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At last, boxes fit for amigurumi 

Well it's here: Time for a change.  Convenient big box stores are put on hold. They used to carry more variety in small shipping box sizes and at a satisfactory price I could shop in-store. Now-a-days costs of shipping materials keep going up.  I have had it. It's time to start constructing custom boxes to fit my amigurumi.  My rough draft designs are going live immediately.  All is takes is patience and to give it your best shot. This is the beginning of ditching the convenience of box stores. Forget their oversized and undersized boxes  My plan is in motion, to handmake a box then protect it with a poly bag.

It's fun, crafty, and one less trip to the store, of course. Perhaps this means I will have a little more branding that shouts, It's handmade!  

 The challenge is to use my Jodi pattern for another character. The character is called Ada Twist, Scientist.  She originated from a children's book by Andrea Beaty.  The book has been turned into an animated series. 

I noticed sthat ome features on Jodi could be used for Ada. Why not give it a try? 

I am excited to try another STEM character after making Sid the Science Kid. This one is by my own request.  The similarity starts and ends with the head in particular.  New designs for arms, legs and torso are necessary on account of Ada's spaghetti-style  limbs. (Updates in a future post) STEM = science, technology,  engineering,  and math

 After Part 1  of  'A Rehash Opportunity' blogpost, here's Part 2: The Rehash Character Reveal. Can you notice any similarities?  

My latest accepted challenge, the orange character on the right, is Sid the Science Kid. I decided to rehash the pattern on the left into Sid. This pattern was the closest that I had come to the look of this new doll request. The pattern on the left is Eleanor Chipette.  Her request backstory is found here .

It is time to ramble 

#1:  About that new request. 

I recently discovered something.  A new request for an unfamiliar character started to remind me of an old request from years back. Eureka! I'm rich! I will save a lot of time and effort. (Rich not as in money, but as in joy. Haha.) Which brings me to this question: How many new requests turnover into new products that other shoppers request? Answer: A very small percentage in my experience.  

Ramble #2: The old to new discovery is a starting block in a short distance race. 

On this craft journey I have run into a race track of sorts. I took my runners' starting block, that old to new discovery,  and entered the track. Pow!, the starting gun went off. The starting block set me off running, at the shot of the gun, on a steady pace and a good mindset. (What is at the finish line? ) 

This discovery I like to call the Rehash Opportunity. It involves all the past effort in making that one-off doll that is no longer in demand, which turned out rather pleasing. It reminds me of the failure too: new product turnout without further demand does not make a thriving business.

Aside from that I shall conclude that, it is not the products but the customers that make  business thrive. Even one request is worth a million (not dollars but bundles of joy). 

End rambling.  

Here is the old doll design that this Rehash Opportunity will give new life to.  There were noticeable similarities in the face between the old and new.  The old, Eleanor Chipette reminded me of the new, Sid the Science Kid, to-be-revealed next time..

Cubby drawers are now easier to organize with paperboard boxes and small skeins of yarn.

Meanwhile, the battle of the cubbies starts,...IKEA versus BHG.

The IKEA cubby 'dupe', Better Homes & Gardens Cube Organizer, looks identical at a glance. Nevertheless, BHG has cubby holes that are slightly smaller. This is why I did not realize that my established configuration of 4x2 would not fit the same way. This is how I had to adjust the configuration of my toaster pastries boxes, i.e. Paperboard. On one side is a stack of 4. Next to that, instead of an identical stack of 4, I could only fit 2x2 columns.

In the photo it shows how the boxes fit in a drawer with ease.

As far as structural changes,  gluing 2 boxes together gives more stability. But without glue they are easier to reconfigure. .

• Do you like shopping at dollar stores for craft storage items? 
• Do you like to start yarn projects like I do? 

What about the unfinished projects? 

• Do the projects seem to disappear because you hid them from yourself? 

If you have used bags for storage then perhaps those projects disappear for a long time. Like when I just want to try a pattern out but not commit to finishing it right away, I tuck it away into Never Neverland. 

Then, I started using a few square clear containers that I bought from a dollar store. Meant for use as food containers, you can also use them for storing craft things and projects. They helped keep those smaller recent projects visible, tidy, and contained. If you can fit the lid on then they're stackable. 

I still have many unfinished items stuffed in drawers.  This reminds me to mention another alternative solution, closet organizer shelves. You know the hanging fabric shelves, right? The shoe type and clothing type are all filling up my closets and dedicated to holding unfinished projects.  

 Start at the front

Starting with the orange 'mouth marking' area (using the orange yarn tail as in the photo), sew the head to the torso chest. By starting the connection here and keeping the body aligned you may avoid the crooked head result. Pause where the mouth marking ends.

Next, start connecting the area next to the orange mouth-marking. Sew with brown yarn  in the opposite direction of the orange area.  Pause around where the back begins.

The Other Side: 

Use a different brown yarn tail to sew together the other side of the head to the torso. Also, fill in any stuffing gaps and dents as you go along prior to completion.