My friend Ruth Suehle (who contributed the Drive-In Messenger Bag, the LilyPad Arduino Cake, and an essay on costuming to World of Geekcraft) just came to visit Portland for the first time this week, and brought me an epic gift! She machine-embroidered a hand towel for me with a design from Urban Threads that pairs a d20 with the caption +1 of Awesome. I just love it so much.
New Futurama starts Thursday! I’m a little obsessed with the show, so both of my posts this week will be Futurama stuff. Today we have Futurama etched glasses! PimpernelSmith made these for a show obsessed friend, and I love that the images used that aren’t just the characters faces. The Zoidberg glass made me laugh out loud! Hypnotoad is at the bottom of each glass, to compel the drinker to refill. All Glory to the Hypnotoad!
It’s a hat, it’s a cake, it’s a Portal reference, all knit into one! This Portal cake hat was designed by Ravelry user Nimcraft, and the pattern is available for free on Nimcraft’s blog, Geekcrafting and Uberdorking.
Whether you just like cake, or are a Portal fan, this hat is a great geeky addition to your wardrobe.
Is Yo Gabba Gabba geeky? I’m not sure, but it is on a lot in our house, and I am geeky, so I say yes. Plus there is a magic robot on the show, and who can complain about a show that takes a couple minutes here and there to teach kids how to beat box? Not me. So I scoured the web for five of the most fun Yo Gabba Gabba crafts (one for each character, excluding DJ Lance Rock).
1. Felt Muno
Muno (he’s tall and friendly!) is perhaps the most recognized Yo Gabba Gabba character, which is why Catango, on Craftster, remembered him when left with two hours before a birthday party, and no gift! Yes, that’s right, in two hours, she went through her fabric, googled Muno, and stitched this awesome Felt Muno doll together for a friend’s child (who, of course, picked it up and danced around with joy)!
Big kudos to Catango for whipping this guy together under pressure! Procrastinators bow to you!
2. Foofa Tee Shirt
Foofa (she’s pink and happy!) is an odd little monster with a head shaped like a tear drop, and a big
flower on her head, a big hit for little girl Gabba fans.
You can find this adorable Foofa Tee Shirt in the CarouselCraftsWI Etsy shop, along with all the other Yo Gabba Gabba monsters. The face is felt applique, with a machine zig zagged border–and the finished product is awesome (the model is pretty cute, too).
3. Brobee Fleece Soaker
Brobee (the little green one!) is a fuzzy, long armed monster that is best known for having a party in his tummy.
BugOnARug makes these awesome fleece soakers featuring Brobee and all your other favorite monsters and you can get them from the BugOnARug etsy shop! For those not “in the know” a fleece soaker is a type of cover for cloth diapers, and fleece shorties are a popular choice for parents using “fitted” cloth diapers.
4. Toodee Amigurumi
Toodee (she likes to have fun!) is what seems to be a cross between a cat and a dinosaur. She seems to get into lots of trouble, but manages to get along well in Gabbaland and, of course, have lots of fun!
AlieCat30, a poster on Craftster, crocheted this super cute Toodee Amigurumi as the fourth in her series of Yo Gabba Gabba amigurumis. I personally love the attention to detail on Toodee‘s eyes and whiskers.
5. Plex Cookies
Plex (a magic robot!) is the robot responsible for getting special guest stars, DJ Lance Rock, and even snacks in and out of Gabbaland.
Edeliu826 bakes and decorates these Plex Cookies that you can purchase by the 2 dozen on Etsy. You don’t have to read Geek Crafts very often to know if there are two things we love, they are robots and things we can eat. Plex Cookies fit both of these requirements!
Ever wanted to wear a Turkey on your head like a hat? Well, now you can, without all the mess, with this great hat made by LittleBirdLucy on Etsy. Her Etsy shop is filled with delightfully whimsical hats for all ages. She has owl hats, bear ear hats, lovely caps for new-born babies, even Princess Leia Bun hats!
This Turkey hat would be a riot during the Holiday season, just make sure none of the more drunken relatives try to slice it up and eat it!
Just as geek crafts can be found in the strangest of place, so too can geeky crafters.
The last place you might think of looking for one would be in the U.S. Army. However, that is precisely where the creator of these two charming, crocheted fellows can be found.
Made from Roxycraft patterns (that seem to be out-of-print, sadly), these little guys were stitched up by my brother-in-law when he was stationed in the Middle East last year.
When you craft gifts for a friend or loved one, you can’t help but keep them in mind as you work on the project: will they like the color? Will it fit right? Will they get the in-joke I incorporated? Will it go straight to the Goodwill box?
So, I like to think that stitching these — as well as the other creatures he made for his family — helped give him a sort of quiet connection to the people he loved back home. It makes these plushies all the more special to know that he was thinking of us when he was half a world away.
Not to mention, they’re friggin’ awesome! I still can’t get over the dragon’s wings. Or it’s little toes…
