new girl :)

So I recently welcomed a new Blythe into my family! I have been wanting another for about a year, but Zyanya Remembers was not the girl I had in the back of my mind! But she caught my attention, and I really liked how she looked out of her stock. (To me, that's more important than stock!)

Welcome, Zasha! This is a very Russian-sounding name for a Mexican girl, but I like it.

Here's her unboxing video, if you like that kind of thing. I do. I make these for myself, so I can relive these special memories whenever I want to.

I've since combed out her hair (I found several knots in it and had to cut them out!) and changed her clothes. Discovered in the process that her arms are very stained.

I must admit this is disappointing! I know she has been in a box in black clothing for almost two years. They put this little white bralette/crop top situation on her, I imagine to help protect her from her own dress? But they ought to have wrapped her arms in plastic, in my opinion. I know I've seen girls with wrapped limbs in my day. Vinter Arden came with thin netted tights to put on beneath her navy blue stock tights to help with staining. Some similar netted shirt could have been created for Zyanya.

If I'm honest, while this clearly sucks, I'm also too tired out by... you know, everything that is Real Life... to be heartbroken by this. It's of course very annoying Blythes are so expensive and yet come with knotted hair and stained bodies. (And we'll still buy 'em!) But Zasha's wanted and welcome here, bruised or no. It can be one of her quirks. In time the stains might fade, or they might be a permanent feature.

And to end on a positive note, LOOK AT HER ORANGE EYE in that pic. I love orange chips, and these are arresting on her! Should I change out her pink and blue chips? I think I might...

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crochet strawberry bags

Hello! Happy 2023. Thus far this year I've been crocheting a lot! Really in the mood for it. Mostly I've been crocheting on a ripple throw, but I spent yesterday making these strawberry bags and wanted to post about 'em!

Firstly, I followed this pattern to make all of these! And I made the pink one in worsted weight yarn for me to see if I could even follow the pattern in the first place. (I'm not great at this, as you might know!)

I used a pastel rose pink and a minty pastel green, plus some pearly white beads and a couple of chunkier beads in peachy colors. I really like the way the colors all look together! The bag's about the size of my fist and it'd be great for the following: D&D DICE!!!! And, I guess, lip balms and smaller things that tend to knock around in one's purse. But mostly it'd be a great dice bag!

As I was making the bag, I kept thinking I'd like to see how it looked if I used fingering weight/super fine yarn and a tiny crochet hook. Might it end up... dare I say... Blythe sized??

Heck yeah, heck yeah, heck yeah it did!

I made one in classic red and green with tiny white seed beads, and while looking up strawberries for reference, I saw the cute five-petaled flowers of the plant, and decided to put some of my beaded ring techniques to the test with some beads. Lord knows I have enough of 'em! So I used some pearly white and gold beads to create the flowers, and sewed them on to the "leaves." So cute!!! If I do say so myself!!!

I decided to take another go at the whole make. I tend to make lots of a thing, when I like it, and also it behooves me to practice following patterns and figuring out what techniques and looks I prefer.

I decided I wanted an alternate color scheme: wine red and gold. An antique~ spin on it in more sophisticated colors. I beaded this one with gold seed beads and used more off-white pearl beads and warmer gold beads for the flowers. I didn't think a plain strap very appealing on this one, so I wove in some brown yarn on the strap of this one. I like it a lot! It's not as instantly recognizable as a strawberry, but whatevs.

I think it makes for a cute slightly oversized Blythe bag (here it is on Klara, whompssssstt modesty I tried to preserve via Procreate, as she's currently naked). It makes me want to find a slightly smaller strawberry amigurumi pattern to follow, to see if I can kinda smash the two patterns together and create an even smaller strawberry bag. I'm sure many patterns are out there, but it's always kind of an act of particular gumption for me to even attempt to follow a new pattern.

Oh, and also, I lined the bigger one -- clumsily. Not sure how to line stuff. But I was just winging/experimenting, as I didn't have a pattern for lining.

In all, very pleased, I had a very good time making smol strawbrees. I do think I'll fiddle around with making even smaller strawberries and maybe finding other things to use for straps. Crocheted/knitted bag straps tend to stretch, and I don't know if I really want to line the straps too!

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