Bear Family in Wonderland

So it's happening again, the days when I suddenly got nothing to do (except my daily job).

It could be a good time to make an amigurumi or two, but I don't.

Cause after these days, I will be very busy working on a very ambitious project for the next 6 months, so I take my time doing nothing.

Few months ago I brought Pinkong to Bangkok.  i just remember that I bought her eyes from Bangkok (etsy store).  Thai people are very creative.  Actually I saw a lot of amigurumis in MBK and Asiatique (a modern floating market).

I didn't take any picture of the Thai amigurumis because I was in a hurry.

But of course I always have time to shop. I bought an amigurumi book for my collection. Too bad I only bought one so I can't make a giveaway quiz again.

The book is written in Thai letter, but there are some diagram, so it's pretty easy to make the doll based on this book.  I don't know whether it is a translation from japanese book or not. I just think it would be a nice collection.  It's full of cute bears  just like the title :)

Another Trip with Choco-Strawberry

Can you guess where we are?

And of course I stop by to buy some books 

Meanwhile.... If you can guess where am I going,

You can win a crochet book!!!

Only 1 winner with Indonesian address could win this book :)

Since the book is not written in Bahasa, I hope the winner is a crocheter who can crochet with limited instruction.

The contest ends at november 6. Be spesific, since I will pick the winner just based on the answer ;). 

I will post more photos for the clues, so you can do some googling, cheat a little bit :p

OKAY! The contest is over. The winner is obviously Pratiwi Weyanti (really, it's okay to cheat, as I suggested to do so) I will send you the book soon :)

Kopas The Thief

I almost always making the amigurumi version of my animation character.  If you wonder what am I doing from May to August, the answer is finishing "Kopas The Thief" animation project for the ASEAN Animation Festival 2014.

(yeah... finally I can blame Kopas for making me missing my blog)

The amigurumi was not required, but I made it as a lucky charm.  You can read more about the animation on the other blog.

I made it a few days before the proposal deadline, so instead fixing my proposal, I knitting this doll.  In the end I never show this amigurumi to the audience because I used the wrong yarn color and it's not really similar to the character design.  But I think this amigurumi is really a lucky charm, cause later I went to Bangkok twice and I *beeep beeep beeep beeep* at November 26th thanks to this animation project.

:p  well just wait, you will see what happen at that date.

UPDATE August 25th 2015: nothing happened on November 26. actually I was invited to some kind of ministry event (Indonesian) but later they didn't contacted me about the details. I don't know what happened.  who am I anyway?

The missing months

this is another "lame excuse for not updating my blog for months"
so July I went to Bangkok, then spent a month at Jakarta finishing an animation, then went to Bangkok again at August.
at September I was finishing an animation for side project, finishing some proposals, then suddenly got an idea to make another quick-short animation.
When September over, all I think was taking a break. a short break, because another project will start soon.
it would be an ideal time to crochet something if only the weather is not this warm.  The temperature can reach 35 Celcius in Jakarta.  and I don't use Air Conditioner, only electric fan. Go green (NAH... I just don't want to spend more money)

I only have one free week.  instead of updating my blog, I... bought a PS Vita. Okay, I'm guilty. I confessed.

I Love To Shop More Than To Shot

Last week I was at Bangkok, Thailand to attend an Animation Workshop.

for this very special occasion, I crocheted an orangutan doll, named Choco-Strawberry.

I'd like to bring Pinkong, but I only have a small baggage, I don't have time to go to Bandung and borrow bigger baggage.

I didn't bring a lot of clothes cause I spare some space at my briefcase just in case I buy some souvenirs.  

Guess what,  I shop a lot of things, even the shopping bag is heavier than my baggage.

And I have a confession to make.  Before I go to Bangkok, I borrowed a monopod from my dad, and I bought a shutter remote.  I also bring a compact digital camera.

I was planning to make a lot of picture of me (of course), and the picture of Choco-Strawberry in exotic places in Bangkok.

but I didn't.

so I guess, I love to shop more than to shot :p

Fuleco the Armadillo

after missing so many events , now it's time for 2014 FIFA World Cup!
as the commemoration I made Armadillo amigurumi (based on Fuleco, the 2014 World Cup mascot).

Sorry for the blurry pictures, because it is raining everyday, and cloudy all day long, and I didn't use the flash.

Making the head part was very difficult, and I really proud of the eyes part.  I love the big and bright eyes.  I sew the eyes while singing "Waka Waka".  Yes, Waka Waka by Shakira, the 2010 World Cup theme song, because.... I don't remember how the 2014 theme song is.  The supermarket plays the songs, but I can't remember it.

and by the way, is it only me, or the armadillo looks like some kind of Pokémon? 

I also made Zakumi, back at 2010

Do You Remember Nody The Orangutan boy?

I barely remember to update my blog, and actually I should have updated this blog 2-3 weeks ago but I got a deadline.

Finally it's over! YAY!
(it's kinda sad actually, after spending a year working with the same client and then it's over, but I'll move on)
This morning I thought of making a new amigurumi, but I can't find THAT yarn with THAT particular color shade so ...

WAIT, that's not what this post was meant to be!
 Okay, back to business.  Do you remember Nody?
2-3 weeks ago I received a newsletter from BOSF.
Nody is now a big boy, he has graduated from the forest school and he is ready to go to the pre-release island.  one step closer to be a free orangutan :)
thanks for participating on the orangutanku project and of course thanks for the BOSF (The Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation).

courtesy of BOSF

okay.. now let's back to the yarn and needle business

but later, after I have some coffee.

The extra hands are at the top of the closet

Yes, I hired some extra hands and I put them at the top of the closet.
Once again, sorry, I'm unable to update this blog because of so many excuses.

I keep buying new yarns until my closet now are full of yarns, but I never knit anything, not anymore.
I WILL BE BACK. definitely not soon. but I will.

I think I'm gonna be Insane

I haven't write for too long, I haven't make any amigurumi for too long.
I'm gonna be insane.

I'm not the busiest person in the work, you see I still have time to blogging.
There's a new project in the office, and the schedule are changed so there are more work to do.
meanwhile, I still doing some freelance projects.

I still have time to make amigurumi but my hands are tired doing the job on the day.
My real job, my freelance job and making amigurumi, all are using both hands.
I'm not a spider, I only got a pair of hands.
well, I hope someday I can knit using my feet.

Oh by the way, I hired some extra hands recently.  will tell you later about it ;)

The Horse Year

2014 is the Horse Year ( based on the Chinese Zodiac).  To celebrate the upcoming Chinese New year, let's make a horse amigurumi.

Feel free to modify the pattern to make your special horse amigurumi, but do not sell this pattern, or copy without mentioning this blog. And don't forget share your creation :)

Happy New Year, hope you all be healthy and this year would be a prosperous year for all of us :)

Here's the pattern:

Head

Start using brown yarn, make 6sc in a loop

Rnd1: (scinc) 6 times [12st]

Rnd2: (Sc, scinc) 6 times [18st]

Rnd3: (2sc, scinc) 6 times [24sts]

Rnd 4-5: sc around [24sts]

Continue the next round using Light brown yarn

Rnd 6-8 : sc around [24sts]

Rnd 9: (3sc, scinc) 6 times [30sts]

Rnd 10-12: sc around [30sts]

Rnd 11: (3sc, scdec) 6 times [24sts]

Rnd12: (2sc, scdec) 6 times [18sts]

Stuff it with some polyfills

Rnd13: (Sc, scdec) 6 times [12sts]

Rnd14: (scdec) 6 times [6sts]

Finish off

Neck

Using light brown yarns make 18 ch

Slip stitch to the first ch to make a loop.

Rnd 1: 18sc [18sts]

Rnd 2: sc around [18sts]

Rnd 3: (4sc, scinc) 3 times [15sts]

Rnd 4: sc around [15sts]

Finish off, leave a long tail to sew the neck to the body and the head.

Body

Start using Light brown yarn, make 6sc in a loop

Rnd1: (scinc) 6 times [12st]

Rnd2: (Sc, scinc) 6 times [18st]

Rnd3: (2sc, scinc) 6 times [24sts]

Rnd 4: (3sc, scinc) 6 times [30sts]

Rnd5-12: sc around (30sts)

Rnd 13: (3sc, scdec) 6 times [24sts]

Rnd 14: sc around [24sts]

Rnd15: (2sc, scdec) 6 times [18sts]

Stuff it with some polyfills

Rnd16: (Sc, scdec) 6 times [12sts]

Rnd17: (scdec) 6 times [6sts]

Finish off.

Foot ( make 4)

Start using Dark brown yarn, make 12sc in a loop

Rnd1: sc around [12st]

Rnd2: (sc, scdec) 4 times [8sts]

Continue next round using creme yarn

Rnd 3-5: sc around [8sts]

Stuff it up, then Continue next round using brown yarn

Rnd 6: (2sc, scdec) 2 times [6sts]

Rnd 7-9: sc around [6sts]

Finish off, leave a long tail to sew the leg to the body.

Since I have trouble in translating the crochet term using English, I make a picture of the instruction for the tail and hair part (I believe there's an english term for horse hair, but I don't remember it).

click to zoom for a better view

sew all the parts to its place, add some eyes, and some details using embroidery.  in my version, I add a creme spot at the face.

That's not an Amigurumi!

When I started this blog, I thought I would make a lot of amigurumis and only amigurumis.  I think I am one of the first Indonesian knitter/crocheter who exclusively making amigurumi.  I wrote in this blog for 6 years, I wrote a book.   And things are different now that everybody is making amigurumi.  It's too mainstream.  So I quit.  I lost my purpose in knitting.  After having a long knitting break, I secretly decided to retired from knitting.  

Till a few days ago, a lightning struck me.

Nah, just kidding.  After I gave up, I no longer think that knitting and blogging are a must do job.  Suddenly I am free to do whatever I want, it doesn't have to be knitting or blogging.  Knitting is no longer a burden.  And now, I find that knitting is fun again.  Even knitting using someone else pattern (which I rarely do before).  It's a new thing for me, and it's surprisingly fun.

I made a baby hat using a pattern from http://blogs.thetucker.com/knit/2011/03/27/textured-baby-hats/

This hat is for my future niece, who will be born soon.  (Can't wait to see you).

I'm really an amature in making wearable item, but that doesn't mean I have to stick in making just amigurumi :)

Hello 2014!

Happy New Year!
May the 2014 become a very prosperous year for all of us :)

Dear Reader, you might have noticed how I became unproductive blogger and crafter last year. it was actually because of my 2013 resolutions to be a real animator.  Not that I'm a fake animator, it was because I was so active in many craft event on 2012 and got some publications, I got no time to make an animation.  I was so shame of myself, to call myself an animator without making any animations.  So I dedicated my 2013 to make some animations and become an active animator.
as for the 2014, I think I'd like to continue what I was doing at 2013, which could mean less and less amigurumi :(
but i really hope I could get over through this knitting block.