Borrow, Alter, Repeat

Welcome to my definition of "inspiration" or is that "copyright infringement"?

A peek into my "creative process":

I love "Horton Hears a Who". Loved it as a young kid. Love it as a geriatric kid.

While meandering online one day, I came across this neat little project at about.com:

Horton Clover & Speck pencil topper by Christy Galemore

My fevered little brain started spinning,

"ooo. That's cool. But the stem is supposed to be a swirl of 2 shades of green. Wonder if I can make a crocheted version. How do you make pom-poms again? Oh look, something shiny. Have I checked my Ravelry account today? Hmmm. Let's see....."

and I was off on another webby tangent.

A few days later, on an unrelated amble through e-space, this caught my eye:

Dandelion Headband by Polka Dot Robot

More mental shenanigans,

"So cool. Hmm. Wonder what it would look like in the Horton colors with the little speck and all. The band could be 2-tone swirly and the pom-pom stuck on - ooo ooo ooo - how about if the head band is some normal drug store, super thin plastic, hair color matching band and I crochet a 2-tone stem and "clover" that attaches to the band in a curve like it's falling onto the person's head? "Clover"? What's that about. Dandelions are puffy, clovers are... leaves, aren't they? I wonder. Need to find a pic. Where did I put that Google images bookmark...."

and thus ended another episode of "Short Attention Span Theater". But things like this linger in the back of my head. Growing, flexing, festering and most of all, plotting to take over the world - or at least my head which is often swollen enough to be mistaken for a world. ;-)

Random thoughts occured,

"But what about something for Horton. He was always holding the clover. Hmm still haven't looked up clover at google pix yet. Eah. Later."

"Maybe the headband part could be gray in honor of Horton's trunk?"

"why am I thinking headband? That's so simple and dull and already done. I never want to just re-paint the wheel. What have I been working on that would look cool with a pom-pom. OH! The swirly hats I posted at Ravelry."

So I looked up the pattern I had worked up for a 2-color swirl beanie, skull-cap, whatever.

Swirly Caps

and to amuse myself I revisited:

Me and the Kilroy crochet bear

To quote Vlad (not Vlad the cute little cookie baking bunny), "Easy peasy, bro."

Quick yarn run to the craft store, switch out colors on the spirals, add kicky little ribbed band in a shiny pachydermy gray, struggle through how to make and attach a big ass pom-pom and ta-da:

Horton Hears a What cap

The pom-pom is horrible and not well attached. Shaggy and floppy - terror-ific combination of looks. But for the picture, with my hand holding onto the pom from the inside, it is exactly what I wanted to make. It's me - odd, unique, quirky, unusual, uneven, loud, and fun.

Now what? Am I going to sell it? the pattern? Will I do anything at all with it?

Nah.

Sometimes I just need to get an idea out of my head before it declares complete martial law on my brain function.

Maybe someday something marketable will germinate in my head. Until then, I will waste resources and time having fun and staying out of the booby hatch.

Huh? What do you mean there's some people outside with a big butterfly net? Oopsie. Gotta go.

Hook on!
C