poll numero uno

If you look to the right there, you will see a poll. I've been thinking about the kits I make, and whether there was something else, something better, I could be doing with them. So, do you like the kits I've been offering so far, with a book, tote bag, and generally plain yarn to make one toy? I've been thinking that maybe most of you could find some plain yarn for the toy on your own, and would enjoy the hand-dyed yarn more. It would also be more fun for me, matching the yarn to the tote bags. Plus, it would make the kits a little more unique, rather than just coming with some generic brown wool. On the other hand, I could just offer the book and tote bag together, and let you get your own yarn. So please vote, and leave a comment if you have some other suggestion.

When I have a bit of time, I've been working on the fabric toys. I spent all morning one day last week, trying to design a different style of head, nearly ending up in tears. I think I'm missing some special gusset-designing gene, because I just can't get it. My new toy designing book was no help, either. Anyway, I eventually went back and modified a different head pattern.


You can see I have two more toys now. I'm not sure what the blue toy is, maybe another mouse. She doesn't even have a name yet. Neither does the polar bear. I really like him, not just because he's made of snuggly fleece, but also because I finally figured out how to make the nose wider. I also added a bit of black fleece for his nose, which actually made it slightly easier to sew in the head gusset, because I could tell where the point of the nose should be (if that makes any sense).

I really need to get started on more knit toys, though. I've used a bit of the yarn I dyed last week, and plan to make a few more outfits, and let them tell me what kind of toy I should make. Thanks, Amanda, for offering your ball winder, but I'm too impatient. Most of the yarn is already wound into balls, ready to use.