Craft: Experimenting with Craft Photography

For a while now I've been wanting to improve the pictures of my craft projects. I really admire some of the craft photography on blogs like Monsters Toy Box and Fresh Stitches. I came across this post from Caught on a Whim which details Erica's process for taking pictures for her blog. She makes it look so simple and uses very basic equipment - a low table, two pieces of foam board and a camera (she also recommends a furry assistant!). I found some foam board in a craft shop last weekend and set up a trial photo shoot. Unfortunately it was too late for natural light but I gave it a go anyway.

For subjects I used these cute tiny chickens that I have been knitting up for the Mochi Mochi photo competition. The pattern is from the Teeny Tiny Mochi Mochi book which I have previously raved about.

I decided to try experimenting with some bigger toys....

And then this happened... the background somehow disappeared...

I almost managed to take a picture with no visible background, replicating the pictures I like from other craft blogs. I have no idea what caused this to happen, but it was easier to get the effect if I took the picture from an angle where the vertical board couldn't be seen at all. These photos may be far from perfect but they have definitely inspired me to keep trying :-)

Craft: Ami Ami Dogs

Have you heard of Ami Ami Dogs? It's some of the cutest crochet I've ever seen! I have both of Mitsuki Hoshi's Ami Ami Dogs books and it makes me happy every time I flip through the pages and admire her adorable creations.

Unfortunately Ami Ami Dogs are not so easy to replicate. The first obstacle is the way the patterns are written; in charts. If like me you've never tried crocheting from a chart it might take some getting used to. I find it easy to miss an increase on decrease in the charts and would much prefer a written pattern. I will endure the charts for the cute Ami Ami dogs however.

The second obstacle is in the making up. It's easy enough to make the component pieces of an Ami Ami dog - it's very basic crochet. Putting the pieces together is another story however... I wanted to make the Shih Tzu pattern from Ami Ami Dogs 2 for a friend. Here's how it looks in the book:

See, completely adorable!

And here's my attempt....

A lot less adorable :-P He's still cute, but there's something not quite right about the way he's put together. I think Mitsuki Hoshi must put a lot of care and attention into putting her puppies together. I have made mine in a much larger size than what's recommended in the book and maybe that has something to do with it.

He does have a certain charm! And he was well liked by his new owner. 

The yellow dog is my first attempt at an Ami Ami Dog. I will be trying at least one more pattern from the book (the jack russell next time). It's worth having a look at the Ami Ami Dogs books - even if you don't crochet! - they are so full of cuteness and charm it's almost ridiculous!

Book Review: Teeny-Tiny Mochi Mochi

Anna Hrachovec, the creator of the website Mochi Mochi Land is one of my favourite designers of knitted toys. Her knitted creatures are are both wacky and adorable. Best of all, for me, are her tiny Mochi Mochi - a collection of people, creatures and objects all knitted in miniature! I decided to buy the book about thirty seconds after discovering it and it's one of my favourites, proving very useful for last minutes presents or speedy knitting gratification.

The first pattern I tried was this little gnome. He lives in my pencil tin at work and has made me feel better about life many times!

Here are a trio of monkeys, another pattern found in Teeny-Tiny Mochi Mochi. Although I do have a habit of knitting animals in unnatural colours, these guys were always intended to be blue, like the monkeys in a barrel toy.

My favourite pattern from the book are the bride and groom. I've given these as presents to two couples recently. While the pattern itself is very quick and easy, I had a lot of trouble making the faces cute. I initially tried the black, beady eyes but decided they were too creepy. Googly eyes were hilarious, but not really flattering for the bridal couple. In the end I decided to draw eyes on paper and coat them in clear glue before sticking them on.

Overall the patterns in this book are simple and fun to knit. I recommend it for intermediate knitters, primarily because tiny knitting can be fiddly and it could be nightmarish if you were not confident with increasing or decreasing or knitting in the round. I highly recommend Teeny-Tiny Mochi Mochi and any of the patterns from the Mochi Mochi Land website. It's even worth a look if you've never picked up a pair of knitting needles in your life! Have a look a her gnome vs snowman exhibition, it's great (go on :-P).