excellence in S's and Zs!
A while back, I made a really fun hat for Erica Perl, the author of “Chicken Butt!” New she has published a beautiful new book called “Dotty” about a girl and her imaginary friend. Erica asked me to create a new hat to go with her new book. I’m proud to show it off here!
Erica, please send me a picture of yourself wearing it (though it can’t possibly top this one)!
Last night my school held its annual science fair and I donated this RARE saltwater specimen as a prize. Little did you know that the Great Salt Lake, once famous only for its bouyancy and clouds of brine flies, is now the habitat of several species of cephalopods!
Can it really have been a full year since the last science fair, when I made a tiny octopus specimen in a jar?
Photo Credit: Jama Rattigan
Here is an adorable photo of Erica Perl, author of the new children’s book “Chicken Butt!” sporting a very cool hat made my yours truly.
Erica contacted me a few months back and asked me to make a hat modeled on the one I made last year for the Boogedy, but before the plucking.
The body and drumsticks are white cotton, “Luna” by Cascade Yarns. The feet are also Luna, and they’re crocheted around a brown pipe cleaner for stability. The “feathers” are a polyester fluff yarn but I don’t remember the name.
This project was fun every step of the way (ok, the feet were a challenge) and elicited lots of laughs from people who watched me make it on the bus!
Congratulations Erica on a fun book, I’m so glad you trusted me to design your reading hat!
Here Zach is in all his knitted xmas finery, plotting the next pillage. The hat is already his most complimented item of clothing ever.
The scarf is the Noro stripey fad that I first learned of through the Yarn Harlot. Kristin and I went shopping together, but used different colorways (her Ravelry link). We both made the mistake of reading “supplies: two balls”. She went back for more to match her first balls, but I decided to try a third colorway. It’s an interesting jog where the third ball meets, but I like it.
The hat is my own invention. I used Lamb’s Pride Bulky in dark gray for the beanie. The horns are crocheted from a skinny yarn Sonya gave me (koigu?) and stuffed firmly with fluff. I’m quite proud of the horns, especially that fact that I managed to make them the same size, when I never wrote down the pattern. Kristin and I spent ages cutting out napkins and thinking this thing through to get horns that curved this way! The braids are Cascade 220. The bolts are plastic buttons.
I’m working on writing up a pattern. Leave a comment if you’re interested!
Our small school had 11 graduates this year, our biggest graduating class ever! We’re by no means big enough to go in for those big, jeweled, engraved class rings, so I crocheted each of the kids their own ring, using different Koigu, Scottish Campion, and Socks That Rock yarns. I then sewed these plastic beads on in matching yarn, showing the initials of our school.
I’d like to point out here that I have quit biting my nails!
The school where I work is having a science fair this afternoon (grades 7-12). I made this octopus as a prize for a winner or honorable mention in the “water quality” category. I have told them that it is a rare specimen from the Great Salt Lake, only two of which has been found before.
The brainiacs should be able to give your reasons why the salinity of the Great Salt Lake would preclude this type of lifeform. At which point I will reiterate their RARITY.
My son (on the right) and his cousin were born 5 days apart. I made each of them an Elf Hat for their tiny little newborn heads. Now they are celebrating their first birthday, and again I made them matching hats. We have to make them wear these things while they’re young and can’t say “no” or “hell no” or “mom, no way, I’ll look like a dork!!”
My hats were inspired by this pattern, though my decreases at the top are different (for that distinctive “chicken butt” shape). I crocheted the drumsticks because that was so much easier than knitting. The hats are some inexpensive cotton from JoAnns, because that’s the yarn I could find in this lovely “plucked poultry carcass” colorway.
The Brine Octopus is a unique species from the Great Salt Lake here in Utah. I am sending him to my friend KnitSonya, in thanks for her hospitality over the Christmas break. This young male is a rare specimen for her Cabinet of Curiosities!
Brine Octopus’ head is about the size of a walnut. I used some Scottish Campion yarn (now discontinued) that has been in my stash for nigh on 8 years! I used a small (now lost) crochet hook, same one that created Hungry Octopus.
I’ve been a knitter for years; I used to teach beginners classes and private lessons at ImagiKnit when I lived in San Francisco. I’ve never gotten into crochet, prefering the look of knitted clothes. Just last month I started looking at arigurumi creatures and patterns online–finally a reason to crochet! I got lots of inspiration from Roman Sock and made a few of her sweet owlets. This Octopus is my own first design. He is made of Koigu yarn, with a fairly small hook, though I lost the hook so can’t say for certain. This is his girlfriend.
ibbyskibby 