The Artful Dodger

Another Dotee Doll

 
Here's a simple little Dotee doll I made for an exchange.  She's all done up in pink.  Dotee dolls must have a hanger and a tail and their overall length should be about 3 to 5 inches.  This one didn't have a theme, just maker's choice.  The next thing exchange I'm participating in is a Dotee doll kit swap.  I need to get together a kit with faces, fabric and embellishments for 2 Dotee dolls and send it off.  I can't wait to see what I get from my partner.

Summer Dotee Doll

 
This is my latest swap-bot dotee doll "Summer".  She's quite simple, but I'm very pleased with the way she came out.  Her face is placed on top of petals from silk flowers and her arms are made of silk leaves.  The fabric I chose looks like a flower stem.  While looking for beads to make her tail, I came across a container of letter beads, so I spelled out summer interspersed with pearlized seed beads.  Her hanger is made of thin white ribbon.  She came out as cute as I had envisioned her.

Amigurumi Dog

 

This is the cute dog I received from Jennifer Squillace in a swap-bot swap.  He's about 12 inches long and made from very soft yarn and is quite cuddly.  He (she?) came wrapped in a blanket matching his neckerchief.  I love him, he's a great addition to my growing amigurumi collection.  Thank you so much Jennifer!

June Bride Dotee Doll

 
I made this dotee for Judy in Iowa for a June Bride Dotee swap.  Her body length is about 3 1/2 inches.  The bride is a strawberry blond and has eyes made of blue sequins on white buttons with a seed bead in the middle to hold them on.  Her dress is rows of gathered lace and her 8 inch veil is of re-embroidered net.  A necklace of white pearls and a tail of crystal beads interspersed with white and blue seed beads completes her ensemble.  She was a lot of fun to make and looks like a more traditional dotee than most of the ones I've made before.

Amigurumi Dachshund

 
 
This is the toy I made for an amigurumi dog swap for swap-bot.  Amigurumi is Japanese for a knitted or crocheted stuffed toy.  They seem to be amazingly popular in Japan and have been picking up popularity here in the states for the past few years.  The pattern is a free one available at www.lionbrand.com.  Since I made him with worsted weight yarn, he's about 10 to 12 inches long.  I think he came out pretty cute, even if I do say so myself.  He's on his way to Sam (Samantha) in Illinois.

June Bride Dotee

 

This is the wonderful June Bride Dotee I just received today from Kimmberlie Sims of Mobile, Alabama.  Her length from her head to her tail is about 4 inches.  She'll make a lovely addition to my growing collection of Dotee dolls.  I'm embarrassed to admit I haven't even started mine, but she will be in the mail Monday.

Duckbill Platypus - Crocheted

 

These are the duckbill platypus I crocheted as Christmas ornaments for a swap-bot swap.  They are each about 4 1/2 inches tall (not including their hanging ribbon).  The idea was to make an ornament based on the other participants profiles.  One of them lives in Australia and the other one loves all things platypus.  So I thought these little fellows where the perfect answer.  I found this pattern at http://www.craftster.org/blog/free-to-be-crafty-how-to-crochet-an-amigurumi-platypus/.  It was designed by someone who goes by the sobriquet 'Beavisfreak'.  I'll have to make one for myself.

Amigurumi Bunny

 

This is the springtime creature I made for a swap-bot amigurumi swap.  I tried to show her little pink pompom tail in the side view, but you can barely see it.  I started out with an egg cozy pattern from Lion Brand's website.  I stuffed it and crocheted the bottom closed.  I starting making it before I realized that the creature needed a shirt.  So I added arms and crocheted a little pink peplum top.  She's about 4 inches tall and rather pudgy.  I hope my swap partner likes her.

Springtime Amigurumi

 
This is the cute little crocheted duck I received from GinaMarie of Illinois in a swap called Amigurumi My Heart - Springtime with a Twist.  The twist was that the springtime creature had to have a shirt.  Mine came with a hat as well.  He sits about 4 inches tall and has already taken pride of place next to my other little crocheted fellows and sock creatures.  Thank you Islander76!

Striped Sock Creature

 

This is my latest, very simple sock creature.  I think I'll add a black felt base and a necklace of black beads with a pendant.  I just have to find the right bead for the pendant.

Swap-bot Amigurumi Monster

 

Here's  my little amigurumi monster hanging out in the fig tree awaiting his departure for Oregon for his new home with Mary K.  He's based on a pattern by Allison Hoffman shown on her blog 'Crafty is Cool'.  He's a bit bigger around (I added a few stitches) and has a ruffle added for balance.  Measuring to the tip of his topknot, he's almost 5 inches tall.  On my screen, he's about life size.  He's supposed to have 3 eyes, but it looks a bit more like 2 eyes and a nose.  But I think he's cute, though he does need some orthodontic work.  He's so buck-toothed, he could eat an apple through a picket fence.

Sock Creatures from the UK

 
I was looking for inspiration when I came across this little bunch of sock monsters made by a group of people through 'The Craft Hub' in the UK.  They're simple, having no arms or legs, but they each have a distinct personality.  I want to make a bunch like this.  I find myself over thinking mine and getting them half done and then running out of steam.  Less seems to be more.

Crocheted Sock Monkey

 

I finally completed my crocheted sock monkey.  He's sat in a terrible state of dismemberment in a basket for several months and I finally sewed his face, arms and tail on and crocheted him a hat and scarf.  He's 20" long from his toe tips to the top of his pompom.  He's made from I Love This Yarn Brown Tweed  from a pattern in Patons' Monkey Business.  The pattern is shown worked as I have done it, also with striped legs and arms in pastels.  There's also a knit version with several variations, and a few other knitted animal patterns in the book.  Somewhere in my sewing room I have a pair of brown work socks with red heels to make an original version, but he'll have to wait until I finish a few of the sock creatures I've already started.

New Black Sock Softie

 

Harrisburg, PA has been put on hold til the 27th of March.  So first it's a week and a half in Laredo, TX starting  the 17th.  But since I'm home for a bit longer, I took the opportunity to make another sock softie.  He's wearing a white bow, so he can't be called a sock monster.  And he's got a sweet red nose and has the personality of a new puppy - sweet, loving and a bit clumsy, you know - all feet.

Sock Creature in Progress

 

This is the latest sock creature I'm working on.  I used the sock heel to make the mouth.  He (she?) isn't finished yet, but I'm not sure what I want to do next.  Add arms, definitely.  A tail? Maybe.  And something else, maybe a ribbon or bow or ears or earrings ... a fuzzy topknot... a clown collar?  It'll have to wait for now.  I'm going to Harrisburg, PA for 2 weeks.