Oh my, but I do get obsessed! I just could not settle down until I made my lil Beanbag Santa from Susan B. Anderson’s Itty-Bitty Toys. Here is the picture from the book (note that it is spiral bound which makes it very easy to keep open):
And here is my lil Santa:
I love him! He was very putsy to make — lots of little pieces, stuffing with poly beads, adding features to the face and thumbs to the mittens…but I think he’s pretty darn cute!
I did make a few design changes. I had angora on hand and used Misti Alpaca Worsted for the red and black (I had them in my stash) on Size 2 dpns. The belt buckle is gold silk — also from stash. To achieve the rosy cheeks, I dipped a Q-Tip in red food coloring. He is truly a beanbag and sits quite well. I used the Poly Beads described in the book. But Santa still needs his toy bag!! Maybe that’s next.
I was raving on and on to my husband about all the cute toys in the book and he said, “You’re not going to fill up the whole house with these things, are you?”
You got a problem with that??!!??
I’ve fallen and I can’t giddyup!
Unbelievably cute!
Comment by Joanna Ryn — November 16, 2009 @ 5:14 pm
Oh my gosh you are going to get lots of requests for the lil guy from your family and friends for gifts!
He turned out the CUTEST!!!
HO HO HO is right! Made me smile today!
Comment by Rachel — November 16, 2009 @ 5:20 pm
I was charmed by this book also. It would definitely be a stash user-upper. Your Santa version is adorable. (Although I would try to avoid the ‘putzier’ projects!) Nevertheless, Susan B. Anderson is so, so talented!
P.S. Thank you for showing Santa’s bottom! Is that how he got started(don’t have the book yet)?
Comment by Chloe — November 16, 2009 @ 6:46 pm
Raises hand. I’ll make a request right here right now — and I had a crappy day so I NEED a Santa.
Comment by surly — November 16, 2009 @ 7:25 pm
Oh, Santa is darling! I love the “softness” you got from the angora — he looks more magical with fuzzy parts. Such a cute book!
Comment by Kym — November 16, 2009 @ 7:35 pm
So so cute! I’m going to stop coming in here — every time I do, my queue gets longer and longer. Thanks for sharing!
Comment by Wendy O'C — November 17, 2009 @ 7:29 am
Adorable! I especially like the angora halo on his beard. And his cute li’l butt when he falls over…
Comment by kmkat — November 17, 2009 @ 10:50 am
Thank you for the chuckles and inspiration. “All over the house?!”…what a great idea.
Comment by bj from LaColline at Red Bird Ranch — November 17, 2009 @ 2:20 pm
Absolutely ADORABLE! I wish I had time to fit this in to my Christmas knitting schedule. Thanks for sharing about the book. I will most definitely add it to my ‘wish list’.
Comment by Rebecca — November 17, 2009 @ 2:34 pm
Ha! Isn’t that just like a guy!!!
Unfortunately, I’m far too lazy and unambitious to do ‘putsy,’ but intellectually I really love the amigurumi stuff, even the crochet ones.
Comment by catlady — November 17, 2009 @ 9:15 pm
hahahaha LOVE this post! I swear if we were neighbors we’d be BFF’s (Not to take away from your sister of course!) 🙂 This is the cutest lil’ thing; you put me right in the holiday mode. thanks! xoxo
Comment by Michelle — November 18, 2009 @ 7:29 am
Too, too cute! I think I need to make one of those!
Comment by Doris — November 18, 2009 @ 2:36 pm
OMG! That is the cuteness!!!
Comment by Romi — November 18, 2009 @ 3:22 pm
Sounds to me like that santa needs to start appearing all over the house – inside the medicine cabinet when your DH opens it to get out his razor, inside the refrigerator on top of the jam jar, peaking out from behind a pillow on the sofa…cuteness like that needs to be popping out all over.
Comment by twinsetellen — November 18, 2009 @ 8:19 pm