Jelly Jellyfish Amigurumi with extra BOOOIIOONNG!

August 9, 2010 Awkward Soul

Curly tentacles are cuuuuuuuute!

I figure I need coverage of this creation of mine before I forget! Jelly jellyfish was one amigurumi that I’ve made several attempts at getting right. I got around 3 jellyfish floating.. errr.. swimming in my room as well, different patterns.

Above was my first attempt at a jellyfish. I was actually making an octopi, but felt the head was too squat for my liking. He is soooo cute, but was annoying to construct. Plus I thought the pattern was too small.

The yellow “mama” jellyfish was made with the same pattern… though I think I put the eyes in the wrong spot. I made this one with that Red Heart Super Saver (See my review of this yarn) So she came out bigger, but still small. Also, this is when I discovered the yarn is better for bigger things, as I found the tentacles came out too big for the body, when the pattern works with other yarns fine! Similarly, I made the teal “baby” in baby yarn with longer ruffles… he is super cute (maybe I should revisit the pattern?), though again, hard to construct. I did another jellyfish, which is in pieces as I got fed up with the construction and decided to start over again.

I prefer easy seaming. After re-doing the pattern, there is little seaming – and the ruffles hide the tentacles so you can crappily knot them on and no one will know! Muhhahahahah! Shoot.. now you know… >__<

I showed my roommate’s baby the Jelly Jellyfish and he yanked on the legs. Add a “Booooing!” sound and it’s an instant happy-laughing baby!

Other than showing off my design (and my kickass blanket from IKEA), one shouldn’t be afraid to revise patterns. You can make something complicated, but there are ways to make it easier. Also, sometimes it takes a couple tries to get a pattern down.

Jelly Jellyfish Amigurumi Pattern is available at my etsy store! http://www.etsy.com/shop/AwkwardSoul or through Ravelry (you do not need a Ravelry account to purchase).

Orca or is it Killer Whale? Amigurumi

May 7, 2010 Awkward Soul

Awkward Soul's original pattern - Amigurumi Orca

I’m guessing they are called both Orcas and Killer Whales, however in rainy Vancouver, Canada, I’ve mostly heard Killer Whale. My boyfriend calls them Orcas.

This pattern came about satisfying my nature to make things for other people. My boyfriend LOOOOOOVES orcas. I didn’t believe it when he told me, until I saw this little “shrine” of orca pictures and things he has on display in his room when he lived with his parents. I scratched my head at this, I don’t get it. I guess the male version of liking orcas is about how they are big whales that eat things and kill people… I don’t know. Whatever, I love my boyfriend to bits and all his weird-ass quirks (he’s cute too).

So the patterns out there mostly required felted tummy sewn on or couple pieces. I freaking hate all that extra work. One piece/less pieces to sew on = superior in my book. I remember making the Amy’s babies Katamari (excellent pattern by the way) and going apeshit making all those freaking nubs and sewing them on correctly. People who are close to me say I’m a perfectionist.. I don’t think I am, but I’ve frogged a project over one stitch error and for the orca pattern – sewn and removed the fins at least a dozen times to get correct placement.

So, I just said whatever, and just starting making an orca. I was planning to construct it from the nose to tail (like my later pattern, Dolphin Amigurumi) but I got real lazy and just kept crocheting along until I realized it’s nose is too small… or its a body of a tiny orca. Baby Orca was born! I added some colour changes – something I’ve seen moreso restricted to stripes in lots of amigurumi (prolly cuz of the spiral construction) and had this ultra cute Orca the size of my computer mouse – which I grabbed a couple times by accident, the dorsal fin spearing my palm. Orca does not = computer mouse!

I then created a bigger one – as this pattern is damn cute, and selling the teeny version isn’t gonna cut it (now I got the idea to make a teeny one now, shit).

One thing I might change is the tail – its one piece tail (yay) is a little annoying to sew into the right shape.

AwkwardSoul and it’s pretty popular.

My boyfriend at first was all “Ugg, it’s cute!” but now he likes it – and the pair keep his other orca things company in his new house.

Dolphin Amigurumi splash splash

May 6, 2010 Awkward Soul

I find it very odd that all my current online published patterns are sea creatures. Okay Okay, I love octopi – I had to make a pattern. Jellyfish was a good second. The Orca pattern came about because my boyfriend wanted one.

Dolphin? Eeeeeh, I guess a test in skill on my shaping ability. That and I couldn’t find a dolphin pattern that was more cutesy. Personally, I’m not one for realism in the amigurumi I create. Realistic crocheted creatures look great, don’t get me wrong, but I like simplicity and cuteness <3

Unfortunately, this Dolphin is not as simple as my previous patterns. >__<
First was making the mouth not look like a nipple O__O that was difficult. Of course, a nipple mouth would of been easier, and I could of join the bandwagon of feminist-inspired stuff I could show off at work, but really – that doesn’t look like a dolphin, especially cute ones. Next was keeping the body in a dolphin shape, without making it too round or long ‘n realistic.

Finally – the tail was a pain! I frogged the thing about 6 times until I got the shape and length just right. I ended up with too many skinny tails with adding extra rows and decreases. Crochet can do some magical things with well placed increases or decreases… and sometimes it just fails altogether.

One thing that I regret was not making the tummy white. I just didn’t feel like colour changing that much, as it is constructed in a long shape. However, I might try it in the future, with blue and white. That would look cute (and be a terror to crochet)

With that said, it’s a cute pattern for someone who wants more sea critters (especially cute ones) . Not a beginner’s crocheter pattern, but still easier to follow than the more realistic dolphin patterns out there.

The pattern is up at Etsy http://www.etsy.com/shop/AwkwardSoul for $3.50 usd.