Amigurumi... I don't even know how to pronounce it! Many Many years ago, I made two crocheted teddy bears for my sons, they were a couple of the first such projects in crochet that I completed -- that was like 35 years ago... I have not made any such thing since then. Afghans, Scarfs, Mitts, even a sweater or two and shawls or ponchos, Til now... I have been seeing so many creative creatures on various blogs, that I am impelled to make one! I decided, even though I am a well experience crocheter, perhaps starting with something easy would be a good idea...
After much searching and checking out tutorials, I came upon this link http://baghisblog.blogspot.ca/2010/08/free-amigurumi-pattern-moko-cat.html
as a starting point...
Now, I am not sure if it is because I just need to put my own 'touches' onto anything that I do or if I just HAVE to do it my way, but I am making changes along the way.... Besides, I have about 40 skeins of "Rug Yarn" each skein is I think 15 yards, so not alot of each skein! Rug Yarn is almost as fine as Sock Yarn, but without the nylon and is definitely a rougher wool, but if I recall I did get the skeins at a second hand shop for about 2 bucks!
So if you take a look at the link above, you will see that I am making a 'ginger' tabby cat, somewhat different that the original pattern and I have already shortened the arm length that is called for in the free pattern--it just seems weird to have arms longer than a body--imho-- anyway...
More on "MOKO" as this amigurumi cat progresses...
Another very long term project I have is the sprouting, planting, and carefully watching it grow, of a grocery store Avocado seed!
I am not sure what exactly possessed me to begin this but it has been immensely satisfying. I suspect it is the satisfaction that many gardeners experience with many plants that are a challenge! I definately am not a gardener, tho I plant geraniums and tomatoes and a few herbs on my backyard patio each year...
And my last Work in Progress for March is an experiment! Now, you know, this has been a long hard cold winter in many parts of both Canada and the USA... One of the things that has always affected me is dry skin. Dry skin from head to toe and of course it is always worse in winter. When I was a kid, my mom would try everything to help me because sometimes it was so bad the skin on my hands would split and leave awfully tender open wounds... She would have me use Vaseline, sometimes I could just slip and slide where ever i wanted to go! She would put mayonaise in my hair because my hair was like a horse's tail, thick and brittle and strawlike! Nothing seemed to work, even into adulthood i had problems with dry skin, hair, nails, feet, everything! One very helpful cure was to move from Winnipeg, Manitoba to where I am now, near Vancouver, BC on the west coast of Canada... but still winters test my skin for dry patches...
Praise to the internet and random searching for a new "organic" skin cream! In the past year or so I have been getting a 'reaction' to a few different face creams that I have bought that even say hypoallergenic! I put on the product and my eyes and nose start watering -- no actual skin reaction or blotches or pimples, more like whatever evaporates off the skin cream affects my air intake.... weird.
So in an effort to find something that doesn't cause that type of reaction, I landed upon the idea of Coconut Oil!
I am sure there are other brands and other sizes, but this is my first jar -- a pint (US measure) that I bought at Winco Foods in Bellingham, WA for 6.49. When it comes to a DEAL, this is it! Where can you buy a good quality face or skin cream for that price? This is GREAT! Anyway, I have been using this on my skin for a month now and am very impressed and pleased with the results... My hands are definately loosing some of the wrinkledy feel, every toe and my heels on my feet are softened. And no more watery eyes or nose when I use it on my face! My new face cream! And you can even cook with this stuff! I suspect more people cook with it than use it on their skin tho... but I am a convert to coconut oil on the skin!
What a varied mish mash of updates and works in progress! What little projects do you have that surprise or satisfy you?
In a day or two, a few more updates...
I am beginning to think that most everything we do is a Work in Progress!
