Babes & Toy-land
My first brush with ‘amigurumi’ was when I was just a little girl: my Grandma (a masterful crocheter in her own right), made me an adorably-beautiful teddy bear with a pink tutu and matching shoes. Now, at the time she made me my doll, the term “Amigurumi” was not internationally known let alone accepted; but the principle still applies:
[“A crocheted (or knitted) doll.”] - though, Grandma and Mamaw very rarely dealt with small-sizes (we’re kind of a ‘big-ass’ family, and I’m only now learning to embrace it).
“Purple Party Teddy,” “Coco Quilted Bunny,” and “Pink Pretty Kitty” displayed on a chair (circa 2025)
Honestly, I’m afraid I don’t have any surviving photos of my very first few attempts at Amigurumi, myself. But I can tell you that one was a purple Chinchilla named “Timothy,” and he slept in his own bedded basket on the night table (no idea why I picked the name, but I’m just gonna roll with my inner-12-year-old Gremlin on this one!)
Small, navy teddy w/ embroidered eyes and nose (circa 2021)
Purple Party Teddy Bear -
one of my earliest attempts at creating my own stuffed dolls, in the same vein a my Grandma’s (circa 2021)
But once I honed my skills better, and started focusing more on specific crocheting techniques, I realized (at the age of 29) that I was ready to expand my personal pattern book, and go more off-book in what I made (i.e. actually embracing the fact that I’m a “free-hand” crocheter, through and through).
And from there, my “Cool Kitten” Dolls were born!
The original “Cool Kittens” dolls (circa Feb. 2022)
Three kittens for the three Rigsby Children (Left to Right):
Travis, Taylor, & Tyler
And it they have been my pride and joy ever since!
For me, they started out as a way to help clear out my extra rolls of yarn from projects long since past (and trust me, there were A LOT of extra rolls of yarn!).
Personally, I think because they’re made with such a limited quantity of yarn that’s what makes them special: I can only design the kittens and their clothes with colors and weights I have available. What a lot of non-artists don’t realize is that that level of scarcity is what really forces a Creative to think on their feet, and, as a result, allows for such unique innovation and artistry.
Something that can’t be replicated with mass-production.
Now, as much as I love making toys and dolls for small children, I can’t deny that I love making small play-things for babies and newborns - albeit with a few materialistic twists…
Baby’s Crocheted Lovies (circa 2022)
While my prototypes were always made with acrylic-blend yarns (those yarns are more accessible - cheaper - for working and writing down the project patterns) I’d prefer to find out from the parents themselves whether or not natural or synthetic fibers are preferred (because allergies exist, and they do NOT care just how cute you are!)
Knitted Preemie hats, pink and blue (circa 2022-23)
I want to be sure that my customers’ purchases are going to last them a lifetime - mainly because inflation-rates are never going to corporate in any era.
As a result, wearables, of any kind and at any age, can be tricky because every body is completely different; which is why I like to be extra careful in the materials I’m using - especially if a customer is shelling out that much money for a purchase!