Author: Anna

You Guessed It!

Posted on January 19, 2009 by Anna

Those of you who guessed Groundhog Day on my last post are correct! That was too easy.

The pattern will be out very soon, but for now here’s another partial preview:

mound

That’s one suspiciously sophisticated-looking mound of dirt, no?

If you’re eager to get ready for it, the pattern calls for:
– Worsted-weight wool yarn (such as Cascade 220) in two shades of brown, black, and green
– Set of 7-inch long size 6 US (4.0 mm) double-pointed needles
– Tapestry needle
– One set of safety eyes
– Crochet hook
– Stuffing

Check back later this week for the pattern!

Hinty Hinty!

Posted on January 16, 2009 by Anna

A good friend of mine loves all holidays, but she especially loves a certain holiday that’s coming up soon. She requested a toy with a theme of this holiday about two years ago, and this year I finally got around to making her toy. I loved it so much that I also made a pattern for it. What is it?

Here’s a hint: The holiday does not begin with a V.

Here’s another hint:

hintyhinty

The pattern is coming soon to the Mochimochi Shop!

Crayon Physics Deluxe

Posted on January 15, 2009 by Anna

For everyone complaining about how they don’t have an iPhone to play the stacking cats game or an Xbox 360 to play Castle Crashers, John’s latest A.V. Club review is on Crayon Physics Deluxe, a delightful game that you can download for your PC.

You might recognize it from this YouTube video from 2007, before the game was fully developed.

(You can use a mouse to play the game instead of a magical pen on your computer, of course.)

I haven’t played it yet myself (I don’t have Windows on my Mac), but it looks like so much fun that I’ll have to try it soon. You can download Crayon Physics Deluxe for $20 here.

Stackable Cats iPhone App

Posted on January 14, 2009 by Anna

My friend Azusa referred me to this post on Tokyo Manga about a Japanese iPhone app in which you STACK CATS!

Apparently the object of the game is to keep adding cats and balancing them by tilting your phone left and right. This is what everyone in the world should be doing in their spare time.

Stackable Bear, Cat, and Panda

Posted on January 12, 2009 by Anna

Check out these stackable animals made by Claudine!

She used felt and some alterations to the ears and tails to make a stackable bear and stackable panda in addition to her Stackable Cat. A great idea!

I’ve had things stackable on my mind again lately too, so there may be a new pattern of this sort sometime later this year.

Castle Crashers

Posted on January 9, 2009 by Anna

This is a fun multiplayer game that John and I have been playing lately.

Your partner will love the scatological humor and you will love the adorable deer. (Or vice versa.) You will both love fighting the bad guys together. I recommend it!

It’s a $15 download for the Xbox 360.

AnthroPoMorphCo Stitch Holders

Posted on January 8, 2009 by Anna

I got a fun holiday surprise from Joan recently: a package of goodies with her AnthroPoMorphCo characters on them, including these cute “holly jollies” stitch markers!

I’ve been using them nonstop since I got them. Joan also sent stationery, buttons, and more, all adorned with her own clever character designs. I’m so impressed by her ingenuity!

Check out her Etsy shop to get some of your own anthropomorphic vegetables, drink condiments, and more.

Looper PDF Pattern Now Available!

Posted on January 6, 2009 by Anna

Thinking about what you’ll be knitting in 2009? Why not start with a super-fun pattern that will love you back?

Looper loves to curl, cuddle, hang and hug with an adjustable loop tail!

Techniques for this quick knit include knitting in the round on double-pointed needles and mattress stitch. Directions for splitting the tail in two and rejoining to form a loop are included in the pattern.

The pattern for Looper has been available in printed form at Loops, a fabulous knitting store in Tulsa, and now you can get it as a PDF download for $5 in the Mochimochi Shop.