Let's make happy
Tiny Fantasy Patterns are Here!
Mar 22nd
Make your knitting dreams come true with the new Tiny Fantasy Set! Tiny Fairy, Yeti, Dragon, and the much-awaited Tiny Unicorn can each be knitted up in an hour or two and are perfect for using up scrap yarn. Make them into pins, ornaments, gift toppers, magnets, and more!
The pattern collection is now available for $6 in the Mochimochi Shop.
Knit them up, and you might be surprised at what your magical new friends will do…
The Infestation
Mar 20th
When we moved into our Brooklyn apartment a couple years ago, it seemed perfect: quiet, spacious, and close to the park. But no apartment is perfect, and as it turns out, this one has a serious pest problem. I don’t want to gross you out, but I think it’s important to raise awareness about tiny gnome infestations.
First I found them in the kitchen playing with the toaster.
I thought it was a one-time thing, but then I discovered they had gotten into my cereal. Yuck!
When I found them in my desk drawer, I knew this problem wasn’t going away.
In fact, they seem to be making a special effort to do naughty things.
I can’t even wear my favorite shoes anymore.
Now that they’re using our toilet as a swimming pool, I’m thinking it’s time to just move out.
I admit that I may be to blame for our tiny gnome problem—it’s possible that a couple of gnomes that I knitted escaped into the walls and multiplied, but there’s really no way to trace where they came from. The point is that you should get your home checked for tiny gnomes today, before it’s too late.
Inspiration: It’s a Small World, in 1964
Mar 19th
Sometimes people ask me what inspires my Mochimochi world, and although so many things do, sometimes I have trouble recalling them when put on the spot. So I thought it would be fun to start blogging my inspirations every once in a while as a good way to celebrate my favorite things and maybe inspire others too!
Slate recently ran an article about Robert Sherman, a composer for Disney who passed away earlier this month and who was partly responsible for “It’s a Small World (After All),” the much loved (but maybe more hated) song that never ends. The article contained a Youtube video of the original It’s a Small World ride, which debuted at the 1964 World’s Fair in NYC, then was later moved to Disneyland.
I started watching because I remembered loving the ride at Disneyworld when I was five or so (in the mid-’80s), and because I had a moment to kill. I pretty much fell in love all over again.
I can’t help fantasizing about being the person who got to plan out the landscape of this ride, with the objective of recreating the world as hundreds of children singing and dancing in perfect harmony and in respective national costumes. Oh the awesome nightmares I would probably have! The animatronics astound me, especially the way that entire scenes of characters each make multiple subtle movements in rhythm. It’s all so epic and analog and mid-century World’s Fair. And very Disney, of course.
The ride’s Wikipedia entry says that Mary Blair basically had that job of designing the original It’s a Small World. I should have guessed! You can see some of her artwork at Magic of Mary Blair. She is a huge inspiration.
You can also find clips of the ride in its current form on Youtube—it’s interesting to see how much has been kept from the original, but the newer ride also clearly features fewer moving parts, which I’m sure helps with maintenance costs, but which also makes it lose a little of the magic. Still, It’s a Small World will again be a must-ride for me the next time I find myself at a Disney theme park.
Oh, and if the song is stuck in your head for the rest of the week, my apologies!
Tiny Girl Scout
Mar 16th
Today’s tiny mochi is wearing green, but she’s no leprechaun!
The Girl Scouts are celebrating their 100th anniversary this week, and having been one myself, I am proud to celebrate with them!
I have so many great memories from Girl Scouts (with the Girl Scouts of Eastern Oklahoma), including the two weeks I spent at photography camp and got to use a darkroom for the first (and last) time. I vividly remember giggling in the dark with my fellow photographer scouts as we tried to remember which chemical bath did which thing.
I bet many of you also have favorite Girl Scout memories—I hope you’ll share them in the comments!
Sushi Earrings
Mar 14th
You’ve probably never asked yourself, “Does this sushi match my eyes?” Mutterpagh in Denmark did just that when she made some fashion-forward earrings out of the Tiny Ebi and Tiny Maki from the Sushi Bar Set!
She made them for a meeting of the Danish Knitters’ Association, for which everyone was challenged to wear knitted jewelry. I have to assume that hers really stood out!
Of course, if these sushi earrings were Tiny Baby Bunny earrings, they would make a great entry in our ongoing contest! But you can still add your photos of any Mochimochi projects to the Flickr group, and they will automatically be entered in our next general photo contest.
Yeti Sledding
Mar 12th
Spring is right around the corner (although it feels like it’s arrived early in so many places this year), and that means that the tiny yetis have to squeeze in all the wintry fun they can in the next few days.
When they’re not playing tag or having dance parties, you can find them on the slopes!
The Tiny Yeti pattern is coming soon in a new fantasy-themed collection—stay tuned!
Tiny Baby Bunnies Contest!
Mar 8th
I’m so excited to announce a new springtime Mochimochi contest sponsored by Koigu!
It’s getting to be that time of year when Tiny Baby Bunnies multiply and melt the world with cuteness! We want to see your cutest, cleverest, and most creative uses of the Tiny Baby Bunnies, a free pattern from Mochimochi Land.
Tiny Baby Bunnies might be tiny, but they can do many things! Your bunnies might be hidden for strangers to find, a la the Tiny Bunnies Movement, or they might re-enact a scene from history, or they might even demonstrate math problems. Show us what your bunnies are doing using one photo or a series of photos uploaded to the Mochimochi Friends Flickr group with the photos tagged bunnycontest12.
The top three winners will each receive a basketful of lovely, colorful Koigu KPM yarn—perfect for knitting Tiny Baby Bunnies!
Deadline for entries is April 2.
CONTEST DETAILS
Eligibility
Knitters from all countries are welcome to enter! To be eligible, your photo(s) must contain at least one Tiny Baby Bunny made from the free Mochimochi Land pattern. The pattern may be modified, but not beyond recognition from the original design.
How to enter
Simply add your photo(s) to the Mochimochi Friends Flickr group, and tag them with bunnycontest12. If you don’t have a Flickr account, it is free and easy to register (though we recommend signing up as soon as possible, because it takes a little time for your account to be approved for sharing photos in a group).
Your entry can be a single photo or a series of photos, but please limit the total number of photos to 6. Photos entered in this contest will not be eligible for the 2012 Mochimochi Photo Contest this fall.
Judging
Winners will be picked by us at Mochimochi Land, but the Flickr pool is open to be seen by everyone. We will be focusing on creativity in this contest, and not just looking for pretty images.
Deadline
The last day to enter the contest is April 2, 2012. We’ll announce the winners shortly thereafter!
Prizes!
The top three winners each get a basketful of yarn provided by Koigu, with the grand prize big basket going to the first place winner. Thank you Koigu!
New Yarn Store in Brooklyn: Argyle
Mar 6th
The other day I finally made it to Argyle, the new yarn store that opened up a few months back on Prospect Park West in Brooklyn, just down the block from me.
I don’t know why I waited so long to go—it’s such a lovely store, owned by this lovely couple, Esther and David.
Their passion for knitting is apparent in their great selection of yarn and wide array of tools that knitters need. It’s a great feeling to know that if I need some new needles for a project right now, they’re just a walk away!
The first time I visited, I introduced myself and mentioned my patterns. I’m not the best self-promoter, but Esther and David made it easy with their enthusiasm for my designs! You can now find a bunch of Mochimochi patterns and kits in their store.
If you live in or near Park Slope/ Windsor Terrace, Argyle could be your new favorite LYS! They’re renovating a back room for classes, and they’re also planning to add other craft supplies in the future. I’m exited to see this small business grow along with the neighborhood.
