I decided to do something a little different as a holiday/winter pattern this year: it’s a series of three cross-stitch patterns featuring the Mochimochi Elves!
Here’s a peek:
Maybe you can see from this photo what is happening in the three little scenes… or maybe you will have to wait to find out for sure.
Coming to the Mochimochi Shop next week!
My friend Kana recently opened the loveliest store in Fort Greene, Brooklyn!
Saffron is a little gem at 31 Hanson Place where you can find fresh flowers, vintage clothing, and items made by local artists. It’s the kind of shop that you dream about opening with a best friend. In Kana’s case, she opened Saffron with her mother, and along with Kana’s brother and her boyfriend, they completely renovated a space and made their dream come true.
Here is Kana in her store that she has worked so hard to realize.
I visited Saffron on Sunday, and I was happy to see it quite busy, with visiting friends and plenty of drop-ins. The store has been getting a lot of press, and it seems that people in the neighborhood are very excited about it. If you’re in Brooklyn, please check it out! (If you’re not in Brooklyn, it looks like they will open an online shop at some point.)
Oh, and I almost forgot to say that Saffron will start carrying some Tiny Things handmade by me very soon. I’m so excited about that!
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:
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!
He missed the switch to digital, so he’s been only showing tiny snow for a while now. He wishes he were less boring…
Harper suggested a Tiny TV back in July, so Harper gets a free pattern!
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.
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.
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!)
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
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.
Focus!
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
image by mariannes stuff
Unorthodox pairings make for interesting subject matter!
Multiples are adorable
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!
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!
The kittens have names!
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.
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.
He’s pretty sure he’s way scarier than a mosquito!
Thanks for suggesting it, Mom! Oh, and Happy Halloween, everyone.