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Mochimochi Photo + Video Contest BONUS Awards

Posted on by Anna

We had so many terrific entries in the 2020 Mochimochi Photo + Video Contest, I have some BONUS awards to give out in addition to our top three winners.

Each of these creators will receive a $15 gift card to the Mochimochi Shop!

Click on the title or image to be taken to the full video or photo series on social media.

BEST KNITTING THEME: Little Helpers by Bonnie

BEST BIRDS IN FLIGHT: The Great Escape by Tammy G

BEST NEWS GRAPHICS: Breaking News by Lora

BEST ALIEN: What If? by Ursula B

BEST SOUND: An Axe-ccident Waiting to Happen by Hueymcr

BEST NUDITY: If you go down in the woods today by LundeLinda

Congratulations to these creative thinkers! I could have given out so many more awards, but we just had to stop somewhere. Thanks again to everybody who took part in our contest this summer. Keep sharing your creations on social media using the hashtag #mochimochiland!

Winners of the 2020 Mochimochi Photo + Video Contest

Posted on by Anna

The day has come! Our Special Guest Judges have thoughtfully reviewed your submissions for the 2020 Mochimochi Photo + Video Contest, and we have winners to announce!

But first, let me say again just how grateful we are for all the creativity, humor, and artistry that you have shared with us this summer. It really helped us make it through these hard months! We hope that making little movies and photo series were a welcome distraction for you all as well.

Here we go: Our winners of the 2020 Mochimochi Photo + Video Contest: Escape to Mochimochi Land….

In the PHOTO SERIES category: The Story of the Mochimochickens by Kat B!

The more you look at this story, the more wonderful details appear! Great storytelling.

Judge’s comment: I laughed out loud at this. Which is difficult considering I had my funny bone removed after a bike accident. What a wonderful little story. When the lizard (dinosaur?) arrived, I was sold. The world they built was so fun and worthy of multiple viewings.

Congratulations, Kat!
Kat will receive a $100 gift card to Gather Here, the local yarn store in Cambridge, MA, a $50 gift card to Mochimochi Land, a copy of SpillyJane’s ebook SpillyJane Knits Mittens, a copy of Bites of Terror by Cuddles and Rage, and a goodie box with fun stuff from Knitty City and Mochimochi Land!

In the SHORT VIDEO category: The Kentucky Demolition Derby by Karen G!

The story is dramatic and funny, and the audio and editing is brilliant!

Judge’s comment: This video is amazing. It’s part Loony Tunes, part Seabiscuit, all perfection. My only problem with it is I put all my money on Sandman and lost everything. My secret favorite part is Uncle Sam in the stands.

Congratulations, Karen!
Karen will receive a $100 gift card to Yarnify!, the local yarn store in Chicago, a $50 gift card to Mochimochi Land, a copy of SpillyJane’s ebook SpillyJane Knits Mittens, a copy of Bites of Terror by Cuddles and Rage, and a goodie box with fun stuff from Knitty City and Mochimochi Land!

In the SUPER SHORT VIDEO category: A Shocking Escape by Juleen A!

The handmade effects are simply genius. I could watch it on a loop all day long!

Judge’s comment: I mean…are you kidding me? They packed an entire action movie into 20 seconds. Oh, you THINK this is a story about a gnome and a cloud. But you’d be wrong. This is about a kite earning freedom. The kite’s face when it flies away is…(chef’s kiss).

Congratulations, Juleen!
Juleen will receive a $100 gift card to Knitty City, the local yarn store in NYC, a $50 gift card to Mochimochi Land, a copy of SpillyJane’s ebook SpillyJane Knits Mittens, a copy of Bites of Terror by Cuddles and Rage, and a goodie box with fun stuff from Knitty City and Mochimochi Land!

These three truly had some stiff competition among all the entries. I’ll be sharing some bonus awards next week for more submissions that were especially delightful.

Introducing our Special Guest Judges

Posted on by Anna

It’s my pleasure to introduce our Special Guest Judges for the 2020 Mochimochi Photo + Video Contest!

First we have Angela Tong, a talented designer and teacher of knitwear and woven projects, as well as a gifted ceramicist, baker, and all-around impressive person. Angela and I go way back to the early 2000s, when we both knitted in NYC. She is constantly knocking my socks off with her Instagram-perfect life.


Next is Rick Hamann, an Executive Creative Director at Leo Burnett. Basically a Don Draper for our time (in the professional sense, that is—he is quite the family man), Rick knows all about what makes an impression.


And finally is Bonney Teti, co-host of of the Pop Mom podcast and curator of the undisputed World’s Biggest Yarn Stash. She’s also my mother-in-law! Without Bonney, I can confidently say, there would be no Mochimochi Land.

Determining winners is always hard, but I think we’ll have some very judicious results with the help of these three. Thank you, Special Guest Judges!

And A big thank you, again, to everyone who participated in the #mochiphotocontest20 this summer! We received 50 entries, and each of them was a delight to experience. We really needed to be transported to Mochimochi Land, and you all certainly did that.

I will be consulting with the judges this week, and we’ll have some winners to announce soon. Stay tuned!

Sophie & Chanel make good company

Posted on by Anna

Staying in for a while? Get cozy and knit up some new furnishings! Sophie & Chanel will add style and comfort to your same-old surroundings. Plus, they play well with tiny gnomes and other tiny mochis!

Techniques include knitting in the round (double-pointed needles are recommended), mattress stitch, picking up stitches, and I-cord. For the tiny versions, you’ll need a bit of fingering-weight yarn (less than half a skein of 5 colors—Knit Picks Palette is a great choice) and size 1 (2.25mm) needles.

The pattern is now available as a PDF download in the Mochimochi Shop and also on Ravelry.

Thank you to Rebecca, Brian, Dorien, and Danielle for testing, and thank you to Marilyn Passmore for tech editing. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Donate your Old Glasses

Posted on by Anna

Nerd Alert!
Charlotte, NC yarn store Cheers to Ewe invited us to help spread the word about an opportunity to donate your old glasses. The American Foundation for Children with AIDS is collecting them right now for their clients in Congo!

PLEASE SEND GLASSES DIRECTLY TO AFCAIDS:
American Foundation for Children with AIDS
1520 Greening Lane
Harrisburg, PA 17110

The last time we partnered with Cheers to Ewe and AFCAids, we made a knitted ball pit. Talk about a lifetime ago!

Say “Squee!” (Our Summer Sale is Back)

Posted on by Anna

Here’s some actual footage of the 2020 version of “summer fun” in Mochimochi Land.

We hope your summer is going OK-ish! Maybe we can make it a little more OK with a summer sale:

Through Labor Day (9/8) take 20% off all PDF patterns, books, kits, and more with the code SUMMERSQUEE20 applied to orders from the Mochimochi Shop.

(Want to knit that little couch? The pattern is coming soon!)

Yarnify Interview and Trunk Show

Posted on by Anna

On Saturday I had the pleasure of being remotely interviewed by Anna of Yarnify! a wonderful local yarn store in Chicago’s Printers Row neighborhood.

I had such a good time chatting with Anna, who was a wonderful host. And Yarnify! is also currently hosting a Mochimochi Land trunk show!

Visit their website to order my kits and support a local Chicago business!

The occasion for all this delightfulness was the virtual Chicago Yarn Crawl, which is ongoing through August 2nd with events at many local yarn stores.

Make your tiny gnome a tiny mask!

Posted on by Anna

Mask up your tiny gnome today!

Materials:
Tiny gnome (in this book, included in this pattern collection download, and available as a kit, clothed or gnaked)
Small bit of felt
A couple feet of fingering-weight yarn

Tools:
Small tapestry needle or large sewing needle
Scissors

Step 1
Cut a little rectangle of felt, wide enough to span the top of your gnome’s beard and long enough to cover all but the tip of the beard.

Step 2
Cut two pieces of yarn, each about 8” (20cm) long.

Step 3
Thread one piece of yarn onto the needle and insert it into one corner of the front of the felt. (The “front” is whichever side you decide it to be.) On the back of the felt, insert the needle through the surface along the long side, not fully poking through to the front of the felt. Then bring the needle back up through to the front of the felt in the other corner on the long side.

Repeat with the other piece of yarn on the other long side of the felt.

Back view:

Front view:

Step 4
Place the mask onto your gnome, and wrap the yarn ties around his or her head. Holding two pieces of yarn together on each side, tie the two sides together in a square knot (right over left, then left over right). Tie your knot pretty tight against the gnome, so the mask will be nice and snug.

Step 5
Adjust the mask placement, and trim the ends of the ties short.

Now you may take your gnome out in public!