For a long time I have been fantasising about making realistic animals. Even now, most of my patterns are more realistic looking than many crochet animal doll patterns around, but they are dolls. The idea of making a real looking animal is extremely tempting. It makes me feel excited and I think I’m able to do it.
This Summer I was so incredibly lucky, I saw a badger in broad daylight, in the middle of the afternoon and very closeby. It was amazing, I was completely flabbergasted. The badger was foraging in bushes very close to where we walked, then saw us and disappeared till it decided to cross the path a bit further away from us anyway and passed us again. We had enough time to be amazed first and then got a proper look! It felt like the badger was there just for me to see it.
Now you can guess the realistic animal I am going to make, yes, a badger! I’m looking so forward to start working on it. And no worries, I will never stop making ‘Popkes’ (little dolls), that’s just too much fun. And because I never made a realistic animal before, I have now idea if I will succeed. Let’s hope it will work out and there will be a pattern in the nearby future.
Back to little dolls for now, there is one that is almost ready to get published, the sloth. And oh, what a joy I had making the sloth.
At first, I didn’t even felt like making a sloth. Ashamed as I am, I must admit I found them quite hideous. Many people seemed to like them a lot and I often got requests if I could make a pattern for one. Then I decided to ask in my Ravelry group which animal pattern people were looking forward to and the sloth won.
By change, I had just bought the cutest ever sloth calendar and started to look better at them. I got enchanted by their utterly sweet and loving face. They might have the strangest body proportions, but they have the most kind face you can imagine. I soon started to love them and couldn’t wait to get the pattern ready. Here’s a little preview of my sloth’s sweet and mischievous face.
We’ll meet here soon when I publish the pattern!
sonspopkes.com 
I love sloths. They have such smiley faces and are incredible animals. I am so looking forward to getting your pattern. By the way there is a sanctuary for sloths in Costa Rico you can even adopt one to help with the great work they do in helping these amazing animals
I have come to love them too, they are incredible indeed! Wow, I love programs like that exists, it’s important to protect animals.
My colleague wants a crocheted sloth for christmas so i am looking forward to your pattern! That face is sweet. And what a wonderful thing to see a badger and to create a realistic animal in crochet – I don’t know if i have ever seen it – just cute amigurumi – so i will be cheering you on. xx
Thanks Emily! (I took a peak at your blog, lovely!)
I’m quite excited about the sloth myself and hope you’ll live him too!
Thanks for cheering for me for the badger 😀. I’m hoping to make a realistic but cute little fellow. Seeing that badger was so fantastic! Have you ever seen one?
I just received the edited sloth pattern from my wonderful friend so I can release it before Wednesday!
Cheers 🙋
I’ve never seen one in real life but they look like a wonderful animal – a real sight. I did see a hedgehog once and that was very exciting and not even on the same level as a badger – they are a special one. And happy news about the sloth pattern!! Well done dear. I am trying to write a crochet pattern at the moment – it is almost done now, but I had no idea what a long process that would be! It will be a triumph if I ever publish it!! xxx
That’s wonderful! Good luck, I’ll check your blog every now and then to see what is 😃
The sloth is going to be wonderful! It’s nice that you’ve come to appreciate them. I also think they’re kind of weird looking but I can also see the charm. Regarding the badger – I will be very interested to see how your realistic animal turns out. Back in August, we traveled to the mid-west in the U.S. and were thrilled to see a bader! He was digging a hole in a prairie dog town, surrounded by the funny prairie dogs – not sure why he was doing that. He was a flatter animal than I expected. Do you know what I mean?
Wow, that sounds like an interesting view Rhonda, it’s amazing to see wild animals and if they are doing something unexpected it’s even more fun to watch them. What WAS that badger thinking? Lol.
I think I know what you mean with flatter, like low to the ground right? I think your American badgers are flatter than our Europian ones. They are more rounded I think.
Thanks for sharing 😀
Yes, low to the ground and I think he had an edging of fur around the sides of his body that made him look flat, too – like the kind of dust mop we used to have when I was a kid. I didn’t know American badgers were different from the ones where you are. I shall look them up.
Hehe, big walking dust mops, that’s what they are 😛