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| Ginko out a-wandering |
Ginko-san, the mushi-shi, travels from place to place, curing people who have been infected with mushi, and otherwise trying to bring them (the mushi) into balance. I really love the artwork and the story telling of this anime!
It was a lot of fun dreaming up this pint sized version of him!
So...onto the good stuff:
I had found a really cool pattern for Link, of Zelda fame. He is soooo cute, but the reason I am so agog is the ball jointed head that allows for much better posing. Thanks so much, Tanoushimo, for translating Becchin's べっちん pattern! If you're interested in making a Link, check out All About Ami's patterns for his shield, sword, sheath, and redesigned hat.
I did make quite a few changes of my own to make Ginko...most notably redesigning the shoe/leg. and redoing the arms, and hair:
I reverse engineered the leg by starting with the sole...same number of stitches and rounds, however after increasing to the 16 stitches, I did one more round in the BLO for a turning round. Then decreased at the front of the foot (just like the boot top, but backwards ;) ), changing yarn colors on the second round after the BLO round. I did the same number of rounds...though he does look a bit leggier than Link.
For the arms: I started the hand just like the pattern directs...but I simply changed yarn colors when I thought his forearms were long enough...then crocheted with sleeve color until I was satisfied with the length. When I finished that...I went back and surfaced crocheted a row of slip stitches along the place where the two colors meet. That way, he looks like he's rolled up his sleeves.
Oh, and don't forget to add a collar. I did this one by surface single crocheting it in place, leaving a gap in the front for the collar to be open.
I made a wig cap like the pattern directs, but I used a much smaller hook (1.85 mm or #3 steel, for hte hair, 2.25 mm or #0 steel) as the Caron Simply Soft is much thinner. As I approached the outer diameter that would cover the top of his head, I crocheted wisps of hair to make his bangs. Ginko hides his left eye beneath copious bangs. To do bangs like that, just crochet a chain as long as the desired wisp, then slip stitch back to the wig cap. I just kind of winged how they should look...but anyways...you get the picture. On the following round, place a few more wisps to create a really layered look. For the back of his hair, I single crocheted back and forth matching the width from ear to ear, 2sc tog at each end to taper his nape. After sewing the wig to his head, embroider around the nape to hid the edges of the wig. I then made one big clump (?) of hair to hide the last gap that I couldn't get covered with the wispier bangs, and sewed that in place. Done!
Ginko-san hardly ever goes anywhere with out his medicine chest...so I cobbled one together:
Chain desired height of box (I think it was around 10 or 11chains), skip first chain, sc back. ch 1, single crochet row. Fasten off.
Repeat previous, but don't fasten off. Instead, chain 1 and work single crochets, through the back loops adding 2 or 3 extra sc at the corners of the box. Crochet another round. Fasten off, and sew one box top to other half, stuffing before closing completely. Straps are crocheted chains...just pull up a loop on one end, and crochet a chain as long as the box...don't leave extra as the chain will stretch enough. Fasten off and repeat for second strap.
I didn't have any green animal eyes (you know, the one's with the pupils), just some really old (back when there used to be Ben Franklin's) 9mm, clear red ones...and being rather impatient, I decided I would just paint on the green irises myself. From the front. Yeah. I really think next time, I'll just wait for eyes to come in the mail. Though it's super annoying to live in a town this size (100,000+) and no one sells them?!!? Ahem...anyways. Like I said, Ginko hides his left eye because there isn't one...he lost it when he was a boy. So I used a plain black 9mm eye for the hole.
* The opening music is "The Sore Feet Song" by Ally Kerr.
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