Amigurumi tips

Hello all.

I got an email recently from one of those crochet sites, advertising: 5 tips from amigurumi pros.
Amigurumi is japanese term. I don't know the exact translation, but it basically is crochet stuffed animals or toys. I consider knitted stuffed animal/toys to be amigurumi as well, but that is my personal preference.

 From the Crochet Me email/website:
 

Tips from the Professionals on Crochet Amigurumi

Laura Gibbons: Don't give up! I think many people look at the patterns and their brain just starts to hurt because they don't understand it. Take the pattern line by line, piece by piece.

Stacey Trock: Amigurumi should be fun, not frustrating. Don't get too caught up about positioning the ears "just right" . . . whatever looks cute to you is right!

Gina Reneé Padilla: Don't be afraid of crocheting amigurumi, if you know the basic stitches of crochet, then you will have no problem crocheting amigurumi. Take your time, draw a picture, even search online for something that will inspire you.

Allison Hoffman: Keep those stitches tight and stuff 'til you can't stuff' em any more! Sketch the face out first (embroidery, eye placement, etc.), and it makes it a lot easier to transfer your idea onto the toy. Experiment with different kinds of yarn for texture.

Nancy Anderson: Use smaller hooks in order to crochet tight fabric with no stuffing show-through, but rest your hands regularly, as this tight gauge can make your hands hurt. Have fun and don't be afraid to be creative and whimsical with colors, embellishments, and feature placements. It's okay to go a bit wild and crazy, it's just a toy. Best of all, have fun—that's what it's all about.

Well, the advice was OK, but it is mostly what you tell beginners when they're starting ANY craft or activity. Mostly motivational. Their advice is not wrong, its just not how I learned.


I thought I would share some more detailed advice, more helpful advice for making nice looking amigurumis you can either love or be satisfied with.

Amigurumi tips

1. When using single crochet, decrease by inserting hook through back loops only. This creates an invisible decrease, if you want an invisible decrease.

2. When sewing on different parts of the creature, sew them onto the vertical bars (into the holes) made when you crochet around a stitch. Don't sew through the yarn strands themselves.

3.  Memorize (or have handy) the basic circular increase or circular decrease. You know, the kind that makes a sphere shape. That way, if you want to lengthen or shorten a spherical shape, or you want to make a sharper increase or decrease, you have within your power to do so.

4. Insert eyes and sew on any details BEFORE stuffing your amigurumi with whatever stuffing you're using.

5. Use a hook small enough to make a tight gauge, but not so much that it hurts your hand to use. You don't want to see the stuffing poking through, it just doesn't look right generally.

Hair and dresses.

So I'm having a bit of financial troubles at the moment, and a lot of things are stressful.
I've come to the point where I can't sustain my website and domain, calienteokami.com. One day when I'm actually working I'll be able to buy it back, but for now, I cannot afford it... College is really taking its toll. I'm about ready to be out of it and onto the real world. One of the reasons being I don't like bouncing in between two locations. I'm never sure which address to use for something, because I'll only be home for a few months, and then I'll only have my dorm address for a few months. Also, I'm tired of being broke.
I want to pay for my own things. I want SOOO many wigs, and dresses. Dresses I can make. Wigs I cannot. Which is kinda sucky. I'm starting on a new skirt, I'm going to try hand sewing it, even though at home I have access to sewing machine. (another reason I want a permanent residence, I won't have to lug my things back and forth. Also, the sewing machine is not mine.)
In my google searches for various things, such as handmade lolita and lolita pattern and lolita fabric and whatever else I've been searching for this afternoon, I've come across a number of pictures of black lolitas. Eeek. Its just uncommon to see. I've even seen one with twists in her hair; cool!
Anyway, since I can't afford wigs, I want to explore my hair options as a black lolita. I have natural hair (coarse and curly, but soft) , of shoulder length, and it takes a while to grow.
I neither want to cut off my hair, nor go dred, and I'm not particularly interested in getting my hair permanently straightened.

There are plenty of options for lolitas with straight hair. One could wear it long, or in pigtails or pony tails, or curl it up, etc. If one has enough money, one could purchase a variety of wigs that will give your hair this effect.
I ask you, potential visitors and readers, what can someone with fragile curly hair do to look victorian, steampunkish, regency, rococo, etc?

The strength in such hair is the great volume. Extensions of course can be easily added.
Anyway, this isn't an easy question, and it isn't one that I"ve ever seen covered in the lolita community. I"m going to research it, and try to take photographs of myself with some hairstyles. I think that would be a great summer project.

I think one of the many more common solutions is to braid the hair into strands, and then manipulate it. I will try my best at styling hair. I'm mainly... interested in this topic as scientific or cultural research, to add to the community in some way.
Anywhoo... I'm going to try to get my digital camera in order.

P.S. I am sooo into period fashion and culture. o_o I totally want to make a regency dress. And then A rococo dress, like the french aristocracy. How fun. And of course renaissance. And other ones oooh.
-MNR

Lacey Things!

Good morning all.

I love lace. I recently discovered this after many years of crocheting and knitting.
I feel its one of those ultimate lolita crafts. After all, the most refined ladies of all ages mastered these things and created delicate, mindboggling shapes.
I guess I got into it when I learned I would probablyu never get rid of the large holes in my crochet. Crochet is made with vertical stitches and twists, so there are often vertical "slats" of holes. But crochet also makes sturdy fabric, much more structurally sturdy than knitting.

Don't get me wrong, they both have their benefits and to me, they benefit in certain situations. But I'm not a fan of the drapeyness of knitted doilies and edgings. I like the really tight gauge, and crochet lace works up so fast toooo, so it is my method of choice when creating lace generally.

So far, my most used technique of lace making has been crochet, but I've learned that tatting, or frivolite I suppose it was called in other languages, is VERY portable and creates very loopy gorgeous laces. I feel tatting is more freeform, so larger diagrams are sooo confusing. Plus its hard to find tatting patterns larger than a bookmark or doily.

Again, I'm promoting ravelry as really good for this purpose. Ravelry

I've even sewn my handmade lace onto lolita shirts and skirts. The edging wore out on an ebay dress I purchased two years ago, and I plan on replacing it with crocheted lace, if I could find the perfect edging! I might just use tatted lace. I really want to try remaking lolita slippers with my own canvas fabric and lace.
I also wonder what lace made with plastic bags would look like. I'm really into using alternate yarns.

The types of lace-making I practice:
crochet
knitting
tatting
punto in aria (needle lace)

Bobbin lace, one of the more traditional forms of lace from the 1400s to late 1800s in most parts of the world, is entirely hard looking! I have yet to master this. I have yet to start! I have to make pairs of bobbins to practice with, and its not very portable or fast. Plus, at any time, you can have anywhere from 4 to 32 pairs of bobbins or more. That means 8 to 64 different strands of threads weaving in and out of eachother.
When I master the basics of it, I'll let you guys know. =_=

Anyway, I need to upload images of what I've been making this boring summer, so stay tuned. Most of it is lace as it comes out pretty and staves off boredom for a short while. Uuuugh... I don't have a car so I can't get a job/volunteer. Maybe I will reopen my etsy with crocheted lace?

I've also been interested in diy technical things. I want to use things I have around the house to make a wind/solar power generator, or charger. Some of the ingredients I don't have, like magnetic enamel coated wire, so I'm going to have to bus it to radioshack or walk to the hardware store and see what they have. I didn't know it was so hard and time consuming to get from place to place when you don't have a car! Well, I knew, but I was used to taking 30 minutes to run an errand rather than 1.5 hours minimum on the bus (or walking).

Also, my computer is being fixed by lenovo (it has been almost a month) so I am using my mother's computer. That means I can't do 3d things and play most of the games I have for the computer. Eeeeeh.

-MNR

Back and Sewing

Thanks for staying with me peoples. The end of the school year always gets a bit messy timewise. I spent much of my time packing, spending time with friends, and getting any last minute work in.

Uuugh it was a particularly rough end of semester as all of my friends are graduating.
No time for lolita. D=

In fact, I packed away my dresses in a friend's apartment.
Never fear, I haven't given up "the cloth". Its just that I'm not likely to wear them over the summer. Where am I going to go with them?

This has just challenged me to use up my stash fabric. Over the past couple of weeks, I've learned a lot about pattern drafting, especially for the curvy figure.

I googled french curve and traced one out onto cardboard. It is the key to making a lot of the natural shapes in patterns. Being curvy and into lolita (which generally is still in the dark ages of one size fits all) has really made me look into taking 2d fabric and wrapping it flatteringly around a 3d form, ie a body. It has made me think about the motivations of this fashion, and the motivations of all fashion.

Bunches of lovely lolita and sewing blogs have taught me the finer parts of sewing that one usually only learns in paid online courses or in thick dictionary books. I'm still looking for a good pattern drafting and general sewing book.

My mum's old kenmore sewing machine just crapped out on me again. Is squeaking like a rusty barn gate, so I need to find the machine oil. I really want my own, but that's a whole nother kettle of fish. Smelly fish.

I've often thought of the different careers my life could take on. I usually like helping where I'm needed. Like, having something to contribute to a certain industry. I guess for fashion... I feel like society as a whole are going in the wrong direction, in many different ways.

Clothes are being made with little to no fitting, with cheap materials, and are made to fall apart quickly, yet prices for clothes are staying the same or even getting higher.
I feel this somewhat with certain boutiques. I feel.... if you're going to sell an article of clothing that's several hundred dollars in cost, it should be of high grade materials and stitched by hand, and tailored to measurements. However, that often isn't the case...
I suppose I can create an entry on this. There are many justifications for a high price, such as those I have previously listed. Having a brand name, in and of itself, written on the article of clothing is no reason to price high. I feel some brands don't realize that.

Weird huh?

I feel blasphemous.

I feel like larger lolitas could use some nice fitting clothing of reasonable prices. There's a few online boutiques focused in the US, and then some brands charge an extra fee for custom sizing. However, quite a few of these boutiques don't go past measurements of 40in. I don't see the sense in that, especially if you're charging the person extra. If you are, then just charge them the base price of the fabric. It can't take that much more time to sew an extra few inches. I mean, I"ve sewn different size pieces. It doesn't take that much more time from a 28 in waist to a 48 in waist.
Is it that they don't know how to size for someone larger than 40 in? I refuse that answer. You're a clothing boutique. You should know how to size patterns and tailor them. You're charging for your skill in tailoring and your eye for good design.

Just my opinions.

One of the ideas I've had was to start making and selling lolita clothing. I'm worried about doing direct commissions, because horror stories... and I don't want to screw up peoples' orders or anything. Or have them think I did. I dunno I get nervous.
But I feel... that an article of clothing should be made for as many body types as possible. A dress shouldn't just fit and flatter a girl of size 2. It should also fit and flatter a girl of size 22. If it does not, alter it so that it does and let that be the end of the matter. That is where I disagree with many boutiques only offering one or two sizes; small and smaller. Ladies are ladies at any size, and they all need clothes.
However, larger ladies is an untapped market... definitely create for those ladies first though.

Or I'm just dreaming. I don't know.
My sketchbook is filled with clothing designs and accessories. I just need the fabric. And a non-squeaky sewing machine!
Argh.


-MNR

A portrait of a lolita (wip)

Sorry I haven't been able to post much else. I am really busy still moving and such.

And my website is down. Goodie.

Umm... Got the sudden inspiration to ink an old picture, will color n such. My computer is broken, amongst other things, so I am using a loaner, and I am not used to it. UGH, so many problems.
Anyway, more on this picture later.
Click to make bigger.

Hell Week

Sorry I haven't posted.
I have projects due back to back in all of my classes, and I have to study for finals, not to mention figure out what I'm doing this summer and in the fall.

My next post will most likely be a picture post. I've been working on a lot of crochet, and drawing some.

One more essay and final due.

Thanks for understanding.

-MNR