Resolutions, Works in Progress

Hi folks,

It's the first post of 2012 for me. So far so good, I suppose. I'm back at work as of this upcoming Monday, and Nekoyumi's back in school. Hopefully things won't slow down too much. I hope everyone is doing well. I've made some resolutions: to make more time for creative stuff and to try to be less.. retaliatory? I think that is the word. I guess we'll see if that works.

As for works in progress, I'm making a Creeper right now out of some variegated green-brown yarn. I'm pleased with the results, and I will certainly post it when it's finished. It's not much to look at, as is.

-K.

First update of the New Year!

So I have one more Christmas gift to show you all, and then I swear that's it. I couldn't finish this in time to send to my brother with his birthday gifts, and the next chance I have to send it out (read: I live in Ontario and post here is super slow, so when I have to send things to my brother in the U.S., I make my dad send it when he goes to Buffalo for stuff) isn't until the 4th.

So, here is the finished product! A penguin hat! But not just any penguin hat... A hat that makes it look like there is a baby penguin draped over your head! Like a floppy baby penguin! A baby penguin pancake! AH, THE CUTENESS!!

I wore it out today so I could see if it's actually warm (it is) and to take some pictures out in what was left of the sun. So that is me cowering behind my hands in the photos...

I gave him little feet hanging off the back to add to the look of a penguin just flopped over your head.


I feel like I've gotten a good handle on crocheting hats. I just hope my brother likes it!

I said something in an earlier post about something chicken-themed and pudding-inspired, but then forgot to ever actually post about it.... haha! So here it is, pudding-shaped chicken amigurumi! Obviously!


Check out more photos of this little experiment dude in our flickr photostream!

That is all for now. I hope you all are having a great start to the new year!

New Year's Crochet Post!

It's New Year's Eve, so this might be a little shorty post. Our working plan here is to update twice a week, with each of us updating once a week each. I've graduated from my undergraduate program and working full-time in the new year, so hopefully that will leave my evenings free to do that.

It's been busy times, so we haven't updated much recently. That will be changing, hopefully. Anyway, as you see in the previous post, I made Nekoyumi a cat for Christmas. She made me a bunch of sweet stuff, as you will soon see, but I just thought I should say that the pattern is from Nekoyama's book "Hello My Name Is Amineko" and it is excellent. I like that book a bunch.

This is an owl mug cozy that Nekoyumi made for me for Christmas. It keeps the stuff inside warm, though, admittedly, most of the heat is lost out the top, not the sides. It is still cute, and it keeps me from burning myself on the hot mug. My favourite part is the beak, and the little +-shaped feet.

Nekoyumi made me a carrot-shaped scarf as well. It's nice and long, and very warm. I like it a lot, especially the leaves. They're pretty great to play with. I'm not sure how she did them, but they're like a thick rope/cord, I guess. I've been wearing it out and about over the last couple of days, and it keeps the wind off nicely. The other handmade scarves I have are all triple crochet, so the holes in them let the wind in more than I would like.

The DSi case that Nekoyumi made me is purple, my favourite colour, with green inside. There are also felt pockets for me to put my games in. It's very squishy, and has snap closures. My previous DSi case was just a canvas Hetalia (Finland) pencil case thing that, while neat, offered very little as far as protection goes. I spilled hot chocolate on it or something, and it's all stained now. I am very glad to have this case for many reasons.

I didn't take pictures of the gifts I made my family, sadly. I will have to do that when I visit in a few weeks. I made my mum a cactus using the first pattern on this page, and I am pleased with how it turned out. I sewed tiny black beads on the ridges as needles, and I think it looks great. I also made her a red-with-white-spots mushroom that I based off of this pattern, but altered it slightly. For my sisters, I made bag-things that they can put change or makeup or something in. The lining was a pain to sew. I'll have to post it later, I guess.

OTHER NON-CHRISTMAS THINGS!

Above are a blue mushroom that I made a while ago using the pattern I liked above. The eggplant-penguin was an idea that Nekoyumi had that I kind of took and ran with. I'm pleased with the stem, but she thinks that the leaves should be attached to the head better. Maybe next time?

... this didn't turn out to be a shorty post at all. Happy New Year, everyone!

-K.

Christmas was here!

So, Christmas has already come and gone, as well as the end of the last semester of school. Even with finals (which were EXHAUSTING)over, I was still super busy making presents for everyone! I will leave K's presents for him to show you when he next updates. But here is what I gave/made for everyone else!

PLEASE EXCUSE THE AWFUL QUALITY OF THESE PHOTOS. I didn't feel like trying very hard since they aren't for the shop.

For my mom, and eventually for my aunts (haven't sent the package yet), I gave/will give things from our stash of preserved things (most of our stash is pictured here). Some things I gave include sour cherry jam, corn relish, pickled beets, and blackberry jam. Not pictured are watermelon rind pickles I made for my grandpa. My dad's wife also got pickled beets, plus the recipe. Her mother, who is visiting from California, got a jar of spiced cranberry jam. She loves it a bunch, and I've given some to her almost every time I've seen her since I started making and canning it.

My dad and I split the cost of a preserving book for his wife.

For my dad, I bought a couple things. I also made him an amigurumi version of the coffee cup from the Excel gum commercial.



For my dad's toddler, I made a cat hat. He likes cats a bunch, so maybe he will actually like wearing his hat if it makes him look like a cat?


For our friend, we got another copy of the preserving book we like, and I made her a tiny gingerbread man/girl ornament/brooch from a free pattern/tutorial on Berrysprite's blog. (I sewed a brooch back to it so she could wear it c:).

I also made her a ninja turtle mug warmer. I think I must have left a row out of his bandana or something, but I didn't notice until the VERY end of sewing all the bits on! So it sort of looks like he's wearing glasses.


So that is all, save for K's gifts. But I will show you what he got/made me!
He crocheted me an amineko, and bought me pomegranate jelly, a blue compact umbrella (not pictured), and a super cute mug from Daiso.

I took a lot of photos of the amineko... His name is Columbus!

I got some things from other people too. A super cute wreath from my dad's wife and her mom (picture below), a breadmaker and 10kg bag of flour from my dad, and some other things from him, relatives, and K's mum.... Oh, my dad also got me an Old Navy gift card. I bought a new winter jacket and hoodie with it today for super cheap! I love boxing day sales!


K got some pretty sweet gifts too, but I am really happy with what I got.

I will post photos of other things I've been working on next week (like things actually related to the shop!). For now, I will leave you with photos of our tiny Christmas tree!


P.S. All photos from now own will be brought to you by Cutieshack's new flickr account! Check it out often for extra photos of what we're working on, both merchandise and non-merchandise!

I'm soooo sorrry bloggy.

I promise I will update soon. I have lots of photos and creations to share! Just one more exam (tomorrow) to go, and then I am free... for three weeks...

I am planning to make more time for blogging next semester. Like, seriously dedicating some of my time.

For now, here is a link to a contest at one of my favourite Mori-girl blogs, Vanillery.

See you soon, little bloggy.
<3

No more Artfire shop...

So Artfire has decided to "upgrade" all the shops on their site to the fancy account you have to pay for... As in, no more free shop. K and I have decided to switch exclusively to etsy, but haven't had the time to actually move things over yet, so our etsy shop is still empty and boring. It may be a bit yet until we do that, between being in Seattle currently (surprise!), my laptop dying completely (again!) and the Fall semester starting as soon as we get back home. Soooo... keep an eye out and thank you for being patient with us! :D

Long time no post.

I just moved in with K, so I haven't had much time to post about anything or even work on anything...

I have, however, just finished something I've wanted to make for a while...

It has something to do with chickens and pudding..... Hehehe....

Will post photos soon.

For now... something cute: Otters!