic" ring thing... right?

So, how do you do it?
Pick up the tail end of your yarn and bring it counter-clockwise across itself.

Pinch the place where the yarn crosses with your thumb and forefinger. Wrap the tail that leads you your ball of yarn around your tension finger (as you normally would).

Push your hook through the loop and yarn over.

Draw the working yarn back through the loop.

Yarn over again and draw the yarn through your first loop.

And you've officially "cast on" to your magic loop!

Now, you can treat that "magic" loop just like the "second chain from hook" in my patterns and work your single crochet stitches for the foundation round.

When you're finished, just pull the tail to zip your magic loop shut and continue on to the next round!

One last note. As I said in the introduction to this post, it may just be easier for most of you to use the chain technique instead of the magic loop when starting an amigurumi project. That is perfectly fine! I only published these instructions because I wanted everyone to know that there is more than one way to get started on an amigurumi project -- what you choose is entirely up to you.

The Felted Pumpkin

2010-09-13T14:16:00.000-04:00

One of the experimental pumpkins I tried about a week ago was a wool pumpkin for felting. Well, I'm happy to say that I'm pretty pleased with the way it turned out. Here it is:

As you'll probably note, my pumpkin is what I'd call "gently felted." In other words, I don't have the capability to machine felt my projects (it just doesn't work well with one of those front-loading high-efficiency washers), so I used hot water and detergent in the kitchen sink along with a clean scrub brush.

My felted pumpkin is actually a little larger than the original pumpkin used in the Pumpkin #1 pattern photographs (I expect that is due to the difference in yarn). I am really curious to see whether someone who has machine felted one of the pumpkins notices a significant change in size.

FYI -- The yarn used was Debbie Stoller's Full O' Sheep and it is a DELIGHT to work with. Then again, who would have expected anything less?

Well, I'd better get a move-on... lesson one for the crochet-along isn't going to write itself after all!

Crochet Hooks 101

2010-09-11T09:57:00.000-04:00

After re-reading an older post I wrote on crochet hooks, I got to thinking that it might be about time to update this topic. After all, since I've been publishing my own patterns, I've learned quite a bit more about the hooks out there and how to make a good choice for a project.

First, let's take a look at the parts of a crochet hook. The following image was taken from the Crochet Guild of America's Hook Standards page:

There are three things that can make a crochet hook unique:

Size
Material
Grip/Handle

Size
There are actually two groups of crochet hook sizes, depending on the type of crochet you'll be doing. These are:

Steel (or Thread Crochet) Sized Hooks
Standard Crochet Sized Hooks

Steel-sized hooks are used in thread crochet projects such as doilies and lace. These hooks are typically made from steel to prevent bending. As an amigurumi designer, I don't often get into these hooks, but it is helpful to know that they are out there. In US terms, the hooks are numbered from 00 (largest) to 14 (smallest) and range in size from 3mm down to .6 mm. For a complete list of steel crochet hooks sizes and US/UK/metric conversions, see this great conversion chart from Karp Styles.

My domain is usually within the standard hooks used to work with yarns from lace weight on up to super bulky. In US terms, standard crochet hooks are usually identified with a letter from B (smallest) through Q (largest) and range in size from 2 mm to 15 mm. The following chart gives you a list of the US/UK/metric conversions:

Crochet Hook Conversion Chart
Metric	USA	UK
2.00 mm	-	14
2.25 mm	1 / B	13
2.50 mm	-	12
2.75 mm	C	11
3.00 mm	-	11
3.25 mm	D	10
3.50 mm	4 / E	9
3.75 mm	F	-
4.00 mm	6	8
4.25 mm	G	-
4.50 mm	7	7
5.00 mm	8 / H	6
5.50 mm	9 / I	5
6.00 mm	10 / J	4
6.50 mm	10 1/2 / K	3
7.00 mm	-	2
8.00 mm	-	0
9.00 mm	15 / N	00
10.00 mm	P	000
15.75 mm or 16mm	Q	-

If you are ever in double about a hook size, it's best to go with the metric measurement rather than the assigned letter/number. This will ensure that you get the best match for your pattern.

Material
We already know that steel is most commonly used for thread crochet hooks, but a lot of other different materials are used for crochet hooks as well. The most common materials used in standard crochet hooks are:

Aluminum
Plastic
Wood/Bamboo

Aluminum hooks are generally the most sturdy, utilitarian hooks out there. You can pick them up just about anywhere -- from the drug store to fine crafting supply stores. In a nutshell, they are the work horses of the crochet world -- common, practical, and durable.

Plastic hooks by Lion Brand

Plastic crochet hooks may seem like a cheaper alternative to aluminum, but you really have to be careful with what you're buying when it comes to these hooks. I've found two main flaws in using plastic hooks:

Many plastic hooks have a seam that runs the length of the hook. In some cases (for example, with Lion Brand's hook line), this is not an issue because the seam is smooth. In other cases, the seam is jagged and the yarn catches and splits while you're working.
Plastic hooks tend to bend and may even snap off. I once purchased a set of plastic hooks for a young friend while teaching her amigurumi crochet. A few weeks later, I had the opportunity to visit her and see how her work was coming along. She sadly showed me the last two hooks remaining in her set (there had been 8 to start with).

I'm not saying that you can't use plastic hooks for amigurumi crochet, but I would advise that you be careful when you do your shopping. Make sure the hook you buy has a smooth seam and that it appears sturdy enough to hold up with the tighter amigurumi crochet stitches.

Hummingbird hook from DyakCraft

Wood/Bamboo hooks have recently become more popular and easier to find. These hooks are generally more expensive than plastic or aluminum hooks and can be more decorative (for example, check out some of these beautiful hooks from DyakCraft).

Wood and bamboo hooks have the added benefit of feeling almost warm in your hands. With use, they build up a very smooth surface and the yarn seems to pass over them effortlessly. I do stress the words, "with use" here, because some of these natural hooks can have rough edges from varnish or other finishing techniques. When purchasing any natural hook, I recommend checking the underside of the lip and the bowl carefully to make sure you select the smoothest possible -- otherwise, you may have to spend some time "breaking in" your hook with a bit of sand paper before you can really get to crocheting.

Grip/Handle
For me, the grip or handle of the hook is the most important piece in deciding whether or not to purchase a hook. I spend a lot of time crocheting and I need a handle that gives me a good grip on the hook but still feels comfortable in my hand after several hours.

Hook handles are as different as the day is long and range from very plain to decorative or purely ergonomic. For example, Provo Craft offers a crochet tool kit with two interchangeable, erconomic handles that looks more like a surgical tool set.

Polymer clay handle by polymerclayshed

Several Etsy sellers offer hooks with really lovely polymer clay covered handles. These are a very pretty way to spruce up a traditional crochet hook and the designs out there are endless.

Another neat option that has started to show up a lot more recently is an aluminum hook with a natural wood/bamboo handle. Susan Bates offers an affordable line of these hooks that give you the sturdiness of aluminum and the feel of wood.

Of all the handles, I've found that my favorite is still the Soft Touch line by Clover. These hooks are lightweight, have a defined thumb grip and a great shape. While I do find myself longing for some of the other beautifully-finished hooks available out there, nothing comes close to my Clover hooks for ease of use over several hours of crochet.

I hope this little reference helps everyone to understand a little more about crochet hooks!

Pumpkin Patch CAL Update!

2010-09-11T08:55:00.000-04:00

By Out of The Frame

Hello friends! I am BEYOND excite to announce that we have 120 participants signed up for the Pumpkin Patch Crochet-Along!

The sign-ups are officially closed now and the last of the free patterns have been mailed out (although you can still get all three of the pumpkin patterns on Ravelry for only $1.00 each or as a bundle in my Etsy shop for just $5.00). If you signed up and did not receive your pattern, please send me an email at ibscrochet [at] gmail [dot] com.

Also, if you haven't gotten out to the Flikr group yet, put it on your to-do list! There are already some photos of some great and inspiring pumpkin ideas and more rolling in every day!

The first CAL lesson has also been posted (materials list) and more will be coming very soon. So make sure you check back on the blog often. In the mean time, happy crocheting!

Another New Halloween Pattern!

2010-09-10T09:03:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since I've had time to do as much pattern writing as I have done this past week. I actually have several patterns all written down in my notebook, but just haven't had the time to photograph and publish them. But, thanks to my dear husband taking some evening baby duty this past week, I have another new Halloween pattern ready to go! Meet my spooky little ghosties!

Some of you may recognize the ghosties from my Halloween amigurumi last year. They're actually very easy to make and can be finished in in less than an afternoon.

You can purchase a copy of the pattern on Ravelry for $2.50 and get started making your own Halloween haunting group today!

Pumpkin Patch CAL - Materials List

2010-09-09T08:55:00.000-04:00

By Velma

As promised, we're going to kick this crochet-along off right with a little weekend shopping! Let's gt right to the good stuff -- shall we?

Yarn
There are just so many choices out there -- I could write an entire blog post just about the yarns available for this project! But, we all want to get to the shopping part, so I'll narrow it down for you. As you all know from the pattern, my pumpkins were made with Red Heart Soft. Why? Well, they had a shade of orange that I liked and the "soft" style yarns give nice sheen to the finished project. Plus the Red Heart soft is an acrylic yarn -- which I have found to be a little more friendly when it comes to shaping.

What could you use? Pretty much anything. Just make sure you buy enough yarn to finish your project. With the Red Heart Soft, I had enough yarn to make all three of my pumpkins plus a little more. When I used the Lion Brand Super Bulky Wool Ease, I almost didn't have enough to make one pumpkin!

How do you know if you have enough? That's going to be a tough one. Depending on the type and weight of yarn used, you could have plenty or you could just eke by. My tip is to buy more than you think you need and save the receipt -- especially when dealing with dye lot yarn. You can always return unused skeins, but it can sometimes be really difficult to find a specific lot!

Stuffing
As with the yarn, your stuffing choices are really limitless. For my pumpkins, I stuck with my old favorite -- Fairfield Poly-Fil. I've gone into odes about why I like Fairfield's Poly-Fil the best, but to make a long story short,

It doesn't bunch
It's smooth and doesn't have those sharp-feeling poly-fil splinters like cheaper brands
It's readily available

Now, during the Great Owl Crochet-Along, my friend Lucy Bad Dog introduced me to ginned cotton as a stuffing. It's a fantastic natural fiber that gives your finished work an additional weight that you just can't get from poly-fil.

I have also supplemented my stuffing with cut-up bits of old t-shirt. If you're going to do this, I advise that you cut up the chunks pretty small (1-2 inches or 2-5 cm square). That way, the fabric won't bunch up.

One final option (if you REALLY want to go green with your pumpkins), is to use shredded plastic shopping bags like my pal Mary of LeftZ. As a matter of fact, ALL of Mary's materials are upcycled! (P.S. If you're interested, you can learn more about Mary and her work on her blog.)

Everything Else
Yarn and stuffing really make up the two big items for this crochet-along. With the exception of your hook, the rest of the goodies you'll need may already be on hand. You'll need:

A G (4.25 mm) crochet hook (or hook appropriate to the yarn you chose)
Yarn needle
Scissors
Stitch marker

You can find out a bit more about yarn needles and stitch markers on this post from The Great Owl Crochet-Along and I have a workshop on hooks that should help you though the hook shopping process if you don't already have a favorite.

Hmmm.... did I miss anything? I don't think so... Let's go shopping!

Crank and roll!

2010-09-08T22:10:00.000-04:00

I finally sat down and cranked out the other two pumpkin patterns! Woo-hoo (if I do say so myself... and I do!)

You can pick up the patterns for the little round pumpkin (pumpkin #2) and the pumpkin that gets narrower at the top (pumpkin #3) in my Ravelry pattern shop for just $1 each.

Or, you can wait a little while longer in the crochet-along to see how I modified the pattern from pumpkin #1 in order to create the designs for #2 and #3. I can't promise that I'm going to give the patterns away free, but I will give the intermediate to advanced crocheter enough information to come up with the patterns on their own ;-)

Well, I think that's about enough yarn for the night. See you all tomorrow!