Make This Again: Torchic – Amigurumi #9.1 + Bad News…

Ever heard of the Draw This Again challenge? If not, it’s pretty self-explanatory. I did the “Make This Again” challenge. Here are two wee baby Torchics!

• 

  September 2014

• 

  April 2019

Ahh! Surely, I have improved!

Previously, I tried to make the plushie all one piece. While efficient, it robbed the plushie of its intended shape. I’ve also used brighter coloured orange yarn to help them stand out. The feet are still chained, but they are broader and are closer to chicken feet. It was a hassle to sew the head, wings, and body together, but it was worth it in the end. I now feel confident selling these little guys in the shop.

Five years ago, I made a Torchic key charm for Kitty, before he went to live in the UK for a year. He attached it to his luggage, as intended.

When he went through baggage claim, he found his luggage…but not Torchic. It made me sad.

This time, I’m prepared.

I attached a metal keychain! It’s not great as a baggage tag anymore, but it’s definitely stronger than a yarn cord. This Torchic would be right at home on a backpack or carry-on.

It’s hard to believe it’s been 5 years since Kitty went to the UK. How much has changed since then? Well, to sum up, he now has a master’s degree, a beautiful wife, and a million more snob points. He’s seen me through new beginnings and bad breakups, made jokes at my expense, and took his share of my salt. He’s just like a real cat; drives you up the wall, but at the end of the day provides comfort. Sad to say we don’t talk as often as we used to, due to busy schedules and life in general. But when we do chat, it’s as though nothing has changed. This is my favourite kind of friendship. And we’ve established that he’s playing piano for my wedding, if I ever get married.

Now that you’re all happy from seeing such a cute little fire chicken…time for the bad news: I done goofed. Tomorrow was supposed to be the re-launch of my shop. However, due to imminent travel plans for which I forgot to account, the shop will be unavailable until May 12.

All is not lost, however! I will be taking requests and commissions during this time period. I currently only have Torchic and Popplio scheduled to be sold, but we need more colours, yarnit! Leave suggestions for plushies/amigurumi that you’d like to see, and let’s start making the world plush!

Do you have any commission suggestions? Have you attempted the “make/draw this again” challenge? Comment below!

Pika, so happy~

*Edit: changed “darnit” to “yarnit” at former roommate’s request. Miss ya, Triztan!

Popplio – Amigurumi #49

*The following plush also appears on @pikainabag

Meet my son, Popplio.

I made this Popplio circa December of this past year. It went on hold while I fiddled with ways to make its eyes. And then I picked up felting needles and stabbed fluff repeatedly into its head. It kind of worked.

I would give this Popplio a 7/10. In future iterations, I would make the snout broader at the base, and make the ears longer. And maybe the flippers should be a row or two longer.

The eyes are very fuzzy. Maybe if they were hand washed, they would lay flat?

As you may remember, Popplio received a lot of hate when the Alola starters were announced. But when I lifted Popplio gently into my arms, I knew I wanted him to be my son.

And my son, he was. His attack stats aren’t too strong, but his defense is off the charts. Basically, Popplio is a tank.

And look at its final evolution. LOOK AT IT. ABSORB THE FABULOUSNESS.

My son went to school with me, to help alleviate a bit of crunch time stress.

He found my one friend’s drawing of (Eevee?) and Jolteon.

And then he found a macaron. But wait…so did Mimikyu!

• 

• 

They bonded over their love of macarons. And now, Popplio and Mimikyu are friends.

Popplio and Mimikyu came to the annual demo reel screening on Thursday. People seemed to like mine. Do you? (Click here to watch)

Despite watching the demo reels on Thursday, the semester is not over yet! And now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to go finish the remaining assignments. There will still be a blog post next week, but it will be scheduled ahead of time. (This post was, too.) Whew… we’re getting to Easter, and despite how insane school has gotten, I’ve managed to blog each week since the beginning of Lent! I would say that I have accomplished my Lenten promise. Now, can I accomplish my academic promises????

Which Pokemon is next? Comment below!

Pika, so happy~

Mimikyu – Amigurumi #48

*The following plush also appears on @pikainabag

Monday was Shoonie’s birthday! In commemoration of her 2 decades on this planet, I broke taboo and made…a Pikachu!

Hm? What’s that? This ISN’T a Pikachu?

…oh. It’s a Mimikyu!

• 

• 

This little guy was a bit tricky to get just right. As pictured to the left, it turns out Mimikyu’s black body underneath has the same spiky pattern as the bottom of its costume. I thought that was merely shadow, but after looking at its model in Sun, it turns out that is not the case.
You’ll also notice it doesn’t sit flat, but rather rocks a bit. The weight created by its head and tail leaning to one side doesn’t help either. After doing a bit of research, I may have found a way to keep the base laying flat. Once the shop reopens, I will make and sell a new Mimikyu according to these strategies.

This cutie has been widely received among my classmates. It’s very well behaved too; it quietly listens to music while I work.

Sometimes it joins me for tea.

This Mimikyu is Canadian made. So Canadian, in fact, that it sat and watched hockey with my roommate.

Poor Mimikyu. It just wants to be loved. Maybe it will find a friend in No-Face.

With only 2 weeks left of school, things are getting hectic. While I’m glad to have gotten a chance to sit down and make plushies again, I must also focus on the plethora of assignments that are due in the coming week. Perhaps I will share the completed ones here at the end of the semester!

Which Pokemon should be next? Or should Mimikyu get an alternate costume? Comment below!

Pika, so happy~

Umbreon – Amigurumi #31

At long last, another ami! This was made from a pattern by Wolfdreamer Off The Hook.

I’ve finished watching Inu x Boku: SS. It’s a nice, light series you can watch while doing something else. It’s kind of like Fruits Basket, but instead of animals, they turn into supernatural beings. And why not set the mood with a dark-type Pokemon? It’s Umbreon!(Click image for pattern link)

Oof. This turned out a lot bigger than it looked. Guess I missed the part where it said the ami would be approx. 8 inches. I attempted to work on this during the trip to FanExpo, but fat lot of good that did. The yellow felt was a much darker shade than the yellow yarn used on the ears and tail, so instead I made crochet rings. I ended up gluing them anyway, due to laziness. u_u

It can stand on its own pretty well.

Pondering life

The shape of the head and body give me an idea for future Eevee-lutions. Have you noticed that all the -lutions have the same general face shape, while Eevee has a chubbier, more square-shaped face?

I hope Pokemon Go will be successful enough, to include gen 2. Umbreon is a solid evolution, but Espeon is cute too. Anyone else here still not have the update? *raises hand*

 

Ah… smart, half-asleep Val broke the yarn needle again. That meant poor Umbreon was just bits and pieces until we finally heaved the mattress.

Unfortunately, we were too late to submit Umbreon to Knitting and Crochet’s August Contest. Though I doubt this would’ve gotten very far (ain’t nobody got time for 10 deviations…) but it was still nice to finally post an ami after so long. Plus, it doesn’t feel right to submit a pattern I didn’t create. Maybe we can try making smaller versions of the other -lutions?

Oh my goodness… this is happening in Texas now. How exciting! Someone in Texas is also making the world plush. Poke-plush, to be exact. I wonder if we could bring this to Ontario?

Skinny legs club

What’s your favourite Eevee-lution? Or do you just like Eevee? Comment below!

Pika, so happy~

Various Pokeballs – Amigurumi #22

Pokeballs are available to purchase here!

It’s the first Saturday of May! And if you’re an anime fan living in or around Toronto, it’s almost time for Anime North.

Anime North is an annual fan expo for all things anime. I’ve wanted to go for years, but it’s only now that I finally get a chance. My birthday buddy (friend who has the same birthdate as me) managed to get an extra ticket, so I figured, why not? I’m still in-between on the exact cosplay I want to wear. It’s between Katara, (Avatar: The Last Airbender) Oliver, (Ni no Kuni) and TK. (Digimon [season 1])

 

If you can’t make it to Anime North, it’s okay: here are some Pokeballs you can pretend you bought at Anime North!

Left to right: Master Ball, Pokeball, and Green Ball

 

I KNOW, another Pokeball-themed post. They’re just so easy and fun to make! As this post’s title suggests, these would make great accessories for a Pokemon-themed cosplay. Or a stress ball. Or to throw at your friends to catch them. Either way, POKEBALLS!

Each Pokeball is approximately 3″, or 7.5 cm tall. This makes them just the right size to fit in your hands.

The Pokeballs are currently available in the designs and colours shown. For custom designs, please send me a message on Etsy.

I’m trying to save up money for a souvenir. Maybe I’ll find a ribbon for Shoonie, or a 3DS decal for Peck Peck. No plushies obviously, I’m more than set for those. XP

Oh look, another shameless link to the Etsy shop.

See any Pokeballs you like? Want? Need? Comment below!

Pika, so happy~

Master Ball – Amigurumi #21

Fat Master Ball is fat. I’ll have to take a better picture tomorrow, when natural light can show off the purple.

Humph. Not too thrilled with how the overall body turned out. Before stuffing it looked square and lumpy, unlike Kirby who was so nice and round. I knew I should’ve used Kirby’s body pattern…

Anyway, the master ball plush is the same size as Kirby.

 

I had a little assistance on this one, from a wee little thing named Kailyn. (SP???) She helped sew a pink spot and glue on the M. I must say, her sewing isn’t bad for her first time. I just might keep this ball around for her to toss around next time she comes for practice.

Inspiration for this pattern came from Hey You, Pikachu! For those who don’t remember the N64 days, HYP was Nintendo’s attempt at incorporating vocal recognition into a game. As per the title, you would say a command into the special microphone, and Pikachu would respond. It kinda worked, and kinda didn’t. I once told Pika to use Thundershock, but instead it decided to dance. Apparently its dance skills were so bad that the treasure chest blew up. Nintendo logic!

HYP had a beach mini game in which you tossed around Pokeball beach balls. The master ball was worth the most points. Last week, Kailyn was tossing Kirby around like a volleyball. Kirby flew into the kitchen and landed on the dishes. Luckily the dishes were clean, and he was so soft that he bounced off safely. This reminded me of the volleyball game, and so the master volley ball was created.

Kailyn likes whales and hammerhead sharks. And then I casually mentioned harpooning a whale and a hammerhead shark in Black Flag. She said, “aww I wanna see you harpoon a whale!” I’m confused about kids’ priorities nowadays…

I’m thinking of going shopping for some proper red yarn (Kirby’s feet were made with two thin red yarns held together) and re-trying the ball. Then I can add more things to my Etsy. Oh wait, I said I would add the fairies, didn’t I? Geez, get it together, me… I also have to make my costume for next month! ASDFGHJKL;’

What’s your favourite type of Pokeball? Would you play Poke volley ball? Comment below!

Pika, so happy~

Charmander – Amigurumi #17

Guys.

GUYS.

It’s finally finished.

As you may recall from an old post, I was struggling to get Charmander just right. The tail was giving a ton of grief because I was trying to make it a single piece with the body. I gave up making everything as one piece. Instead, I made the head and body together, and sewed the tail. This was much easier, and hey; Squirtle was made in a similar way. As for the tail, well… I got lazy. Peck Peck suggested I use coloured fluff. (Stuffing) The problem is that the stuffing is very wispy and made of tiny little fibres that get everywhere if not handled properly. Though this does give me an idea for a sheep plushie…

When I was a wee little Pichu, there was a girl in my class called Anjy. For reasons I no longer remember, whenever I saw her I would go, “Kitty!!!” and flip her hair. (This was long before I met Torchic’s owner Kitty) She also used to make really good Squirtle impressions, and she owned a Charmander doll named Twizzler. Fast forward a few years later to high school, when Jarhead and I got bored in Law class one day. We were doodling, and she said she wished she could draw Charmander because it was one of her favourites. So I drew a derpy Charmander. It looked like this:

Squirtle now has a little companion. And of course Bulbasaur will be added to the mix. Peck Peck called me a genwunner (Gen One-er) but that’s not true; I like gen 2, as well. -_-; Everybody seems to like Charmander the best. Am I the only one who liked Bulbasaur? Hm, I’ll save that mini rant for the Bulbasaur post.

If Anjy is reading this… Hi Kitty. 😀 *flips your hair* I wonder if she still has Twizzler? I would laugh so hard if one day, Jarhead dressed her little girl as a Charmander. XP

Speaking of kitties, Kitty Kitty is now engaged to a Bear with red hair. That rhyme was unintentional, but she does have red hair. So in other words, he turned on his charmander pants came off. Heh? HEH?! 😀

*wind blows the tumbleweed*

I know, another short post, but I have a good reason: I spent all of reading week playing The Last of Us. And let me say, it’s just as feel-ful as you may have heard. Clickers suck, though. Now I’m going back to play a bit more, so I’ll leave you with this contemplative Charmander. And yes, this is the current view from my window. Winter: Canadian youths’ #1 excuse to stay in and play video games. Don’t worry, Charmander’s tail will keep it warm.

 

Questions? Concerns? Requests? Massage-giving tips? Comment below!

Pika, so happy~

Pink Snorlax and Some Pointless Thoughts

Edit: Pink Snorlax is complete!

I made it sit upright, so it could be propped up like a teddy bear. It’s hard to tell from these pictures, but I also made the ears more prominent.

A family friend saw the Snorlax pillow plush, and decided she wanted one for a baby girl. Three days, and an eternity with the blow dryer later, I now have material for this week’s post. It’s not finished yet, but I think you can get the idea.

 Updated pic!

Remember the episode when Ash caught Snorlax, after it was eating all the grapefruits? I thought that was from the same episode with the pink Pokemon, but I’m clearly mashing the Orange Islands episodes together.

Image searches for a pink Snorlax didn’t help too much, except for pictures of fat people with the caption “A wild Snorlax appeared!” (Apparently in Internet Land, this picture is still fresh and new…) And so, pink Snorlax with white belly appeared. I considered using black on the soles of the feet, but switched back to darker pink, to keep it looking sweet and soft for a baby.

I debated whether or not to make the tummy separate and stitch it on. That’s what I did last time: I made the body with a big “tummy hole” in the middle, so that I could wash the pieces prior to stuffing. The yarn I use is very stiff, so it’s great for working. However it’s too rough for a baby’s delicate skin. I didn’t want to buy baby yarn because those yarns are very thin, and Snorlax would end up with too many odd holes where the stitches didn’t cover. And so when I finished working, I washed the pieces before stuffing and stitching them together. This makes the plushie turn out nice and soft, but it sure was a headache to dry. Here is the tutorial I found, describing how to wash the yarn. This would also be a great idea for wool yarn, which shrinks and distorts in the washing machine:

Ah, there is enough yarn left to make the hat and scarf! Hairless Jigglypuff hat was also requested.

I can’t believe it’s already December… we only have 3.5 weeks left of the year 2014. That means we have 3.5 weeks to make up our New Year’s resolutions. Looking at the two Snorlaxes together has given me one idea for a resolution. Obviously, it’s not a resolution to exercise and cut out junk food. XD

#selfie #besties #thisisnotinstagram #itsnoteventwitter #octothorpe

Updated Pic!

#selfie #besties #thisisnotinstagram #thisisnttwittereither #itsnotfacebookeither

This coming week is my last week of classes. I hope that means there will be more interesting posts this holiday season. This past week, I made a new friend. We’ll call him Nick. He’s got an army of pigs that do stuff. Nick is now Lila’s owner. The brownie below was delicious, albeit low on sugar. Oh sheep on the farm, that texture was heavenly.

The pigs are eating the brownie, while Shoonie watches.

Have you thought of your New Year’s resolutions? What other alternate colour Pokemon would you like to see? Comment below!

Pika, so happy~

Snorlax Pillow Plushie – Amigurumi #13

Until now, my amis have all been fairly small. On average they are about 6″ (15.2 cm) tall, and fat enough to fill the palm of your hand. This is because I made them for my boys who are, well, boys! They feel weird being guys in their 20’s and owning cute plushies. (Though that doesn’t stop some of them from buying body pillows…) Or they buy for their girlfriends and can only afford to pay so much. Christmas is a long ways away, so now’s the perfect time to get a head start on bigger, more expensive presents. My goal is to earn at least $100 more in plush sales by the end of 2014.

When it comes to presents, you can’t go wrong with something big and cuddly. Imagine cuddling up and taking a nap with this Snorlax:

Yes, I’ve made a Snorlax before. No, I haven’t made a pillow-sized one before. See comparison below.

Snorlax blocked the way to the best spot on the couch. But it was okay, because it made friends with the other plushies:

Comparison to a standard couch cushion, as well as Baymax and Squirtle.

Before anyone asks: no I don’t plan on making this into a big bed. Although if it were bigger and made out of softer yarn, it might be cute as a baby cushion. I don’t plan on having kids any time soon, but maybe I’ll make a Baymax one for my future child to cuddle when they’re feeling sick. Hehe, see what I did there? 😛

Now I’m off to go buy more stuffing. This one plushie ate up the whole bag!

Dear school: please leave me to do nothing but make plushies for one day. *sigh* It feels like these posts are getting shorter and shorter every week…

What other characters do you think would make great pillows? Comment below!

Pika, so happy~

Trick or Treat!

Hey you.

Yeah you.

What’re you doing on the internet? Don’t you have to get ready for trick or treating, or that sweet party with your friends?

You should go do that as soon as you finish reading this run-on sentence which is going to run on so you should probably stop reading but then you’ll break the rules and now you’re wasting time that you could use to get ready and put on your costume or makeup or maybe you’re one of those people that just throws a sports jersey over your regular clothes like why dude is a little creativity too much to ask of teenagers nowadays last year this group of middle school kids showed up and that’s all they did so I just gave them all McDonalds toys we had lying around I mean if you’re not going to put effort into your costume I’m not gonna put effort into reaching for the candy humph how do you like dem apples oh wow I used that idiom correctly I deserve another Crunch bar om nom nom nom nom nom swallow well guess I should end this sentence it’s getting really difficult to read but first lemme take a selfie hahaha jokes I’m not that type but since you read all this way guess I should take a selfie with the Jigglypuff hat which by the way now you mention it is now complete look at it isn’t it the cutest most jiggliest thing ever by the way my costume is a Jigglypuff with jiggly puffs get it hahahahahahaha I’m so funny by the way the sentence is going to end soon you should probably stop reading now but you can’t because there are no punctuation marks to help you catch a breath trolololol okay I’ve had my fun time to end this sentence by placing a period at the end of this sentence after I write a few more words okay the period is going to come right about now.

Trick or treat? There, I gave you a trick. Now go get ready. Happy Hallowe’en~ ^_^

Oh yeah, I finished this at long last. Time to go find sleeping people, and draw on their faces.

 

Jiggly, Jigglypuff~