Third worry monster...

Good things come in threes, so here is my third worry monster. It is supposed to be a type of winged insect, though the wings don't show up very well against the wicker background. Oh well, there is no chance to take a better photo because all three monsters have now gone off to Knit-for-Nowt from where they will be distributed to therapists who work with traumatised children. The busy Clare has just received them and emailed me to say how much she likes them. You're welcome!

The therapists have requested lots of details and colour as these start conversations with the children. I have problems making my monsters scary, so I tend to use strong, clashing colours to add drama. Instead of my usual white eyes, I used green and edged them with black woolly eyelashes. They have ended up looking more like slices of kiwi fruit. Yummy; though that probably wasn't the look I was aiming for.

I learned a new skill. The hair is loopy knitting and here is a close-up:

I was pleased with how the loops turned out and the fact that they don't unravel or pull apart, which is a consideration when young children might be playing with them. They are quite slow to knit, so I could never knit a whole loopy garment. But as a detail they are interesting enough.

The green pocket on the front is a little post box for the children's worries. You would never believe how long it took me to crochet this square. I have been knitting most of my life, but only learned to crochet a few years ago. I am still not a natural crocheter and have to read instructions every time I make something. Otherwise I go horrendously wrong, which I did twice with this square. This is actually my third-time-lucky attempt. I was starting to wonder how many times I could crochet with the same yarn before it disintegrated!