A Family of Four...

Once, we were a family of four, plus a cat.
Then, a family of four plus a cat and 4 hens.
Now...

A family of four plus a cat, 4 hens, and General Hop (photo courtesy of my talented photographer sister)

...and Woolly Bear, our very own Isabella Tiger Moth in the making

... and three new chicks, named Han (as in Solo), Ambroult Ambroult, and Poofey.

That makes 30 legs, as the girls like to say. (Oh wait, I guess it's 44 legs. Or 32, depending on how far along in metamorphosis the caterpillar is.)

What, or who, is next? I could not predict. But I really hope it doesn't have too many legs.

Handmade Friends

Between the holidays and the endless roster of birthday parties to attend, we have alot of kids' gifts to give throughout the year. I am always searching for crafty ideas that will satisfy the gamut of recipients, from infant to 8-year olds, both boys and girls.

A few months ago, I found Amigurumi crochet patterns of the cutest stuffed toys on Etsy (Amigurumi is the Japanese art of knitting or crocheting small stuffed animals). They were irresistible, so I bought a few patterns and and got to work figuring out how to stitch these fun little friends.

I am, by no stretch of the imagination, a seasoned crocheter. My crocheting experience before this endeavor included scarves, blankets, and any other item that is rectangular. So, crocheting these adorable 3-dimensional objects was an intimidating prospect. I soon learned I had nothing to fear. The patterns were very well written, with clear instructions and pictures to accompany me through the steps. Before long, I had a pile of Juggling Chickens, Horses, and BlueBirds to give.

Nuts About Crochet, and FreshStitches are two shops I have purchased patterns from, so I can attest to their great customer service, and easy-to-follow patterns. Amigurumi Kingdom and Amy Gaines also have some precious patterns. I am thinking Amy Gaines' Matryoshka Roly-Poly Dolls are going to be my next project. Wish me luck!

To learn more about Amigurumi click here. Watch a tutorial video here. I also found some free patterns (score!).