THE STORY OF A WRONG PATTERN

In 2016 I drew a racoon with a really ugly face, but I loved it. I told myself that it was so weird that a lot of other people would definitely like it as much as I did. I committed to crochet him, made him lots of cute accessories to play with, designed a background for photos and posted it on Etsy and Amigurumi Pattern. I was sure I had finally found my style, unique and original.

 

 

Unique it certainly was, so much so that after only one day of requesting publication on Amigurumi Patterns, I received this response:

 

 

 

WTF!!! Were they really rejecting it?! I couldn't believe it. It was cute, the photos were well done, I had put so much effort into packaging an original product with attention to every detail. After 5 years, I only sold one Jack the racoon pattern on Etsy (and you, only customer, I'm sorry to say you have as bad taste as me) and resigned myself to the evidence: that pattern sucked.

Let's analyze it together:

 

 

Would you really let your child play with a maniac face doll?! He looks like someone who comes looking for you at home at night, not to steal your eggs, but your virginity. I realize that I have really miscalculated the word "cute". 

 

 

What about the background, which took so much out of me to be able to make it look like a mysterious, nocturnal place? Nothing, please don't say anything and let's draw a veil over the whole thing.

From this story I learned that if I make something that other people think is ugly and they show it to me by not buying it, then it is really ugly and there are two things left for me to do: cry, despair and say that the world has it in for me, or flush that ugly thing down the toilet and design something worth presenting to the world.

I usually choose the first one, but not this time.

First I had to get rid of that face but I wanted to keep the body because I liked it. Here's the sketch I drew while I was on vacation.

 

 

Then I had to figure out which accessories to keep and which to throw away. Since I babysit and had just heard the kids getting ready to go back to school, I decided to make him a schoolboy.

So, body aside, of which I already had the base, I threw myself headlong to find the shape of the head. I'm not going to describe here the thousands of attempts and all the yarn wasted, trying to give the exact shape of the design to that head, so that I was about to give up and throw everything in the garbage.

But hey, never give up! So, after a week that went on and on with swearing, I finally found what I was looking for. While working, I found a shape I liked best and felt instantly satisfied.

So, folks, after a scorching defeat, I am today pleased to present to you the new amigurumi!

TA-DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA'!!!!!!!!!

Remy the racoon, my friends, here in all its splendor!

 

 

Yesterday I presented it to my most ruthless judges, the kids, and they said it was beautiful. Since they can't fake it when something sucks for them, I trusted their judgment.

Write to me if you are of the same opinion and if you have ever encountered defeat and how you reacted. Know that I'm already redoing all the patterns that didn't succeed.

For those of you who want to try your hand at it, Remy the racoon's pattern is in my Etsy shop.
And I hope I never have to post obscene amigurumi again!