Conclusion--"Get It Together"

*I began learning to machine sew when I was in the fourth grade. I took lessons after school at the Girl's Club. Years before that, my grandmother taught me to sew by hand. Having those skills has helped me immensely, but I really hate to sew.*

It's my intent to use felt for the characters' eyes, but I can't find my felt stash that was so handy just a few days ago, so I opt to embroider the eyes rather than waste time searching anywhere and everywhere for my bundle of scrap felt. I choose to use yarn for the assembly process instead of the recommended traditional sewing thread because I like the homespun look that yarn stitching gives to a piece. I suppose I'm something of a purist; I believe a handmade item should look professional, but still handmade. I'm also afraid the kids will tear apart the finished dolls if I use thread.

I sit down at about 8:00 a.m. and begin assembly. Being the organizationally challenged person that I am, I bounce from part to part and put together pieces willy-nilly. Although I really begin to lose steam by 10:00, I'm dead set on finishing at least the two Toads before my nephews get home from school at 2:30.

I catch a second wind as the dolls begin to take shape. I begin to zone out and start composing this commentary in my mind as I work. All in all the assembly is fairly easy but very time consuming. I'm able to finish both Toads and assemble most of Toadette by 2:25, just in time to stage the pieces for the boys so they see them immediately when they walk into the house.

My back aches; my hands hurt; and I really need to have lunch (chef's salad). The squeals of delight and hugs make the pain worth it, but I vow never to do a marathon sewing session like that again.

The following morning, I start right after breakfast and finish Toadette for my niece. She's more interested in her teddy bear. Oh well, you can't win 'em all.

The best thing about the assembly experience is that I now know how the pieces fit and, if I ever decide to make this pattern again, I have devised a plan that will cut down on the hand sewing immensely. It has also given me a better understanding of amigurumi patterns so I can confidently move on to other projects of this type.

What would I change? That's easy. I've learned to be more trusting of the pattern/designer. Looking at the finished pieces, I can see how the larger cap would have worked, but I would still need to adjust the last row to fit it properly to the head. I think I may have overstuffed the cap a bit because it's a little too tall. I'll chalk it all up to experience and move on.

*One last plug: You can find the pattern for Toad and Toadette along with a bunch of other great patterns by Linda Potts (WolfDreamer) on her blog http://wolfdreamer-oth.blogspot.com/2009/08/toad-and-toadette.html.*

Part One--"Heads Up"

*For the sake of privacy I will not be using the kids' names. I've always called them my nephews and niece, but they're not blood relatives; they're my best friend's kids. My older nephew will be eight next month; his younger brother is five; and my niece is eighteen months old. They're terrific kids, but they have those times when they can be a real handful, just like any other children their ages.*

As my younger nephew watches over my shoulder, I do a web search for a free Yoshi crochet pattern. I have no luck finding Yoshi, but I find a great blog by WolfDreamer (http://wolfdreamer-oth.blogspot.com/). She's posted some terrific video game-based patterns. My nephew is so excited to see the picture of Toad and Toadette that he asks if I will make them. I give him a definite maybe. When his brother gets home from school, the two boys talk me into making them: Toad with red spots on his hat for the younger nephew, Toad with yellow spots for the older nephew, and Toadette for my niece. I promise I'll buy the yarn as soon as it goes on sale. Little do I know we'll have to wait a month for a sale on Lily Sugar 'n Cream at Michael's. I chose cotton yarn because I've been using it quite a bit lately and I like the texture.

Okay, yarn acquired...time to begin. Step one is to crochet the faces (remember I'm making three at once, so I'm working assembly line style). Done...no problem...faces look great, just like the picture. It's time for step two: make the caps. As I crochet the first one, the shape looks great, but as I reach the half way point, I begin to wonder about the size. It looks awfully large to me, but I decide to finish it and then assess. I figure the worst that can happen is I'll have to remake it.

Sure enough, the finished cap is too large. It's so big, in fact, that the head fits inside the cap. Even with all my years of sewing experience, I know I can't attach the head to the cap and make it look good as it is. I try a quick fix first: crochet one more decrease row to shrink the size of the opening. The opening is now the right size, but the cap is too out of proportion to look right. I carefully examine the picture of the finished project and I can tell there's no mistake in the pattern. I figure my stitches must be too loose so I begin again with a hook one size smaller.

Yeah, okay, no... The cap is a bit better (smaller) this time, but it's just not going to work. I go back to the drawing board. Using the original pattern as a guide, I rewrite it so the proportions are the same but the finished product will be smaller overall.

Victory! This time it's perfect and I'm able to bang out the other two without any problems.

A Labor of Love, an Exercise in Frustration

My mother taught me to crochet when I was eight years old. I'm quite good at it. So long as I stay away from projects that require me to check my gauge, I'm just fine. I simply do not have the patience to make and check test swatches, but I'm going off my intended topic...

For a few years I've been slowly collecting patterns for "plushies." I've made one, a stuffed mouse cat toy for a friend's "baby." It was simple and came out looking great. Over the past couple of months, thanks to the influence of my dear nephews, ages five and seven, my pattern collection has grown immensely. Finally, the boys have convinced me to begin a project that's a bit more complicated. I've been toying with the idea of starting a blog, so I figured now is the time. I'd like to invite you to join me as I document my progress with this pattern that's captured my heart (and tested my patience).

The pattern is free and was created by WolfDreamer. You'll find it here: http://wolfdreamer-oth.blogspot.com/2009/08/toad-and-toadette.html