Mushroom Tales

When I think of toadstools, I think of my days as a Brownie, dancing around that fibreglass (?) papier mache (?) toadstool, hard and glossy and brown, that sat in the centre of the school gymnasium. Brown dress, brown sash, little orange-and-white-with-maple-leaves scarf, and mismatched socks (they were supposed to be brown, but I was not working towards badges in organization, time management, or colour coordination...I always forgot it was Brownies night and ended up scrambling around looking for my *ahem* navy blue socks).

I also think of Smurfs. I had a collection of them, and spent much time having Smurf weddings, births, birthdays, anniversaries...and of course, Smurfs live in the classic red-and-white toadstools.

We have a local tourist attraction that involves storybook characters placed throughout a forest setting. They too are fibreglass, and some are mechanical. It is, in a word or two, kinda creepy. Every child of my generation has a grainy photo of themselves sitting on the big bunny's lap. Their gift shop was (and still is) a huge fibreglass toadstool.

I set out to knit a toadstool, just out of curiosity (watch for a tutorial this coming Friday). I was pleased with the result, then went on a search to find what other toadstools people had knit up. My search ended early when I came across this pattern. I knew I had to make one. Coincidentally, my friend at Twig and Toadstool had a birthday coming up...a perfect excuse for a Saturday crafternoon (not that I ever need an excuse to avoid housework and create something wonderful!)

Here's a closeup of the details, before I stitched the stem onto the cap:

Don't you just want to open that wee red door and find a faery-party in full swing? Or even better, a cozy chair beside the window, blue curtains blowing in the rose-scented breeze, a sunbeam to warm you and a great book just waiting for you?

This is the view the faery has as she comes in for a landing!

I found myself taking pictures of this mushroom cottage like it was a newborn baby...I HAD to have an image from every angle.

Now I must have one for myself. As I continue to unpack boxes that have been untouched since we moved here 2 years ago, I found a framed picture of faeries dancing around a faery ring: a circle of toadstools. Maybe this rainy day, when the kids are cranky and I'm a bit tired, is a day for a wander in the woods in search of a faery ring.