Ramblings of a Crafter

Well what can I say?  What a big year this has been for me.  I looked back over 2012 thinking, "Hmmm I haven't really done all that much, another year has just plodded on by."  But when I really thought about it, I'd actually managed to fit quite a lot into these last 365 days. 

I started off the year wanting to reclaim my childhood obsession with craft as a hobby, so embarked upon a journey.  First stop was making sock monkeys.  My enthusiasm meant I bought a lot of pairs of stripey socks, buttons, thread etc ready to take on the world.  Unfortunately my interest in pulling out the sewing machine, cutting ends of threads and lining up stripey legs quickly led to frustration and my bits and bobs have now been consigned to a shoebox packed securely within a storage box out of sight.

I'm sure I'll pull these babies out again one day and finish them off

I actually managed to finish one.  Yay for me!

So onto my next project...

Somehow I came across the book "Hello My Name Is Amineko" by Nekoyama.  I hadn't crocheted for many years but thought I'd try this out, after all, it didn't need any machinery, didn't make mess and was completely portable.  I started off making one in front of the tv...and that's where it all began.  I made one, then two and quickly grew into a family.  This extended into a monkey family, a one-off gorilla and a ginormineko.  I've made 50+ crochet creatures this year, more than one a week! 

So what now for 2013?  Well now that I've gotten the ball rolling with Amineko, I've got so many plans, ideas, thoughts arrrgghhhh.  Too much to do, not enough time.  Here's a list of things I have planned for 2013:

* more crochet creatures (zombies, monsters and a giraffe)
* get started on a bit of woodwork.  I've got these beautiful handmade wooden fenders for my bicycle and was so enamoured of these that I bought offcuts of different colours and would like to make jewellery out of these, or something.  A scroll saw has been added to my wishlist.

* and have just bought a Sizzix die cut machine, so would also like to play around with paper a bit once it comes in.  Pretty labels to send out with my cats!

In the meantime, my year was also filled with doing other things I love.  My day job is within the Dental Industry.  I make false teeth.  What??!!  Yes I hear you, I MAKE false teeth for a living.  More specifically, single crowns, bridges and implants.  The dentist takes an impression of the patient's mouth and sends it to us.  We pour it up in plaster and work on this model to make a tooth (or teeth) out of wax, which is then cast in a gold alloy and porcelain is built up on top of the gold to match the existing teeth.  Nifty, huh?  I only just started learning the porcelain build-up technique this year so will spend 2013 refining my work, but who knows, 2014 could lead to making other things out of porcelain...more jewellery perhaps?  My favourite part of the crown-making process is painting on the colours and stains to make the tooth look realistic.  We add touches of blue to cusp tips to make them look translucent and add tiny dots of brown into the fissures/valleys to give depth.  Absolutely love it and can't wait to get better!

PFMs, Porcelain Fused to Metal crowns.

Umm, yeah we can also make poo.  This was made out of plaster and coloured with coffee grinds.  My colleague also added his breakfast cereal to it to make it look more authentic.

Except it turned out kinda looking like a cookie.  It's best we stick to making teeth.

Ok so there it is, 2012 done and dusted.  On to bigger, better and brighter things in 2013!

Princess, Megsy and Jellicle

After making many character-type Amineko, I've been tasked with making 3 Amineko to match real cats.  Princess is a charcoal cat with a white arm and chest, Megsy is an orange and white tabby and Jellicle is a tortoiseshell cat (mostly black and white).  Another fun project for me to work on!

www.facebook.com/AminekoTheCrochetCat


Princess



Jellicle and Megsy



Work in progress

 











 

Megsy getting photobombed!





Princess is for a good friend from the gym.  We have an annual Chrismukkah party every year and she wasn't sure about going this year.  This is my devious way of getting her to be there!  Do you think it'll work?

Will the real Megsy and Jellicle please stand up?

Jimmy Monkey

Jimmy Monkey was made for a friend who wanted to give him to her brother for Christmas.  The brief?  To make an Amisaru matching the original Jimmy Monkey who was a favoured childhood toy of her brother's.

He loved his Jimmy Monkey so much that when he moved to Singapore, he opened a cafe named after his beloved friend.  Jimmy Monkey Cafe & Bar (www.jimmymonkey.com)

http://www.facebook.com/jimmymonkeycafe

Here is the original Jimmy in his cafe:

 

Here is Amisaru Jimmy in progress:

And here is the adorable Amisaru Jimmy in all his glory, finished and ready to go...he was such a lovely project to work on...hopefully he enjoys his new home in Singapore.  If you're ever down that way be sure to visit them at:

• 9 One-North Gateway. #01-51 One-North Residences
• Singapore, Singapore 138643

tee hee hee...I just had to collage them together!!!



Christmas Madness

Well surprisingly I've been inundated with Christmas orders so I've been furiously working away in my spare time trying to get all the bits crocheted up and ready to put together.  I've got some REAL cats to try and match this time, so again, am being challenged to see what I can come up with....love it!

From left to right:
Princess (charcoal cat), Jellicle (tortoiseshell), Megsy (orange and white tabby)

Closer detail of Jellicle.  I predominantly used black wool flecked with brown and white, with random patches of white, orange, black nd brown wools.  Apologies for the dark pic, I'll post a better one when they're finished!

Some of my Christmas orders...amongst this mess are bits of Jimmy Monkey (Amisaru being made to match the photo of Jimmy Monkey), Batman Amineko, Princess, Jellicle and Megsy...I have more than 10 on the go all at the same time!!

A Gorilla Amigurumi I made a few months back as a one-off.

Check out these cuties

Here are more pics of Amineko/Aminekos/Amineki (just exactly what IS the plural of Amineko??) enjoying the sunshine...



Trio of ballerinas

 

Sisters




Melbourne Demons Amineko (an Aussie Rules football team.  AFL is extremely popular in Melbourne and one of the first question's recent migrants to Melbourne receive is, "Which team do you go for?"  It doesn't matter what reason you have for choosing a team, you absolutely MUST choose one before Melburnians accept you into their fold!!  Strange but true!



Oooops, maybe had one beer too many at the footy



Bathing beauty





Just hangin' around



Amisaru family!



Amineko family!



All together now!

Goodness Gracious!

Why goodness gracious!!  My pile of yarn is ever-expanding...it has taken on a life of it's own!  Each weekend I tell myself, don't go down to the local craft store, but another voice inside always protests...but there's a yarn sale, but you need this colour, but you need that colour, but, but, but, but, BUT!


From this photo, you can tell which voice usually wins the battle!  I now have 4 storage boxes stuffed full of yarn waiting patiently to be crocheted into delightful creatures.

My birthday was a couple of months ago and my very thoughtful brother bought me these 2 amigurumi books.  I've flipped through the pages many a time pondering my next project, but must fill some orders I've got for cats and monkeys first (13 on the go at the moment! Wowsers!).  Who knew that deciding to re-take up an old hobby would lead to obsession and complete control over my spare time!  I must say though, I'm glad I've got something to do other than while away my hours on the couch in front of the tv or computer.