An Update

Hello Friends!  How are you all doing?  Well, I hope :)

I know this update is a long time coming. I don't have any really good excuses but I hope "buying a new home" is one that will suffice :D  And it's true too! My husband and I are currently in the process of closing on our first house! We're both super excited to experience and enjoy home-ownership, along with being very relieved that the house-hunt it over. 

It's been over 2 years since we started looking, but all the labor was fruitful and well worth the effort. We cannot take all or any credit as God's hand was clearly visible through everything from start to finish. We are extremely grateful! 

~

Here's a recap of my summer! 

Row 1:  For our anniversary in May we stayed in the local area on a short "stay-cation" in order to save up for our down payment! We planned a couple trips to local tourist-y spots like: a fancy dinner out, a day along Lake Michigan, and another day at the local zoo. Our zoo is a bit small but had many types of animals!

Row 2: Square 1- You really can't see him well, but that's a Red Panda in the tree! He was so cute and a lot smaller than I imagined them to be! Square 2 - Our day along the lake was wonderful! We went through a few shops, ate dinner at an open-top restaurant/grill (the food was amazing!), bought ice cream and chocolate candies at the South Bend Chocolate Company Cafe', and soaked in the sun! Also, it was Memorial Day and there were people everywhere! Street performers, musicians, food vendors, families, dogs on leashes (I seriously NEED a pet!! The cravings are so strong! Soon, sooon...), loud music, and an endless stream of teenagers!  Square 3 - Me and my handsome hubs :)

Row 3: Once we got our accepted offer and the closing date was set, we got packing! Cue unpreventable mess and chaos...  Goodbye apartment, hello new home! Well, we haven't closed yet, but we are trusting it will be soon!

~

Amid the fervent house hunting, then waiting, then packing; I did make a few new ami's, mostly gifts. 

1 & 2: A custom order for a friend who gifted it to her friend :D She's a happy bear with a vest and hat, who loves to take her bunny friend on walks in her basket! 

3: A bear doll I've talked about before; I finally finished her! I loved how she turned out, so cute! She was a gift for my baby niece. 

4: Tuxedo Cat, a birthday gift for a sweet friend. 

5: Strawberry Bunny, a birthday gift for my little sister. 

6 & 7: I've been eyeing Blythe dolls for a long time and really wanted to customize one and sew sweet little dresses for her! So, after much research, I bought an Icy Doll and a very cheap Blythe fake. So far, I've carved the fake doll, and made a few outfits for the Icy. The fake Blythe's body is horrible and I plan to replace it with a Pure Neemo small body, if the carving turns out well. I really like the quality of the Icy. Her hair is soft and silky, her body is sturdy and an even color, and her eye chips are in great shape! I don't like her mouth so I plan to carve it into something more appealing :) Here's hoping I'm good at it! So far, so good with carving the fake...

With all my crafty stuff boxed away, I'm spending most of my free time picking out paint colors, decorating styles, making plans for diy's and renovations, gardens, dreams... So excited! 

How has your summer been? Any new and excited events, plans, or surprises? 

7 Free Amigurumi Patterns for Valentine's Day!

With Valentine's Day barely ten days away, it's time to get out your crochet supplies and start a cute Valentine's project for your special someone! 

I've compiled my favorite 8 free amigurumi patterns for this holiday season! Click on the photos to take you to their pages. 

1: Sweet Heart Bunny

Stephanie, from All About Ami, designs the sweetest amigurumi on the internet, and each pattern is free! How awesome is that?! I love her patterns and tutorials, each one is clear with lots of pictures and step-by-step instructions. Two of her patterns are for Valentine's Day and this first one is my favorite! 

2: Valentine Teddy

The second pattern by Stephanie, a teddy bear. Like the bunny, his pattern is super clear to follow. He's so adorable!! I love his little bow-tie and his irresistible fuzziness! 

3: Pop Heart

Diana, from MyGurumi, wrote this adorable puffy heart anyone can make! It's size is quite large, about 4" when finished! 

4: Strawberry

Valentine's Day isn't complete without a couple of strawberries, preferably dipped in chocolate!  This is a great pattern by TheSunandTheTurtle! Check out their site, you'll love all the cute patterns! 

5: The Love Nest

How cute are these little birds snuggled in a nest?! Such a precious pattern by Yellow, Pink, and Sparkly!

6: Heart Shaped Cookies

Valentine's Day never passes without a batch of heart shaped cookies! A sweet pattern by Crochet N Play! Check out her blog, she has many adorable patterns designed for children! 

7: Small Heart Plush

The perfect size for keychains or ornaments, this tutorial is great for the beginner and expert alike! The hearts are easy and quick, so make one for all your friends! Pattern by moi :)

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Amigurumi Chick Pattern & Rilakkuma Pattern Mods

Happy New Year Friends!!

Don't you just love the fresh feeling of a new year?  It's like a blank slate covered in hope, ready for the pen of your heart to write all manner of plans and dreams!  I don't know about you but plans are hard for me to make and keep, as I am more of a dreamer and as such, my plans continually change!

One of the dreams I've had for a while, but haven't succeeded in producing a solid plan, is to start a series of free amigurumi patterns and modifications for your favorite kawaii characters!  By pattern modifications, I'm talking about a few simple changes to an amigurumi pattern you purchased in one of my shops.

The first pattern mods I'd like to start this series with are for Rilakkuma and Korilakkuma and a free amigurumi pattern for Kiiroitori!  To make Rilakkuma as shown here, you are going to need to follow my Cutie Bear Pattern. If you haven't heard of Rilakkuma or his friends, let me introduce you!

Rilakkuma is a character produced by the Japanese company San-X. His name is a combination of the word relax and the Japanese word for bear. As his name implies, Rilakkuma loves to relax and be very lazy. He enjoys laying around, sleeping, watching TV, soaking in hot springs and listening to music.

His friend Korilakkuma is is a younger, smaller bear hence "Ko" which means child in Japanese. She is an energetic and mischievous friend who enjoys playing tricks on Rilakkuma while he is sleeping, like drawing on him and sewing odd colored patches to his clothes!

Kiiroitori is a chick who lives with both the bears. He is a sensible and very mature bird, often scolding Rilakkuma for being too lazy and Korilakkuma for being too naughty. He's the opposite of Rilakkuma with his hard working nature and love of cleanliness.

Cutie Pattern Modifications

Cutie Pattern Link

The pattern used for both bears is the Cutie Bear pattern, available HERE.

Both bear's body and head patterns are close to the same as the Cutie Bear pattern. The only difference is Rilakkuma's body has one extra round of single crochets, between Rnds 6 & 7. This is to make Rilakkuma taller than Korilakkuma. You can see the height difference one round makes!

The pattern for the "Belly and Nose" is as follows, make two:

Belly and Nose
In a MR, sc 1, hdc 2, sc 2, hdc 2, sc 1. Sl st to close. [8 sts total]
Pull the ring closed tightly, cut leaving a long tail for sewing. Sew the first one to the body. Use black embroidery thread to sew a small nose and mouth on the second one. Sew on to the Head in the same fashion as the Belly.

The pattern for the "Inner Ears" is really simple, but this one feature is so defining for Rilakkuma, he's just a regular bear without them!

Inner Ears
In a MR, sc 4 times. 
Make 2. Pull ring tightly closed and cut a long tail. Sew the Inner Ears onto the Outer Ears and Head, before or after the Ears are attached - which ever way is simpler for you!

Kiiroitori's Free Amigurumi Pattern

Difficulty: ❤♡♡♡ Beginner 

Materials You'll Need:
• A small amount of yarn, I used Impeccable Loops & Threads in Yellow and Orange
• Crochet hook - D to F depends on yarn weight
• Stuffing - Polyfil
• Yarn or Darning Needle
• Scissors
• 2 - 4 mm safety eyes

Stitch Pattern Key
Rnd - Round
MR - Magic Ring (magic circle, magic loop)
st - Stitch
ch - Chain
sc - Single Crochet
dc - Double Crochet
hdc - Half-double Crochet
Sl st - Slip Stitch
inc - Increase (two sc in one)
dec - Decrease (Invisible Decrease recommended)
[##] - Number of stitches in Round
( ) x 6 - Repeat action within ( ) 6 times

Notes: Finished Size: 1.5" x 1.5" (3.5 cm x 4.5 cm)  ❤  I use the joined-round method of amigurumi, most people do not.  This pattern works for both spiral and joined rounds, use the method you are most comfortable with. 

Kiiroitori
BODY
Rnd 1: In a MR, sc 6 [6]
Rnd 2: (inc in each st) x 6 [12]
Rnd 3: (inc then sc 1) x 6 [18]
Rnd 4-6: sc in each st [18]
Rnd 7: (sc 3 then Inc) x 4, sc in last 2 sts [22]
Rnd 8: Sc in each st [22]
Rnd 9: (sc 2, then dec) x 5, sc in last 2 sts [17]
Place 4 mm eyes 4 holes apart, between Rnds 4&5
Rnd 10: (dec then sc 1) x 5, dec last 2 sts together [11]
Stuff firmly.
Rnd 11: Dec around, sc in last st. [6]
Tie off, finish stuffing, and close hole.

WINGS
Rnd 1: in a MR: sc, hdc, dc 2, hdc, sc, sl st. [7]
Pull ring closed, cut thread leaving a long tail. Make 2 and sew to opposite sides of body.

BEAKS
Top Beak (larger sized)
In a MR:  sc, dc 3, sc. Sl st, Tie off.

Bottom Beak
In a MR, sc 3, sl st and tie off.

Sew top on first, between eyes. Sew bottom on next, as close as you can, underneath the top beak. With black thread, add hair, legs, and nostrils . And you've finished Kiiroitori! 


I hope you enjoy his little pattern and the modifications to making your own Rilakkuma set! I know I did :) If you have any questions, please let me know in the comments below or send me an email and I'll do my best to reply quickly. Remember, your comment won't appear until it's approved. This blog receives a lot of spam comments and I do my best to keep Ami Amore clean and happy :)

Thanks for stopping by!  Enjoy~





As this is an original Ami Amore pattern, kindly do not claim it as your own. You may place a link to this pattern from your site, but please do not repost it onto your page. Share a picture of your own Rilakkuma set with everyone on Facebook, we'd love to see your finished work!