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Even More Videos on Ink & Stitches YouTube!
Four New Videos Now Live on my Ink & Stitches YouTube Channel!
I finished up editing and posting the last four videos I had filmed to my YouTube Channel. They are ready to help you learn new techniques and stitches that can be used when making your own amigurumi patterns, or if you are working through ones you found online that include these techniques: picot stitch, changing colors in the round (with jogging vs. jogless), crocheting in front loops only (FLO), and crocheting in back loops only (BLO).
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New Ink & Stitches How to Crochet Amigurumi Videos!
I’ve been hard at work since finishing up the illustrations for the Corgi book series (book #1). Since illustrating had taken up all of my free time for the past few months, I thought it time to get back to my Ink & Stitches YouTube Channel and get some new videos up for the amigurumi crochet enthusiasts out there!
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Making Amigurumi Patterns (Part Two)
How to Crochet Amigurumi from the Ground Up
I’ve been creating my own amigurumi patterns for almost seven years now, ever since I realized that amigurumi are made by knowing how to make shapes. Using decreases and increases to your advantage there is almost nothing that can’t be converted into a crocheted character. Deciding when special embroidery stitching would add some nice flare, finishes off each piece making it look professional and as true to life as possible.
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Making Mistakes – Crocheting Amigurumi
One of the excellent blog post ideas I received during my giveaway for April’s A to Z Challenge, was a question as to whether or not seasoned crocheters still make mistakes like we did when we were beginners. The answer to this is, yes… or at least, I do anyway. I can’t speak for all crocheters, but especially when I am creating new patterns, I make mistakes often.
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Craft for Kids: Finger Painting
When my son was only about a year old, we went to a birthday party where my friend had organized a craft for the kids. She’d provided small (8×10) canvases and Crayola washable paint, and had lined her entire living room floor with butcher paper. Her hope was that the kids would use their hands to make paintings and there would be minimal mess afterward.
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What I am Working On : Decrease and Invisible Decrease Videos
I thought it high time to post a couple more How to Crochet Amigurumi videos on my
Ink & Stitches YouTube Channel
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Dragon Craft Project : Fun with Kids
When this book, Fun Things to Do with Paper Cups and Plates by Kara L. Laughlin, came through the library where I work, I had to take a minute to thumb through the pages. The cover was too cute to let it slip through my fingers without a glance!
There are lots of fun crafts to do with your kids in this one, but my son is only 2 1/2 years old, so the project would have to be basic. Unfortunately, my favorite craft from the book that I just had to make, was the dragon (a bit advanced for a two year old) made with paper cups.
I had a few ideas as to how James could participate during this project, as well as some alterations and additions I planned to put in, that differed from Kara’s original design.
The first way James could help me was to pop the holes in the center-bottom of each cup. Don’t worry, I didn’t give him any sharp objects! I actually used a small meat thermometer for lack of options. I held the thermometer steady, and he pushed it down into the cups to make the holes. Let’s just say, he kept wanting more cups even though we’d already popped holes in the eleven we needed for the project. Hadn’t considered that one!
The first alteration I made was how I did the tail cup. I ended up not wanting it to be open and instead had the last two cup openings facing each other. To keep them from coming apart, I got out my trusty hot glue gun and glued them together (see my
H is for Hot Glue and Rock Sculptures
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What I am Working On : Dad’s Illustration and Happy Sunflower
Updated: 5/27/2016 – Scroll to the end of this post for the update!
This week, I have been gearing up for my first giveaway: a crocheted Happy Sunflower (see this post to be entered to win)! Since the giveaway goes from now until 3/14/16, I am working on getting the sunflower made up and ready to ship. To the right is a progress pic thus far. As you can see, I’ve made the stem, back of the head and almost one whole leaf! I know it doesn’t look like much, but just you wait until next week’s progress pic!
The other thing I’ve been starting to work on again, is an illustration I drew for my dad for Father’s Day last year. Life got in the way, and I never ended up coloring the picture. So, seeing as Father’s Day 2016 is coming up in a few months, I thought it high time I get out my Prismacolor pencils and get to work!
So far, I’ve colored in some of the seaweed. Not a whole lot of progress, but if you knew how I work to get the colors as vibrant and solid as they are (so the paper doesn’t show through), you would understand! Don’t worry, there will be another post to come, outlining my process for using Prismacolor pencils.
If you have any questions about what I’m working on this week, I’d be happy to answer them. Just leave a comment in the section for comments below!
Update: 3/6/16
Okay, let’s talk about this past week. I got to spend some more time working on my dad’s illustration for Father’s Day. It’s still slow-going, but I’m very pleased with how it’s turning out:
I got to listen to some of my favorite book series by Deborah Harkness (find her @DebHarkness or visit her website), The All Souls Trilogy. I’m currently listening to Book 2: Shadow of Night, while I work on coloring:
Aside from that and working on 26 blog posts for the April A to Z Challenge, I’m continuing to make progress on my giveaway prize (see my March Giveaway Post to win the Happy Sunflower: entries accepted through 3/14/16). As you can see, almost all of the pieces are made, aside from a few more petals. Then it’s time to assemble!
Good luck if you decide to enter to win the Happy Sunflower! Don’t forget, questions and comments are always welcome! See you next week for more of my segment: What I am Working On.
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New Video: Adeline Doll Reveal!
In order to change her destiny and the barren, colorless world, ten-year-old Adeline will have to unleash the last bit of magic.
Adeline Picot, is the main protagonist from my Middle Grade Fantasy story, Adeline and the Mystic Berries.
I have talked about the book on and off, and, as you know, I am now working on re-editing the story before I continue querying to find a literary agent.
In the meantime, I couldn’t wait to begin crocheting up some of the characters from this story that is very near and dear to me. It was the first book I ever wrote, and the first time an idea struck in my head that stayed.
I had always thought being a writer would be a wonderful job to have, but prior to coming up with the idea for Adeline and the Mystic Berries, never thought I would ever have good enough ideas myself. She proved me wrong, and here we are.
My vision is to have a line of dolls from the book that other crocheters can make. I want readers who love the story, to be able to have their very own dolls from the book!
So, without further ado, here is a video I made for my
Ink & Stitches YouTube Channel
