Bringing Dolly to Life

So, you've got all your little dolly parts laid out, well...

The modifications for Marvin are pretty simple and self-evident: two felt triangle eyes and some black yarn stitched around his joints. Olympia, though an older model of robot (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Der_Sandmann), is a bit more involved, and I'll post her schematics at a later date. Let me know if you're interested in making an eyeless early-nineteenth century-styled doll!

(King Of) Limbs

As promised, here are dolly's arms and legs! And why not listen to Radiohead while you crochet supervillains? I'm actually assembling playlists for each of my current doll projects right now...Loki gets plenty of angsty alt-rock, naturally. For Thor, I'm paying homage to the Silver Age with classic rock. I'll post the playlists with the instructions for each character so you can listen while you work if you'd like. It's inspiring and staves off the tedium!

Anyway, here are the instructions for basic arms and legs.

Now we're nearly done with a base doll!

Gettin' Started

Since making Loki is an appropriately tricky job, I'm going to start by posting my basic pattern, and then showing you how to adapt it into Loki. Or anyone else! Maybe you actually prefer the good guys, or want to make a self-portrait, favorite musician, or something else entirely!

I've tried to write out my pattern simply, trying not to use too many annoying abbreviations (conventional knitting/crochet patterns can look like total gibberish!).

SC = Single Crochet

st = stitch

Stay tuned for the arms and legs!

Loki!

Mischief managed! I finished my first Loki doll! I'm going to make one or two more because I'm a perfectionist (got to test and polish my pattern) and a huge nerd with lots of time on my hands right now.

It's hard to know what to do when you're smitten with a fictional character/film actor. My answer is -- get crafty! Now I can finally give Loki a hug. I think if he had gotten more hugs, he wouldn't have turned out as violent and moody.

At any rate, it takes the sort of mad, mad love that a nerd can have for a comic book supervillain combined with that a girl can have for a charming Brit to propel a difficult and involved project like this into existence. I went in for detail: his helmet is removable, revealing accurately styled hair; he has thumbs, toes, and ears; his cape is gathered at the shoulders in the style of the movie, revealing some of his back armor; and he's got a cute little smirk! Plus, he's poseable (with cape swooshing action!).

I'll be posting the pattern and instructions I've created in installments so that all you crafty crafters out there can make your own Lokis.

And, yeah, I'll make a Thor too. Little Loki must have someone to plot against!

Schemin'

I felt I needed a place to organize and publish the patterns for my original craft projects. I often knit/crochet/sew/etc. without direction, but jot down what I end up with so I can re-create it later. And on occasion, the latent desire for orderliness crops up within me and I design a pattern first.

I already have Facebook for showing off my finished creations, but I wanted to also share the process so that my fellow crafters can gain from what I've been up to. So many friends ask me to make them a copy of some piece or other and the problem is, I'm an artist. I am a slave to my creative whims and don't always want to make the same thing twice (unless I've got loads of time, which only occurs during the summer). Also, I'd probably charge a high price because, darn it, these things are my precious creations! I can be talked into commissions if you're determined, sure, but I get an even greater sense of satisfaction from helping people harness their inner crafty one to meld my ideas with their own.

As well as patterns and photos of finished projects, I will use this blog as a journal for my ideas that are in the process of being schemed and seamed into existence.

Things that inspire me that will show up in my crafts: robots, food, supervillains, folklore, literary characters, Russia...

Check back here in a few days (OK, maybe a week) for pictures and information on my current projects-in-progress inspired by Norse god of mischief/comic book supervillain/wonderful breakout film role for a devastatingly cute British actor that I'm now obsessing over like some silly high schooler, Loki. So far I am crocheting a doll (almost done...making armor out of yarn is ridiculous) and sewing my own helmet out of gold lame (horns and all...it's going to be, again, ridiculous, and may well spawn an entire costume. I am going to bring shame to my family.)