Author: Anna

Cloudy with a Chance of Fur

Posted on by Anna

It’s overcast here in Oklahoma today, so it seems appropriate to share Amanda’s unusually fuzzy Rainycloud…

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That’s right, it’s raining cats and dogs!

Sometimes the cutest projects happen when you combine multiple mochis into one. Amanda’s cloud reminds me of this adorable cupid scene made by Joan, which I shared here last year:

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I love these guys!

The patterns used in these projects are Rainycloud, Tiny Pets, and Teeny-Tiny Mochimochi Angels.

Check out other knitters’ fun mochimochi mods and add your own in our Flickr group!

A Poem by Gritty Lou

Posted on by Anna

If you’re a regular reader of the Mochimochi Blog, you may have occasionally seen comments made by someone named “Gritty Lou.” She never gives herself away, but that’s my mom! (My dad, meanwhile, comments as “Dad.”)

I would be happy to let my mom go on commenting anonymously, but I just have to blow her cover because of something that she wrote in the comments to my post last week about Roland the Roly Poly. Inspired by the fun names for “roly poly” shared by commenters in other countries, she composed a poem.

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Hey, chuggy pig, slater, bichos de conta,
All over the world you do what you wanta.
Cloporte, dango mushi, ole potato bug,
At just a touch you roll up and give yourself a hug.
Whether bicho bola, sow bug, pill bug or woodlouse
I find you in my garden, on the porch and in the house!
But how can I complain when the kids find such delight
In watching roly polys become so round and tight.

Huge & Huggable Mochimochi (which Roland appears in) is dedicated to my parents, and I think you can see why they inspire me so much!

On Location in OK

Posted on by Anna

I’m in Oklahoma for the next couple of weeks for one of my favorite parts of my job: working with Brandi Simons on book photos!

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Just about one year ago we were driving all over the Tulsa area looking for the perfect spots to photograph the jumbo toys in Huge & Huggable Mochimochi. Sometimes (yes, more than once) a clean bathroom was all the location we needed. That’s Brandi with the camera; her friend Sheri is waiting for her closeup (she was an excellent model); and my sister Leah is helping with the reflector. Maybe you can guess what the project is?

I love taking snapshots of Brandi at work. We have so much fun on these shoots, and I want to remember what it was like behind the scenes of her great images. So I always try to take pics with my phone when I get a moment, although those moments pass by so quickly when I’m also trying to suggest angles, make adjustments to the toys, and check out the results at the same time.

Looking back at my iPhone photos, I’m remembering shoots that we did in all kinds of interesting places. It took a little negotiation, but we were able to do a shoot at an authentic local burger joint. I learned that greasy food and knitted toys aren’t an appetizing combination… but it was fun!

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Another location was a first-grade classroom. I haven’t stepped foot in an elementary school in years, and this really took me back to my early education days. (I didn’t go to this particular school, but a different one in the same town.)

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We also shot photos in a movie theater, in a library, in a used car that we had to get a grumpy antiques dealer to open for us, and in the middle of the street during rush hour. It was an exhausting and exhilarating two weeks, and I can’t wait for everyone to see the finished work.

THIS week and the next, Brandi and I will be shooting photos for another very exciting top-secret project (one that doesn’t involve crazy location scouting). I hope to share some behind-the-scenes photos on Twitter and Facebook as we work. I can’t wait to begin!

By the way, this trip means that I will ship all orders of physical goods (books, kits, buttons, etc.) on October 2nd when I return to NYC. (PDF pattern downloads will be unaffected.)

Mochi Madness at Vogue Knitting Live Chicago November 1-3

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UPDATE: I’ll be teaching a free workshop on toy design on Saturday, November 2nd, from 2-2:30pm on the 3rd floor of the marketplace! Space may be limited, so check the website for updates.

I’m excited to announce that Mochimochi Land is coming to Vogue Knitting Live Chicago in November!

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You’ll be able to find me and entire armies of gnomes and snowmen all weekend in the art gallery area of the marketplace. See just how naughty tiny mochis can be in Gnomes vs Snowmen, and hunt for zombies to win a free copy of Super-Scary Mochimochi!

I’ll be there in person all weekend with all of my books (which I’m happy to sign) and tiny mochi kits (with special event discounts).

I have even more extra-exciting news about Chicago coming up soon… it’s big, so stay tuned!

Talk and Book Signing at Lion Brand Yarn Studio October 24

Posted on by Anna

UPDATE: This event is now open for RSVPs!

Save the date, NYC! I’ll be returning to the Lion Brand Yarn Studio on October 24th for a special Huge & Huggable event.

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At 6pm, come meet some of the mega mochis from my new book, Huge & Huggable Mochimochi! I’ll also give a talk about how I went from knitting teeny-tiny hotdogs to knitting a giant hamburger that could eat your placemat for breakfast, and I’ll discuss the design process that went into my hefty new friends.

Books will be available and I I’ll happily sign yours if you like.

This event is free, but you have to RSVP to attend!

PLUS I’ll be teaching a class on toy design at the Studio on Sunday, October 27th. Contact the Studio to sign up!

Huge & Huggable Mochimochi Now Available for Preorder!

Posted on by Anna

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Be one of the first to get your hands on my new book! Huge & Huggable Mochimochi contains 20 all-new patterns for super-squishy supersized knitted toys, from a giant squid to a monster truck to a family of capybaras. (The pattern for Jumbo Gnome isn’t included, but he was the inspiration behind the book, so he gets the first look!)

All preordered copies will ship on October 15th, the publication date.

Personalize it! Leave a note when checking out to get your book personalized to whomever you please! (Or send an email to shop@mochimochiland.com.)

I’m so excited for this book, and I can’t wait for you to see it too and start knitting mega mochis!

Huge & Huggable Mochimochi Preview: Roland the Roly Poly

Posted on by Anna

Do you know what today is?? Today is the day that I’m sharing the first of three sneak peeks from my upcoming book Huge & Huggable Mochimochi!

It was tough to choose what to show you, but I can’t say no to this guy: Roland the Roly Poly!

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Roland is done with a life of hiding under rocks and is ready to let it all hang out. In fact, he’s hanging out in my parents’ backyard! (There are many perks to having your photographer live across the street from your parents.)

This guy is hands-down one of my favorite jumbo mochis from the book. There’s just something about all his legs, and the ridges on his shell, that make him extra squishy and huggable! He knits up quickly using Lion Brand Hometown USA yarn.

As you can see in this project, the bigger size of the toys in this book meant that I could incorporate many design elements that were new to me. I loved figuring out how to get the ridges on Roland’s shell just right and how to give his body that stylish curve.

Speaking of curves, even this free-spirited roly poly lets instinct get the best of him sometimes…

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The great photography is by the brilliant Brandi Simons, who has done the photos for all of my books. We had even more fun with the photography for this book than previously— the scale of the projects meant that we could really place the toys in the world and their mere presence made for hilarious images.

Another reason that I wanted to share Roland with you all is because I’m fascinated by the distribution of roly polys, or pill bugs, and what people call them. I grew up playing with them in Oklahoma, but my husband, who’s from New Hampshire, had never seen one in his life until recently!

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So I’d like to conduct an informal poll:

1. Do you know what this creature is?
2. If so, what do you call it?
3. Where do you live?

Let us know in the comments!

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Huge & Huggable Mochimochi comes out on October 15th! The book contains 20 all-new patterns for supersized knitted toys with equally big personalities. You can preorder a signed copy right now, and it’s also available for preorder at Amazon. Or buy it from your local yarn store on the 15th!

Erika’s Operatic Mochis

Posted on by Anna

Erika is a carpenter for the Seattle Opera, and she’s also a mochimochi knitter! During rehearsals for Wagner’s Ring Cycle this July, she knitted up mochi-fied characters from the opera, using the patterns from Teeny-Tiny Mochimochi as a starting point.

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Who could resist these three lovely Rhine Daughters and their magic gold?

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Wotan and Alberich struggle over a certain magic circlet of gold.

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Siegfried and Fafner rehearsing the big fight scene!

You can see more, plus fun lego scenes from another crafty opera fan, at the Seattle Opera Facebook page. (And get a glimpse of Erika’s construction work at the homepage!)