Blog

Disembodied Arms

These used to be arms that turned out to be not the right size for what I was making. I’ve kept them around for some reason, then one of them picked up a pair of eyes somewhere. Strange!

disembodiedarms

They seem to be somewhere between arms and little creatures now, so I’m having trouble throwing them away or frogging them.

Tiny Tin

Finding neat things you had forgotten you had is fun.

I just re-discovered this cute little Aranzi Aronzo tin that I got in Japan last year.

aranzitin1

And I also discovered that it makes the perfect stitch marker holder!

aranzitin2

No longer will my stitch markers be spilling all over the floor every time I get one out to use. At least that is my hope.

Who Do You Knit Toys For?

Hey everybody! I’m writing about knitted toys right now for something special to be published in the future, and I’d like to ask for your help!

I want to come up with a fun list of the different kinds of people that we knit toys for. Who have you knit toys for as gifts? I’m especially interested in hearing about more unconventional toy recipients—someone with an interesting occupation, such as a truck driver, or maybe someone with an interesting relationship to you, like your great-great-aunt.

Ideally, I would like like to hear about people for whom you’ve knitted Mochimochi Land toys, but any kinds of knitted toys are OK.

So, who have you knitted toys for, and what did you knit? Please comment! (And thank you for your help!)

Anthropomorphic Window

I made this guy last month as an experiment. It was an interesting project, but a little chaotic with all the colors.

anthrowindo

I made a couple more, then decided I was finished with the project. Too stressful! I’m going to save my pictorial ideas for cross-stitch, I think.

Dirty Projectors, and Coraline

Just got the new Dirty Projectors album Bitte Orca.

bitteorcaIt’s pretty wonderful. I have a feeling that it’s way cooler than I am, though, as if I should find something better to wear just to listen to it. That is to say, the R&B-like vocals are gorgeous and everything else is one step ahead of what you’re expecting. This was my introduction to the Dirty Projectors, and it has me interested to listen to their older work.

Also music-related, I saw Coraline (the musical) on Saturday! The production as a whole was delightful, and the music was extremely Stephin Merritt—plenty of fun rhyming, unusual instrumentation (oodles of toy pianos!), and just-right melodies. I left wishing that there had been one or two more “wow” moments, but if anything, the story was my least favorite part. (I know I should read the book before saying that though, so consider it unsaid.)

Coraline is only playing through July 5th, so if you are a Stephin Merritt or Magnetic Fields fan in NY get a ticket before it closes!