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I have always loved Elephants. I remember my very first Elephant stuffed animal: it was White. I still feel sad that I don't have it anymore, but I am very sentimental about things like that. I cry almost every time I see an Elephant in real life. Last October, I actually got to ride one with my daughter. It was one of the happiest experiences of my life.
When I started thinking about which Amigurumi animals I would make, I knew that one of my very first projects would be an Elephant. I made her Purple, because that is my favorite color. :)
May I present to you, Ellie the Elephant!
Ellie is made out of Amethyst colored yarn, with Hot Pink eyelashes, a Hot Pink felt heart, Ivory toe and fingernails, and Blue safety eyes. She is stuffed with Polyester Fiberfill. Her tail is Amethyst with Pink fur. She is so cute and cuddly!
Ellie can be purchased in my Etsy shop.
I've been practicing my Amigurumi dolls so I will have something to sell in my Etsy store for the Summer. I didn't know how many hats and booties I would sell once it gets hot out. My daughter asked me to make her a Rapunzel doll that she could snuggle with. We bought the movie Tangled the day it came out, and I think it's one of my favorite kids' movies. I even watched it by myself after the kids went to bed. :)
I made Rapunzel and her dress off the top of my head. It was a lot of work, but it was worth it for my little girl. Rapunzel's hair took A LOT of yarn and made her very heavy, but she still turned out pretty well!
I was explaining to my daughter about the Easter Bunny making a visit and all the fun things he may bring to her. She asked me if I could make her a bunny. I've gotten many requests from her to make different things, but unfortunately I don't always have time to start such a lengthy project. In between orders, I worked on a bunny for her.
I thought he needed a little something, so I colored his cheeks and the inside of his ears with blush. He took awhile to make, but if I had made him from start to finish instead of working on other things in between, I could have finished him much faster.
He even has a fluffy little tail. :)
Amigurumi (編みぐるみ?, lit. knitted stuffed toy) is 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
I remember when I first learned how to crochet, I was browsing blogs and scouring the internet for new patterns and inspiration. I looked at a picture of an Amigurumi Doll, and thought it was crazy what some people could make out of yarn! I never thought I'd be able to make them. I should have started with something smaller and easier, like a little bird or something, but for some reason I skipped right to making a doll. You really need to have intermediate skills to make them; especially the hair. I still get frustrated sewing the body parts together, but I've discovered that "practice makes perfect" is true. The more dolls I've made, the better I get.
This is the newest doll in my collection:
She has brown hair (with a few highlights!) a Cranberry & Sage Green dress with a White slip, and Black shoes.
Her dress buttons in the back!
She actually only took me a few days to make. I can't wait to make more! My daughter has requested a Rapunzel doll and a Tinkerbell doll. :)
FRIDAY!! Woo hoo! Today is April Fools Day. I am not really into it, but I used to be. I once played a very funny practical joke on my old boss. She always wore these high boots, which was fine, except for the fact that we worked at a daycare so I don't know how appropriate they were. I made a fake mouse out of some fake fur we used for arts and crafts. I hid it in the bathroom and called her into my classroom. I told her I found a mouse and was trying to catch it. When she leaned in for a closer look, I threw the ball of fur at her. She threw her papers into the air and ran out of the room in her high boots, screaming. It was hilarious! She didn't think so. :) I still have a clear image of the whole thing today.
My son loves to play in the cabinet with all the tupperware. He likes to take them all out and clap them together and throw them around. This morning he decided that he couldn't face the day without a helmet. I'm sure we've all felt like this a time or two. :)
HAPPY FRIDAY!
I don't know if I've already shared this tidbit of info or not, but I love baby shoes. I always have! While shopping, even long before I had babies, I would always ooh and ahh at tiny little baby shoes. The funny thing is, my kids didn't wear them. I received a pair of Pink tennis shoes for my daughter at my shower, but I think she only wore them once for pictures. My son only owns one pair of little brown shoes that I got at a second hand store for his Halloween costume. I learned something from being a mother: baby shoes are completely pointless. It's sad, but it's true. Although adorable, they are expensive, clunky, and probably very uncomfortable. I cannot give you even two reasons why infants need to wear shoes.
I wish I would have discovered crocheting while my daughter was an infant, because I would have made her so many pairs of little booties that she would need an entire closet just for them! These Mary Jane style shoes are ADORABLE and practical! Inexpensive, soft, light, and comfortable! I have been making these like crazy over the last few days. There are so many color choices and styles of ribbons. These shoes look equally adorable without the ribbon! They are detailed and look just like regular Mary Janes.
My sister-in-law, Jessica, was diagnosed with MS in 2006 shortly after the birth of her first child. Her hands and part of her face felt like pins and needles, and the doctor thought it might have been caused by her epidural during labor. Later on, she was at work and experienced double vision. She went to the ER, where after many tests, they diagnosed her with MS.
Over the years, her MS kept getting worse. In the eighth month of pregnancy with her second child, she had another relapse. She had to quit her job because she couldn't walk. After some steroid treatments and with the help of a walker, she is able to walk again but not very easily. She is only 29 years old. Things that we take for granted; like walking around the mall or playing with your kids in the park, she cannot do. Jessica rarely complains, and is overall in pretty good spirits considering.
Our families have been walking in the MS Walk for about three years now. We usually have a pretty big team and can raise a good amount of money. The money goes towards research, educational materials, and more for people living with MS and their families. It also goes to finding a cure: there is NO cure for Multiple Sclerosis currently.
This year, the walk is in May in Grand Rapids. Our team name is The Banana Hammers (an inside joke.) I have made donations to the cause before, and when I got married instead of giving out wedding favors, we made a donation to the NMSS in honor of our guests. For this walk, I have decided to donate a portion of the proceeds I make by selling my handmade items in my Etsy Shop.
We hope that we can raise money toward our goal so we can help find a cure for this terrible and devastating disease. If you would like to help, please visit my Walk MS page or our Team Page.You can make a donation there, or you can also help by purchasing an item from my shop! Cute items, great cause! :)
