As I turned 30 this week I feel it's time that Roman Sock grew up a little too! So I am now on Facebook! Please 'like' to be kept up to date with all the latest news and other fun (and to stop me feeling alone in my old age!) Roman Sock on Facebook
I'm a bit old for Birthday pictures so here is a retro option instead!
This one even has cake!
I could smile more!
I love making these quick and easy headphone creatures and thanks to the genius of LittleGreen - there is now a knitted version! Get at the Roman Sock Shop
It works in just the same way!
He loves to have fun filled frolics with his Whale and Squid friends!
He has had a brief and illicit dalliance with an egg - if you are a big boiled egg fan this is the pattern for you (I wouldn't suggest fresh... I know - this photo shoot did not end well)
The pattern is beautiful too!
Ahhh group shot!
For those of you that follow this blog - you will know I have been very unsettled over the last couple of years and it has all been rather stressful - well just about a month ago we hop skipped and jumped over to Edinburgh to change our lives.
and now we live here....
Okay - not in the big house..... but in a cottage on the grounds that used to be the estate school. I still think I am dreaming. Yes, the house needs lots of work and we lived for a month without a fridge and the internet, and it smells a little of granny wee - but somehow its not about that. It's about being outside exploring, remembering what grass smells like, and what cows sound like.
We have spent countless hours walking around and exploring this place, getting to know its secrets and it's splendours, and on our travels we have had a surprising companion. It seem our cat Boo Boo likes nothing more than to take a leisurely stroll with her owners! She is both the most amazing and silliest cat you can imagine.
In the morning, I get up draw the curtains and see deer playing in our garden - it's unearthly and so earthly all at the same time.
Although this has to be the best place I have discovered yet - Sequoia Avenue - Giant Redwoods in Scotland! What a sight to behold - I want to lie under one with my book and just while away the day.
Even when it seems absolutely impossible, rolling with the punches sometimes lands you somewhere unexpectedly delicious!
Something very exciting has happened - Kittens!!!! Soft, Fluffy utterly marvelous kittens!
This little fellow is Cherry Pop - He is already an ounce bigger than he should be at just 1 week old. He arrived along with his sister Marshmallow (She's a little shy)
Their Mama Sweet Pea is doing fine - and is by far the most natural and amazing mother I could have imaginec. She is just so gentle and patient with the babies and knows exactly how to care for them.
The birth was pretty horrific - we were too late to save one (We are calling him Toast) and little Marshmallow we found freezing cold but softly mewing, it took us an hour to bring her back to life and finally Sweat Pea took it into her own paws and got her drinking and feeding.
Marshy is a bit smaller than Pop so we were a bit worried about them! It turns out Marshy is normal sized and Cherry Pop is massive :-)
The house smells like milk and little kitten mews and sucks are the most prevalent sound - but it is very contented and happy.
The challenge for the next couple of weeks? Moving back across to Edinburgh!
Happy Merry Berry Joyful Christmas to everyone!
I have had so much interest in my Amigurumi Design Lessons I have decided to pull all of the information together in a bit of an ebook. Its 120 pages of hints, tips and amigurumi secrets. It covers everything from how to think of a good subject for an amigurumi, to designing, cutifying and ultimately publishing your work.
It includes the Rules of Cute and absolutely everything I know about making and designing amigurumi.
You can get a bit of an idea of what it is like from these pictures:
I really hope you like the idea! I want to inspire everyone to go out there and make their own patterns! I know you can do it.
The Amigurumi Design Guide can be purchased here:
Amigurumi Design Guide $5.00
Lots of Love and Light over the Holidays!
Brie
My little kitten is all grown up! At the start of January she is officially a cat. It's so strange to watch a little creature change so much over a year.
Cats are much cuddlier than kittens and with every passing day Sweet-pea is enjoying cuddles and strokes more and biting and scratching less. Which is a complete relief - I don't know how much more scratching my hands could take. And so much for teething - I am sure she has a taste for human flesh!
She even makes a very pretty Christmas bauble - although the tree has a big cuddle nest in now where she likes to hang out.
At the moment Scotland is under snow and we are snowed in - but warm thank goodness.
This was the scene from the train I almost got trapped in this morning! I am not going out again until it all melts.
Sending lots of love to everyone from very snow Scotland. Here is a pic of my new hat! Not ground breaking but quite fetching.
My life has got a little bit intense lately... Work has really taken off which is good.... but it means I have so much less time for my unofficial second job crochet and this blog, and boy do I miss it!
Crochet is such a fantastic stress reliever but sometimes I just feel the pressure to try to make new stuff and its a bit overwhelming - I end up feeling nothing I make is good enough and it really just puts me in a bit of a funk. If I haven't gotten back to you - It's not because I don't want to! it's just time and feeling a bit down.
So I thought I would take a bit of pressure off myself and show you some Scotland pictures - I took them on my hipstamatic app on the iPhone!
This is a little inlet near the sea on the west coast - you can see an island in the distance!
This picture gives you a bit of an insight on the changing Scottish weather! Cloudy one moment and then blue sky the next!
This is a a little croft with a rainbow breaking the dark clouds. Perfect dramatic Scottish weather!
Ahhhh the joys of rain and cloud.
I am so super excited and happy about how the first Online Crochet Design Class went!! I really feel this could be a new way to teach - and it was amazing to spend time with such creative people.
Soon we are going to have a whole new wave of designers! Thank you so much for everyone that attended - you made it so special for me.
If there is demand after this set of lessons is over I think I might run a second round of classes.
The next class is on Wednesday the 14th of July at 9pm UK time and covers:
Lesson 2: Seeing in Crochet
You can purchase the single lesson for £5 here:
Or the next three lessons for £15 here:
If you want to attend the second lesson and didn't attend the first I can send some notes through to you so you will be up to date and ready for the class.
If you would prefer a paypal invoice just let me know.
Thanks so much for the wonderful feedback on the lesson! I am still exhilarated.
I have had a bit of an idea! I really enjoy teaching people crochet and I would love to take it a step further and teach actual amigurumi design. I want to see more people out there designing creatures and pushing the boundaries of crochet! So this course really gets under the skin of designing amigurumi and will hopefully encourage a new wave of ami designers.
The lessons include subjects like: how to see creatures and objects in crochet, how to conceive of an idea, where to start, how to use shapes to build your amigurumi, how to join and layer shapes to create your creatures, how you can match techniques to the creature type to capture lightness or heaviness, how to imbue your creature with personality, how to select the right yarn and scale, how you can use textures and different stitches for effect, how to refine and work on an idea until you are pleased with it, the rules of cuteness, how to make it easy for others to crochet and ultimately how to write up the pattern.
How do the lessons work?
I have worked out that there will be 4 different lessons in the series - You can read about each lesson and how they will be delivered here.
You pay for each lesson separately and can come to as many or as few as you want.
I will post a date and time for each lessons with a buy now button underneath, so you can buy straight away or email me at brigitte (dot) read @ gmail.com for more information or with a paypal payment.
The first lesson will be on Wednesday the 7th of July 2010 at 9pm (GMT)
Lesson 1: Start Simply
Introduction to the scope of Amigurumi
Each lesson costs £5 per person.
THE CLASS IS NOW FULLY BOOKED
If you can't make the lesson I will send you the presentation and recording.
I hope you are as excited by this idea as I am!!
