Flint Knits

Lots of people I know have been expressing the sense that we’ll look back on this moment as a kind of turning point in U.S. and global politics. I feel it too. And I wonder, did my parents and my older friends feel this way in the late 60s? The early 80s? I was active and angry in the mid-90s, during the age of DOMA, DADT, AFDC, NAFTA, and the WTO, among other less-acronymmy horrors, but it didn’t feel like this to me, neither as devastating nor as promising.

Thinking, learning, and teaching about politics is my job and my passion, so I’m overloading on all the news exploding out of struggles in places like Wisconsin, Libya, Washington, Michigan, Egypt, and my local Planned Parenthood clinic. It’s a lot.

My Theory? Is that, in the 21st century. when shit in the world goes especially crazy, pageloads at places like Cute Overload and ZooBorns go through the roof.

I don’t know if that’s actually true. The theory is 100% untested, and 100% based on my friends’ Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter streams, which are a steady back-and-forth between hard political news, smart progressive punditry, and precious baby animals snuggling and riding skateboards and stuff.

I would like to step up and do my part to keep that balance, to maintain our collective sanity, to restore our energy and refresh us to go out into the struggle once more.

Friends, I give you: CRUSHMOUSE.

pattern: “To Humiliate the Dog,” by Amoena Di
yarn: Plymouth Suri Merino
[raveled]

Mods: My gauge was smaller than recommended, so I cast on 56 stitches instead of 48. To keep it on Crush’s wee head, I used a 3mm needle for the ribbing, and a 4mm needle for the stockinette. I also added a row of single crochet stitches to the ears (SC, SCincrease across — this will give you 22 stitches at the end instead of 15). I attached pieces of felt to the inside of the ears using embroidery floss and a blanket stitch.

I hope The Crushinator helps to brighten your day and feed your weary soul! If not, I strongly recommend checking out ZooBorns. That shit is irresistible.

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