Category: Stories

Stories

A barn owl pattern in progress

Sonja

Some of you know already I am working on a barn owl pattern. A while ago I posted a picture of the face I designed on Instagram and I’ve been busy working on the body. At the same time I’ve been working on other things and everything isn’t going as speedily as I had hoped for.

So here’s a little progress update. Last week I finished the barn owl’s body, thinking this would be the final version. But I am not completely satisfied just yet. I tried something new to attach the tail and wings seamlessly and it looks very neat, but new things take more time.

In the picture you see prototype 2. I want to use a lighter colour for the wings and back. Also, I don’t like how the spots on the belly are positioned, I tried to make them look random, but they’ve become quite geometrical on the right side (in this picture). And I think the chest needs to be a bit wider, the wings are too close to each other. I’m hoping to publish the barn owl pattern the first or second week of October and it looks like I am going to make that date!

I’ve also been working on a crazy little free pattern, a little creature many of us don’t like to have in high numbers in our gardens, but hedgehogs do. Yes, they will be cute! That pattern will be available here by the end of this week.

And what could it possibly be?

Stories

Important update about my Craftsy shop

Sonja

Today I discovered my shop at Crafty is practically gone. I was totally shocked to see Craftsy isn’t called Craftsy anymore but Bluprint and I only sell one pattern in the little bit of my shop that is left. Thankfully they have a live chat option, so I immediately started a chat to ask what was going on. It seems that I have missed an email that was send to me, oh stupid me – I didn’t read it thoroughly because I thought it wasn’t THAT important – in which was explained Crafty is turning into Bluprint and that shops will be reduced untill they have their new platform running again. This is the message I received:

So this means, my Craftsy shop is temporarily unavailable, unless you want to buy Flam’s pattern. I can proudly say my shop is important to them, so it will return! Later in 2019, it will be re-opened as a Bluprint shop with all the patterns that I sell. I have no idea when this will be, and neither does the Bluprint/ Craftsy team. They are currently working on it so we just have to wait and see. I also hope the Bluprint shop will be just as lovely as my Craftsy shop was. I’ve grown quite fond of it, it was my first shop.

A big benefit of Craftsy for indie designers like me was, they do not charge any fees. The price you paid for a pattern, was the price I received. On Ravelry a seller pays a reasonably fair fee, but on Etsy, the fee is quite high for pattern sellers. Also, when you are from Europe or certain states of the US, you pay extra VAT. That is why I’ve never mentioned my Etsy shop here before. I like my patterns to be found by Etsy customers, but if someone finds my patterns here, I preferred directing them to Craftsy or Ravelry.

For now, you can still purchase my patterns at Ravelry and Etsy. Everything is there. I will keep you updated about Bluprints progress and please do not forget about them, they are the most fair platform to us designers. I’m waiting with anticipation for their new platform for sure!

This is not a very fun way to start the new year and means a bit of extra work for me. But I won’t let it spoil the fun of designing new patterns, I have some very interesting ideas for new patterns, so see you soon!

Stories, Uncategorized

It’s time for something new

Sonja

I’m so happy to announce that I have finished the updates. Last week I updated the last 14 patterns and now all my patterns are text edited for correct English and proofed a last time. The older patterns also have extra head shots of the animals so it’s easier the see where the eyes, ears, muzzles or bills go. And the patterns might even look more fancy than the most recent ones because of the decorative images of the animals on their backs. I will add those to the newest patterns too, but will do that ‘in between’ because it isn’t really necessary but just looking great. Adding those images made this experience more fun for sure, just look at them!

It was a huge endeavour and in the end I really got tired of it, but it was worth it. For most patterns that got a big make over, I’ve send a Craftsy and Ravelry update message. But I forgot for some and for the rest of them I skipped the messages. I didn’t want to bother you peeps with loads of emails. Here’s a list of the patterns I have updated in case you would like to have an updated version. Send me a message and your receipt and I’ll email or send the new version to your library.

There are a few patterns I made temporarily unavailable because I felt like making new and better versions of them. Basil the otter is the one I am starting with, Monty the marmot, the lop rabbit and Sjuffel the dog will follow, but I am not sure when because I also want to make a completely new pattern, a giraffe that is, after the new Basil. When I look at my work now, I am so proud. Thanks for all of your support, you crafters are fabulous!

Now we are updated. Hope to be here soon with a glimpse of a new otter.

Stories

I’m in update mode

Sonja

Some of you know I am currently updating my older patterns. Why is that? It is not because I’m still in that phase. And it is not because the patterns aren’t good enough either.

There are two things that bother me. The first is, some of the older patterns are not text edited by my amazing editor and therefor contain silly mistakes. Just typos and weird sentences she has helped me with over the past few years. The second thing is, I am not satisfied anymore with the pictures some of them contain. When I started designing these crochet animals, I didn’t pay that much attention to the backgrounds of the pictures. Along the way the backgrounds have become cleaner and nowadays they basically just are a sandy warm colour. I have thought of shooting against a white background, but found that a bit too clean.

Because I’ve already designed so many animal patterns, I’m not going to do new photoshoots for all of them. Even though the older pictures aren’t as neat as the new ones, they do their job as instruction photos. The pictures I am replacing are the promotion pictures you see in my pattern page and the shop listings. The reason for that is, I want my shops to have a clean and professional look.

It is a bit overwhelming I have to admit, it’s a lot of work. But also addicting, because when I start something like this, I’m looking so much forward to the end result, I want to go fast. Check out my progress so far, you can clearly see the updated images. And ever so frustrating, despite my hard work some of them still have a slightly different coloured background…

These patterns have received an update lately:

Flam the fox. The doll itself only got a neater body, the pattern received a complete update with new and shiny pictures. This one needed it the most! Click image to view the new post.

 

 

 

Flims the hedgehog. No changes to the doll, only a pattern update. Hopefully no more silly mistakes and better images. My editor commented ‘you cannot call a hedgehog a hog’. Oops, no more hog then! Click the image to view the new post.

 

 

 

Wasby the raccoon, like Flims, no changes to the doll, only a pattern update with more and better pictures. Click the image to view the new post.

 

 

Currently I am working on an update for Jonesy the duckling and Moser the mole. More will follow, oh dear…

Art, Stories

Last post this year featuring your work!

Sonja

What better way to end this blogging year by, than with your fabulous work. Just look at all these gorgeous, funny, mischievous and whimsical looking creatures and how they all seem to have their own personalities.

This was a good year full of Popkejoy!

Have a wonderful new year dear crafters, may the crafty force be with us all in 2018!

Art, Stories

Badger update

Sonja

Hi crafty folks, I just wanted to give you and update on the progress of the badger. Here is a little teaser image for you.

I have a first badger finished and it is already sitting on my bedside table. Now you probably are thinking ‘what am I supposed to do with that info?’ Well, when a doll is finished, I always bring it with me to the bedroom, because I want to have it close to me. You know, like when you were a kid and put your new shoes next to your bed. Or was that only me?

Anyway, now you probably will understand I love this badger plushy to bits. It wasn’t easy to create this more realistic shaped pattern and I got stuck many times. I will tell all about that when I publish the pattern. What I can say now is that this crochet badger means a lot to me. Badgers are me favourite animals and after seeing one in the wild this summer it is very special to now have a homemade miniature badger next to my bed. I think this badger radiates my love for the animal and will make a very special pattern for all animal and badger lovers out there.

And one more thing. This crochet badger is brushed and to be sure all the proportions are good before I could do the promo and pattern photoshoot, I had to finish a first badger. I also want pictures in the pattern of how you assemble the animal, so I needed an unfinished doll for that purpose. I am happy to say everything turned out good so that means I will have two almost identical badgers. Maybe I will sell one off them. I have to think about that.

See you next week 🦊

Art, Stories

A new one

Sonja

Hi crafters!

It has been a while since my last post. I’ve been making commissioned monkeys (something I am not going to do again) and have thought a lot about a new design. I had some trouble deciding what animal to make to be honest. After that rather realistic monkey, I wanted to go back to something simple. Basically to just a fun looking doll to make.

I asked for your suggestions and got some, but they where of the complicated sort. A kangaroo with a joey is an animal I want to make for sure, but I do want it to be both striking and simple and don’t have an idea for that yet. I also thought about designing a horned lizard pattern or a turtle, but was not sure I could reach my goal of fun and simple with those.

I also felt like making a cat. I have made a cat pattern before, Dandylion, but he isn’t a doll. A cat seemed like the perfect animal to make a fun and basic pattern for, and it also has some other interesting opportunities. So, a cat it was. The pattern for this cat will be simple but flexible. One with the option to make your own cat!

And no worries, the cat’s already finished. All I have to do is find the right moment to take some pictures and finish the pattern.

Art, Stories

A very special project

Sonja

This fresh new year, I am starting with a very special project. I am making the pattern for a fossilised monkey. And it is not even that simple, the monkey I am making is a prosimian or a lemur monkey. The researchers are not completely sure about it. This monkey, called Ida (based on Darwin’s name), died 47 million years ago and was found in Messel, Germany.

monkWhy am I making a fossilised monkey that lived 47 million years ago? To be honest, I’m not really a monkey fan. They just aren’t my kind of animals. I do love some lemurs and prosimians and please don’t get me wrong, I don’t dislike monkeys, but they aren’t on my list of cute and cuddly things that make me feel all happy like when I see a guinea pig, fox or squirrel.

But this Ida monkey does! This was the cutest and most beautiful monkey ever. A friend of mine, who is a wildlife and paleo artist, made the most fabulous illustrations for a book about Ida. Because Ida was so very well preserved, Esther could draw her exactly as she looked, except for the colours. They couldn’t see those from the fossil so she had to chose the most likely colours. And how she portraid Ida, I was in love with her from the start! She made the monkey look so gorgeous and exotic.

Ida is a lemur or prosimian monkey and has this specific type of body. I really like the shape of her head and flexible form. She is perfect for the monkey I like to make. The coloured illustration you see is one of the illustrations Esther made for the book. Ida is the baby monkey carried by the mother.

idaEsther has asked me before if I could make an Ida monkey, but I never wanted to because it doesn’t exist anymore and therefor crafters won’t recognise the crochet monkey. But lately I was thinking about making a hanging monkey and got stuck on which type. I asked Ether if she knew an extra cute one and of course she said I should make the Ida monkey. I wasn’t sure about it at first but the more I thought about it, the less unlikely it felt. Why wouldn’t I make a pattern for this type of monkey? Ida is absolutely gorgeous and If I design a hanging Ida monkey, I bet many crocheters would just love it. The colours can easily be replaced for colours of existing monkeys if one prefers so what’s the problem. It was done. I was making a fossilised monkey as first project of the year! Now to think of a suitable name…

 

Stories

An Autumn portrait

Sonja

crochet animal patterns

This summer I started an Instagram account and am loving it so much. For me it is some sort of fantastic encouragement to photograph my work much more. I’m experiencing with all sorts of settings and backgrounds and get inspired by other people’s work. Yesterday I felt like making an Autumn portrait of one of my crochet animals. Rupert became the subject and some old tray was turned into a gorgeous rustic background. The picture became so special I wanted to post it here. I am thinking of more portraits like these, so keep an eye on my Instagram.

Because of all the enthusiastic reactions and requests, the ‘#popkejoy’ Instagram and Ravelry photography contest will be a recurring thing. I am thinking of a new contest somewhere around the end of the year. I’ll keep you posted about that.

Happy Autumn crafty folks!

Stories

The goofy croco sketch

Sonja

There are days I feel more like a housewife than a designer. After the holiday so many household chores needed to be done, I could hardly find the time to actually get back to work, even without having children…

For me the house needs to be clean and tidy before I can sit relaxed behind my desk, knowing all the time ahead is for me. Today all was set and done and what a delight. This is the result!

Goofycroco

I made a last crocodile sketch in watercolour and now am ready to enter the world of wool. I’ve been in the world of wool this summer, but that was for knitting, look what I made! Now it is time for my dearest friend, crocheting. I am going to try some new stitches for this crochet animal to get a fabulous crocodile texture, so this will be an all new adventure for me.

And keep your #popkejoy photos coming, I have seen some hilarious ones already!