Copycat

Imagine my surprise to receive an email from the creator of lalylala crochet patterns. Lydia lives and works in Germany. She is extremely talented. I love her designs. It was her crochet characters that inspired me to create my first Bobo Bunny and pattern. 

After making a few bunnies and perfecting my pattern, I decided to try making a bear. I copied the look of "Bina the Bear" because it is so cute. Without purchasing or seeing Lydia's patterns, I simply created a new pattern for a similar looking bear. 

I was pleased with my Boo Bear and eager to share, not thinking this pattern would cause problems for a crochet designer in Germany. 

I remembered my children loved watching Teletubbies when they were toddlers, so my next few crochet critters were made to be similarly short and chubby. I created a few chubby crochet critters: Freddy Frog, Lucy Lamb, Crochet Kitty, Ellie Elephant, Green Goblin Baby and Sunflower Doll. 

My next and final crochet critter was Reddy Fox. Our daughter shared photos of a fox's futile attempts to break into their chicken coop in Boulder. Our grandchildren were thrilled to see a fox in their backyard which inspired me to crochet fox hats for them. 

Once the hats were finished, I decided to crochet a fox critter for our granddaughter using yarn left over from the hats. I created the pattern in the same style as the rest of my crochet critters making the body midway between the tall bear and the shorter critters. I referred to fox photos to make the ears and tail and select colours for the limbs. I was very happy with my Reddy Fox.

Unfortunately, Lydia is NOT happy. She thinks both Boo Bear and Reddy Fox are too similar to her Bina the Bear and Fibi the Fox. She would like me to remove these patterns from my blog and stop "copying" her designs.

I do not wish to cause Lydia problems with her business, so have removed my free patterns for both Boo Bear and Reddy Fox. 

If you would like to make Bina the Bear or Fibi the Fox, please visit lalylala.com where these patterns along with many other awesome crochet characters designed by Lydia are available for purchase.

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Making It Up

A few weeks ago I found a really cute bunny pattern on-line and was thrilled to see it was available for free. I printed it before realizing the pattern included only bunny ears, tail and cross stitch rose design for the tummy. A basic hooded doll pattern needed to be purchased. 

At first I was disappointed then I decided it was time I tried just Making It Up. I have enough experience crocheting toys to make a variety of shapes. I figured I should be able to make a fairly good likeness on my own. For this doll, I started with the feet crocheting from the bottom up, writing the pattern as I worked. 

You may remember I shared a 'sneak peak' look at the body in this post. I finished the body before I took a break to cycle in Cuba for two weeks. Once I returned, I spent another week sorting through my photos and writing about the trip. If you missed it, you can read all about it here. The rest of my free time was taken up with unpacking, laundry and resting. Overnight travel, returning to bitter cold and jumping back into a busy work week zapped my energy. 

I was happy I finally felt ready to pick up my crochet this week and finish all the parts to make Bobo Bunny. I decided to use the Lalylala free pattern for the bunny ears and for the tail I will be making a fluffy little pom-pom. Bobo Bunny is not exactly the same as the Lalylala dolls but he has a similarly cute look. I especially love that I was successful at just Making It Up for a change. 

I still have to join Bobo's parts, add a face and make the tail but I couldn't wait to show you my progress so far. I think I'll finish Bobo Bunny then spend some time writing out the pattern this afternoon. It will be worth the effort as I plan to use my Bobo Bunny pattern again making small changes so every creation is unique. 

As always I will be sure to share photos of Bobo Bunny and his pattern once I finish. If you prefer to make a proper Lalylala Doll, the patterns are reasonably priced and available on-line. There are lots of cute options available. 

Blogger According to Matt recently purchased both the lamb and the fox doll patterns. He loved how the instructions were easy to follow and was very happy with his finished projects. I'm sure you won't be disappointed if you decide to buy one of the lovely Lalylala patterns.

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