Squirreling Away

After much procrastination, a Jessly squirrel is finally taking shape! I won't make excuses -- although moving and knitting a sweater are great ones, if I were to be in the business of excuse-making. Anyway, I finally cast on Nathaniel yesterday, and this little pillow is just flying by! I'm already about halfway done, and I'm seriously enjoying the chart. Although it doesn't look totally squirrely yet, I can see how it's coming together. For now, my Frankenberry doll is currently using it as a sleeping bag.

A word about yarn selection: the original pattern is knit in a beautiful 100% wool. Since this is a pillow, it will inevitably live on my couch, where it will be subjected to the less than graceful presence of my boyfriend (okay, and me) around food and beverages. That's why I'm using Lion Brand Wool-Ease Chunky: it's easy-care, so I can clean my pillow whenever need be without fearing felting. Since I grew up in West Virginia, I had to make my squirrel gray (the most common type of squirrel in the area). The charcoal shade has a nice heathered quality to it, too, which I really enjoy. Like Claire's, my squirrel seems to be knitting up a bit smaller than I expected, but that'll probably change with stuffing. I almost wish this project were taking longer since it's so fun, but I'd really rather finish it before I move. Eek!