Polymer cephalopods on Etsy

Bunny X Productions sells these beautiful hand-made octopuses on Etsy. They're crafted from polymer clay, and available in many gorgeous colors. Each one looks more amazing than the last, and they must be wonderfully jiggly when handled in real life, what with eight metal ring joints holding the legs to the body. This glow-in-the-dark "SWAKtopus" was a special order.

found via BoingBoing

My first handknit hat

I finished knitting the hat! It turned out so well that I'm making a new one for my wife. She has another ball of yarn that's a different color (pink) but the same gauge, so it's a piece of cake. Soon we will have matching winter hats. Aren't we adorable.

As shown, the brim is fashionably turned up to cap the tops of my ears. Fully unfurled, it's the perfect length to completely cover to the bottoms of my lobes when the air gets really cold. Stylish and functional!

Dorodango no Tetsujin

hikaru dorodango by master Kayo sensei, originally uploaded by iwishicoulddescribeittoyoubetter.

Craftzine's feature on hikaru dorodango ('shiny mud balls') made it look so simple that I had to give it a try. If Japanese schoolchildren can do it, than it couldn't be too difficult. Plus I already had everything you need: water, and dirt. I made a sifter by poking holes in a paper cup. Then I got to work forming my dorodango.

Playing with mud is fun. I like the smell and feel of it. As children, we can play in the mud for the sake of play, but as adults we need an excuse. Hikaru dorodango is an opportunity to reclaim this childhood activity. You may be surprised by how much you enjoy it! There are online instructions if you would like to create your own hikaru dorodango.

Guh-gon

The doll on the left was made by my wife's grandmother, and given to her when she was very small. She named it "guh-gon." Each of her sisters had one of their own. So when my sister-in-law's baby (my niece) turned one year old, I made her the doll on the right.

It is an updated version of my wife's beloved Guh-gon. I added a mouth (the red dot on "original guh-gon" is a nose), and I removed the disturbing "diddle" on the bottom. Also, it is difficult to see because I lined up the fabric like a master, but my doll has a large pocket on the front of her clothing parts.

I needed some help from my mother-in-law with the hair braiding, but I was proud of myself when I finished. I was very excited to see the look on my niece's face when she opened it. The end result? She took one glance at her new doll, and then:

TOSSED!