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Giveaway! Knitting MochiMochi…

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This is about the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. I’d like to put pictures of every single project in this blog, but that just wouldn’t work. But, I know where you can see them. (HERE!)

But first….What on earth is a MochiMochi?

Gotta admit, I had no clue! Apparantly it is a form of sticky, sweet rice that has come to give a sort of “adorableness” to meal times. Ok. Must lose something in translation.

This book, Knitting Mochimochi: 20 Super-Cute Strange Designs for Knitted Amigurumi by Anna Hrachovec, however, and the projects in it, lose nothing. They are just cute. Adorable even.  And guess what? If the project you just have to create isn’t in here, Anna gives you instructions on how to create your own original “thing”. Awesome!!

And guess what else? I’m giving this book away to someone next Friday.  All you have to do is leave me a comment telling me all about your adventures in Amigurumi-land! Ready….Set….Go!

Next Pattern:

Comments

  2. i once made sardines in a can, but i never finished it because the sardines were too big to fit in the can, so it sits in pieces, never to become sardines. I also made amigurumi ornaments for my family for christmas last year, santa, a mouse, angel, and a snowman. all of the above were crochet, i would love to try my hand at knitted amigurumi.

  3. Another giveaway, count me in! I want to make the feet eaters…FUN and FUNctional.

  4. This is sooo cuuuute! I’ve been tempted by the crochet, held back only by the fact that I don’t know how to crochet well. I’d love to win the knit book. And thanks for the link to the site.

  5. I love amigurumi! I’ve made tons of Ana Paula Rimoli stuff and other projects off Ravelry. This book looks like one I definitely NEED!

  7. i love mochimochiland. her tiny amis are so cute. i started making amigurumis with ana paula’s amigurumi books. they’re really fun to make.

  8. I just downloaded a pattern for one – my first – so cute! Can’t wait to get started!

  9. i have so loved the little characters but am not a crocheter! Love this book! (gotta get one, lol, or win one) Mochi is wonderful (some in the fridge as i type) made out of rice flour and coconut milk (for the basic mochi). Think jello jiggler but sticky creamy, delicious!

  11. I’d love a chance to enter and try to knit my first amigurumi 🙂
    Thanks so much!

  12. I am a newbie knitter and so have zero experience knitting mochimochi but I’d love to learn how! The book looks fun – I’d love to win it!

  14. First time I have made a comment. And I am an old lady learning new tricks and just learning about amigurumi. My grandchildren love them. I have 13 grandchildren. The book looks great!I have knitted for over 50 years and crocheted about 25 years and still learning something new. No Alhemizers for me!!!
    Thanks for craft gossip, I explore it every weekend from the week before. Bonnie

  15. I LOVE MochiMochi Land! I’ve been wanting to make the Tubby Pattern for ages and these new patterns look amazing! As for what I have already made, a lamb & kitten for my niece, sushi, a golden snitch and a couple of others, all here.

  16. I love to crochet little amigurumi critters.I recently made 2 little piggies for my grandaughter.I would love to win this book to have some other patterns for things to make her 🙂

  17. I am addicted to making ami’s! I just learned to crochet and knit last fall…now my house if burried in yarn…needles hooks and idea books! When I am not crocheting and creating I am searching the web for all things ami related! I would love to win this book…it looks adorable 🙂

  18. I’ve never made amigurumi but I have 2 little nieces that probably wouldn’t mind if i did! I’ve heard such great things about this book.

  19. I have always loved amigurumi patterns, especially because of the gratifying results 🙂 My first attempt at it was when i made a crochet penguin. I think the pattern was at LionBrand and it looked super cute! Since then I have made many crocheted toys for friends and their kids. I would love to try out the patterns in this amazing book 🙂

  20. I would like to visit Amigurumi-land, the style is so cute and colorful. I just need to perfect excuse to visit. Like winning a book all about it 😉

  21. I am a mochimochi virgin. Just discovered this on Anna Hrachovec’s blog Mochimochiland. Love it. want to knit the snake eating mouse!

  23. My experiences with amigurumi are zero but I did buy the Tubby pattern from Mochi Mochi with hopes of giving it a try. I just know this book would be full of inspiration! Thanks for the chance to win a copy.

  24. My sister has been making the cutest amigurumi fruit and animals. She crocheted the cutest blue bird mobile for my daughter’s room. So cute! Since I’m a knitter, it’s time to try some knit amigurumi.

  27. I enjoyed the snake that eats the mouse, and the egg that turns into a chicken by the author! I would love to make more!

  28. I started amigurumi as a way to use up left over yarn to make toys for the grand kids. I tell you the things are so cute everyone has to pick up the latest project and play. I just finished my third, a turtle and got requests to do another. I have definitely found a new addiction!

  30. Two Christmases ago I dove into Animal Land to make a few amigurumi for my grandkids. Let me tell you…13 grandchildren normally get 13 sweaters and that was giving me the heebie jeebies about getting them all done. So, look, these are cute, and look fun to make, so give it a try, right?? Reached the magic number of 13 much too early and I hadn’t suffered enough. These really were fun to make, and there seemed to be an ever growing pile of appealing patterns all over. Had to make more! Each kid ended up with at least 2-3, and (knitted in as many hours as I usually do)carried in nearly 45 animals in a great big bag. Handed them out like a real Santa, and I had a ball. Even the 16 year old had to take one —I convinced her they would be good to take with her when babysitting.

    I highly recommend the fun you’ll have making animals, especially if you do it while you teach those kids how to crochet at the same time!!

  31. Ahhh! I love Mochi-Mochi land stuff! I actually have knitted the “Woodin” pattern that she posted on Knitty for free. They were SO cute

  32. Aliens from mars,
    Dinosaurs from the prehistoric age,
    a computer, oh what else,
    the chicken or the egg,
    I explore Arigumi land every week,
    knitting is what I love and
    Anna makes it all so much fun!

Have you read?

What’s Next for Joann?

Now that all the Joann stores have closed, a mysterious message has appeared on the company’s website:

For generations, Joann has been honored to be part of your creativity: your quilts, costumes, school projects, and handmade moments of love. It has been our joy to serve markers and dreamers across the country.

We’re stitching up something new behind the scenes and we can’t wait to share what’s next.

Stay tuned for exciting news about the future of Joann.

To quickly recap, Joann filed for bankruptcy in January for the second time in less than a year. In February, in the hope of making the company more attractive to potential buyers, it petitioned the court for permission to close about 500 of its 800 stores. The company was put up for auction, with Gordon Brothers set to buy the company, sell its assets and close all the stores if no other buyer materialized.

In the end the winning bidder was GA Group, but the result was the same: all stores were to be closed by the end of May if not sooner.

Once store closure sales started the company quickly stopped selling on its website, and now all that remains is this jpeg image hinting at new ventures.

I’m sure there will be a tone of speculation in the coming days and weeks (or as long as it takes for them to announce the meaning of the message) as to what sorts of plans Joann could be cooking up.

My theory based on nothing but my gut is that they will transition to an online only storefront, probably with much reduced inventory, sort of like Herrschners (which had previously announced that it will be carrying Big Twist yarn, the beloved private label yarn brand sold at Joann). I also think they will use whatever retail sales they do to support CreativeBug, the digital learning platform that Joann purchased in 2017. That could mean producing kits for projects that already have classes, or developing classes based on products they want to sell, or both.

As of this writing the CreativeBug website seems to still be functional and there’s a full slate of new classes planned for June. I’ve got my eye on both the Joann website and the Joann restructuring website and will let you know as soon as I see changes.

In the meantime, I’d love to hear your speculation as to what the next chapter might be for Joann.