Jack & Ella Designs: amigurumi

Showing posts with label amigurumi. Show all posts

Monday, October 26, 2009

The Food of Love

Goddess with harp Photogaphic Print

“I think I should have no other mortal wants, if I could always have plenty of music. It seems to infuse strength into my limbs and ideas into my brain. Life seems to go on without effort, when I am filled with music.”

George Eliot (1819 - 1880)

I've found lately more and more the need for the solace and soul-centering effect that classical music has on me. Having grown up in a musical family, and spending the majority of my developmental years as an instrumentalist, rather than a singer, I have a fierce love and appreciation for classical music, preferring the styles of music from the late Renaissance, Baroque and Romantic periods.

As we head into the holidays, I will most likely be more and more drawn to the classical CD's on my shelf. Like the sense of smell, music is very strongly linked to my memory, and classical music has the magic of being able to transport me in space and time to a much simpler time in my life. It's a great escape from the day to day frenzy of being a wife, mother, and menagerie owner.

Enjoy these items I found on Etsy using the search term "Classical Music" - I hope they give you a little joy today!

Spirito ring
by pookeh

Mozart - Beautiful Handmade Gallery Wrapped Canvas Print - Large
by fingertipsaint

I heart classical music
by cocoachuchu

Beethoven Amigurumi

by BoobiKitti

A 5th dundundunDUN button (Beethoven)

by beanforest

Etched Classical Parlor Guitar

by GypsyTradingCompany

Friday, October 23, 2009

Crazy Sexy Cute

Crochet Pattern- Bess in the cow costume amigurumi doll

by Owlishly

One of my favorite new craft projects is to make amigurumi dolls and toys. According to Wikipedia, "amigurumi" can be described as:

"The Japanese art of knitting or crocheting small stuffed animals and anthropomorphic creatures. The word is derived from a combination of the Japanese words ami, meaning crocheted or knitted, and nuigurumi, meaning stuffed doll. Amigurumi are typically cute animals (such as bears, rabbits, cats, dogs, etc.), but can include artistic renderings, and inanimate objects endowed with anthropomorphic features. Amigurumi can be either knitted or crocheted. In recent years crocheted amigurumi are more popular and more commonly seen.

"Amigurumi are usually crocheted or knitted out of yarn. The simplest designs are worked in spirals. In contrast to typical Western crochet the rounds are not usually joined. They are also worked with a smaller size hook in proportion to the weight of the yarn in order to create a very tight-looking fabric without any gaps through which the stuffing might escape. Amigurumi are usually worked in sections and then joined, except for some amigurumi which have no limbs, only a head and torso which are worked as one piece. The extremities are sometimes stuffed with plastic pellets to give them a life-like weight, while the rest of the body is stuffed with fiber stuffing.

"The pervading aesthetic of amigurumi is cuteness. To this end, typical amigurumi animals have an over-sized spherical head on a cylindrical body with undersized extremities."

Cuteness - I'm all over that. So far, I have created two monkey dolls, an easter bunny, an easter chick, a ball-shaped penguin and three peeps. The best part about this craft is that if you can crochet a simple SC, you can make most amigurumis! They are great stash-busters, too.

Here are some particularly adorable patterns from our friends at Etsy. The possibilities are ENDLESS!!

ANIMALS

Amigurumi Cute Alien Rabbit- Crochet Pattern

by crochetpattern

Bee Gurumi Crochet Pattern
by LuvlyGurumi

DOLLS

PDF Pattern - Pippi

by AmigurumiParadise

Ni Hao, Kai-Lan Amigurumi Pattern KaiLan
by CraftyisCool

TOYS

Ace, The Airplane - Amigurumi Pattern
by DeliciousCrochet

HALLOWEEN

3 PDF Crochet Patterns - Jazzy Witch, Devil and Halloween Gang - Amigurumi
by kandjdolls

THANKSGIVING

Crochet Pattern- Chester the turkey boy amigurumi doll
by Owlishly

CHRISTMAS

Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer - An Amigurumi Pattern
by KawaiiGurumi

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Soon it's gonna rain...

STORM WATCHER, by lewfoster

What a storm, eh folks? You know, I don't think I've seen this much wind and rain since December 14th, 2002. Know how I know the date so precisely? It was the very day of my wedding to my dear husband Mark. The rain and wind started first thing in the morning, and was so furious that it was actually raining sideways. SIDEWAYS. The storm caused such a hardship for some of our family members that they were unable to attend, as they had to travel so far. Some folks barely made it to the end of the ceremony. Our reception hall was without power for most of the afternoon, and they had to set up in the dark (which fouled up the seating arrangements, which is a fiasco I care not to expound upon).

There is an Irish superstition that rain is lucky on your wedding day. If that's the case, then Mark and I should be set for LIFE. Seven years - so far so good!

Days like this make me want to curl up on the couch and watch Merchant Ivory films (hopefully the power will stay on through all this wind!). Enjoy these items from our friends at Etsy, inspired by "rain"...