... I give to you...
... two in/appropriate characters...
... a little souvenir.
It wouldn't be 2020 if Covid-19 and the pandemic didn't raise it's ugly head and lend itself to the subject matter of a post or two. It's affected us all and something none of us have experienced in our lives, and we all know it's bad, but sometimes being able to translate the bad into something good and/or humorous can help to bring a little bit of joy and lightness back into a year that's been very trying.
So, we're heading back into the world of amigurumi, the Japanese art of crocheting toys which was the subject of Day 1 in 2019, and plushies, which my post for Day 2, but with a 2020 twist...
This cute amigurumi Happy Coronavirus stress ball is the work of Karina a.k.a. Geekirumi, and she makes every single item on her website by hand, including the ever growing legion of Covid-19 cuties.
Which also comes in an angry version (perhaps this is the mutation which has forced us back into lockdown in the UK)...
... and a delightful set of Christmas baubles!
The pandemic and Covid-19 may not be cute, but you've got to admit that these toys are. Plus in an incredibly stressful time, who couldn't benefit from a stress ball to help relieve some tension and good for Geekirumi for making the best of a bad situation!
Another company making an inappropriately appropriate plushie during the pandemic is Squishable, who never set out to make an eerily ominous toy.
In 2020 worldwide we've quarantined and social distanced from our friends and family. We've learnt to wash our hands correctly all over again while singing happy birthday to ourselves (and if you're lucky like me, learned you're allergic to a lot of different brands, and had to suffer through rashes, dried out and cracked hands for weeks on end). We've cleared the supermarket shelves of soap, hand sanitiser, disinfectants and cleaning products, and begun to become accustomed to wearing face masks wherever we go.
But back in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, some doctors would wear waxed cloaks, carry a cane to examine their patients (early social distancing?) and be easily recognisable by the mask with its long beak shaped nose that would be stuffed with herbs, straw and spices. This was believed to purify the air the doctor would breathe and protect them from the miasma (bad air which would carry disease - a now obsolete theory) that filled the air around their patients. No Zoom meetings for Doctor Plague.
An imposing and deeply creepy figure has fortunately been translated into a downright adorable plushie by Squishable. And a fan request encouraged them to create a partner plushie for the Doc in the form of a Plague Nurse...
Isn't she cute?
Plague Doctors and Covid-19 aren't exactly the ideal subjects to create cute counterparts, but Geekirumi and Squishable have certainly managed to create inappropriately appropriate characters which, in their own charming way, give a little lightness to 2020. Which is something everyone needs.
Merry Christmas! Day three tomorrow...
Note: Yes, this should have been up on the 26th... it should have. It was all but ready, but I fell asleep with my laptop on my knees. It's been a busy few days and I freely admit that I conked out and then when I woke up at 4am couldn't sleep and have spent the rest of the day like a half shut knife. But it wouldn't be my particular brand of 12 Days if I didn't fail to post on the right day.
Link || Geekirumi || Happy Coronavirus Stress and Anxiety Ball
Link || Geekirumi || Angry Coronavirus Stress and Anxiety Ball
Link || Geekirumi || Limited Edition Coronavirus Xmas Tree Decorations - Set of 6
Link || Squishable || Squishable Plague Doctor || Micro || Mini || Normal || Massive || Everything Else
Listening: I'm So Tired - The Beatles
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