Inspirations

Yes, this is my latest inspiration for a new toy design. This delightful creature is a blackdevil angler fish. Angler fish are members of the order Lophiiformes, an order that includes monkfish, coffinfish, and the the hairy angler. Thankfully, these fish are quite small, and most females of the species are less than 6 inches in length. The males, on the other hand, are tiny and lack a digestive system. Using their amazing olfactory senses, they sniff out a female in the oceanic gloom. Once they have found the lucky lady, they latch onto her, and in some species, the circulatory systems of the male and female fuse. Henceforth, the male ceases to exist independently, and remains a sperm-producing parasite, incapable of sustaining himself without his mate.

What amazing adaptations for a life in the depths! I am always spellbound at the creatures that we are lucky enough to share this planet with.

Presently, I am working on a plush rendition of this creature. For tales of the trials and tribulations of the design process, stay tuned...

My First Blog Post... Hooray

I'm beginning this adventure in online reporting with some rather unexciting news. I've been knitting up a storm for the past few months, designing my own crazy plush creations, and having a lot of fun in the process. Now, however, I feel at a standstill. I'm blocked, so perhaps the miracle of blogging will help. Or at least distract me from looking at my yarn.

So, let's begin with octopi. I've been knitting them for a couple of months now, and I recently put the pattern up on sale on etsy! Here's the link if you're interested:

www.hansigurumi.etsy.com

And here are some pictures of the little rascals:





Knitting up octopi is a great zen exercise, particularly when you're working through the tentacles. These are probably the most difficult things to do, not in terms of technique, but rather in terms of sheer patience. At least for someone like me, who has, on multiple occasions, finished one sock or bootie, and, without looking back, has moved onto the next project. Embarrassing, but true.