Puppies are coming soon!

I just finished up a big amigurumi order for a friend. She wanted 12 puppies to give as party favors for her son's upcoming birthday. I've never made puppies before, but I think they turned out pretty adorable. I'm going to be making some to list in my Etsy shop soon.

What colors do you like? Let me know in the comments! :)

Amigurumi Hearts

I just started making hearts! Just like my stars you can design your own in any yarn color I have available. You can also order them without the cute face if you'd like. Go here to design your own!

You can add a keychain or necklace for no extra cost!

I also have a few already made available that you can add the same options too. Click the images to go straight to them in my shop.

Design your own Star Amigurumi!

Click HERE to order!

 Now you can order a star in any color I have available, and choose options like adding a magnet or key chain, or for it to have a cute face or not. Go here to order one right now! Use the drop down menu labeled "Quantity" to order more than one, but make sure to let me know which colors you would like each to be.

Below is the color chart of all the yarn colors I have available.

New Amigurumi Animals!

I just listed these three new amigurumi. From left to right it's a Tanuki, Red Panda, and a Raccoon. Each are about 3 inches tall, so they are the perfect size to slip into your pocket for easy transportation. They are all from different parts of the world, but still have many similarities. The Raccoon is native to North America, The Red Panda lives in the forests of the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China, and the Tanuki dwells in Japan.

October Amigurumi Giveaway!

I'm hosting my very first amigurumi giveaway!

How would you like to win this little guy? It's easy! You just have to fill out the entry form located here. Please make sure to read the rules first! The two big ones are you must have a valid US address, and you must be 18 or older. All the information is on the first page, and the entry form is on the second page.

This giveaway will end on November 1st. The winner will be announced on my Facebook page and on my tumblr. Make sure to like or subscribe to see who the winner is!

If you'd like to buy a star check out my Etsy shop. You can add a keychain or magnet to any star for no extra charge!

Pokemon Amigurumi

It's no secret that I love Pokemon.

I never owned a Game Boy, but I would steal my cousin or friend's Game Boy on occasion and play whatever they had currently in the system. Sometimes that was Pokemon Red. I played it when it was fresh and new as a kid. I didn't get into the craze too much, but I enjoyed the anime and collecting Meowth, Vulpix, and Eevee toys.

When Black and White came out I fell in love with Pokemon all over again. I joined a Pokemon community online, and got deep into collecting Pokemon merchandise from Japan.

It's a shame that here in the states we don't have half the merchandise they do for Pokemon. Japan has several Pokemon Centers, stores solely dedicated to selling official Pokemon merchandise, that I would love to visit someday.

 So when I have time I try my hand at making various Pokemon...

You can see more of my Pokemon amigurumi by searching my tumblr for the tag Pokemon.

(http://geekycutecrochet.tumblr.com/search/pokemon) 

I post all of my creations there now. If you want to keep up with my creations sign up for tumblr and start following me!

I do not write down any of the patterns when I make my Pokemon amigurumi. I base all of my work on my knowledge of amigurumi shapes and techniques, and make it up as I go. So I guess this is all freeform crochet! In that way all of these are one of a kind items. Even if I tried to reproduce them the outcome would be slightly different.

If you have any questions about my work ask me in the comments below, or contact me through my Etsy shop, Geeky Cute Crochet. Please do not leave your email address. I will only reply directly here or through Etsy's convo system.

Magic Adjustable Ring Tutorial Video

One of the very first techniques anyone wanting to make amigurumi should know is the Magic Adjustable Ring. You may remember my first blog tutorial about it. I thought it was time to take it to YouTube for my first tutorial video.

If you like it please give it a like, comment, and subscribe to my channel to see more!

Amigurumi Basics - Rounds

The first step when creating amigurumi is usually the magic adjustable ring. If you are unfamiliar with this technique check out my post here on how to make the magic ring. The magic adjustable ring creates the foundation while also closing up the hole that would normally occur when creating a foundation chain and slip stitching it into a circle.

When you are working with rounds I have found it very helpful to to count a specific way to keep track of the row and the number of stitches. If your foundation starts with 6 stitches, then you will be working in multiples of 6. If you are starting with 5 it will be multiples of 5. How so you may ask? Each time you have to increase stitches or decrease stitches, so if you do it correctly it will be multiples of the number you started with. The easiest way to count them is to remember what multiple of your starting number comes next. So for 6 the next row will have 12, the next will increase to 18, then 24, etc.

Rounds Basics:
If you start with 6 stitches in your foundation then to increase that you will make 2 sc in each sc in the foundation. This gives you 12 sc. So naturally you will want to increase again and what multiple of 6 comes next? It's 18 of course! You are on the third round, so 6 times 3 is 18. You count 1 sc in the first sc, then 2 sc in the next, then 1sc in the next sc, and so on. You could try to remember how many times you repeat the *1 sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc*. However, I found that the best way to count is to remember that you are going up to 18, and you only sc in every other sc in the round. So you would count to yourself 1, 2-3, 4, 5-6, 7, 8-9, 10, 11-12, 13, 14-15, 16, 17-18. This way you are counting in multiples of 3 since you are on the third row, so if you have to pause you can easily figure out how much more you have to go.

For the fourth row you have to remember that you sc in the next two and 2 sc in the third. This is the fourth row, so when you are counting the 2 sc in 1 sc will actually end in multiples of 4, but ultimately you end up with the next multiple of 6. That would be 24, so that is how many stitches you will have, and this is the number you count up to. It would be counted like 1, 2, 3-4, 5, 6, 7-8, 9, 10, 11-12... and so on until you hit 24.

Basic sphere:
Start with 6 sc in the magic ring
Row 2: 2 sc in each sc around (makes 12 sc)
Row 3: *1 sc in sc, 2 sc in next sc* repeat 6 times (makes 18)
Row 4: *1 sc in next 2 sc, 2 sc in next sc* repeat 6 times times (makes 24)
Row 5 - 7: 1 sc in each sc in the round (24 sc)
Row 8: *1 sc in next 2 sc, sc next 2 sts tog* repeat 6 times (makes 18)
Row 9: *1 sc in next sc, sc next 2 sts tog* repeat 6 times (makes 12)
**You will want to fill your ball with stuffing at this point**
Row 10: *sc next 2 sts tog* repeat 6 times (closes the hole up)
You can continue to decrease until the hole is completely gone, and tuck the tail in side.

As you can see, each time we increase we add 1 sc before we make 2 sc in one sc, but we still repeat 6 times. They are all multiples of six, so if you want a bigger ball it would go from 24 to 30 to 36 etc.

I hope this helps someone! This is how I keep track of what row and how many stitches I have to make whenever I crochet amigurumi. Comment if you have any questions and I might be able to help!

Army of Girs

I've just listed a bunch of Girs!

If you don't know about Gir then you are missing out on one of the funniest cartoons ever! Invader Zim was a cartoon series that was short lived, but hilarious. Gir is one of the main characters, and the most loved from the show. This crocheted amigurumi fan art is available through my Etsy shop.

This is a limited edition monochromatic series. I have so much yarn that rarely gets used, so I decided to put it to good use and create this series based off of my new Gir pattern. Each are about 4.5" to 5" tall.

Also, soon to be listed is a breast cancer awareness Gir. For this item $25 will be donated to Susan G. Komen For The Cure. I will be making no profit from this item. I don't think I will be making another Gir like this, so for now this is a one-of-a-kind item!

As always I do have some normal Girs available, but they sell fast! If you would like one please get in touch with me here or through Etsy and I will make one just for you! I don't charge more than normal for custom made Girs, and in addition to the normal Gir I can do any colors you want!

New Items For Winter!

I have been adding my new winter items to my Etsy shop!


Fuzzy Orange Fox

Check out the adorable Blue Penguin, and my cute little Green Christmas Bunny. Expect to see more in the next few days! I have been busy working on these guys, and now it is time to unveil them!

Ghosties

I know Halloween is over, but I just wanted to show off these two Boo ghosts I made for a custom order. I had never made them before, and it took me a few trys to get the pattern just right. These are based off of some baddies in the Mario games. They aren't very big, but they sure turned out cute!


I got a new USB SD card reader, so I can get my penguins and foxes up on Etsy soon! I'll make a new post once I get some up!

Coming soon...

Lets face it. The kids love penguins!

Every Christmas you see them in all their cute cuddly splendor, waddling through the snow and drinking Coke with Polar Bears. It's too bad people don't realize that Penguins live at the South Pole, and Polar Bears live at the North Pole.

So what eats these cute little animals? Sea Lions of course! Watch The Pebble and The Penguin and enjoy the wonderful voice acting talents of Martin Short and Tim Curry. It's animated by the late Don Bluth, and worth a watch just for that reason alone. Oh, and it's all about adorable animated penguins!

By the way, if I am spouting off any wrong information let me know. I don't feel like checking Wiki. Instead I am relying on my vast knowledge of animal facts.

For this Christmas season I am introducing a new animal I developed a pattern for. Can you guess what it is? I also am looking for suggestions on other Christmas animals to make. Maybe Polar Bears? I don't know! Leave a comment with your suggestion on a animal for Chirstmas!

Well, here are the first two Penguins so far...

Actually I am selling them in a Craft Show Oct. 16th-18th in Pearl City, IL out by where I moved to a few weeks ago. I wanted to be in the show in Galena, IL... sadly registration closed last March and it costs $75 for a booth! I might go to it this weekend when my mom visits, but it may be too crappy with the cold rain that has been plaguing us recently.

I am open for custom orders! For any order of ten or more items I take %50 off. These guys are only about 3 inches tall and make great stocking stuffers, decorations, or ornaments for your tree!

I'll post again in November when I list them. Hopefully I will sellout at the show and rebuild my Penguin army in time for Christmas!

Keeping up with the Zombies

I've been making more Zombunnies than I ever expected, but I've also designed a few new patterns for creepy cute Halloween characters!

A while back someone asked me if I would consider selling some of my patterns, but I have mixed feelings about that. Zombunny is a hard pattern if you don't know how to switch colors properly. Also, I just switch at random to make each of them unique. In fact, I have no written pattern for Zombunny. I just have it memorized, which is easy to do when you have to keep making them over and over!

I'm not a big fan of selling patterns, but I have posted a free pattern on this blog before, and I have one pattern for sale in my Etsy shop. Maybe in the future I will sell more patterns, but right now I'm not too motivated to do that.

If you are looking to buy a Zombunny and you don't see one in my shop...

It's because I ran out and I am making more! If you have a specific color you want, or if you want to buy more than one you can email me(davenevanxaviour@yahoo.com) and we can work something out. I do offer half off for bulk orders over 10 items, and I ship internationally.

Be sure to check out my Halloween section for spiders, bats, and other creepy cute Halloween items!

Zombunnies!

I love a good zombie movie every now and again. I just watched Shaun of the Dead again with my boyfriend, and I can't wait to see Zombieland this fall. Zombies movies are so entertaining and violent. :)

So far my Zombunnies are selling faster than I can keep up with! This time I have made three and listed them all at the same time. I'd hate for people to go to my Etsy shop looking for them and find that they are sold out! I will try to keep them listed as best as I can, but since each one is unique I have to photograph them each time.


You can find more Halloween items in my Etsy shop. I have plenty of cute bats and other creepy characters!

Halloween Preview

My favorite holiday is coming soon!

Halloween is only a few months away and I've started making some cute amigurumi to celebrate. I'm working on spiders, bats, and spooky farm animals.

Pictured above is Zombunny and Vampigula. There is a Frankenchicken on the way too! I am going to be selling them separately and in a set of three.

Click here to see my Halloween items!

Little foxes!

I love foxes.

They have always been my favorite animal, and it's about time I crochet some for my Etsy shop. So I came up with a pattern and tried it out a few weeks ago.

I am planning on making some solid colored ones too. I just really want to use up my multicolored yarn to make room for all my other skeins!

My Tiny Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

I've always loved Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I even have a few of the 2nd edition reprints of the original comics. Yes, before it was a movie(an awesome movie) it was a comic book series! The cartoon followed thereafter. I think I still have a VHS of two of the episodes.

Anyway, I've seen TMNT amigurumi dolls on various craft sites, but I thought I'd give it a try and make the chibi(super deformed) version of them!


So far I've sold 6 sets of them. I decided to stop making them ahead of time for now and list them as made to order. It will only add one more day to the shipping time since I can make them fairly quickly, but if I get multiple orders like I did Sunday I could get backed up a little.

Banana Giveaway

I created a banana pattern (click here to buy the pdf pattern from my shop), and now my demo banana needs a home!

There are many ways to enter your name into this giveaway, some ways get you more than one entry.

Ways to win this banana:
1. Post here leaving a comment.
2. Tell me what your favorite item in my Etsy shop is.
3. Post my giveaway on your blog, facebook, twitter, or other accounts and post the link(s) here.
4. Follow my blog.
5. Any purchases made in my etsy shop also receives an entry(let me know in seller notes, convo, or here).
6. Send a friend to my shop and if they purchase something you'll get an additional entry. (You must let me know who you sent once they make a purchase, so that I know who to give credit to).

I will draw the winning name on August 1st, 2009.
And so you know it's legitimate, I will upload a youtube video of me drawing a name from a hat.

*Make sure you leave your contact information so that I can notify you if you are the winner.*

How To Make A Magic Adjustable Ring

If you want to make amigurumi, or just crochet in the round without that hole at the end you started at, then you need to learn my favorite trick....

The Magic Adjustable Ring

Step 1: Wrap the yarn around your pointer and middle finger twice making sure that the end of the yarn sticks straight up, and is long enough that it is past the top of your finger(about a half an inch).

Step 2: From the right, take your crochet hook under all of the strings and draw the leftmost string out.



Step 3: The loop should still be on the hook as you go over all the strings to the leftmost string again and yarn over.

Pull it through the loop on the hook.

Pull up on the end of the string and the leftmost string to tighten it up.

At this point you can slip the ring off of your fingers and use your pattern to determine how many single crochets you need to make into the ring.

For example: if you are using a pattern that wants you to do this...
Ch 2, 6 sc in second chain from hook
Then just make 6 sc into the ring!

Step 4: Now that you have made however many sc into the ring as directed by your pattern you may tighten the ring by pulling on the free end of the string. Do NOT tighten all the way! The loop that shortens when you pull the string is what you need to pull to make the second loop tighten. (look at where my thumb is pulling at the strings in the images below)

Step 5: You may begin to crochet in the round into the sc that you made! Success!

There are other ways to make this if you are having a hard time with this method.
You can find videos on youtube by searching "crochet adjustable ring"