Who, me?

Who, me? Late to a trend?

The owl thing has been popular for a while now.  For so long, in fact, that now I've finally given in and made some owls, it will probably end tomorrow.  

Good thing there are buyers out there who are bound to be as behind the times as I am.

Owl fronts.

I made my first three owls back in December.  They were just an idea whose time had apparently come.  I worked out a paper pattern that I liked, its dimensions driven by the size and shape of the sweater scraps I had left on hand after a long season of mitten-making.

The contrast wings are my favorite, because I have even tinier scraps left over from projects long past that I just couldn't bear to throw out, and they're just the size for the wings.

The owl in the top photo with the reddish body and the green, brown and gold wings is a case in point.  His body was a recent sweater, but those wings came from the very first sweater I cut up to use for mittens -- in fact, the prototype pair that I'm still wearing three winters later.

I wasn't sure about those prototype owls, but I took them along to an outdoor Christmas market, and they sold.  Quickly.

Wings and bodies. 

So I knew I'd have to make more, I just didn't get around to it right away.  But they were on the list.

The list.  Ah, yes, the list.  There's a whiteboard in my front room where the inventory lives, with my goal for number of items I need prior to show season and my current stock number.  For a long time, the owl goal was 30, and the stock number was 0.

After the other week's little owl binge, we're now halfway there with 15 owls.

One improvement I made over the prototype owls -- they had eyes made from white sweater scraps, but it's very hard to cut sweater into precise circles.  I found some 3/4" white felt circles for a good price, and bought a big bag.  Also, the old owls had eyelashes, which I thought were okay, but this time around, I decided to give them eyelids.

Original Xmas-time prototypes

I think the eyelids give them more attitude, especially when they go on a bit crooked.  A Facebook friend commented that she particularly liked the one giving her side-eye.

So these will be a new thing for spring shows,which are fast approaching.

I'm finding I missed it more than expected, though at least teaching has kept me interacting with people and not in my usual wintertime hermit crab shell, having to remember how to smile and be pleasant all over again, every April.

Happy spring, everyone!