My kids finally have their mama back. Deadline is over, and now I can play. Last night I peeked in the box of icky yarn (ie acrylic, weird, and unidentifiable fibers) and pulled out a few tiny balls of yarn to make finger puppets for the kids. I also pulled out a book I've had for a while, but never knit much from. It's Knitted Toys by Fiona McTague, and it's full of really cute projects, though they all require a lot of sewing up. I'm more of the "knit it in one piece, circularly, with short-rows, gussets, grafting, and anything else that will help me avoid sewing up" type. I don't really mind the sewing up part, I just think the other way looks a little more professional, and tends to be sturdier, especially with children. But I followed the pattern exactly for this one.
I cast on for the "bunny" finger puppet while watching anime (R.O.D., if you're wondering--that's Read Or Die--and I'm still not sure what's really going on, even after six episodes) and managed to knit up the body and all the ear pieces. I finished the ears, arms, pom-pom tail, and face embroidery this morning, all the while being badgered by Miss O, who hovered asking, "Are you done?" and "Is that to me?" and "Are you making my bunny?" But she did make up for it all when I presented her with the little fuzzy thing and exclaimed, "Ooh, thanks Mommy! You made me a bunny! I yike my Bunny, she's so cuute!" Then she proceeded to show Little G the bunny and tell him all about how nice it was.
Bunny has been "following" Miss O around all morning, so I must have done okay. If I had to do it over, I'd embroider the face and sew the arms and ears on before I sewed up the back seam. I might try to pick up stitches for the arms, too, rather than knitting them separately.
*Edited 21 May to add second picture.*
