Crochet Mooncalf
In a KNUTshell
- Baby mooncalves are approximately 18cm tall. Adult mooncalves are 22cm tall.
- Their body, arms and legs were crocheted in (vegan) grey Stylecraft Aran or Chunky yarn.
- Their manes are embroidered on with dark grey faux fur yarn.
- Their cerulean blue eyes are hand-painted and attached safety backs.
- Each Mooncalf will come with a custom book-page badge, as seen in photos.
- They are stuffed with recycled polyester filling.
- Crochet beasties are made to order, so please allow 4-6 weeks from the point of adoption, before they will be ready to fly free
- While all my beasties are made with love and care, they are not CE-tested, so are not intended as toys for young children.
The Backstory
It’s no secret that I have a SPEWcial place in my heart for these big-eyes beasties and - judging by the fact that they’re my most popular crochet beastie - it seems I’m not the only one! That being said, there is a RIDDIKULUSLY short supply of "mooncalf magic" in both Mainstream and Small Business worlds.... and so it came to bee that, in 2018, Bumble & Be solemnly swore to right this injustice!
So what is it about mooncalves that so bewitched my Witchcrafting heart? In a KNUTshell - they are the beastie embodiment of a similarly named character in the Wizarding World, Ms Luna Lovegood. When I first read "Fantastic Beasts", I was fascinated by the I was instantly drawn to the Moonas a "beastie analogy" for Luna Lovegood! Not only do they share a love for space names and eclectic dance moves (they are known to leave geometric patterns in crop fields during the full moon), their name and personality are a powerful metaphor for defying societal expectations.
The etymology of "mooncalf" means 'foolish person', and it was also a derogatory term for deformity. The strange appearance of the mooncalf, with their oversized eyes and spindly legs reflect this, alongside their seemingly bizarre love for crop field dancing. Similarly, in the wizarding world Luna is often derided for her actions and appearance - spectrespecs, butterbeer cork necklaces and all - yet when you look beyond these stereotypes you realise just how valuable these moon-children are.
In my headcanon, Luna and Mooncalves are kindred spirits and I imagine that, in later life, she and husband Rolf set up a mooncalf rescue sanctuary! This image of mooncalves prancing freely through the open fields also inspired me to create the collective term "a MEADOW of Mooncalves" (the Pygmy Puffs can keep their Poffle!)
The Design Story
Of all my crochet beasties, this design story has the most chapters... three years worth, to be exact! From very early on, I knew that I wanted to create as seamless a pattern as possible, where the legs and head are all "built in" to the body. However, dreaming this is one thing... doing is a whole other story!
My first year of mooncalf-making was very much trial and error. I initially based them on patterns I'd found of horses/llamas online, which start at the top of the head and work down into the body and then legs. However, I found that this just wasn't getting the shape that I wanted, and that's when I took the leap of faith to go... bottoms up!
I I achieved by creating a “foundation” with the four legs and underbelly; from there, I can crochet the rest of the body, neck and head all in one piece.
The next BIG page in my Mooncalf tale (collage 4), was when I began to hand-paint the eyes with my beloved Barry M Cosmetics Molten Metal nail polish - in shade “blue glacier”, to be exact! The next key chapter came towards the end of 2019, when I FINALLY settled on a staple yarn to make all my Mooncalves. As a maker, I am bit of a stickler for uniformity and wanted to use the same yarn for my adults and babies! I was therefore riddikulsuly excited when I discovered Stylecraft “Special” range in THREE different weights: DK, Aran and Chunky. It was meant to bee!
Your Story
As with all other Spew Crew beasties, each mooncalf is handmade to my own pattern, so is 100% exclusive to Bumble and Be. As they are made-to-order, it means that no two will be quite the same, but I like to think that is part of their magic - just like an Ollivander wand!
Every single mooncalf adopted will also come with their own exclusive adoption card and "beastie book badge", which I make from the secondhand pages of Harry Potter books. Before your beastie flies off to you, I will ask if you have a name in mind and - if so - put this onto the adoption card. On that note, this name will often form the basis for the book badge too; for example, past customers have called Mooncalves Luna and Moony, so I have chosen passages with these words included!
My makes are inspired by the Wizarding World, but are unlicensed and have no affiliation with Warner Bros/JK Rowling.