Thank you & a Little Cactus

Hi :) Thank you very much for the comments and the e-mails about my complaining. Lots of us have written to the one seller (the one that is the most obvious) and her answer was along the lines of "I know and I don't care and so what". And that's what really got to me. We've all flagged and Etsy doesn't do anything because of all this blahblahblah I don't feel like getting into right now (because then this will turn into another complaining post, and we should just get to the nice part).

So.... moving on to the things that really matter, like yarn and fiberfill and toys ;)
Here's the little cactus from Tiny Ami 2, that didn't make it into the book either. I was thinking yesterday night, that those of you who did buy TA2 when it was in the shop might feel a little cheated or something (you bought it and here I am posting it for free). So please send me a convo through Etsy and I can send you another little pattern that you want -like Tiny Ami Plants, or the cherries or something like that, ok? -don't forget to let me know which one you want and your e-mail address :)



Using an F hook and worsted weight yarn:
Plant
Using green:
R1- Ch 2, 6 sc in second chain from hook
R2- 2 sc in each sc around (12 sts)
R3- *Sc 1, 2 sc in next sc*, repeat 6 times (18 sts)
R4-10: Sc 18
Work on face - Position and attach 6 mm plastic eyes with safety backings, embroider mouth.
R11- *Sc 1, dec 1*, repeat 6 times (12 sts)
R12: Sc 12
Change to light brown/tan yarn and:
R13: Sc 12 through front loops only
R14: 2 sc in each sc around (24 sts)
R15-16: Sc 24
Sl st, bind off, leaving long tail for sewing.

Planter
Using whatever color you want (I used dark brown)
R1- Ch 2, 5 sc in second chain from hook
R2- 2 sc in each sc around (10 sts)
R3- *Sc 1, 2 sc in next sc*, repeat 5 times (15 sts)
R4- *Sc 2, 2 sc in next sc*, repeat 5 times (20 sts)
R5- *Sc 3, 2 sc in next sc*, repeat 5 times (25 sts)
R6- Through back loops only:
*Sc 3, dec 1*, repeat 5 times (20 sts)
R7- *Sc 3, 2 sc in next sc*, repeat 5 times (25 sts)
R8-10: Sc 25
R9- BPsc 25
Sl st, bind off, weave in loose end.

Stuff cactus (I used fiberfill), stuff planter (I stuffed it with poly-pellets) and sew cactus part in the inside of the planter using the long tail you left for sewing. I gave her a little red bow too :)

Pronto!
Don't forget to write if you have questions & to let me know how it comes out!

It's my blog & I'll cry if I want to ;)

I'm all sad and into complaining today.
Etsy's getting full of ladies that are illegaly (w/no rights whatsoever) translating individual patterns from Japanese books, scanning the pictures, making pdf files and selling them. It makes me so sad. It's disrespectful to the artists that are in Japan not knowing that they are being ripped off, sad for all these nice, talented Etsy designers that actually do the work and make some beautiful stuff and have all the rights to sell them, and mostly sad for the human race, because honestly, how poor and wrong is your value system if you steal from others and don't even care? how unethical is it?
what is going on with the world people?!
:(

Gift Certificates!

This is the first time I have gift certificates in the shop :)
I tried 10 million different layouts and finally decided for this one (front & back images):


They're postcard size & come in a nice red envelope :)
I noticed that some of the lines aren't even and it bothers me big time, but I was too excited and already ordered them :(
Oh, well...

Sharing...

A little while ago I created a Flickr group to see how my toys turn out when you make them and add your own details and ideas . I just love to see how following the same pattern we can all make something that's so similar and yet so different at the same time. I think that through everything we make we show, or let shine through, a little bit of ourselves, don't you?

Take a look at this:
my boring, yet oh-so-cute ;) owls:



& now look at Else's!:





How extremely adorable & creative is that?!!!

This post is to invite you to share your pictures too :)
anapaulaoli crochet patterns Flickr group :)

a little jellyfish ornament to sweeten up the tree :)

The picture isn't very good (i'm really bad at taking pictures of really small things), but I think a bunch of little jellyfish would look adorable in your x-mas tree, or you could hang them from your bag, or a window, or make one as a last minute stocking stuffer :)

When I made this one, it turned out to be approx. 4 inches/10 cm long (counting the tentacles).
Here are the instructions:

Using an F/5 crochet hook
R1- Ch2, sc 6 in second chain from hook
R2- 2 sc in each sc around (12 sts)
R3- *Sc 1, 2 sc in next sc*, repeat 6 times (18 sts)
R4- *Sc 2, 2 sc in next sc*, repeat 6 times (24 sts)
R5-10: Sc 24
Work on face - Position and attach 6 mm plastic eyes with safety backings, cut out two little circles of pink felt and sew in place for cheeks :), embroider mouth.
R11- Sc 24 through back loops only (you'll use the front loops later when crocheting the little wavy things at the bottom)
R12- *Sc 2, dec 1*, repeat 6 times (18 sts)
R13- *Sc 1, dec 1*, repeat 6 times (12 sts)
Stuff
R14- *Sk 1 sc, sc 1*, repeat 6 times (6 sts)
Bind off leaving long tail to close up the little hole, weave in loose end.

Wavy Part
Join yarn to one of the front loops you left in R11, chain 1, *4 sc in next st, sk 1 st, sl st 1*, repeat 7 times more. Bind off, weave in loose end.

Tentacles
Join yarn to the bottom part of your jellyfish (I left a long tail when joining so it would add a little more something something to the tentacles), chain 20. Bind off and leave the tail hanging if you want, or weave it in if you want a "neater" jellyfish. Repeat as many times as you want (mine has 9 tentacles, plus the 9 hanging pieces of yarn).

Please write if you have questions.
Happy crocheting!
:)
Ana

Yay! my book is available for preorder at Amazon & Borders :)

The release date is February 25, 2008 :)

Thank you very very VERY VERY VERY much for always being so nice; as always I probably sound like a dork, but it makes me really happy :)

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Amazon

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Barnes & Noble

Fortune Cookies! from YouTube