Needles, Dolls and more!

I've got a lot of things to procrastinate, so I picked up a couple new projects in the past couple weeks.

We had Spring Break last week, so I started all sorts of things. First, I began a paper making project (this is basically what I did, but I forgot to take pictures :\). I had been collecting waste paper for quite some time. I built up quite a stash.

I probably should have stopped way sooner than I did b/c I'd never made paper before. I spent one day blending all the paper with water. The next day I went to Home Depot and got a role of 1/4" mesh-wire and made my paper. I let it dry for an entire day. It's pretty sturdy. I think it will make a good journal or something of the like.

My second project was amigurumi. I decided to make something for my aunt's birthday. I know her favorite color is blue, but I don't know her favorite animal so it took me a long time to come up with a good amigurumi doll to make. My roommate's girlfriend suggested a fish. At first I wasn't sure about the idea, but it grew on me and actually fit quite well. My aunt has done a lot of tropical diving and photography, and blue looks good on fish. This is what I came up with. He was actually based on this design. I changed his tail mostly b/c my sister was upset that the tail would be horizontal and not vertical, which would make it a marine mammal, not a fish.

My most recent project was making knitting needles from wooden dowels. I went to Home Depot again and got some wooden dowels in multiple sizes. I came home and cut them to about 7 inches. I decided to make double pointed needles and was able to make 5 dpn and a couple cable needles from each dowel. I then used my pencil sharpener to make points on all but the largest dowel, which I had to sharpen with a knife. I'll be sanding them down and staining them soon.

My next project will involve more needles (not dpn, so I'll make end-toppers) and amigurumi probably. Eventually I'll be putting up patterns also.

Finished

I finished all three of the amigurumi Christmas dolls I started making Saturday. I'm super proud of them. I think they look awesome. My favorite is Rudolph the reindeer.

The Santa is a little more tan than I intended, but my story is that he vacations in Boca during the off-season.

For having done them all without any patterns, I'm extra pleased with the way they turned out. I think I'll make a Rudolph for my friend's mom. I know I should make one for my mom, but I'm not sure which one just yet.

PS I've also put up pics of the diaper bag I made my friend this summer. It had lining and everything!

Amigurumi

I've started making amigurumi. I got obsessed with the craft about 2 weeks ago. I'm making some dolls for a few of my graduating seniors in the Anthropology Society.

I've basically been looking at pictures and just coming up with something. I'm more free form. I like having patterns, but somehow I just don't perform as well when I use a pattern.

My next projects will be an English bulldog and a hippo for my roommate's girlfriend. I feel like the bulldog will be the most difficult one.

Wish me luck!