May 2010: He’s silly & goofy, but I like him! Finally finished (the day before the birthday due date! That got me motivated.). He’d been set aside, so it didn’t actually take 2 months to complete. My grandson loves him, and now my 40-year-old son wants one!

March 2010: Easy knit and fun little project for my 16-year-old grandson who loves video games.

I went with lighter-weight yarn because it’s what I had in the right color - a little heavier would probably be better. Getting a little stuffing “peek-through.”

The straws in the head/upper body are a simple and elegant solution for keeping everything upright.

Now that I see how the pattern works, I think I’d knit the larger pieces in the round next time.

I kind of overdid the beige overstitching - would go with lighter weight yarn next time.

I’m hoping that blocking will keep his head shaped flat on top and curving at the “cheeks” - he has a tendency to want to be round-headed. I found that the beige decorative stitching on the head helps a wee bit to keep the head shaped, though it’s still pretty malleable. I’d say stuff the head pretty firmly and be pretty sure it has the shape you want before stitching it up completely.