Let’s everyone take a minute from our normal knitting routines and knit a cute hedgehog! Oh my goodness they are the cutest little guys. I have now knit three! High Watts and Agnes and one yet to be named. These were the first stuffed animals I have ever made. The were so easy. If you’ve picked up stitches on the side of a garment or on a sock gusset, there are no new techniques to learn. If you haven’t done either of these things, it’s super easy – Purl Soho has great pictures and tutorials for every step.
As you can tell from above, I have a tendency to name inanimate objects especially ones in the shape of animals. My first signs of this insanity came at age 3 when I named my rubber duckies George (the bad duck) and Laura (the good duck). Since then we’ve had Leo the lion and so many more. More recently on my desk at work I have two foam stress donkeys (yes donkeys). Their names are Earl and Sheila. Sheila has sunglasses and what I imagine to be big hair. She just really felt like a Sheila. I also have Cera the triceratops plastic dinosaur toy. As you can see I am not always original with my names. I often take them from movies or people that remind me of the animal I am naming. Cera is, of course, from the land before time. Agnes is from Despicable Me, because I thought many times, “This Hedgehog is so cute I’m gonna die!” while making her. I have a good time naming my animals and it always gives me joy.
So pause what you’re doing, and go make a hedgehog. It will make you happy even if only for the few hours it takes to make – or possibly for all of the time it spends with you or some special.