We love dressing up as a family and cosplaying at events!  Last year, we went with a Totoro theme as you can see HERE!  It’s neat because as the girls are getting older, they understand more, so they are excited to dress up with us!  This year, we decided to go with another Studio Ghibli film that we love: Kiki’s Delivery Service!  It’s such a lovely movie that is a favourite of many, and the music is so beautiful.  Here are some pictures of the characters in case you’ve never seen the movie before!  Kiki is the main character as she goes off on a special journey with her loyal black cat named Jiji!

Kiki’s love interest is a boy named Tombo who wears thick black glasses and a red and white striped shirt!

The two adorable cats in the movie are named Jiji and Lily!

I knew I wanted to implement some crochet elements into our costume, so I decided to crochet Kiki’s giant bow headband (which I’ll share more about in a separate blog post), and my own Jiji!  I searched online to look for a Jiji pattern to see what was already out there, and  I decided to go with Anne Gee White of “A Gamer’s Wife’s” free Jiji pattern which can be found HERE on Ravelry!  Lion Brand Yarn’s Vanna’s Choice has a great colour selection, and I used their “Black” and “Scarlet” colours for my Jiji!

This pattern is interesting because it is worked from the top down as a whole piece.  That is, the head, neck and body are one continuous piece!  Here I am crocheting the top of Jiji’s head!  For reference, I used a 3.25 mm hook to get tight stitches.

The head is complete, and now it is time to crochet the neck and body!

I followed the pattern exactly in terms of stitch counts and did not change anything!

Here is the relative size of the body and head as you can see when I’m holding it!

We decided to make his tail poseable so that it could curve upwards!  Thus, we used wire and bent it into a circle with a long extention.  We inserted this circle into the bottom of Jiji before closing him up.  The wire that extends outwards is where we will add the tail (see my Monkey pattern HERE for more pictures and tips on adding wiring to amigurumi).  Keep in mind that wiring should be avoided if the amigurumi is for a baby or small child!

Then I crocheted the ears, front legs, and tail!

Ryan and I finished Jiji late one evening, and I did not take too many progress photos towards the end.  After attaching the ears, front legs and adding the tail to the wiring, it was now time for the felt details!  We used black and white felt for the eyes, white felt for the lining of the ears, and pink felt for the nose.

We decided to crochet an adorable red bow for our amigurumi Jiji as a nice finishing touch too!  I’ve written out the pattern I made up for the bow below!

**********************

Jiji Red Bow Collar Pattern

Using 2.75 mm hook and Vanna’s Choice yarn in “Scarlet”,

Rectangle:

Chain 10

Row 1: Starting from 2nd chain from hook, Sc 9 (9 sts).

Row 2: Chain 1, turn.  Starting from 2nd chain from hook, Sc 9 (9 sts).

Row 3: Repeat Row 2.  Fasten off.

Middle Knot:

Chain 8

Row 1: Starting from 2nd chain from hook, Sc 7 (7 sts)

Fasten off and leave long end for sewing.  Sew around middle of rectangle.

Collar

Chain 25.  Sew one side onto back of middle knot of bow.  Wrap around Jiji’s neck and sew other side onto back of middle knot of bow.  Alternatively, use hot glue to attach collar onto bow.

************************

I am delighted with how my amigurumi Jiji turned out!  The felt details make him look so adorable with his huge eyes and dainty little nose.  Ryan did all the precise felt cutting, and he always does an amazing job!

The little red bow collar is such a cute touch and a bright pop of colour!  It also makes him match with the giant bow that I was wearing too!

Adding wiring to the tail makes it very fun since you can bend and pose it in so many different ways!

Here are some pictures of us wearing our Kiki’s Delivery Service costumes before heading out to the Edmonton Expo!  Ryan is Tombo, I’m Kiki, Myla is Jiji, and Brie is Lily.  Myla is holding a plush Jiji that my parents bought for her from Japan (an official Ghibli souvenir), and my crocheted Jiji is on the floor haha…because Brie dropped him!

Here we are about to head into the Expo!  

It’s so much fun dressing up, and I’m glad I could add some crochet to my costume!  As you would imagine, Ryan got mistaken as Waldo a lot and people frequently exclaimed, “I found Waldo!” as they passed by Ryan haha.  Only astute Ghibli fans knew who we were dressed up as and they loved how the girls were involved too!  I’ll be blogging about the giant bow headband I made as I’d love to share the pattern with you in case you’d like to make one too!

If you’re a fan of Kiki’s Delivery Service, Jiji is a great amigurumi to work up quickly as it is a very straight-forward pattern.  If you don’t know who Jiji is, this black cat would also make an adorable Halloween decoration for your home!  You can also use different coloured yarn if you’re just looking for an amigurumi cat pattern too.  Once again, you can find the free pattern HERE!  Stay tuned for the bow headband pattern that I’ll be sharing soon, and I’ll also list where I got all the items for my Kiki costume!

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When I first saw Lion Brand Yarn’s Bonbons at Michaels, I thought they looked so cute and I was itching to use them for a project!  Each set comes with 8 different colours, and the sets range from acrylic, metallic, or cotton yarn.  The first thought that came to mind was to use them for amigurumi, and I thought it would be so neat to be able to make one ami per bonbon, with the possibility of 8 different amigurumi with one set!  Pictured below are the 100% cotton sets that are a fine (level 2) yarn: Beach (top) and Nature (bottom).  

Since most amigurumi tend to be very round and three-dimensional, I thought it would be cute to make a flat teddy that could be attached to a keychain and toted wherever you go!  Thus, instead of making spherical, ball-like shapes, I used the technique of working around a foundation chain to make ovals (see my full tutorial HERE).  To make my teddy’s head, I chained 11 with my 2 mm hook.

To work around a foundation chain, you start from the second chain from the hook and single crochet in the back loops (the ones further away from you) of the foundation chain.  In this case, you will work ten single crochets in the back loops.  Then, you turn the piece and single crochet in the front loops of the foundation chain.  Another ten single crochets in the back loops will bring you to a total of 20 stitches completed after Round 1.

We have created an oval after Round 1!

As the head continued to build up, this shape began to form!

Before closing up the head, we attached 6 mm safety eyes.  We attached them between Rounds 10 and 11, about 6 stitches apart.

Typically to end off my amigurumi shapes, I close up the hole when there are six stitches left.  In this case, however, I decreased until there were 12 stitches left.  Then, I moved my yarn tail to one side, pinched the head flat, and whip stitched the opening shut.

This was the resulting rectangular head!

Next we created indentations at the corners of the head and where the neck would be at the bottom of the head. I threaded my needle through the bottom of the head to the upper right corner and then back down with a tapestry needle.

I repeated the same process on the left side and then tied the ends into double knots. Tying these knots created an indentation on the bottom of the head, which caused the cheeks to protrude slightly downwards!

This was the head shape we created with indented corners!

To crochet the ears, I simply single crocheted 6 in a Magic Ring (see tutorial HERE) without closing up the circle so a semi-circle was created!  I sewed the ears onto the corners where we made the indentations.

I crocheted a tiny body and stuffed it gently by pushing the stuffing in with the end of my crochet hook.

I then attached the body onto the bottom of the head by fitting it snugly into the indentation we created.

Next it was time for the limbs!  I wanted simple, floppy limbs that could be attached directly onto the body.  To create his left arm, I inserted my crochet hook into a stitch on the top left of his body.  I created a slip knot with the yarn and pulled that slip knot through the stitch on my hook.

Then I chained 6 and began slip stitching back up the chain, ending off where I first inserted my crochet hook.  I was left with a cute little arm that curved downwards.

I worked all the slip stitches into the back bumps of the chain found behind the front and back loops of the chain.

To create his right arm, I flipped him backwards and repeated the process.  This ensured that the right arm also curved downwards.  If you want his arm to curve upwards, you can attach this arm with him facing you!

Both arms are complete- they are so simple and dainty!  If you want, you could stop here and have a legless bear which I think is also very cute!

To create the legs, I repeated the same process as the arms, with only one chain less.  Remember to keep him facing you for his left leg and flip him backwards for his right leg!

Both legs are complete!  Yay for limbs that don’t have to be separately attached!

To create his nose, we cut a triangle out of white felt.  We then embroidered an upside down triangle on the felt with embroidery floss.  

We then created a belly by cutting an oval out of white felt.  We embroidered a little “X” for his belly button using the same embroidery floss.

One Bonbon Bear only requires 6-7 grams of yarn (each Bonbon’s net weight is 10 grams in case you’re curious)!  I decided to make two colourful bears and a panda bear using the black and white yarn in my “Beach” package.  To create the panda bear, I crocheted a white head, a half white/half black body, black ears, and black limbs!  I also made the body one less round compared to the colourful bears.

Isn’t this such a cute face?  To emphasize his features, Ryan cut large eye roundies out of black felt and made them downturned.  He used black felt for the nose too!

If you want to tote these cuties around with you wherever you go, you could attach them to these key rings with snake chains!  I bought these on Etsy HERE (be warned that shipping took a long time though since they ship from Thailand!), but you can search your local craft stores for them too.

********************************

Here is the free pattern for my “Bonbon Bears”:

***You can purchase an INEXPENSIVE AD-FREE PDF of this pattern on Etsy HERE and on Craftsy HERE!  This beautifully formatted PDF includes the step-by-step pictures and is a total of 7 pages including the cover page!

Materials:

• Fine or lightweight yarn, level 2 or 3 (I used Lion Brand Bonbons in the colour combo “Beach”); each bear requires about 6-7 grams of yarn!
  
• 2 mm Clover Amour crochet hook
• Yarn needle (bent tip helpful for attaching amigurumi parts- see HERE)
  
• Fiberfill
• 6 mm safety eyes
• Brown embroidery floss (for nose and belly button)
• White felt (for nose and belly), Black felt (for eye roundies and nose of panda)
• Clover lock ring stitch markers
• Glue gun
• Optional: Key ring with Snake Chain

HEAD:

Chain 11 (this is the foundation chain- see tutorial on how to crochet around a foundation chain HERE).

R1: Starting from second chain from hook, Sc 10 in back loops of foundation chain.  Turn and Sc 10 in front loops of the foundation chain [we are making an oval by crocheting around the chain].  (20 sts)

R2: Inc, Sc 8, Inc x 2, Sc 8, Inc (24 sts)

R3: Inc x 2, Sc 9, Inc x 3, Sc 9, Inc (30 sts)

R4-11: Sc 30 (30 sts)

R12: *Sc 3, dec*, rep 6 times (24 sts).

R13: *Sc 2, dec*, rep 6 times (18 sts)

Add safety eyes.  Position them between Rounds 10 and 11, about 6 stitches apart.

R14: *Sc 1, dec*, rep 6 times (12 sts)

Fasten off and leave long end for sewing.  Move yarn end to one side of bottom of head.  Stuff head.  Pinch head flat and whip stitch opening shut. 

Indentations: Create indentations at the corners and bottom of head.   Thread yarn through the bottom of the head to the upper right corner and then back down with a tapestry needle.  Repeat the process for the left corner.  Tie the ends into double knots to create indentation on the bottom of the head, causing the cheeks to protrude slightly downwards.

BODY:

Chain 6 (this is the foundation chain)

R1: Starting from second chain from hook, Sc 5 in back loops of foundation chain.  Turn and Sc 5 in front loops of the foundation chain [we are making an oval by crocheting around the chain]. (10 sts)

R2-7: Sc 10

Fasten off and leave long end for attaching.  Stuff lightly by pushing stuffing with bottom of crochet hook.  Attach onto bottom of head where indentation was created.

EARS (make 2):

R1: 6 sc in Magic Ring but do not join, creating a semi circle.  

Fasten off and leave long end for attaching.  Sew ears onto corners of head where indentations were created.

ARMS (make 2) & LEGS (make 2)

The limbs will be crocheted directly onto the body of the bear.  We want both arms and both legs to curve towards the body.  To achieve this, attach the left arm and left leg with the bear facing you.  To attach the right arm and right leg, flip the bear backwards so that his back is facing you.

Left arm: 

With bear facing you, insert your crochet hook into a stitch on the top left of his body.  Create a slip knot with the yarn and pull that slip knot through the stitch on your hook.  Chain 6.

R1: Starting from second chain from hook, Slip stitch 5 in bumps of chain.  Sl st to where you first joined arm to body.  Fasten off and weave in ends.  

Right arm:

Flip bear backwards.  With bear’s back facing you, insert your crochet hook into a stitch on the top right of his body.  Create a slip knot with the yarn and pull that slip knot through the stitch on your hook.  Chain 6.

R1: Starting from second chain from hook, Slip stitch 5 in bumps of chain.  Sl st to where you first joined arm to body.  Fasten off and weave in ends.  

Left leg:

With bear facing you, insert your crochet hook into a stitch on the bottom left of his body.  Create a slip knot with the yarn and pull that slip knot through the stitch on your hook.  Chain 5.

R1: Starting from second chain from hook, Slip stitch 4 in bumps of chain.  Sl st to where you first joined leg to body.  Fasten off and weave in ends.  

Right leg:

Flip bear backwards.  With bear’s back facing you, insert your crochet hook into a stitch on the bottom right of his body.  Create a slip knot with the yarn and pull that slip knot through the stitch on your hook.  Chain 5.

R1: Starting from second chain from hook, Slip stitch 4 in bumps of chain.  Sl st to where you first joined leg to body.  Fasten off and weave in ends.  

NOSE:

Cut triangle out of white felt.  Embroider upside down triangle using brown embroidery floss.  Glue onto head.

BELLY:

Cut oval out of white felt.  Embroider X onto belly using brown embroidery floss.  Glue onto body.

Optional: Attach Bonbon Bear to key ring with snake chain.

Finished Dimensions: 3.5″/8.9 cm tall and 2.5″/6.3 cm wide at head

***PANDA MODIFICATIONS:

HEAD: Using white yarn, work same as above.  Cut large eye roundies out of black felt and insert safety eyes into them.  Cut triangle out of black felt and glue onto face.

EARS: Using black yarn, work same as above.

BODY:

Using white yarn, chain 6 (this is the foundation chain)

R1: Starting from second chain from hook, Sc 5 in back loops of foundation chain.  Turn and Sc 5 in front loops of the foundation chain [we are making an oval by crocheting around the chain].  (10 sts)

R2: Sc 10

R3: Sc 10- when doing final yarn over of last stitch, switch to black yarn.

R4: For clean colour change, Sl st in first st. Sc around rest of stitches (10 sts)

R5-6: Sc 10 [Note that the panda’s body has one less round than the colourful bears.]

Fasten off and leave long end for attaching.  Stuff lightly by pushing stuffing with bottom of crochet hook.  Attach onto bottom of head where indentation was created.

ARMS (make 2) & LEGS (make 2): Using black yarn, work same as above.

********************************

These Bonbon Bears are so sweet and adorable!  I really love how you can make them in a variety of colours, and if you buy the Bonbons set, you can make 8 different bears!  The colours are so vibrant!

I wanted to name these bears after sweet treats and candy since the yarn they use is called bonbons!  Here we have Bluebearie…

…Minty…

….and Oreo!

They are tiny enough to fit in your pocket!  Wouldn’t these be a cute gift tucked away in a mug or small basket?  This certainly would bring a smile to my face if I saw this adorable little teddy peeking out!

Once you’ve attached keyrings to the Bonbon Bears, you can bring them with you wherever you go!  Here is my Panda attached to my favourite new accessory: my backpack!

It’s so convenient being hands-free, and I love how chic and modern it looks too!  I must say that I never thought I’d be wearing a backpack again after I finished school!  

I adore being able to carry around such a kawaii crocheted creation with me all the time!

A year ago I introduced you to The Lambert Collection that I designed with Laura Uy- this collection includes tote bags, mugs, and apparel for yarn lovers!  All profits made from this collection are being used to sponsor a classroom of children in Guatemala!  Here is Bluebearie attached to my tote bag (see HERE)!  Doesn’t he look so tiny?

I am delighted to share that Society6 now offers cute Carry-All Pouches!  They’re such a great way to store your crochet hooks and notions (stitch markers, tapestry needles, etc), and the largest size (pictured here) can store smaller WIP’s as well!  Note that we ordered all three sizes, and the image definitely fits the largest size best (it was a bit cut off with the smaller sizes).

I hope you enjoy making these sweet Bonbon bears for yourself and as gifts for friends and family!  Their tiny limbs and flat, block-like shapes make them very unique and extra cute.  They can accompany you wherever you go when you attach them to your backpacks, purses, or tote bags!  Not only are they a quick project, but they’re also a great way to use up scrap yarn!  I’d love to see your creations, so use the hashtag #BonbonBears on social media and tag me!  You can follow my work on my social media here: Facebook page, Twitter (@AllAboutAmi) and Instagram (@AllAboutAmi)I.  You can also find concise PDF versions of my patterns in my Etsy store HERE (I recently surpassed 300 sales- thank you!) and my Craftsy store HERE!  Read up about these bears in their feature on the Lion Brand blog HERE, and enter to win a pack of Bonbons HERE!  Lion Brand has actually dropped the price of the Bonbons to only $5.99 for two weeks HERE, so now is a great time to check them out!

{This post is sponsored by Lion Brand Yarn!  I’ve loved working with their yarn throughout the years and I’m thrilled that I get to collaborate with them every month!}

This pattern is an original pattern by Stephanie Lau of All About Ami.  Please do not claim this pattern as your own. If you wish to share this pattern, you may link to this pattern but please do not reprint it on your site. You may keep a copy for your own personal use but please DO NOT sell the pattern or distribute it.

You may sell products made from this pattern but please clearly credit the design to me, Stephanie Lau of All About Ami, and provide a link to my blog www.AllAboutAmi.com.  Permission is NOT granted for mass production or factory manufacturing of any kind.  Thank you for being respectful and for your understanding!

• Tags
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• bonbonbears
• bonbonbear
• lionbrandyarn
• craft
• handmade
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• freepattern
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• kawaii
• cute

Do you remember Finnley the fox?  I blogged about him HERE as he was my very first amigurumi design published in a book!  Finnley is receiving plenty of love in Tracey Todhunter’s book called “Crochet, Learn It. Love It.”, and now he is gracing the cover of the June issue of “Love Crochet” magazine!

I was delighted to receive a copy of this magazine since it is absolutely jam-packed full of amigurumi!  As you flip through the magazine, you’ll catch a glimpse of my Spring Bunnies!

What’s amazing is that you can actually find Finnley’s whole pattern in this magazine!  If you’ve been wanting to make a foxy friend for yourself, this is your chance to snag the pattern!  His colours look so vibrant as they absolutely pop out of the page!

You’ll also find Dragon’s whole pattern in this magazine as well!  He has received so much love all around the world and in print!

Lastly, you’ll spot me in an article called “So Kawaii” which features three amigurumi designers from around the world: Mei of Amigurumei from Malaysia, Sandrine of Tounicote from France, and myself from Canada!

It’s such a thrill having so many of my creations featured in this magazine!  I wanted to let you all know about it since this is a great chance for you to get your hands on Finnley’s pattern!  This magazine is available for purchase in the UK, but I am unsure if hard copies can be found in North America.  However, you can purchase digital copies on the Apple Newsstand and you can find subscription information HERE!  Thank you for dedicating a whole issue to amigurumi and for featuring my creations, Love Crochet Magazine!

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• kawaii

This week I am delighted to bring you another “Craft Chat” in which we get to know the talented artists within our crafting community.  This edition is extra special since we will get to know TWO skillful artists who combine their love of crocheting, knitting, sewing and designing to create beautiful dolls!

Rosemary and her daughter Erinna hail from Australia, and they make gorgeous dolls that they sell in their Etsy store called “Bubbles & Bongo”.  They are both active on social media through Instagram as @petite_tini (Rosemary) and @littleaquagirl (Erinna) where they post photos of their work and are extremely supportive and encouraging of their fellow crafters.  This is where I first connected with them, and I’ve loved following their work.  Their dolls are always meticulously crafted and creatively posed, and I always get excited and inspired whenever their posts appear in my feed!

I was incredibly honoured when Erinna and Rosemary asked if they could send me one of their beautifully handcrafted dolls!  I really had no idea what to expect since their dolls are each so unique and have so much personality, and I was BLOWN AWAY when I opened their beautiful package with Myla by my side!

As soon as I saw our special fabric doll, I thought she looked just like me with her black hair and side ponytail!  Then I saw the lamb on her tunic and knew that this was inspired by Lambert, our amigurumi lamb and the Lambert Collection that we designed!  Here they are side-by-side!  What an adorable pair :)

Myla couldn’t wait to start playing with her, and she immediately called her the “Mommy Doll”!  I can’t believe we have such a unique and special doll in our collection that was crafted with so much love and care!  The craftsmanship is superb as this doll is so well-made.  Just look at this beautifully embroidered face with her luscious lashes, sweet pink lips and rosy cheeks!  Her hair is sewn on so well, with parallel lines of stitches simulating strands of hair!

I love how our fabric doll has a gorgeous knitted tunic dress and a crocheted lamb adorned on it!  The Mommy Doll really combines all three arts of sewing, knitting, and crocheting!

I was so touched that Rosemary handcrafted this beautiful doll wearing such a stylish outfit just for us!  I LOVE how she looks both modern and whimsical at the same time with her black and white palette and touches of pink!  The Mommy Doll is very well-loved, and she will be cherished for years to come!

Let’s get to know this magnificent mother-daughter crafting duo a bit more with these questions that I asked them!

***********************************************

1) Where did the name “Bubbles & Bongo” come from?

Erinna:

The name “Bubbles and Bongo” stemmed from childhood nicknames that mum gave my sister and I when we were toddlers. Bubbles was a monkey and Bongo a bear, which we saw when visiting the Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia. I was nicknamed Bongo, as apparently I have a gait similar to little Bongo.

Rosemary:

And Erinna still does! Bubbles the monkey was as cheeky as Erinna’s sister…

2) When did you learn how to crochet and sew?

 Rosemary:

I learnt to sew from my mum as a primary school student – just simple embroidery. She was an amazing seamstress and made almost her entire wardrobe. I remember her giving me a wooden dowel into which I hammered four nails to create my very own French Knitter.

From there, I learnt how to knit and crochet through books and have taken various classes on how to sew clothes as well as pattern making. Being a ballet mum, I had to learn how to sew lots and lots of sequins onto ballet costumes, as well as how to darn pointe shoes and sew the ribbons on. When we both discovered amigurumi, it reignited my love for crochet and being able to draw on my sewing skills to make dresses for the dolls just seemed like a perfect creative outlet using skills that I learnt from many, many years ago. How many years shall remain a secret….

Erinna:

I loved watching my grandmother use her old hand-crank Singer sewing machine. She would let me turn the wheel and sometimes I would drive her crazy with how fast I would spin it. We still have the Singer sewing machine and it has an enormous amount of sentimental value. I would like to say that I learnt to sew in Home Economics class in high school, but just quietly, mum made a significant contribution to a number of my sewing projects that I had to do. Alas, my sewing skills do not match my mum’s. I can sew straight lines on a sewing machine but that’s about it. I am proud to say though that I can use a needle and thread and do sew my own buttons on when they fall off!

I first learnt about amigurumi on the golf course. A playing partner had an amigurumi giraffe golf club headcover and from there, I slowly learnt about the creative possibilities that amigurumi presented. I thus knew I had to learn how to crochet. So about two years ago, with the help of books, online videos and blogs (such as All About Ami), I first learnt how to hold a crochet hook, how to chain stitches, how to make a single crochet and till today am still learning so much more to do with this craft.

3) What is your favourite design/project?

Rosemary:

It is so hard to choose as each and every doll that I have made always have special moments associated with each of them. However, if I had to pick one, I think my curly haired doll, Emmaline, would have to be my favourite. I am not quite sure why, but she seems to have a cheeky little personality to me and I love the way the colours and patterns of the fabric came together to complement her curly burgundy hair.

Erinna:

I love the creative process of translating an image in my head to an amigurumi creation. When I created and published my first amigurumi pattern, I was quite nervous, and still am to this day every time I prepare a pattern. I think it is because I love each and every one of the creations I make and hope so much that the person who is trying it out will love it as much as I do. I cannot bring myself to choose a favourite design but will say that I have loved creating each and every one of my projects.

4) Where do you get your inspiration from?

 Rosemary and Erinna:

The only social media platform that both of us use consistently is Instagram, and it has proven to be such a wonderful source of inspiration. The crochet community on IG is most supportive and we love how people are so generous with their kind comments. It is funny that though we have never met any of them in person, we feel like they have been a part of our crochet journey from the start.

Other sources of inspiration come from resources like blogs, books and children’s illustrations, as well as just everyday things around us!

5) Your dolls are always exquisitely detailed.  I love how you combine different mediums together with your dolls, such as knitting, crocheting and fabric dresses.  How long does it take you to make one of your dolls (crochet and cloth)?

Rosemary:

I am fortunate to be able to knit, crochet and sew and wanted to create dolls that would combine all of these elements. Each of my dolls would usually take close to a week to complete. It is always so exciting to reach the end of the process and see the final doll come together. Putting the finishing touches on each doll’s face is always so rewarding as it just adds to their personality.

Erinna:

Hopefully one day soon I will be able to master the art of knitting and sewing and be able to combine the different mediums! Until then, all my dolls are created by crocheting. Each doll would usually take me about 4-5 days to finish and the best part for me is putting on the outfit and styling the hair! I think my amigurumi dolls have much better hair for styling than I do…

6) Crocheting is a family affair for you two!  How does it feel to be able to craft and run a business with such a close family member?

Erinna:

From a very young age, mum has always made sure to provide creative outlets for my sister and I. She put us through painting, copper tooling, decoupage and paper tole classes. Even though she worked through the week, she always made sure she had time to ferry us around to these different classes on weekends.

And now, I am so lucky to be able to share my love for crochet with my mum. I remember that we were both unsure how to set up an Etsy shop and when we finally put our minds to it and got the shop online, we were both thrilled! The first sale was so exciting…then the first review…and now, even though we are still both learning so much about the process, we are just absolutely grateful for this outlet through which we are able to share our love for craft and crochet (and fund our serious yarn budget)!

Another plus that we both crochet is that she understands my need to go yarn shopping despite the stacks of yarn we have at home, and she understands that when I am counting stitches that I am not to be disturbed! :)

Rosemary:

I have always loved all sorts of crafting from clay modeling, cross-stitching, pergamano to making glass-beaded hand-sewn shoes and wanted to make sure that my daughters got a chance to experience using their hands and imagination to create things.

When we first discovered amigurumi recently it was just something that grew naturally between Erinna and I. We both helped each other learn the various skills that were needed for making amigurumi creations. But at the same time, we each developed our own style. I love making dolls and creating little outfits for them using the different mediums, whereas Erinna finds joy in creating original patterns.

7) Do you craft full-time?

Rosemary:

Apart from the unyielding need to do housework, I would say that crafting is a full-time job! I am extremely fortunate to have the time to craft and will hopefully one day soon set up my own “craft office”!

Erinna:

As much as I wish I could craft full-time, unfortunately crafting is only an after-work or weekend activity. I am a cancer researcher by day and crafter by night! I am very lucky to be able to hold two “jobs” that I love!

8) How has social media played a role in helping you connect with fellow crocheters and crafters?

Rosemary and Erinna:

As mentioned previously, social media (in particular Instagram) has been an amazing source of inspiration and is just a bubbling cauldron of crafting creativity. The diversity and originality of fellow crocheters and crafters is just so special to be witness to.  In the same way that Picasso said, “Painting is just another way of keeping a diary”, each individual’s feed is like a diary that we have had the good fortune of being allowed to be a part of.

9) Who are some of your favourite crafters/crocheters to follow?

Rosemary and Erinna:

This is a really tough question as there are just so many to name and we would hate to leave anyone’s name out!! But @allaboutami is just a perennial favourite of course ;)

10) Do you have any advice for people who are interested in starting a handmade business or Etsy shop?

We still have so much to learn with regards to running an Etsy shop and have no doubt that we would benefit from the advice from many of your blog readers! But these are some things that we feel are an integral part of Bubbles and Bongo’s philosophy.

1) We only ever list and sell creations that we ourselves would be happy to receive if we had bought it from someone else, particularly in terms of the quality of the finished product.

2) We try our best to respond to enquiries as quickly as possible and offer as much help as we can. In addition, we also make sure to say thank you to those who take the time to leave lovely reviews as we appreciate these very much.

3) We do our best with taking good quality photographs of our creations for our listings and try to show as much detail as possible.

4) We pack our creations with lots of love and always make sure to include a handwritten note to show our appreciation.

5) And finally…..we never thought in our wildest dreams that we would be selling our creations to people from all around the world. It has been a most exciting experience and reminds us why we enjoy crafting so much when we hear from happy customers with whom we can share our love for creating dolls! We took a leap and could not be happier with the journey that we are now on! So go for it!!

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I LOVED reading Rosemary and Erinna’s answers as their relationship is so sweet and inspiring.  I was really touched when Erinna mentioned how her mother always made the time to provide creative outlets for both her and her sister.  Rosemary stated how important it was to her that her daughters had a chance to use their hands and imagination to create things, and I love how they now craft and run their store together!  I hope to foster my girls’ creativity and imaginations too, and I hope that they will be able to find the joy in crafting that Ryan and I love so much!  How amazing would it be to craft together as a family?  I am delighted that we could learn more about Rosemary and Erinna and be inspired by all that they do!

[GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED!] They have generously offered a PATTERN GIVEAWAY so that you can make one of their whimsical designs as well!   To enter, simply visit the Bubbles & Bongo Etsy store HERE and leave a comment below telling us which pattern you would like to win!  This giveaway is open WORLDWIDE and will close on Sunday, April 10th at 10 PM MST!  I will randomly choose THREE WINNERS from the blog, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram (you can enter through all these different methods to increase your chances)!  Have fun browsing through their lovely shop!

Don’t forget to follow Erinna and Rosemary on social media (@littleaquagirl & @petite_tini on Instagram) to keep up with their work!  Their exquisite dolls would be a welcome addition to any stuffie/doll collection (your children’s or your own hehe)!  Thank you for taking part in this Craft Chat, Erinna and Rosemary!

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I am so incredibly excited to finally share about a secret project that I was working on last year!  A year ago in January 2015, I was contacted by Quarto Publishing Group, and they asked if I wanted to be a guest contributor for an upcoming book that would be published in 2016.  The working title was “Crochet, Learn It. Love It” and the main author would be respected crochet designer and teacher, Tracey Todhunter!  Tracey and the editors said that they had been impressed by my blog and gave me the freedom to design any amigurumi that I wanted!  Brielle was less than a month old when I received this offer, so I asked about the timeline of this project and wondered if it was possible.  I was very interested in this opportunity since it would be my first time being published in a book!  

The proposal was due in March, and the final project was due in May.  Thus, I excitedly took on this project as I thought that gave me ample time.  It was my first time creating a proposal, and it was neat seeing what was required.  I needed to include a sketch of my proposed amigurumi, a photograph of my swatch showing my stitch and design details, the estimated finished size and dimensions, and yarn suggestions (weight, type, colour, and estimated yardage).  Ryan and I brainstormed what amigurumi to design, and we thought it would be neat to tackle a fox with a cute little snout/nose!  It turned out to be a perfect choice since “todd” means “fox” in English, and the main author was Tracey Todhunter!  Ryan did the following sketch that we submitted in our proposal:

All the projects in the book used yarns in the DMC range, and I chose their “Natura Just Cotton” since it was a fine (level 2) yarn that had a great variety of colours.  I chose their “Ibiza” (white), “Coral” (red) and “Noir” (black) colours for our fox and hoped that they would be the perfect colours in real life!

I was delighted when my yarn arrived in the mail as the colours were beautiful and the yarn was so soft!

We had so much fun figuring out how to make our fox’s nose protrude outwards and how to shape a big bushy tail for him.  However, this project was A LOT more challenging than I had anticipated because it was hard getting even one hour of free time.  I underestimated how difficult it would be taking care of both a toddler and a newborn, and Brielle did not sleep well at night.  I took whatever time I could get here and there, but my focus and designing was often interrupted by a crying baby who needed my attention.  Then, our whole family got sick in March and I got VERY sick in May where I was bedridden.  The Quarto team was very understanding though and gave me an extension if I needed it!  

Thankfully, we were able to complete our project in the end within our time limit, and it felt so satisfying sending him off to England as it was such a big accomplishment!  We decided to name him Finnley as it seemed like the perfect name!  I posted the below photo to social media in May 2015 hinting that I would reveal this project in 2016.  I can’t believe the time has already come that I can show you what we were working on back then!

After I officially submitted my fox pattern and design, I tried to replicate Finnley the fox and work through my own pattern to see if I could find any typos or mistakes!  Whenever I make a typo on the blog and a reader points it out, I can instantly fix it by editing the blog post.  However, I did not have this luxury with an officially published book, so I wanted to make sure the pattern was perfect (I despise typos!).  I found a few points that needed clarification and was happy to send them in.  

***So far there is one typo in the book that happened during the editing process!  In the tail section, Round 6 should read: 2 sc in each of next 6 sts, 1 sc in each of next 6 sts (18 sts).

Here is our Finnley the Fox (technically Finnley the second or Finnley II since the original lives in England and has his pictures in the book)!

Finnley is such a sweet little fox and I just adore his protruding nose and bushy tail- they give him so much character!  As a sidenote, we used 7.5 mm eyes on Finnley II while the original Finnley in the book has 6 mm eyes!

Working with thin yarn and a small crochet hook gives such nice and tight stitches, wouldn’t you agree?  Using pink brads as cheeks gives such a clean look too!

I know many of you have been interested in making an amigurumi fox, so I hope you love our sweet Finnley as much as we do!

I was thrilled to receive my official copy of Tracey Todhunter’s “Crochet, Learn It. Love It” recently as it just came out in March!  This skill-building book is aimed at beginners to enthusiastic intermediate crocheters who would like to improve their crochet technique.  It includes hundreds of detailed how-to photographs and works progressively through the stages of crochet, from building essential skills, to working in the round, to more advanced techniques.  Patterns are included throughout where readers can implement the new skills they’ve just learned, and “Crochet Clinics” are included where Tracey solves common dilemmas.  

My Finnley the Fox pattern appears towards the middle of the book after readers have mastered all the basic crochet stitches and have learned how to work in the Round (Chapter 2).  I love how they laid out and presented Finnley’s pattern with the beautiful colours.  It’s so exciting how our family picture is in it too!

Tracey is a highly respected crochet designer who has been teaching for over two decades.  She has designed for many major knitting and crochet titles, and it’s evident what a clear communicator she is as her book is extremely well-written and laid out.  I read through the entire book and was impressed by how each technique and step was explained, and I learned some new techniques and tips along the way too.  I am so honoured to be a part of this wonderful book that will be a staple in any crocheter’s book collection.  Frequently I am asked what books I recommend for people who are just starting to crochet, and now I can direct people to Tracey’s book with confidence!   

Here is Finnley II admiring the original Finnley and how distinguished he looks!  I think it’s wonderful how this introductory crochet book includes an amigurumi pattern as it shows readers that you can create so many different items once you know the basic crochet stitches.  I love how more and more people are being introduced to our beautiful art of amigurumi!

If you want to make your own Finnley the Fox, be sure to check “Crochet, Learn It. Love It” on Amazon HERE and at your local book stores (e.g. Barnes & Nobles, Chapters).  It was so exciting for us to walk into our local Chapters and find the book on the shelf with our crochet pattern officially published in it!  

Here is a blooper from some of the pictures that we shot in Chapters!  Ryan was carrying Brie while snapping these photos, and Myla was having a ball twirling with my “dress” and being in the picture!  She was pretty surprised when I pointed out that her picture could be found in this book!

The UK version of the book has a different title and cover page as it’s presented by Woman’s Weekly, so be sure to look out for it if you’re in the UK.  You can find it on the UK Amazon HERE and also read the stellar reviews!  I am so pleased that Finnley actually made the cover of the book in the UK version!

I hope you are excited to try making your own foxes and that you’ll check out “Crochet, Learn It. Love It”!  If you do, please let us know what you think and write reviews on Amazon to help us spread the word!  It was such a wonderful opportunity for me to get a taste of having my work published in a crochet book and how much hard work goes into it.  One day, I hope to author my own book when the timing is right!  In the meantime, please check out Tracey’s book on Amazon HERE  and at your local book stores!  You could also request your local libraries to order this book so you can access it this way too (I love the library)!  Visit Tracey’s blog HERE and also check out her lovely blog post about Finnley HERE!  Stay tuned as there will be an exciting giveaway where YOU can win your very own copy of this book soon!  Subscribe to my e-mail list HERE so that you never miss a post, and follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to get all my updates!  Please share your fox pictures with us on social media (you can use the hashtag #finnleythefox) or through e-mail ([email protected]) as I’d love to see them!

Thank you so much to Tracey and the Quarto team (Michelle and Georgia)!  It was such a pleasure working with you, and I am so proud to be a part of this wonderful book!

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Crochet, Learn it. Love it.

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