Toyland

Friday night I attended my fiber guild meeting to hear Anna Hrachovec talk about knitting toys.  I haven't knit many toys, so it was interesting to hear someone who is obsessed with knitting toys tell her story.

Anna is the creator of Mochimochi Land, a magical world full of knitted toys.  


The story of how Anna came to knit toys is interesting.  Anna was a high school foreign exchange student in Japan.  While she was in Japan, she learned how to knit.  In Japan Anna was exposed to a culture that includes kids' toys for adults - many cute, toylike objects meant for adults.  This spirit of playfulness made an impression on her.


Anna continued to knit after she came back to the States and started to knit small objects and toys.  She embroidered eyes on her little objects and realized they could look back at her.  She was hooked.


Anna kept a blog and posted about her little toys.  One thing led to another.  

Before she knew it, she had two books to her name and she had quit her day job.  These days all of her knitting time is spent on toys.  She knits toys and only toys.


Anna uses knitting to explore many things, some of them strange. There are no boundaries.  When knitting tiny, Anna scales the object down to the essential elements.  Often she takes something familiar and makes it cute - for example, the knitted toilet complete with plunger.  


In addition to her toys Anna has knit fiber art sculptures and has had several art installations.  She also has a new book coming out in the fall.  It was an entertaining, informative guild meeting with a glimpse into the world of knitted toys.