Now, I'm treated to photos my sister sends of J feeding Dowy pizza party (wooden pizza, not real pizza), sleeping with Dowy hugged to her chest and reports of how she won't go to bed without "Oh Dowy Baby."
Though she took quite a bit of time, Dowy wasn't very complicated. I found the pattern on Lion Brand Yarn's website. I'm a huge fan of their patterns, and as they advertise, there are 3,719 free patterns to choose from. If you sign up on their site, you can save patterns for future use.
There were a few challenges to Dowy's construction. The first was the hair. In the pattern, I believe they use a mohair yarn, but I preferred to use something I already had. Using a craft needle, I made a loop between two stitches and then I tied the loop in a knot with the remaining yarn. I wish I was working on something right now so I could take pictures. Next time, I'll do a step-by-step.
In any case, the hair ended up being my favorite part. This is the same method I used to make the mane on both the lion and horse amigurumis I made earlier in the year. It's time consuming, but totally worth it.
Back to Dowy's hair, as it started to fill in, I knew completely this doll must be for my cutie niece. It's such a wonderful feeling to know that something you've made is well loved, isn't it?
It was also quite a challenge sewing her feet and hands inside the sleeves and leggings and it was really difficult sewing her head on. But in the process I discovered a curved craft needle and light shone down from the heavens and angels began singing. From now on, the curved needle is a must-have in my crochet cupboard.
Gift 2:
Again, if I had begged for a reaction to this gift, it couldn't have been better than what actually happened.
My cousin's baby -- well, I guess he's really a toddler now, amazing how quickly that happens -- ripped into the wrapping paper, took one look at this monkey and immediately hugged it to his chest. I nearly wept with joy. Then, he toted it around showing it to people.
This pattern came from Caron Yarn's website. And the best part was it taught me something new.
I've had a very difficult time with changing colors. My obsessive need for perfection (seeking, seeking, seeking) was perpetually unhappy with the way it would look like a mistake to go from one color to the next as if it was in the middle of a row. This pattern, however, has you fasten off and then join the next color with a slip stitch! (Sorry, I had to succumb to the use of an ! to truly express the importance of this revelation.)
Oh joy, oh joy.
One of the best parts of making this was when, after lunch on Christmas Eve, I was sewing on the face while sitting with the grandparents of my heart, Uncle Don and Aunt Ro. I could tell they thought it was adorable, so I felt a new confidence in giving it to my cousin's baby.
Here's where confession time comes into play (I wouldn't be me if there wasn't always something to confess).
It wasn't to show off that I was completing the monkey while sitting at Uncle Don and Aunt Ro's table on Christmas Eve, a mere hours before I was supposed to give this gift away. What's it called? Oh yeah, procrastination -- I really hadn't finished it at that point.
Then came the adventure.
All I had left to do was finish the face and sew it on to the head. But I completely overlooked the fact that I would need stuffing for it. So, I called my sis to see if she could bring some to our aunt's house so I could finish it real quick before it was present-opening time. As she did make a special trip to Mommy's to get the camera I nearly cried when I realized I forgot, I can't blame her for forgetting the stuffing.
Hope was not lost, however. When we got to my aunt's house where Christmas Eve festivities were taking place, we searched her basement for stuffing, but to no avail. Finally, one of my cousins (aunt to the baby the present was for) called their mom, who knew just where her bag of stuffing was. Though I'd hoped to avoid EVERYONE in the family knowing how I'd procrastinated, I couldn't ask for a more understanding bunch of people. I really do think it's genetic.
The next day, Dowy was kind of the same. I was embroidering her face at the last minute and had just applied the last strip of tape to the haphazard wrapping when sis and her family pulled up to Mommy's.
Though it was harried there at the end, and though I'd intended to make 12 handmade gifts and only finished two, the delight on the faces of those two cuties made my entire holiday season.
Now I'm working on a classic teddy bear for a friend who will become a daddy in about a month. I've got a week and a day to finish it, but I'm pretty confident. Will report back on the progress soon. Hopefully with this one, I won't be completing the finishing touches on the way to seeing him.
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