Highland Cow Varieties

 This time last year, I had on my to-do list to design a shaggy-looking highland cow. Then one of my favorite designers published one! Hilde the Highland Cow was just right! 

I made one up within days of the pattern coming out, and just kept on making them, as they have been a best-seller in my shop. 

I'm using this post to show some of the different color combinations that are available. You can do the head and muzzle the same color, or go with a lighter muzzle. You can go with realistic cow colors, or fun colors (I think I've sold four pink cows!) 

The pattern has a crocheted bell, but I found little metal cow bells that jingle when they move, and offer them as an option (gold or silver tone)

I think my favorite are the orange ones! 

This is a thinner brown/gold tweedy yarn that I held double to get the same size as my other cows. 

This guy is Hobby Lobby I Love This Yarn Stonewash in Walnut, with an off-white muzzle

I think this one is Toasted Almond

This is the same brown/gold yarn as the first picture, but made with a single strand of yarn and a smaller hook. Such a tiny little bundle of cuteness! 

Gray, camel and brown/gold

Pink/white tweed cow with pink/white tweed muzzle, almond cow with almond muzzle

This is made with "Desert Glaze" orange

Chocolate brown with tan muzzle

Pink cow with off-white muzzle

This shows the three different choices for bells

\

I put little nostrils on the muzzle of this guy.

More colors are coming... after all, the verse "I've never seen a purple cow, I hope I never see one..." has been running through my head! 

Added to my shop 4/8/21

A new burnt orange cow was added to my listing 4/13. 

Onyx, a black cow with a dark brown muzzle, was added 4/18. He's a cool dude who likes to sweep his bangs to the side from time to time. 

Pinkie - Added 6/15/21

Cam (yarn color is "Camel"), added 6/13/21

Grayson, added 6/24/21

Sherbet (made with Retro Stripes yarn) takes on a different look depending on where the colors shift. 

Dilly Dilly is made with a bulky color-change yarn, so he's about 10" tall. 

The yarn I used for Silky worked up beautifully for his hair! 

Punky Mooster was a custom order.

Chocolate Brown with an off-white muzzle

Toasted almond with white patches. Off-white muzzle, a little white added to hair. 

Looking to order your own mini highland cow? Here's my Etsy listing: 

Penguin Place - Highland Cow

Happy Birthday, Hilde! My Facebook memories today said that I was starting my first Hilde the Highland Cow. Since then, I think I've made 28 of them! I made a collage from my Ravelry projects: 

4/21/22, I think I'm up to 44 cows made... 

Calypso was made with Retro Stripes yarn, focusing on the green, blue and yellow sections. He went into my shop 10/10/23. I think he is the 50th Hilde I've made! 

The Socksy Dachsie

 In the beginning of 2020, I saw a post on Facebook about making a dachshund doll from socks, like a sock monkey. It looked cute, and the first thing that came to mind was: I can crochet that! 

I made three before going to press with the pattern. I tried button eyes, crocheted eyes and safety eyes. 

I've compiled these pictures of dachshunds I've made over the past 15 months, so that customers can get an idea of the variations I can make on my pattern. 

This was a custom order, made from a picture of a dear family pet who had recently passed away.

This was also a custom order. I had to play around a little bit to get the light brown patches under the eyes, and make the muzzle two-tone. 

Another custom order of a dog with a lot of different colors! 

This one was a challenge: the dog had colors split right down the center of the face! 

New colors (I Love This Yarn Metallic in Lavender and Aqua)

March 31 - I finished a cute little pastel rainbow dachsie, using a discontinued baby yarn that I found at a thrift shop. I think I have enough yarn left to make 1 or 2 more, if this one sells quickly. 

I gave her a pink nose instead of black... and embroidered eyes, to make her baby-safe! 

This was a custom order, from pictures.