say hello to my little friend {unicorn amigurumi}

For anyone who doesn't know, I'm not much of a trend follower.  I just make what I want, when I want without regard to what's hot.  Usually I happen upon the "newest thing" about 3-5 years after the trend is over.

So predictably, I now find myself facinated with amigurumi.  "That's so 2007" I can hear you saying and you would be right.  But it doesn't really matter.  It's not that I haven't known about amigurumi (a Japanese word meaning stuffed toy for those of you not in the know); it's just that many other events had to fall in place for me to become interested . . . I had to learn to crochet for one.

Hence, I introduce my newest little friend, Mason.  Mason is a unicorn crocheted using this free tutorial.  He was fashioned from 100% cotton.  I'm not really a fan of cotton yarn.  Even though the I Love This Cotton yarn I used is softer than Sugar and Cream yarn, it was still rough on my hands and had no give.  But I had these three coordinating babyish colors in my yarn basket, so I went with it.  And cotton is always a good choice for kids.

Meet Mason the Unicorn

• Mason has a relaxed demeanor and a laid back attitude about life.
• He enjoys lazy summer days and naps in the grass.
• And best of all, he appreciates quality fabric.  Mason is shown below getting a sniff of my newest quilting project using Circa 1934 from Cosmo Cricket.

My favorite part of Mason is his mane.  The pattern unicorn is super cute in pink, red, and cream and I wasn't sure how light blue, tan, and cream would look.  But I love it!  And this was a really quick and innovative way to create such an intricate looking mane.

In case you didn't notice, I didn't give Mason any eyes.  I worked this up with the baby in mind and didn't want to add plastic safety eyes, so I just decided not to add any at all.  I also skipped the tail because I couldn't figure out how to attach it and I think he looks just as good without one. 

The last modification that I made to the pattern is that I picked up stitches for each new part instead of crocheting individual parts and then sewing them all together later.  I think this saves time and I would imagine makes a sturdier finished product, although I have nothing to compare it to.  The only part I sewed to the body was the mane because it was quick to make and sew.

Mason and I are off to watch cartoons with my 3-year-old . . . a typical late afternoon activity in such hot weather.

a knitted bear {or something like that}

Does this look like a bear?  I'm not so sure.  I purchased this pattern from BjfromNV (she has some really cute patterns . . . I just love the zebra, too), but I confess I didn't not follow the pattern completely.  I have this compulsion where I can't just follow a pattern; I have to change it here and there to make it original.  I've never been able to follow a pattern to completion without somehow altering it and I'm certain I never will.

I followed most of the written pattern, but I changed the nose and ears.  I didn't like the way the nose originally turned out.  I wanted a little more definition.  So I just re-knitted it in my own way.  The change in the ears was more of a necessity because I can't figure out the kitchner stitch.  I'm sure that since the ears were the last part I knitted, I was just tired of trying.  So, I just crocheted the ears which was super quick and easy.

My favorite parts about this pattern (and why I chose this pattern because there are soooo many bear patterns available) are the bear's feet and the assembly of the bear. 

• The bear's feet look much more like actual paws than any other pattern I've seen.  Most legs and paws are just a cylinder with little definition.  I like the character that these paws give the bear.
• This bear is knitted in the round and stitches are picked up from pieces already knitted to start new parts of the bear.  This means no sewing individual bear parts together: genius!  I do love to sew but when it's unnecessary, I would much rather skip it.

I used Lion Brand's Fishermen's 100% wool in Oatmeal for the bear's body.  For the darker brown accents I used I Love This Wool (100% wool) in Cocoa from Hobby Lobby.  I liked knitting with wool and I prefer the finished look of wool to acrylic and cotton.

Whether you think he looks like a bear, a mouse, or some kind of hybrid, this little guy found a good home.