More craftiness--or, what to do with stash yarn

I love stuffed animal projects. They're quick (the turtle in my last post took maybe an hour or 2 all told), they're cute, and they're a great project for all that stash yarn lying around in the craft room. Plus it's a great way to use up the cheap stuff--I'm certainly not going to make a duck out of my $40/skein handpainted silk, but that cute and colorful acrylic yarn is just the ticket.

These came from various sources: The Loch Ness monster came from a book I bought for a different project altogether. There are 2 other animals in there that would be perfect for friends--an elephant that's named after a friend's son, and a pirate panda perfect for a friend whose son's room is a pirate theme. So hopefully I can get to them soon, since I vaguely remember promising to make them about a year ago (oops). The bluebird came from a crochet magazine I picked up recently. The duck came from the Lion Brand Yarn website. I actually had to buy yarn for him, since it requires some felting and I didn't have the right colored wool sitting around.

So, without further ado:


The Loch Ness Monster. J thinks he needs a smiley face, and my MIL agreed. We'll see.

My little bluebird of happiness. I love how he turned out. Or I should say she--there's another pattern with a comb on the bird's head, which I would assume to be Mr. Bluebird.

The gang, gathered around to pose for the camera. I love how the duck turned out.