Amigurumi sock monkey

I would like to open an etsy store one day. I have decided to make some toys so I will see if I can see them. I  want to make some toys that doesn't take me many hours to finish, other wise it is not worth the hassle. I still find satisfaction with every toy I make and it is really hard for me to part from them but I have many now. It would be great to earn some money though through doing what I love. What I have done today is a sock monkey I altered it a little as always seems to be my trait. I love the mint colour of wool and with beige works well I think. I made longer legs and stuck them on differently too. I put safety eyes and also stuck glue at the back of them for security.  Here is my finished product.

My childhood

In our school we had children that came and go. I must have been ten, I don't know how they knew about me having head lies. I never had them at home. The nun took me in that room where we hardly used and she would put stinky stuff in my head cover it with white towel for awhile and she would pick the lies, like the gorilla and then brush with special black comb. I don't know who else had it they were nice about it. I bet no one knew I had them. She checked me few times after that and I was all good. I also remember in summer we had to help our gardener he was old and we had to water where he told the nuns. We were pumping water  which we all took turns and some carrying buckets to water the plants were needed, it took forever and it was very tiring. Our snack would be bread and butter and if there was extra the older ones would have it if they were still hungry, that's  how it was. We always played after lunch and dinner and we sang a special song at night which sadly don't remember it. We said prayers in the mornings and at nights, and also before and after meals. I think we were about twenty of us back then. Since our nuns lived on providence my mother used to bring what she had to spare we weren't wealthy but once she brought four of her best chickens and my sister put them in this room where she forgot to tell the man about them. They were locked up for a long time without food and water, they must have been laying eggs and eating them to survive, I know it was a month when someone remembered about them, you know what they lived. Some more of what I can remember next time.

Just something about me

I just want to share a little bit of my childhood. When I was about nine years old I was sitting in front of our house with my mother. It is tradition to sit in front of your house watching people walking by and saying hello to the passers by while knitting or munching on peanuts or seeds of any kind. It was a fine day and at some point my mum asked me if I wanted to go to the nuns, I said yes straight away it was kind of fashion back then. She was telling me are you sure you want to go I said yes, yes, She said I will take you Saturday. She was saying you will not have to walk to school and she was less scared that a car will hit us that we were safer there. I remember the day she took us, oh! she also took my younger sister she was seven at the time, we were walking in front of a small church on our way there. As we got there big iron gates that we had to go through and a big entrance door. Mum rang the bell and a small hunchback lady called Marinton opened and she showed us the chairs to wait for a nun to come. I don't remember what my mum said to the nun but we said good bye to my mother kissed her hand as that was what she thought us and the nun took us in. I don't remember what we did then but I do remember when they were doing our beds. I saw them putting our beds together and the put plastic on the beds as soon as I saw that, I told her we don't pee in our beds you know, the nun told me here you don't say pee you say toilet. They gave us a number mine was 5 well this was an important number to remember we had a big wardrobe and in under my number they place my belongings. We would try uniforms because people paid the nuns for us to go to funerals, so on our dresses we would have a number to let them know which one was ours and white hats with dark blue ribbon we looked so smart like in the Tv show Madeline.  I cried a little that day because my mother told me that my other two elder sisters were going to stay with us if she hasn't said anything I wouldn't have. So on Sunday or Monday my two elder sisters came to join us there. We used to get up around six or six thirty I think, we had to wash our face, teeth and do our beds the very young ones got help from the elderly girls to help with beds. Then we will go to a small chapel which I loved so much and we had mass after that we will go downstairs and have breakfast. Our breakfast was coffee with bread and butter and on special occasion chocolate. Milk was dry powdered milk. We were all allocated chores from a four year old to maybe seventeen year old. What would a four year old do you may ask? well she had to sweep the stairs. Then after we had a school we will go to classes. This place we were in was huge there were also boarders they paid to stay there they didn't do chores as far as I know. So in there, there was part for boarders and few nuns, a small theater and changing room, classes, our tv room, our dining room, the nuns' dining room, two staircases, another room we hardly used, our dormitory, nuns' dormitory, big yard where we played and a big garden we had a gardener too. I will keep on telling you about my time there, they were good times and disciplined but I loved it being there and I loved and respected the nuns deeply for what they have done for us, till next time then stay tuned.

Funky Zebra

 I was suppose to make a tiger but by accident I turned the page to a zebra. I wasn't going to unpick all my hard work so here it is my funky zebra. It is the same pattern as the zebra from the same book. The colors changes them a bit. Now I have to make the tiger.

I have posted the picture of the zebra too so you can see how striking it looks when you use different color yarn.

Kitty cat

I wanted to make this cat again. I made one like this in brown and had closed eyes. This one has bendable legs and longer too. I put a rattle inside since my youngest daughter wants it. Those paintings my middle daughter did them, how good is she! Not even if I try hard I wouldn't be able to paint them. You know when they were very young, I used to draw things for them and they had to guess what it was. They ate this way with out problems. They say whatever you introduce to kids before three of  age they will grow up doing it. Well I don't know if that's true but all my kids are artists in their own way. My eldest daughter painted all her paintings to decorate her house. I would say she was the least interested and she did the most paintings. My eldest daughter has a professional job. The other two are graphic designers. The put their work on Red bubble and one of their item was in gallery here in Melbourne.

MY Oopsie doll

My oopsie doll I enjoyed making this doll very much. I loved making the curls it took a whole ball of yarn for it. I enjoyed making the skirt of the dress. The pattern was very easy to follow.It took me three days working strictly all afternoons. I am having trouble making the bow, would you believe it? I tried three times already. Haven't given up yet. I can always contact Vanja from Amigurumi BB, the generous lady, who made the pattern and share it. Isn't she wonderful. How I came to make this doll is I was looking to see how a type of her is done.  I liked the hairdo of this doll and decided to do it. I love this doll her boots looks very nice. Here is a picture of my lovely Oopsie doll. I had trouble making her bow but managed after three attempts or four. You can never give up I guess on things.

Fred the frog

Fred the frog, I made this one from a pattern. As soon as my daughter saw this frog she said that is mine. I ran out of filling so this frog is filled with clean plastic bags. I think I prefer polyester filling.
A little recycling doesn't hurt anyone. I was looking for small toys so I can attach the key chain to them. It is slightly bigger then I thought but still small. It was quick to do this frog pretty straight forward once you can read the patterns. I had bought these beautiful cats eyes and I wanted to use them. What I realized I need to put pipe cleaners in his legs and make them slightly more longer. Also put weights in the body so he can sit better. My daughter wanted him to have smiley face and some frogs have the eyes looking sideways. Here is the picture of the finished frog. I'm happy when I finish each and every toy, I'm surprised at the end results of how it looks or how I can make it better. I made a grumpy one I like it better and smaller feet.

Hippo

I have made this hippo from revelry website. It was hard to make the nostrils I wasn't macthing so I gave up few months back. I decided to give it another go. I was a stitch more so I worked around it. The rest of it is pretty straight forward. Yes I think any experienced person used to make amigurumi can make this beautiful hippo. I like how it looks like the real thing. here are some photos of it. I reckon it took me twelve hours to make.

Thombliboo

From what I gather this toy is one of the Tombliboos. I had a hard time doing the head on this one. I had lots of spheres made up and I picked one that was in skin colour. It happened to be big but I used it anyway since my grandson is only one year old and he will not know the difference. When I put them next to each other I see many mistakes. I did crocheted the eyes as it is safer for a young child.

cuddly doll

Here is a doll that I wanted to make for so long but always had something else to do. I made this pattern which  will put the link for you all. I love this doll but it is smaller then I thought it would be. I used the colors that the lady mentioned except for the collar I didn't like it white. I thought why introduce another color. I bought this pattern from Ravelry. It is a cute doll for you all to make not hard at all.

My sleeping doll

My sleeping doll again without a pattern. So far I keep trying and see what I can come up with that is cute. I got inspired for this doll from the waldorf sleeping baby. I felted the eyes and lips. It is easier to do then embroider them. As you can see it is pretty basic for those who have done dolls before. I like making dolls and before I finish one thing I'm already thinking of what I'm going to do next. You will find out from the next photo I guess if you keep checking.

Peppa pig

Peppa pig, I started it on a pattern not quite know whose pattern is it. I ended up leaving it because I wasn't happy how the eyes came and left it there for weeks. Finally I decided to finish it. It is another TV character for very young children

Little Ted

I wanted a small teddy bear to attach it to a key clasp but this came big to use it for that. I made this little Ted from Sheep of Delight. I like it because I didn't have to do a muzzle separate. I wanted to try and see how it is made attached to the head. the pattern is easy so give it a try. The end results is cute. I made the mouth different to hers. Here is my picture.

Little doll

I made this lovely doll from Amigurumi BB. It wasn't hard to make easy to follow pattern. I did change the dress it was way too short for my doll. I continued increasing stitches according to her pattern and added another frill. I also wanted body to her hair so I added bangs Technic to about four rows from the bottom of the head. It is strange for me to leave her without a mouth and a nose. My girls said leave her to the child's imagination. So here is a picture of her.

Two cute rabbits

I've made these rabbits from this pattern. It is easy to follow and they are very cute. I like making new toys but I made two of these rabbits. I gave one away already for Christmas.

Adorable dog

I made this from Patchwork Moose. Kate E Hancock did a marvelous job creating this pattern. I bought this pattern for $4.75.  I found the pattern easy, well explained. I love this dog he is so adorable. Those eyes steal your heart. Any child with be happy with this toy. It is fun to make and great to gift it.