Owls are the little black dress of the crafting world. A timeless classic that never goes out of fashion albeit in variations on a theme; snowy white, tawny, grey and brown. It’ll be owl about feathery fads this season
Owls dominate the crafting world. From owl pom poms and tote bags to cute crochet patterns. They are theme for all seasons but seem to come into their own in Autumn. So much so, I’m celebrating them in Owl October. I mean, who hasn’t been fascinated by owls since childhood?
My top five feathered friends
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The Owl who was afraid of the dark
A firm bedtime favourite. You couldn’t help but fall in love with that heart face. Plus he was called ‘Plop’. Which is hilarious when you are 5. I can’t see a Catherine Wheel on Bonfire night without think of that little spinning ball of barn owl.
Bubo, Clash of the Titans
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Bubo from Clash of the Titans
A clockwork owl bff? Yes please! For those of you not down with your Greek Myth geekdom, Zeus orders Athena to give Perseus her own precious owl, Bubo. Stubborn Athena – played by Maggie Smith – has a golden replica made instead. Effectively inventing steam-punk owls for future generations. Dame Maggie’s built a career on defying Heads of house. Zeus had as much influence in the 80s as Grantham would convincing Downtown’s Dowager Countess to hand over the last cucumber sandwich today.
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Big Mama – who quite literally takes fox cub Tod under her wing in Disney’s Fox and the Hound. As it happens, released the same year as Clash of the Titans, 1981.
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Old Mr Brown, Squirrel Nutkin
Allegedly a kindly old soul who lets the squirrels, including cheeky Nutkin, gather nuts of his island. For some reason, I was always a afraid of him. Haunted by his attempt to skin a squirrel alive perhaps – a reminder that as well as wisdom, owls are known as a bad omen, often associated with death. And speaking of death …
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Hedwig, Errol et al.
The owls introduced to us alongside the boy who lived Harry Potter. Forget snail mail. Wondrous, winged solutions to deliver all our precious correspondence. Replacing Pat and his van with twit-twoos and Howlers.
Wise, loyal, beautiful, majestic and somewhat spooky. They have a special place in my heart as well as the night sky. So it’s hardly surprising these feathered friends frequently swoop into my crafting life.
Check out this supercute little Owl pattern from theresascrochetshop Here’s a little peek at a work in progress using King Cole Shimmer Yarn.
And if crochet is your thing – Lucy Collins has a new Harry Potter crochet set containing Hedwig. I’m already hooked on her fab little Star Wars kits. The patterns are simple. and the books illustrate stitches really well. Check out this adorable little Hedwig!
Did you know, Hedwig was one of the first Harry Potter cast members to be chosen. Although the character is a female snowy owl – she’s played by a boy in the films. Figures. Centuries pass since Shakespeare at the Globe and boys still get all the good female roles.
In actual fact, no less than seven different owls play the role of Hedwig. Gizmo, Kasper, Oops, Swoops, Oh Oh, Elmo and Bandit. (Yep – takes 7 men to play the role of just one female. You knew that already though, right?).
On a trip to King Cross Platform 9 3/4 I discovered the cutest little Hogwarts case. L-O-V-E at first site. The perfect containment unit for my woolly creations. Afterall, I needed a HP case to put them in right? “Ob-vious-ly” [she drawls in the style of Professor Snape].
AND I found these superb tutorials by Ace of Clay
Below are my own polymerclay owls inspired by his tutorials. The first is a wood-theme owl. Made to look like he’s been sculpted from a pinecone. The second, a snowy owl, like Hedwig. I highly recommend you take a peek at his youtube channel if you are a fellow clay artist or just want to see more examples of his work.
I’ve also released a limited number of owl charms in the shop. Perfect little stitchmarkers for those crochet projects or planners.
Do let me know if you succumb to the crochet kits. I’d love to see which characters you make. I’ll put piccies of mine on instagram and in the newsletter so make sure you’re on the list.
I hope you y’owl enjoy all the crafty delights this October.
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