Year: 2009

One More Week to Enter!

Posted on by Anna

You have one more week to enter the 2009 Mochimochi Photo Contest! (The deadline is next Monday, November 16th.) That’s plenty of time to knit up a Mochimochi Land toy, snap a funny/cute/awesome photo, and upload it to the Mochimochi Friends Flickr group.

Here’s another peek at some of the prizes from Japan that will go to the first place winner:

prizes09_stationery

The winner will also get gift certificates to the Mochimochi Shop and to Knit Picks. (2nd and 3rd place will also get prizes.)

I’ve been really impressed by all of the creative entries we’ve gotten so far this year. But I hope we get even more by next week!

Too Crewel

Posted on by Anna

Over the weekend my mother-in-law and I went to a workshop in crewel led by Katherine Shaughnessy, the author of The New Crewel, at Make Workshop in NYC.

newcrewel_cover

I’m actually not one to try each and every craft out there, but there is something about crewel, which is embroidery done with wool on linen, that I’ve been attracted to for a long time. Once I saw the beautiful abstract designs in Katherine’s book when it came out a few years ago, I knew it was just a matter of time before I gave it a try, so this workshop was a no-brainer for me.

In the workshop, we went over the basic stitches to get started on a sampler. I chose some different shades of yellow wool to work with, and though I still have a way to go, I’m loving how it looks.

newcrewel

I think it’s the way that wool is such a forgiving fiber that makes crewel so great—instead of perfect stitches, it’s more about the organic shapes. Katherine has done a lot to bring crewel into the mainstream, and she now sells the hard-to-find supplies on her website Wool & Hoop.

I guess I’ve had stitching on my mind this whole year—later this month I’ll be adding the first cross-stitch pattern to the Mochimochi Shop! (More on that soon!)

Tips for a Great Photo

Posted on by Anna

Have you entered this year’s Mochimochi Photo Contest yet? If so, you are all right by me! If not, here are some tips on how to take a great photo. (You have until November 16th to enter!)

Use natural light when possible

ptbutterfull_kathrynivy

image by kathrynivy.com

Natural sunlight will give you a nice, bright image, which will also help make your photo as sharp as possible. The best kind of natural light is soft and indirect, like the light you get on a slightly overcast day.

If shooting with artificial light, steady your camera

If you need to shoot using artificial light, turn off your flash—flash usually makes some parts of your photo too bright, and it also creates harsh shadows. Instead, light your subject as brightly as possible, and make your camera as steady as possible by placing it on a surface like a table or a stack of books.

ptgodfrey_giolouFocus!

image by giolou

If you’re using a regular point-and-shoot digital camera, you’re probably using automatic focus. If you’re shooting something up close and your camera doesn’t seem to be focusing the way you want it to, see if your camera has a “macro” setting that will let you focus in on something close-up. (On my camera, it’s a button with an icon that looks like a flower.)

Those are just some technical basics for how to take a good photo. But how do you take a good photo for the Mochimochi Photo Contest specifically? Here are a few ideas!

Tell a story

Some of my favorite photos of Mochimochi Land toys are the ones that show a story unfolding, either in a single photo or in a series of photos. Who is your toy and what is he or she doing in their environment? Epic battles and love stories are espcially fun.

Combine different toys for maximum cuteness

ptmultiples_mariannesstuff

image by mariannes stuff

Unorthodox pairings make for interesting subject matter!

Multiples are adorable

ptbob_purpleheather

image by Purple Heather

Enough said, right?

Make the design your own

It’s true—some people’s versions of Mochimochi Land toys are way more interesting than the original! Don’t hesitate to embellish a pattern with your own touches or even alter the design a bit (just not beyond recognition) to make something unexpected.

Cute animals don’t hurt!

ptchickenegg_teekayknits

image by teekayknits

Got a cute doggie or kitty? Or some chickens, perhaps? Everyone wants to see them alongside a funny toy.

Those are just a few tips and suggestions (and super example photos) to jump-start your own creative photo ideas. Feel free to adhere to the above, or try something completely different. Got other photo tips? Please share them in the comments to this post!

Soupy and Nipsey

Posted on by Anna

The kittens have names!

soupynipsey1

The one on the left in the photo above is Soupy, and the one on the right is Nipsey. They are named after Soupy Sales and Nipsey Russell, two of our favorite celebrity players on reruns of Pyramid.

soupynipsey2

These boys have completely come out of their shells since they arrived last Wednesday, and they have both turned out to be super playful and loving. This post just took me ten times as long to write as it normally would because Nipsey keeps jumping onto my lap and demanding to be petted! I will never get any work done again.

Kittens

Posted on by Anna

kittens

It is going to take all my restraint to keep from switching this blog to the all-kitten hour, all the time. These guys are just wonderful. (And pretty easy on the eye, too.) We got them through the SaveKitty Foundation, which is based in Queens.

They need names, but we’re trying to get to know them a little before assigning those. Another excuse for a kitten post when we come up with them!