And the Christmas gifts just keep coming. You may remember this post, where I talked about the fine japanese art of amigrumi.

I had a friend that said she enjoyed the dolls on smosch.com, so I decided to make her one. Here are the pictures:

I’ve got a bunch of “free” time coming up, and I’m weighing sticking to the utilitarian craft I know against some more conceptual installation craft ideas.

Although I haven’t committed to any presidential candidate yet, I do enjoy the western states’ tradition of making yard signs. During the 2004 election, I was in northern California and Nevada, and the hand-made/hand-painted signs were just amazing. When I finally commit, I think it would be fun to do something with my garage door and magnets. It is probably a good thing most city and suburb dwellers do not realize garage doors are metal. If something conceptual pops up, that will be the first place it is expressed. Off to find some high-quality cheap magnets!

After Thanksgiving break I got a craft bug and a cold bug at the same time. It is time for a post though.

First off: last night’s experiment took precedence over the bundle of gifts headed out to NY state this year. Saw an example on this blog page (the first two crafts). (WARNING: SENSE OF HUMOR REQUIRED) These toys are totally appropriate for fun-loving adults, and remind me of something my Aunt Jean would make if she didn’t have to make 20 of them for her Christmas Craft Botique.

So last night, I started teaching myself the fine art of Japanese Amigurumi. It is a form of tight crochet with small yarn and small needles, where the crochet stitches are so close together, that the object “stands up” and can hold stuffing. It is used mostly for doll-making, but is also used for making containers. Also for the crocheters out there, everything is done in spirals, not in rows. No pictures on that experiment yet, but judging from last night, it would take me about 5 hours to make one of the dolls above, so only a very special person is getting one, and one very special aunt if I have time after xmas.

Ok now back to the backlog. Here are some blurry-close-ups of some holiday gifts I’ve been making:

Tomorrow…recycled holiday ornaments….