pattern

The making of Benjamin the Bunny

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Do most of you get your yarn in person at a store or from online orders? I usually go in person but as you’ve probably experienced, stores can have quite a limited selection in terms of brands and colors. So I’ve been slowly getting my feet wet with ordering online! I was so excited to receive this particular yarn in the mail a few weeks ago! If you’ve followed my creations, you might know that I’ve been dabbling with cotton yarn most recently, but I’ve mainly only worked with a Category 2 weight, which is also finer than what I usually use. I’ve been really looking to try something slightly thicker and decided to test this Cotton Sprout line (DK weight) by Premier Yarns! I ended up loving the feel of this particular yarn line and I think I’m going to buy up a bunch of their other colors very soon. If you’re interested in learning more about this line, please click HERE to learn about Cotton Sprout and see all the available colors!

So what was I going to do with this new yarn? Since this happened right before the Lunar New Year, of course I had to attempt a new bunny! 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit after all!

I selected Beige as the main color of my new bunny and I love, love, love this shade! It’s slightly darker than what I expected “beige” to be but it’s beautiful and I know it will pair wonderfully with any accessory color out there.

I quickly made up this little bunny but had the most trouble with the ears. I wanted a one-piece ear design that incorporated an inner white patch. It’s always tricky getting edges to line up when it comes to color patches… don’t even ask how many ears I had to make to come up with the final look. Not only was I working on the color changes but also the length of the ears and the attachment to the head. Thank you to the many individuals that gave me constructive feedback via Facebook and Instagram! I always love reading everyone’s comments and I like to take it all into consideration!

And though I don’t have a lot of experience making clothes for dolls, I decided to give it a shot and attempt a jacket for this little guy. I had a lot of fun testing out different things here… I’ve included the instructions how to make the jacket in my pattern. You can also leave off the sleeves and make a vest instead – I think this is a super cute look too! So again, with a seemingly simple design, I actually learned quite a bit while making this doll! 👍

My Benjamin Bunny pattern can be found in my usual shops – ETSY and Amigurumi.com Please pop over to take a look!

I toyed with creating a girl bunny as well but haven’t decided whether I’ll make an official pattern for it.

Again, for those interested, the yarn used to make this main doll is Cotton Sprout Yarn by Premier. Colors used include Beige, White, “Bark” for the trousers, and for the blue jacket, I used “Cornflower” and “Gloaming” for the edging. For the green jacket, I used “Leaf”.

I hope to see lots of Benjamin Bunnies pop up, especially since Easter isn’t that far away! Looking forward to seeing all the customized colors and personalized touches that make each doll unique! Have fun, everyone!

Bucky the Beaver joins the shop!

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I started making this doll about a year ago but for some reason never did get around to finishing it up. I think I wasn’t happy with the overall proportion of the body and I ended up shelving it away. I was delighted to discover him the other week. I pulled him out, dusted him off, and after a bit of re-working, I’m happy to present Bucky to you all! 🙂 The pattern can be found HERE.

Somehow it makes me smile every time I see his little face… it must be that big tooth poking out! Did you know that beaver teeth grow forever? They have to gnaw on wood to control the length, otherwise their teeth can grow up to 4 feet a year!!

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Beavers are woodland creatures and it just so happens that my husband and 2 of my boys actually saw one during their backpacking trip over the summer. They hiked and camped out for 5 days in the forests of Northern California (before the wildfires started) and they saw a beaver and his dam! It immediately brought up images of the kind hearted beaver character from the woods of Narnia in “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.” Who remembers with me?? 🙂

My backpacking kiddos are both Boy Scouts (Dad is an Eagle Scout!) and they love being out in nature and learning all about the outdoors. They’re also exposed to all kinds of fascinating things while they earn their merit badges! It’s been fun for me because I’ve learned about all kinds of stuff too! I can now identify the hoot of a Great Horned Owl (it kept me up the other night!) and a variety of different birds and insects. I can (sort of) weave a basket and tie some basic knots! Therefore I thought it fitting to honor the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) by having showing Bucky as a Beaver Scout! lol 🙂

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Merit badges are so pretty, in my opinion! They’re so colorful and I love all the different images that represent the subjects! Admittedly, I was a little disappointed that “Needlecraft” isn’t one of the areas of study! I could totally be a Scout Leader for that! 🙂

Cha Siu the Pig!

Yup, it’s that time of year again – another Lunar New Year! This time it’s the Year of the Pig and you know how I like coming up with new designs to celebrate this festive holiday! I wanted to make this Pig look like it’s wearing a traditional Chinese outfit and after MUCH experimentation, I settled on this look. You have no idea how many attempts it took trying out different looks on the jacket trim, button details, and making those piggy toes! Out of all of my previous designs, I feel that I worked the longest on this pattern! Hours and hours of crocheting and frogging… I am so happy to finally(!) present this pig to you all! You can find it for sale in my Etsy shop and on Amigurumipatterns.net!

Doesn’t this pig look spiffy in his jacket? I was going for a traditional Chinese outfit look, so initially I looked into making some elaborate braided buttons. After a bunch of trial and error, I settled on this simple faux button closure that I think resembles the old fashioned frog fasteners that are often found in traditional Chinese outfits. More elaborate frog closures were common in old time military uniforms as well so this doll can even be customized to look like a toy soldier! Add some epaulettes and a hat and this pig will look like an extra in a Nutcracker production! 🙂 Hmmm, that’s not a bad idea! I’ll have to remember it!

I worked really hard to finish this doll before my self imposed deadline of February 5, which was the first day of the Lunar New Year in 2019. I was proud to complete it about a week before my deadline but writing up the pattern itself took so long that I didn’t release it until the 2nd day of the year! With all the typing and formatting involved, the pattern took nearly as long as the crocheting! For those who get the pattern, I hope that you guys can tell how much work and effort went into the 12 page PDF file! 🙂

So I wish everyone an auspicious New Year full of wonderful moments and good health! Did you know that the Pig rounds out the animals of the Zodiac? It is considered the last of the 12 animals and in 2020, the Rat will begin the cycle anew!

I also wanted to let you all know that I have been more active on my social media accounts now and will be adding many photos of my works in progress and updates…if you’re interested in following my projects, please follow my Instagram (@littlemuggles) and Facebook accounts (littlemugglesworld)! Don’t laugh, I haven’t gotten the hang of twitter yet but plan to work on that too! 🙂 🙂

I’m already hard at work on my next doll! Pop over to see what it is! XOXO!

Zoomigurumi 6 – Look who’s on the cover!

Look who made it as a cover model for the newest installment in the Zoomigurumi series!! I can’t believe that it’s the SIXTH Zoomigurumi book out there! It doesn’t seem so long ago when the first one was in the works! I’m so proud that Rudy the Red Panda is included in this edition!! Many people have asked me about this Red Panda pattern and it is only available in this new book! The pre-sale started just a couple of days ago and if you order before February 25, you can get your copy for only $20.95 – what a fantastic price because it includes worldwide shipping! As an added bonus, anyone who purchases the book now will receive the PDF version IMMEDIATELY! This means you can start crocheting your favorite character right away! So cool, right!? For those of you who only want the PDF, that is an option too. BUY HERE!

For anyone who’s been following me for some time, you will recall that it took me a really long time to finish this pattern. I think it literally took me over a year to complete it. It’s very different from my previous animals and the biggest challenge for me was figuring out how to make and write up the body and legs. I can tell you there were multiple attempts and failures which often led to long non-crocheting periods where I was too discouraged to continue. Thankfully I was able to finish it up and tweak it to my satisfaction before submitting it to be a character in the newest Zoomigurumi book. I am so thankful to Joke Vermeiren for inviting me to be a part of her absolutely amazing series. Just take a look at the adorable dolls that you can crochet from Zoomigurumi 6!!

Amigurumi Magazine!

What fun!! Look at this wonderful surprise I found in my mailbox the other day! MyTimeMedia has released their newest issue of “Amigurumi” magazine and my little “Buttons the Mouse” pattern is featured in it! Well, it was a surprise in that I didn’t know that I’d be getting the magazine that day. 🙂 After all, I did give permission for them to use my pattern. Alas, this publication is currently printed only in German. I am hopeful that they will release an English version one day soon! Then I can try my hand at all of the amazing designs found in the magazine!!

Look who else is featured! It’s All About Ami‘s (Stephanie Lau’s) adorable “Teddy Ornaments”! Isn’t the layout beautiful? I am such a big fan of Stephanie’s! My little mice are definitely in great company!

There will be 4 new publications of this magazine in 2016! Maybe I’ll be lucky enough to be featured again one day!

Stanley the Giraffe

Wow, I can’t believe the year is ending once again. The weather is getting cooler and I find myself needing to grab an extra blanket before going to bed! It’s been quite some time since my last post and I apologize for that! Ever since school has started for my little ones, it’s been one thing after another and my crochet projects have unfortunately been pushed down my priority list! But I have finally finished writing up another pattern – meet Stanley the Giraffe! Yes, he’s a bit out of his usual element here…I couldn’t find a nice patch of African savannah to use as a background, so the trees in my yard will have to do! 🙂 There are exciting things in store for Stanley! He’s about to be shipped overseas to join a few of his Little Muggles siblings in Belgium. hint, hint! Can you figure out what’s happening to him? If not, you will soon find out..just keep following me on Facebook and there will be an announcement about his adventures soon! In the meantime, you can find my Stanley pattern in my ETSY and CRAFTSY shops!

It was quite fun making Stanley. I really enjoyed the feedback I got from you guys when I put some work in progress pictures on my Facebook page! I will try to do more of that from now on. You guys can help direct the final look of my dolls… 🙂 If you remember, I was considering making this giraffe with brown ears versus yellow. Ultimately I chose yellow because I felt that the brown made his head look more like a cow. I also loved the suggestions to keep one ear brown and one yellow! I would love to see someone send me their finished doll with that look! How whimsical!

Brown or yellow ear? Thin or thick horn?

Like all of my other dolls, Stanley is a pretty simple project that even beginners can try their hand at! There are no complicated stitches or steps. Everything is fairly basic and there are minimal materials required. When made with the my go-to yarn (Lion Brand’s Vanna’s Choice) and my suggested crochet hook size, Stanley is about 10″ tall when seated. (not including his horns) Anybody can make their own little Stanley for themselves!

IMG_3114 - Version 2 copy — A look at his spots

Since I have to send Stanley off to Belgium soon, I wanted to make another giraffe to have for my own. I thought it would be fun to make it pink! I am happy with how she came out, and I liked adding the bow around her neck.

Speaking of accessories, you have no idea how difficult it was for me to make the tie around Stanley’s neck!! Unlike some gals I know, I never really learned how to tie a necktie properly, and I really wanted this one to look crisp and perfect. Of course I turned to Google and I was astounded by all the different ways to tie a tie! After much trial and error (Windsor knot! Half Windsor knot! Prince Albert knot! Simple knot!), I decided to go with the Pratt knot. I like the little dimple under the knot and it looks clean and neat. I still haven’t memorized how to tie this particular knot but I bookmarked the site I found and will be sure to try it on my husband one day!

By the way, this has been an exciting week for my Facebook page because I’ve reached the goal of getting 5000 likes!!! I had no idea that my little page would ever become as popular as it has! Of course I intend to keep up the designs so my new goal is now 10,000! 🙂 Spreading the hobby of amigurumi has been amazingly fun! Thank you everyone, for your all of your support!

Making Spike the Dragon

Phew!! Finally, finally I have finished up Spike! I started him back in May (!!) of this year and never got around to writing his pattern because the color changes were so tricky for me. Remember, I like to make everything up as I go and I really don’t have any good idea of how color changes should formally be written up. Chalk it up to laziness, I guess. I just want to go! go! go! when I’m crocheting and I don’t have the patience to try to sit down and see how others have written up their patterns! For a while now, I’ve been getting many inquiries from interested crocheters about when the dragon pattern was coming out so I am so happy to say “Here it is!!” I will be uploading it to my usual shops by tomorrow at the latest! Thank you all for being so darn patient and as always, I am so grateful for your interest and kind words of support!

And as you may know from my previous post, I am also doing this because my friend had requested a custom order of a dragon doll for his nephew who happens to be born in the Year of the Dragon. So here is my contribution towards my Little Muggles “Zodiac Collection”. I hope you like him!

In my pattern, I’ve also included a little tutorial about how to make color changes with smooth transitions. This is a MUST when making the belly of Spike. A lot of you probably already know the technique, but I made my own picture tutorial. I do intend to add a Tutorial section for my website sometime soon so please check back for it! Until then, have a fantastic day and as usual, Happy Crocheting!!

Cubby the Tiger

A good friend came to me earlier in the year and requested I make a few amis for him to give as Christmas presents to his nieces and nephews. He was hoping to give them each an animal that represented the Asian Zodiac year in which they were born. A Tiger, a Dragon, and an Ox/Cow. It’s been my plan all along to one day crochet all the animals of the Zodiac, so what better way to get started, right? Well, I already had a Cow pattern I could use (Clarence), but I had yet to make a tiger and a dragon. Well, after many months, I have finally completed the second animal, the tiger! I am quite proud of my little Cubby. There are already many tiger patterns out there, but I really wanted to make my own Little Muggle-style version of one. (Someone once used the term “muggle-fy”, which I love!) It took me almost as long to write up the pattern as it took for me to crochet the doll!! This past summer has been quite hectic, so my apologies for the lull in new doll production. I hope to be more productive this fall! Anyhow, here are a few shots of my tiger. He’s a shy little guy who enjoys quiet afternoons in the sunshine. Enjoy!!

Gazing out a window…I wonder what he’s thinking?

By the way, my WIP for now is the Dragon. I’d say he’s about 40% complete. I am re-working my Spike doll, which I never formally wrote up a pattern for. Keep your eyes out for dragon updates on my Facebook page! I know there are people eager for his pattern so I’ll try to work quickly for you all!

Simi the Monkey Pattern now available!

When I was a kid, I spent far too much time watching TV. I loved all kinds of cartoons and I sure watched a lot of them! (Hello Smurfs! Jetsons! Flintstones! Woody Woodpecker! Tom and Jerry! Should I go on? And yes, I realize I am showing my age here) But one of my all time faves has got to be Looney Tunes. Recently, I was randomly thinking about good ol’ Bugs Bunny and his crazy antics and for whatever reason, I was remembering a specific episode with a hurdy gurdy monkey. If you are unfamiliar with what this is, imagine an old fashioned organ grinder who stands on a sidewalk and cranks out tunes while his pet monkey dances around and collects money from passersby. I actually went hunting online and was thrilled to find the actual Looney Tunes episode so here it is in case anyone is interested in watching it! It’s called HURDY GURDY HARE. Funny this is, I even remembered the music from this episode! It’s so strange, the things one recalls from childhood…What do you remember from your own days as a kiddo that you find totally random?

Anyways, the reason I am even bringing all this up is because I wanted to share the inspiration for my newest monkey pattern! I thought it would be really cute to make an amigurumi styled after the old time hurdy gurdy monkeys. My ambition was to make a monkey wearing a hat and a cute little suit, not unlike something you might see on a monkey at the circus. Well, as you can see, I managed a hat. One day, when I develop superior clothes-making crochet skills, I will definitely release amis with fancy outfits. 🙂 Until then, I’ll have to keep it sweet and simple!

Simi is the name of this little guy ..it’s a short for “Simian”. I think he looks really cute sitting on my son’s bookshelf, along with other stuffed animal friends. I hope you all like him! His pattern is now available in my usual shops! Please take a look at Craftsy or Etsy! Have a great day, everyone! Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Early Easter!

I am proud to present my latest pattern, a sweet little springtime bunny! Ok, I am thinking ahead, but this gives anyone who is interested in making this doll for Easter plenty of time to crochet! I spent a while choosing the colors for this rabbit. I wanted something soft and spring-like.. but I also wanted something a little different. I was happy to use this slightly unusual shade of green for her pants. In case you’re wondering, it is from Lion Brand yarns, my go-to yarn for all my amigurumi creations. I always use yarn from my local craft store, nothing fancy. And I had my doubts about the shoe color, wondering if it clashes with the other colors, but I think it came out alright.

The baskets in the back have some of my previous amis that I feel work with the whole springtime theme. You’ll see my Mochi bunny(Free pattern!) in there, along with a couple of Lil Quacks and my Humpty Dumpty (since he’s an egg…) Does this give you any ideas on making your Easter basket(s) this year? Making a hand-made gift for someone is truly special!

This bunny pattern will be listed very shortly in both of my shops! Here are the links – please stop by and browse! Have a great day, everyone!

In my CRAFTSY shop, you can download the pattern immediately upon payment. And if you prefer, it is also available at ETSY!