Assembly or Dissection?

Sometimes the assembly process actually looks more like a dissection...

 This adorable Ballerina Mouse is well on her way to being completed.

Crochet sections are done and I just need to source some ribbon

 for the ballet shoes and then I will begin attaching all the little parts.

The body construction is unusual, in that both ends are closed...

which means that the closed head needs to be attached to the closed neck.

I think that every other toy I have ever worked on had an open neck, which the head sat on.

I'll let you know how it goes!

Birth of a Mouse

I need to make a bunch of gifts for Little People at the moment... 

and let's face it - creatures are so much more fun than booties, bonnets or blankets!

Not quite feeling the inspiration to work up a design of my own, 

so I've been trawling Pinterest for ideas.

Rather than quirky designs, I'm feeling drawn to more traditional cutesy patterns.

You can take a peek here if you'd like to see what I've been "pinning"

I've decided to go with the Ballerina Mouse from Heart & Sew.

It's a free pattern - take a look for yourself!

Traveling well so far...

Sam the Unicorn

Ahhhhhh... a finished project!

It's been such a horrendously long time since I've seen a project through to completion,

 I'd almost forgotten about this blissful sense of satisfaction.

I can't stop ADMIRING him

Isn't he glorious?

Really and truly glorious... I'm absolutely smitten by him.

(pattern here)

I had a really hard time choosing the yarn for his scarf. 

Everything I tried just looked BLEARGHHHH

But I love the way these oranges POP...

and the ever so slight FIERY sensation

As for the hair colours... they remind me a great deal

 of this hair style which my Master Seventeen had a little while back:

I found my blog!

 

Somehow I managed to lose my blog...

I could read it, but I couldn't access it to edit!

and I was wanting to show you this Little Guy...

or the beginnings of him, at least.

As you can see, I'm still obsessed with this pattern:

Twinkle Toes the Unicorn by Alison North

- Stay tuned to see how he turns out -

Pattern Flashback

 

I was browsing through some of my old patterns,

looking for inspiration...

When I stumbled on this little gal!

Shelly the Colourful Sea Turtle

is an adorable knitted toy, which I designed back in 2013...

Much as I love the pattern,

I think the reason this one makes my heart skip a beat 

is the precious little munchkin holding the toy.

Struggling to accept that this little girl is now five and a half years old,

and starts Primary School in just a week or so.

They say time flies... and I'm really starting to feel it!

Shelly the Colourful Sea Turtle 

is available as a FREE PDF PATTERN

click here for more information

and to download

We're not done yet!

Of course there's more...

JUST A FEW MORE

'cause I really do love these little guys

*****

Check out this precious GEM created by SallyAnn

It seems to me that this guy is an old PARTY ANIMAL
(perhaps it's the style of horns which give me this feeling)

I feel that he has been around the block a few times,

but he still knows how to celebrate

and have a good time

He doesn't party as much as he used to

(as evidenced by the cob-webby strands from his horns, of course!)

but he does like to give the younger kids a run for their money

(it's possible I'm making all of this up, but it seems likely to me)

click here for SallyAnn's project page

 

*****

Sarah says that she began this project thinking she would

 do battle with her inner beast and try to beat him!!!

But instead she has learned to LOVE her inner beast

(even the undesirable qualities)

and also to love the INNER BEASTS of others

click here to more photos of Sarah's beast

including his rat tail

Apparently, people with wide set eyes are very tolerant and broadminded...

 but they also possess a flagrant disregard for authority and advice.

I wonder if this is true?

These eyes are VERY wide set!

(and tiny, I wonder what that indicates?)

*****

 This delightful character from Sue

really puts a smile on my face...

I can't pin point EXACTLY what it is that I find so appealing

but I think it's because he's so damn hairy!

He just looks like a giant shaggy ball of yarn ends grew a face

and some horns

* I really do love him *

Sue was originally planning to trim away some of that excess hair,

but I'm so glad she changed her mind and left him au naturel

 click here for Sue's project page

 *****

Now this one looks like I do, after a rough day at work! 

More than a little disheveled, with eyes that just don't look like a match...

Kajsa has crafted this FEISTY inner beast, known as

THE GREAT GOOBERLICIOUS

You'll notice rather a healthy beard happening,

and if you check out the project page

there's a whole lot of hair around back, too!

 (PS. the beard wasn't even intentional, just a brilliant accident of yarn placement)

Can you believe that this is Kajsa's FIRST CROCHET PROJECT???

What an incredible effort!

*****

The final INNER BEAST I'd like to share is Melba's

CHEERLEADER BEASTIE

(complete with pom poms)

I love Melba's intention with this glorious creature...

I'll paraphrase a little, but here is what the cheerleader beastie means to her:

* REMINDER - enjoy life more, and shake out that negativity *

* CHEER LEADING SUPPORT - to complete all those unfinished projects *

* REMINDER to appreciate what you have, and not focus on what you don't *

There's something in that for all of us, I think!

click here for Melba's project page

*****

and here's my little guy who started it all...

I can't tell you how happy it is to see his TRIBE gathering!

A HUGE THANKS TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU
 WHO HAS CREATED AN INNER BEAST TO SHARE WITH THE WORLD

IT REALLY DOES MAKE MY HEART HAPPY TO SEE THEM ALL
(and I am enormously proud)

If you are inspired by these wonderful projects, and want to make
an INNER BEAST of your own,

be sure and link your project to the pattern on Ravelry

so that we can all enjoy your creativity

*** INNER BEAST PATTERN HERE ***

The TRIBE is growing...

More INNER BEASTS to share today...

I really do love each and every one of these guys!

So often our creations look even better in real life too,

 so I can only imagine how truly adorable these creatures must actually be.

*****

Are you familiar with the children's book

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE?

This INNER BEAST created by Andrea seems like

 it would fit right in with the illustrations in that story...

The eyes are odd, and the horns are mismatched.

It seems that the row of pink stitches directly under the eyes could almost be the mouth,

but in my imagination it is stitched closed. I wonder why?

Andrea has added extra yarn tails to the head...

some are knotted, some plaited,

and there's some curls hidden in there, too!

If you look closely, you'll see that this beast is weighed down by a ball and chain...

Which is a shame, because I want to DANCE with this beast! 

I know it sounds bizarre,

but there’s something about this creature that makes me want to dance… 

I can almost hear the beating of a tribal drum… and I’m starting to tap my feet..

check out Andrea's project page here

Inspired to make a second creature,

Andrea then brought this THREE HORNED BEAST to life...

I love the way the red eyelash yarn at the bottom of the face

 makes it look as though he has a beard,

and if you look really carefully 

just below the beard and slightly to the right

you'll spy his wooden heart

more photos of this beast on Andrea's project page

 *****

Sometimes you start out following a pattern... and then get a little distracted.

Like Margaret did when working on her beasties below!

Apparently she didn't read the pattern properly,

her stitch count was incorrect,

she only used a single strand of yarn,

and the arms and legs don't match!!!

Yet still they look INCREDIBLE

click here for Margaret's project page, featuring both of her beasts

 This beast speaks to me of great happiness.

I think it begins with the ruffle around the neck, 

which makes me think of a circus clown...

there's all those bright and cheery colours,

then those sunflower eyes

(we all know that sunflowers are the largest, happiest flowers of all time)

I love that she is suspended for the photograph,

allowing all those yarn ends to dangle freely...

almost like tentacles!

Riding on the success of her first beast,

Margaret created her second one, and called her LILYFUSS

She reminds me of a quaint old duck,

struggling between her head and her heart.

Her heart tells her to be true to herself,

 to embrace each and every one of her quirks,

and refuse to age gracefully...

But her head tells her to be graceful, demure and proper...

to pop on on her pearls and her fancy hat,

and conforms to society's norms. 

(maybe I read too much into that one!)

 

*****

Meet MURGATROYD ROUGE

created by P

Those red horns make her look like a complete devil,

and the eyes are so overstated!

They remind me of the old saying

EYES LIKE SAUCERS

(used to describe someone's expression of amazement)

click here to see P's project page

P also made a beast for her friend...

this one is called GRISELDA GRIS

(doesn't she have an incredible knack for naming beasts?!?!)

GRISELDA has STARS IN HER EYES

(another wonderful saying, used to describe

 a feeling of blind excitement and hope for the future)

the most precious little knot for a nose,

and a fabulous mop of hair on top of her head!

you can see more photos here on the project page,

 including the bows on her toes

 

*****

I know you want to see more of the tribe,

but you'll just have to wait until tomorrow!

* MEANWHILE, HAVE YOU MADE YOURS YET? *

You know you want to, and the pattern is FREE