Hedgehogs

Last night I braved the cold and snow to try to find some more brown Fun Fur-type yarn to make more hedgehogs. I went to Michaels and to Zellers - no dice. They had that type of yarn but no brown. What is it with the brown yarn? Why is there a big run on it? Is everyone making the fake fur stole in brown? What's the deal? I went home disgruntled and began knitting two more hedgehog fronts in preparation for their furry backs. I read in someone's Ravelry notes that they knit a smaller hedgehog using the exact same pattern and smaller needles so I knit one of them with 4.5mm and 6mm needles rather than the 6.5mm and 8mm needles.

Today I had a lovely lunch with Anne Marie. Afterwards, I drove to NE Oshawa to Michaels to see if they had any brown Fun Fur or the equivalent. Strike 3. No luck. I then slogged through the slush to the WalMart next door and lo and behold, they had brown Red Heart Foxy yarn - a very acceptable equivalent for the hedgehog 'prickles'. It was also an exact colour match for the Patons Classic Wool Merino I had purchased to use for the hedgehog backs - a modification from the original pattern. I bought two skeins.

Once home, I began knitting feverishly and finished the smaller hedgie. I felted it with the larger one I had completed the other night. While at Kniterary on Saturday, one gal who was taking Martina's felted pear class suggested I use flip flops in the washer for the required agitation. I put one pair of flip flops in the zippered pillow cover with the hedgies and another pair in the washer outside of the pillow cover. It took about 15 minutes for them to felt. I'm not able to get them to felt as thoroughly as a top loader with an agitator would do but I'm happy with the result. I squeezed out as much excess water as I could and stuffed them with grocery bags, shaping the backs, tummies and faces.

Here's a before picture of the little hedgie:



















And he and his big brother drying after felting:

The one on the left has brown yarn and fur on the back - my modification.

The one on the right has Aran yarn and brown fur on the back as called for by the pattern.

You can also see the difference in sizes just by using smaller needles.

I have a third one to finish - regular size with brown yarn and fur on its back.

My sister, Valerie, and my friend, MaryAnne, each want one. They're so easy and fast to knit. I think there will be a couple more in the making.

As they say in Japanese - Kawaii! (ka - wa - ee = how cute)