Sock dolls are taking over

The reason I have been so quiet lately is that I have started travelling again after 18 months of ill health. So a new trip means of course, I needed to decide which craft to take on the road with me. Sock dolls was an easy choice. They are light weight and all the supplies are easily available in just about every town in Australia. Socks, cotton thread and stuffing (pillow innards do exceptionally well).

I took maybe 20 pairs to start me off with, a bag of stuffing, needles, cottons and some yarn that were left over. I was set.

Now I have accumulated many more socks as I keep finding them on special. Even Op Shops sell brand new socks in the original packaging now and then.

I have decided to sell them on the road when I can. I started up a Facebook page for my crafts and called it Platypus Creations. I also invited Lindy from Piggywhistles to join me with her own crafts.
We each have our own talents. Here are some of her creative works.

Lindy's beaded owl brooch

Lindy makes these cute little polymer toadstools for sale

I absolutely love how she uses the toadstools as Christmas decorations on her own mini tree

Due to travelling and my fluctuating fatigue levels, I will not be taking custom orders for the foreseeable future.
Here are just some of my sock dolls, I have made along the way. Some are sold and some are still available. There are many more to be seen on Platypus Creations 1
 

Dolls and more up for sale

Yippee! We have finally done it. Lindy and myself have finally started our own crafty facebook page where can show off and sell our creative endeavours.  We have called our page Platypus Creations.

A small collection of my dolls

Lindy's creative talents lie in a totally different direction to my own. She leans towards felt, beads and doodling art work especially where toadstools and magical elements ensue.

Whoooo's this? One of Lindy's beaded felt owl

My own creative bent is towards papercrafts (which you can see a variety of from earlier blog posts here) and sewing. I have really taken lately to making sock dolls. I also crochet bigger items such as blankets but so far these have all gone within the family.

One of my box cards with handmade flowers

So come follow us and keep upto date with our creative endeavours and think of us when you need that special hand made touch for a loved one.

My grand daughter loves her little blanket

Zoe - my latest doll with movable arms.

 So come and like our Facebook Page and remember us when you have a loved one you wish to buy something special for.

Sock dolls galore

I am still toying around with sock dolls. (HA! Pun intended!). In fact my crafty little heart has been lapping it up and I find it hard to walk past any shops that sell socks and if they are on special then invariably I end up buying 1 or 2 (or more but shh that's a secret just between you and me!).

Part of the family of sock dolls I left back home.

I have started to experiment with different designs, including a few animals and checking out the viability of machine stitching for the legs and arms.

You might remember that I made quite a few snowmen out of socks last year. So I went a step further and I started out with the sock babies at this blog but once you've done one it is easy to adjust and put your own unique touches on each one.

These three friends I made on a short trip back in February this year.

I find that the socks are very easy to work with especially as the fabric is very forgiving being so stretchy. The biggest attraction for me is that I can easily take this craft on the road when we go free camping in our converted bus, the Robbiebago. I can buy socks at just about anywhere in Australia even in remote places and I can buy pillows in many towns too and use the poly stuffing in them. So, as long as I have a needle and thread and a few bits of wool, ribbon etc there's not much more I need.

Nelly is my first attempt at a sock doll with movable arms, she works beautifully.

They are also lightweight and compact down easily in one of those space saver bags if I really get carried away and make more than I can sell. I might even try to sell some at a country market stall if I get that far to offer a good selection of choices.

Meet Sally: She is my most recent doll. I wanted to try a different hair style

They are all made with a whole lot of love, and they are all unique, definitely one of a kind. I am selling these sock dolls and animals and 50% of all sales goes to a Rare Cancer charity I am involved in called Without a Ribbon. If you would like to buy a doll or have a look at any of the other sock creatures then please visit my Facebook page: Platypus Creations.

Shhh: Baby Robyn has fallen asleep with the hum of the motorhome.

I hope to add at least one doll each and every week. So get them while you can, especially if one particular doll appeals to you. I am sorry but I am unable to take custom orders as my health isn't reliable and it wouldn't be fair to you nor to myself. I am open to suggestions though ;)


If you make sock dolls or any other sock creatures, I would love to see yours! Show us a picture via our Facebook page.

Can you sit still?

A friend texted to wish me well whilst I was enroute in the train to see 2 of my children before we headed off on our next trip in the Robbiebago, our RV motorhome. I mentioned that I was thoroughly happy creating the hair for my next sock doll. She replied "Don't you ever just sit idly?" and proceeded to gently admonish me to enjoy the view too especially as I was passing through some spectacular coastal escarpment with sweeping views over the ocean as well as the mountain.

Overlooking Stanwell Beach

It is true I rarely just sit and do nothing. I get bored then I'd nap whereas if I do something such as crocheting then I can watch and work at the same time. Being deaf I can't hold a conversation or watch television and craft at the same time as I need my eyes to assist my ears (lipreading or reading captions/teletext). I love to read also but I don't interact with anyone or anything once I get nose into a good book, in fact I am so mesmerized that don't get much housework or craft done either until it is finished, so I try to restrict the amount of reading that I do.

One of my sock dolls

I love take advantage of the time when we are actually driving from place to place especially in the motorhome. Rob doesn't like being a passenger and I am fortunate in that I do not get car sick even if I read in the car, but then I wouldn't talk to Rob nor would I see any of the views around me. So generally I prefer to do something crafty whilst Rob is driving. Lately it has been crocheting, which I find it is easy to keep in touch with the world outside my windows and keep interacting with Rob from time to time.

My latest crocheting project - a granny square blanket for the Robbiebago.

My first Sock Doll Sweetie

I just can't help myself. I just have to keep on crafting.

After enjoying making sock snowmen last year as gifts, and for charity, I have found another  cute way to convert those lost and lonely socks into a sweet little playmate.... aaah forget the lost sock syndrome - I just went ahead and bought a collection of cute socks from my local discount store and here is my very first sock doll. Thanks to a wonderful friend Lindy of Piggwhistles Blog for encouraging me to keep on crafting when we get together for a weekly chat and craft sessions! I will be making more for sure. My mind is racing ahead as one of my sock has leopard prints on it... can I make a leopard after I become accomplished with these simple dolls.

I started by following a tutorial I found on Plushie Patterns. Mine are a close copy but I still managed to make it mine mainly with the addition of a tiny nose. I have named her "Sweetie". I didn't want to use any stick on eyes, beads or even safety eyes as I want babies to be able to cuddle her. I used embroidery wool and french knots for the eyes. and added 2 tiny curls of the same wool for hair peeking out of the beanie which I tasseled. Sweetie can be thrown inside a pillowcase and into the washing machine when she gets a little grubby after spending a day with the girls.

My Sweetie is not good enough to sell, but she is definitely the first of many to come. I am sure my grand-daughters will love Sweetie in spite of her imperfections anyway. Can't you see her blushing with all the love she will get. (I used permanent ink and a cotton bud so it doesn't wash off)

I am in two minds whether to have a mouth on them. What do you think?