Toys

I don’t often take commissions. In fact I said the other day that I don’t ever. Why? Well it is difficult to explain and there are many reasons. I think the joy of making for me is about the joy of giving. My very best design ideas and projects tend to come from little conversations, small asides. Little seeds of inspiration grow in my brain and often the people who have inspired them have no idea they were a participant.

One such conversation happened over the Easter break. We were away, having a sunny break by the seaside with many families. Good friends of mine have the most delightful 6 year old son. Spud and I get along. Indeed I get on very well with both Spud and his sister Eve. (I made Frank the sausage dog for Eve).  Although many decades separate us in age, we all like fun, whimsy, creating and collecting. Now Spud is a collector of a specific toy, the Tsum Tsum. This is a small beanie plush toy which Disney have created. They have taken their iconic characters and created stackable soft toys with a Japanese aesthetic. They are really rather cute, quite affordable and therefore deeply collectible.

Tsum Tsum

Spud brought many of his Tsum Tsum toys on holiday and promised to give me the full tour. The only problem was, on a busy holiday, I was rather elusive. The photo above his Spud in hot pursuit to detect that wayward Emma Varnam. When we did eventually make a date we set aside MUCH time to survey his most treasured artifacts. The conversation was delightful. On full inspection I realised that it would be very easy to make a replica out of crochet. Perhaps it is because amigurumi has its origin in Japanese design but the link was obvious. I asked Spud which character he was missing and he told me with a slight hint of sadness; Pooh Bear….Bingo!

Back from our holiday and washing, spring cleaning and chores completed, I scrattled around in my yarn stash to find the correct colours. I had a quick look at Pinterest, knowing full well that if I had made the creative connection, others would have got there before me.

The design is oh-so simple. There are plenty of designs available to purchase on Etsy and Ravelry if you fancy a go. Annoying though it might be, I am able to freehand this kind of design and so by the end of the evening my Pooh Bear Tsum Tsum was complete. I was almost giddy with excitement to see Spud.

Handing it over to him, to see his face, to see the excitement of his sister Eve and the anticipation of my son, is the stuff of dreams. I love writing books, I love designing for magazines. To see your work in print is a real buzz. But to see something you make lighten up a face, to see that enchantment and for you to feel that love too. That my friend is the magic of making and what a gift it is both to the recipient but mostly to the maker.

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Sometimes an idea just gets stuck in your head and you keep making. I love it when I have specific little people in mind when I am making toys.

I love Easter. The break this year seems to have come upon on so quickly but it has been joyful just to slow down. I am not sure what the weather has been like with you? We have had a mixed bunch of some sunshine and then some heavy showers. Having time at home has meant there has been more time to curl up and enjoy dedicated crochet time. I should be in the garden. But it has been rather soggy. I should also be clearing out the cellar or tidying the loft. But no, instead we have cuddled on the sofa or pootled around the house.

There are a number of commissions I have been finishing. I have now finished number two blanket of three. All have been enjoyable. However when I am making blankets, I want to make toys – when I am surrounded by little toys, I crave the simplicity of blanket work.

So in the midst of finishing and pattern writing, I spent a few hours making Ralphy. He is worked up using the odds and ends from my last blanket. There is something quite cheeky about making something from the very ends of your yarn. Like a stolen project. Plus he is quite the dapper chap. This shape of this cuddly toy is intended for baby hands, but when we had friends over yesterday he was discovered in my project basket by a nine year old and immediately adopted. No matter that Ralphy was hot off the hook, a toy is to be played with, not kept in a basket.

Today will be about pattern writing and proof reading, not my favourite aspect of the design world. So you never know I might find myself distracted by a household chore instead; the grass or chore is always greener on the side.

My return to knitting in my mid-twenties was jump-started by my close friends expecting babies. The joy and excitement of a new little human is enough to get the creative juices going. I have nearly come to the end of the creative part of writing my next book. I am so excited about this book and it has been a great ‘dream come true’. However once I had finished making designs I wanted to crochet something which was just for friends and had no need to be perfect or pattern checked.

I found the enchanting work of Sandrine Deveze on Pinterest.  I don’t have a copy of her book, Sweet Crochet, but I think I might put it on my list to borrow or buy. Inspired by her designs I made my own version. I started with Patrick Panda to match with our own monochrome fluffy friend, Stanley

I’m afraid the making didn’t stop there, next came Campbell Bear and Betsy Bunny. Both ensure I have both bases covered when a new little baby arrives. If you know your crochet you can tell I used the reverse side of the double crochet stitch for the limbs and face and the right side for the jumper and sleeves. There is a nice contrast of textures – I have never utilised it before.

I have had a lovely time using up the old stash of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino and I think that with a baby blanket and perhaps a sweet hat and booties these little animals would make a perfect gift for a friend and their little bundle of fun.