Amigurumi Scotties

Amigurumi Scotties
Originally uploaded by vicrochet

I absolutely ADORE amigurumi. I first starting noticing it last fall when visiting my favorite crochet communities. The creatures are whimsical, cute and often so-ugly-they-are-cute! I signed up for a class to learn more about the art.

What is amigurumi?

The Wikipedia explanation is: "Amigurumi (編み包み ?, lit. Knitted stuffed toy) is the Japanese art of knitting or crocheting small stuffed animals and anthropomorphic creatures. The word is derived from a combination of the Japanese words ami, meaning crocheted or knitted, and nuigurumi, meaning stuffed doll.[1] Amigurumi are typically cute animals (such as bears, rabbits, cats, dogs, etc.), but can include inanimate objects endowed with anthropomorphic features.

Amigurumi can be either knitted or crocheted. In recent years crocheted amigurumi are more popular and more commonly seen.
Amigurumi are usually crocheted or knitted out of yarn. The simplest designs are worked in spirals. In contrast to typical Western crochet the rounds are not usually joined. They are also worked with a smaller size hook in proportion to the weight of the yarn in order to create a very tight-looking fabric without any gaps through which the stuffing might escape.

Amigurumi are usually worked in sections and then joined, except for some amigurumi which have no limbs, only a head and torso which are worked as one piece. The extremities are sometimes stuffed with plastic pellets to give them a life-like weight, while the rest of the body is stuffed with fiber stuffing.
The pervading aesthetic of amigurumi is cuteness. To this end, typical amigurumi animals have an over-sized spherical head on a cylindrical body with undersized extremities."

My first creation was a pig. I still have him and my Scotties still want him! Next I started creating amigurumi dolls for my grand daughters. I made Muno and Brobee from Yo Gabba Gabba (don't fret if you don't know what I am talking about - you have to have a 2-year-old in your life to "get it") for Christmas.


Muno & Brobee


Miss Emma having a spot o' tea with Muno and Brobee

Rosie, the little girl, came next and she went to my newest grand daughter, Evie.


Rosie

But what of Amigurumi Scotties? I searched the internet for a pattern or an idea to make my favorite creature into, well, my other favorite creature. None could be found.

That is when my AmiScotties were born. I made my first one last November and decided to take him to our Scottish Terrier Club's Christmas party for feedback. I was surprised and thrilled at how well my little black Scottie creature was received!

I love making my AmiScotties. The letters I receive from new owners bring me joy! Even though they are not intended as dog toys Scotties seem to love them too:

Your little guy is so very cute.. Thanks so much. My two scottie have adopted him and the baby who is two would either like to sleep with him or tear him up and I think we both know the choice. I had to laugh at my older guy (who is going deaf), he is having a time adjust to his quiet world so he is not as perky as he used to be-plus the winter never ends! Anyway when I showed him the knitted guy (think I will name him the knitwit, same as my husband!) he looked happy and started to wag his tail! See, he makes both man and beast happy! He has found a good home! Becky


So, that is the story behind those "weird", square Scotties in my shop. All my Scottie dolls are made using the amigurumi technique whether they are round or square. I guess they are actually....Japanese Scottish Terriers?

Scotty Easter Egg Cozies

Scotty Easter Egg Cozies
Originally uploaded by vicrochet

What better way to keep that darn ol' Easter bunny away from your basket than to let some cute pastel Scotties guard it?

These little cozies easily slide off and on for easy storage.

When I was a little girl coloring Easter eggs was a big event. I still remember the bowls of PAAS Easter egg dye in a rainbow of colors spread out on newspaper. Just trying to balance the egg in that wire egg holder was a challenge! It was messy but fun.

Mom would hide the eggs around our front and back yard and my sister and I would go on the hunt! It was especially exciting to find one that you had decorated yourself.

One year it rained so Mom hid the eggs around the house. It wasn't quite as fun but we didn't miss out on having our annual hunt. I guess Mom should have counted the eggs or kept better track of where she hid them. One wasn't found until a week or two later. Unfortunately, it was in a shoe box under my bed and the smell was blamed on ME until the culprit was discovered!

The fact that I hated hard-boiled eggs never played into the equation when it came to the colored Easter eggs. Looking back I now wonder what we actually did with all those colored boiled eggs after we found them?

Somehow that memory eludes me...

Scottish Terrier Obedience Training

Maddie - Obedience School
Originally uploaded by vicrochet



Outfit color is red, truest in flast pic at top.

People try to say that Scotties can't be trained but that isn't true.


Take Maddie, for instance. She is all decked out and ready for her obedience class. Yes, you can teach a Scottie to do ANYTHING....as long as they think it was their idea in the first place!


Maddie is made from 100% acrylic yarn, polyfil, safety eyes and nose. Her outfit, by "Build A Bear" is removable with a velcro back on both top and skirt. She is 11" tall from the top of her ears to the bottom of her feet.

When Dugan was just a pup we decided to take him to Miss Barb's Obedience Class. He started off in Puppy Kindergarten to help socialize him with other dogs. The emphasis in that class wasn't so much on actual obedience but on building a relationship with your dog. Most of it made a lot of sense.

One exercise was to go over your dog thoroughly with your hands. The idea was to get to know the details of your dog so if they were ever to get sick you would know what was normal and what was not. We inspected their ears, the pads of their feet and their teeth.

One aspect of the exercise went against Dugan's level of tolerance. Miss Barb expected us to sit on the floor with our knees slightly apart, lay the dog on its back with his head resting on our lap. Dugan was not comfortable at all in this position. I can't say that I blame him. Scotties LOVE to lounge on their backs but this position made his tail area squish against the floor.

He growled gently at me one night to say "No Mom, that hurts" so I immediately went to the next exercise where he was to lay on his side. Miss Barb wouldn't have it, though. She insisted he do the exercise. I tried to explain that is was uncomfortable for him but she would give it up.

That is when she decided I just didn't have "control" of my dog and she would do it herself. She grabbed up Dugan and began forcing him on his back across her lap.

Of course, Dugan bit the fire out of her.

"This dog needs to be neutered!!" she howled. "He is aggressive! Scotties are aggressive and they should all be neutered!"

No, Scotties have dignity and will tell you politely the first time if you are going against their grain.

If they have to tell you twice they will use emphasis.

I am happy to report that Dugan is still "in tact" and has never bit anyone since. Then again, everyone else has listened to him...

From the Scottish Terrier Club of America's Website:

"The new motivational methods of training now used in most classes, can allow the words “Scotties” and “obedience” to be used in the same sentence. Gone are the harsh commands, unexpected leash jerks, and regimented drilling. These have been replaced by positive reinforcement and creative, upbeat methods that can make it fun for both of you.

To find a good obedience instructor, get some suggestions from your local kennel club, your breeder, the Humane Society, Dog Show, Community Education Program, and your Veterinarian. Then you may wish to observe the class to see if they are using the newer methods. If the class is fun and the dogs seem happy, then your Scottie should be, too.

At the end of six to eight weeks of basic obedience, your dog should walk on a leash without pulling and should know the commands “Sit, Down, Stand, and Come.” However, your Scottie will likely still consider these commands to be optional, so you will still need to continue practicing.

There are five obedience titles in the AKC program: Companion Dog, Companion Dog Excellent, Utility Dog, Utility Dog Excellent, and Obedience Trial Champion. The dog must demonstrate a higher degree of training and skill at each level."

I had the pleasure of attending the Scottie Obedience Trials at LuLu Temple last October. I was amazed to see Scotties perform so eloquently!

Snow-loving Scotties

Do Scotties really like to sled as depicted here:



Well, Otto certainly does! He may be an American and Canadian champion but since he's retired all he wants to do is feel the wind beneath his paws.






Picture taken by my friend, Jean, of her Otto riding down the hill with unidentified bank robber. According to Jean, Otto was the first one back up the hill to wait for his next ride!

Dugan skips the sledding scene and prefers just to tunnel in the snow: