I had been fretting a miscalculation in the expansion of the boucle yarn which made the sheep over double the expected size. In my grand scheme, there would be a semi-rigid batting structure, which would strengthen the legs and allow the sheep to stand. Of course, this growth spurt in the sheep's body made for too much weight on the leg supports.
The sheep was destined to remain forever on its side, like some fluffy, barnyard, serpentine Venus. Which actually is kind of alluring, but not quite the grand statement I was going for.
Then I hatched a plan to put in wooden dowels as a core inside the batting structures. The sheep would stand, grand and indomitable. But then I had a bit of an epiphany.
I was show-and-telling the sheep in progress to the child of one of my friends. What happened was the much needed reality check. This little boy went up to the sheep, gave it a big hug, and then sat on it... and then hugged it some more. I had been so caught up in my vision of a standing sheep that I forgot how kids want to play.
Ultimately, this is a gift and the recipient should always come first. The sheep needs to cuddle-able, first and foremost. Something squishy to use as a pillow and a plaything. So she should be seated and soft, huge as she is, errr, big boned and voluptuous.
It is so easy to forget the whole 'form follows function' when we are making things independently and unchecked. I am embarrassed to say that I was going to ruin all future potential for snuggling and play with my wooden rods. I guess that this is just a good reminder not to make things in a vacuum; sometimes the romantic vision can overshadow the original intentions.
I am so glad that little boy sat on that sheep (though mom was pretty mortified).
And now, on to the next project!
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