Cutie Cactus

What do you do with one skein of a bulky yarn in a funky green color? Make a toy! I purchased a grab bag of Dale Garn yarns a little while ago from woolybaabaa.com. Right away the Hubro caught my eye. I have a fondness for bulky yarns, but I struggled for a bit in finding a pattern. There are 72 yards in the skein and was a not-quite-neon-not-quite-chartreuse shade of green. I considered baby hats and wrist warmers, and even coasters and drink cozies, but after flipping through 50 Yards of Fun, I settled on the Cutie Cactus. And boy is it cute!

I had visions of setting up a terrarium with other succulents in a garden window, but he was immediately claimed by my daughter. The body was a snap to make. Picking up the stitches for the arms was a bit finicky, but nothing impossible. If you’re familiar with making knit toys you know that’s how it goes. This was a super quick project that was a great palate cleanser!

This is her “Ouch! There is a cactus on my head!” pose. Obviously, this cactus is soft and cuddly and really cute. Especially when you add a cupcake bracelet as a necklace. Because why not?

So while I didn’t go with anything remotely traditional for this Norwegian yarn, this time, I think it would be great in hats and mittens and will keep it in mind for future projects!