2KCBWDAY5 And now for something completely different: A Day in the Life of Dustbunnies

Hey Devon, here she comes, quick, hide, hissed Dustin. 
Oh don't be such a scaredy bunny, Dustin, said Devon, she's just bending over to pick up her knitting, she isn't lookin' for DUST BUNNIES.  You know she started that new sweater pattern last week and she hasn't had time to do housework since.  She has been knitting furiously on it so she can get it done and wear it for Easter with her favorite skirt.

Yeah I guess your right, said Dustin, she will do just about anything to avoid house work anyway.  I once heard her say that she stores the vacuum cleaner in back of her yarn stash so that if she ever does get the urge to clean she will see all her pretty yarn and forget all about vacuuming.  The only time we have to worry is if the little dog's ball rolls under here and she comes looking for it or if the grand kids come to visit, then she will drag out the vacuum and the dust rag so no one will know how much she knits instead of cleans.

Devon, did you see how much she has gotten done on that sweater, asked Dustin? It is growing by leaps and bounds.  I really love that pattern she is using.  I was looking at the paper on the floor last night and it said it was a wildflower knot stitch. 

The pattern is In the Green from the July 2008 issue of Creative Knitting Magazine.
Oh I really like the yarn she is using, said Devon.  It is that Simply Soft yarn by Caron in a really pretty soft green color.  I heard her say she thought it would really go slow because it is worked on #5 needles and that she thought that new wildflower knot stitch would slow her down but it looks like she is making great progress to me.

You know Dustin, said Devon, we may have something else to worry about other than being sucked up in the vacuum tube.  What's that, asked Dustin?  Devon said, what if she gets a crazy notion that she wants to start spinning her own yarn and tries to turn us into roving and spin us into yarn?????  YIKES IS THAT POSSIBLE?????

If you would like to know more about Dust bunnies just visit Maggie the Crochet-a-holic's page, Dust Bunny Facts.  Check out her crochet pattern page while your there.




Mochimochiland Dustbunnies pattern

If you would like to knit your own little dustbunnies  Mochimochi Land has the pattern above for sale.


One last thing........HAPPY APRIL FOOLS DAY!!!!!

                                                       >^..^<

Amigurumi Toys

I can't put into words the wonder and excitement that comes into a little ones eyes when they are given a new toy.  That also goes for furry little ones as well as human little ones.  Today I finished a new toy for my little furbaby Tuffy.  He knew it was for him and could hardly sit still while I put the final stitches in to secure the last tusk.  Yes I said tusk.  The toy is a walrus.

Tuffy and I call him Wally Walrus.  He is about 8 inches long and has a squeaker in him as do most of Tuffy's toys.  Tuffy has over a dozen toys and all but a few have squeakers in them. I have made several Amigurumi toys for him and they seem to be just the right size for him.  I use the patterns in Vanna's Choice Easy Crochet CRITTERS.  It has 10 amigurumi designs in it that feature Vanna's Choice yarns by Lion Brand Yarns.  The pattern book is put out by Leisure Arts.

I love to knit or crochet doll clothes and stuffed toys/dolls and have made many through the years.  I wish I had taken pictures of all that I did but unfortunately didn't think to do so until recently.  Here is a picture of a couple of toys I made for Tuffy last year and you can see they are well loved and played with but it gives you an idea of how well the patterns from the above book work for dog toys. 

If you can't tell it is the monkey and the alligator from the above book.  I didn't think that the toys would make it more than a week or two but they have lasted about 9 months so far.  They get lots of wear and tear even though I continually remind certain persons that they weren't made as a tuggy toy (and I had to sew a new ear back on monkey, also gator doesn't have bumps on his back anymore, lol).  As I stuff the critters I also put in a squeaker which comes in a package of several that are made by KONG as replacement squeakers.  I found mine at PetSmart.  The squeakers really hold up well chew after chew.  The eyes and noses I have put on with a sharpie permanent marker because I fear that Tuffy might hurt himself on any plastic kind of eye/nose and if I would stitch it on it wouldn't stay long at all because he likes to pull at any thing like that.  I have also washed all his toys in the washing machine and dried them in the dryer with no ill effects to the squeaker or the toy.

Believe it or not these little amigurumi toys are perfect for giving for baby showers or anytime.  Think how cute they would be in an Easter basket.  They are small enough that they might fit into one of the really big plastic eggs that are on the market today.  I really have fun making them and giving them as gifts to all my favorite little ones.

                                                        >^..^<

Intro to Puddybug

Let me introduce you to my best friend, Puddybug, by sharing a picture of him that I did in watercolor.

Puddybug is a short haired orange tabby that is 13 years old and weighs about 18 lbs. He keeps me company night and day and really loves to sleep in my yarn basket next to me as I knit or crochet. He sometimes gets frisky and tries to get my yarn but most of the time he just lays there and sleeps.

In this picture he is laying next to the very first afghan that I made back in the late '70s or early '80s. I crocheted it out of Red Heart classic yarn and the pattern is a double crochet cross stitch. I thought I still had the pattern but haven't come across it in a long time.

My neck is getting stiff and my eyes are starting to blurr, so I will say so long for now and get back to you tomorrow.

>^..^<

epilogue:
Puddybug passed away in December of 2009 and is missed very much.