The Hobbit- Smaug Amigurumi

    I know, I've already done Smaug before. But this time, I somehow got it in my head that I need to make my dragon proportionate to the dwarf company. I sure know how to make trouble for myself... This is my first time attempting an amigurumi of such massive size, and for a long time I felt like I'm in way over my head.

This is an early photo of Smaug, from waay back in February:

Do excuse the mess on my desk XD. This was taken when I just passed the point of no return. The head alone took over 4 skeins of yarn, and I was seriously worried about budget and time. I wanted Smaug to be the centerpiece of my Hobbit amigurumi exhibition, and it felt like I was never going to be able to finish. After completing the rough shape of the head, I considered just making the head, stick it to a plague of wood, and make it a dragon trophy. And I would have totally done that, except a friend of mine told me not to cop out, and I was crazy enough to listen to him.

The end product took me over two months, used up over 50 skeins of yarn, and is about 2 meters in length. A billion thanks go to my boyfriend and my roommates, who all have had to deal with the half finished dragon taking up a whole lot of space.

Anyhow, I am proud to present... Smaug the Terrible!!

The design is based off the final design of Smaug in the film, so it is two-legged instead of four like the smaller version of Smaug I made before.

Smaug makes the perfect sleeping companion. he is so huggable and the neck is perfect for slipping an arm under, and the wings are so big they can serve as blankets. It's like one of those boyfriend pillows. Hmm, now that I think of it, I should have put a recording of Benedict Cumberbatch's voice in it......

Oh, and here are some photos of the month-long exhibition of the dwarves. You can see little Smaug resting on big Smaug's wing. =)

I'm the one reading the book~ =)

The Hobbit- Amigurumi Dwarves

There's been some new additions to Thorin's company, and by some, I mean lots! 

Meet Gloin and Oin...

... Bifur, Bofur, and Bombur....

... and Ori and Dori. For those of you wondering where Nori is... well, he was supposed to be done after Dori, whose hairstyle gave me such a hard time I got mad and decided I need a break from dwarves (Like Gandalf often felt, I'm sure). So I'm sorry Nori, but you'll just have to wait. For now, let's just say Nori overslept and hasn't made it yet XD

And last by not least, behold! King under the Mountain, Thorin Oakenshield, son of Thrain, son of Thror!

I put a synthetic diamond on Thorin's belt, It's no Arkenstone, but hopefully it'll compensate the fact that I left him beardless (and looking remarkably like Loki) for days before I finally felted on his beard.

Anyway, the weather was lovely today, so I took them all out for a little photo shoot!

Bombur snoozing away XD

Snow White and the 12 dwarves plus 1 hobbit? XD

It's going to be very apparent by the end of this post that I totally ship Thorin and Bilbo. Just getting that out of the way. 

I guess I was still caught up in the Valentine spirit even a week after Valentine's Day, because somehow by the time I realized it, I was taking loads of photos of Thorin and Bilbo. Before long it started to feel like I was taking wedding photos XDD Here are a few:

I still can't get over how adorable they are! 

Hopefully I'll recover from the dwarf hair/beard style nightmare and finish Nori and complete the company. 

Also... good news!! The dwarves plus Hobbit are going on exhibit for an entire month at the NTNU Art and Humanities Festival! So if anyone reading this is going to be in Taipei this April to May, do come and see them in person! I'll post more details when I'm given more information regarding the exact date and place. =) 

Don't Starve - Chester Amigurumi

It's winter break now, and I've been playing Don't Starve Together with my boyfriend, who got the game for me as a Christmas present. We're now on day 200+ (I'm playing as Wilson, by the way.), surviving reasonably well with a self-sustaining base. Take a look =)

We both just looove Chester, as was ecstatic when we found the eye bone. Chester's been living at our base, and we take him on adventures. Here's me dancing with Chester.

And here is a bonfire night with friendly pigs after a walrus hunt. Chester is really warming up to our  pig friends XD

So then I was looking at the Don't Starve wikia, and saw that they've made a Chester plushie!! Naturally, I have to have one too, and so I decided to make my own:

Ta-da~~ Do excuse the fact that the picture was taken on my bed XD He's made with furry orange yarn, which is very soft and doesn't hold its shape very well, so I added another layer inside with brown acrylic yarn. I also made the eye bone, which fits right in the chest, with enough room left over for a phone or other trinkets.  

The pattern is pretty straightforward, basically two halves of a sphere sewn together. I didn't take notes while I'm making this (it cut in line on front of a bigger project so I was in a hurry to finish) so I don't have a very specific pattern. Feel free to message me if you wan to make one and have trouble deducing how something is done.

  

We also have a pet Koalefant, which I am adding to the long list of things I want to make. Everything in Don't Starve is just so adorable! Might be seeing more DS amigurumis from me in the future~ 

Sherlocked! The Ultimate Fangirl's Day-trip (London Filming Locations)

Let's face it, the two main reasons I chose England to study abroad in is Harry Potter and Sherlock. There, it's out there. So besides Harry Potter Studios, which I plan to visit sometime in May, there's of course the matter of hitting all the filming locations of Sherlock~~

So, to the heart of London!  (This trip took place in February, and, yes, I'm only posting now XD)

I got the earliest bus I can get without oversleeping, which got me to London at about 9 A.M.. The bus stopped at Victoria Coach Stations, which conveniently placed me near Eaton Square, or, Miss Irene Adler's former place of residence.

Yep, that's where it happened! The exact spot Sherlock fired a gun to 'call the police'. Miss Adler doesn't live here anymore, however, since she is reported to be in a witness protection program in America XD 

There were two men in suits talking in a low voice in front of the house, and they looked at me suspiciously as I took photos...for a moment I was like 'oh no, the CIA!' and got nervous in case they'd think I 'know too much'. I wandered around a bit after that, passing the street where Sherlock and John fought, before setting off to steal an ashtray.

Sadly, there's no helicopter ride for me. XD
I didn't go inside, so no, I couldn't steal an ashtray, but I kidnapped Her Majesty's dog!

Isn't he adorable!!!!? I named him Hamish. =)

Now, where to next? It's time to stop an imminent terrorist attack. After all, the terror alert has been raised to critical. (wink)

Oh and I stared at the Big Ben for awhile imagining where Sherlock's bolthole might be XD

Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery. This is where Sherlock took John to find his own 'consultant', the paint expert. The museum shots are actually not filmed in the National Gallery but in Cardiff, but, hey, it's supposed to be in London, so I'll take it.

Opening scene anyone? I couldn't find a place where I can get a bird's eye view like in the opening sequence, but I was still sooo excited, humming the opening music over and over.

Criterion Restaurant, where John and Mike Stamford reunited in the novels. In Sherlock, the coffee cups they were holding in that scene has the word 'criterion' as a nod to the novels.

I am just about starving at this point. So where does a Sherlock fangirl go for lunch (late, very late lunch)? Why Speedy's of course!

Looks familiar? This is where Sherlock and John's dangerous new neighbors lived in The Great Game, just across from 221B.

 The door number isn't 221B now that they're not filming anymore, but the knocker is still crooked! Looks like Mycroft hasn't been visiting! I wanted to knock and have Mrs. Hudson answer the door sooo bad!

There is fanart and photos of the actors on the walls. I wonder if I'm sitting in a chair where one of the actors have sat in??

My meal. I have decided to pretend that Mrs. Hudson made it XD

A photo with the owner, whom I heard explaining to the non-fangirls/fanboys in the cafe why so many people are taking pictures of everything.

Next, I went to Russel Square Gardens, the place where John and Mike met in the show.

Where John would presumably have gotten his coffee.

So here's me relaxing a bit from all that walking. No old friends of mine showed up. Just as well, I don't have a flatmate to recommend.

Time for the fall.

This is the window of St. Barts Hospital, right by the place where Sherlock landed. All the windows on the ground floor are covered with little messages like this. Gotta love Sherlockians!

Where Sherlock landed. I seriously considered lying down on the ground but there were people around XDDD

And here's where John stood when Sherlock jumped. 

Where John got hit by that cyclist. 

Finally, it's time to to to the real Baker Street.

The tube station is full of Sherlock-designs =) 

It was dark and I didn't get many good photos, but I had such fun exploring the place. Sherlock's violin was there and I was itching to play it. The Persian slipper used to hide Sherlock's tobacco is on the mantelpiece.

In Mrs. Hudson's room there's a bust of Sherlock, and letters between Sherlock and John. Figures she'd be the first Johnlock shipper XDD

Shaking hands with Sherlock  <3

The Hound. Doesn't look all that scary to be honest, reminds me of Fang, really.

And, like a good Sherlockian does, I got myself 'the hat'. It's an ear-hat, John!

And so ends my glorious Sherlock trip. There are a few places I missed in London, such as 'Angelo's' where they had their first meal together in 'A Study in Pink', the Tower of London, and so on. Will be hitting those places on my next London trip~

The game is always on!