two-thirds done nautie

Almost a month ago I posted on my progress with my Nautie. Now, a month later, I've gotten it sewn up. At this rate, I might finish it by August. I love the idea of this project, but the reality of it.... would probably be better if I used the correct size needles.

I thought I knitted it's body on two US 3 circular needles. Wrong. They were US 2 (2.5). Bad idea. Bad mistake. Won't do that again. I want to try this pattern again, because it's super swell. I think any kid I present a Nautie to will be indebted to me for life. Dontcha think? And any adult I gave a Nautie? They'd be indentured to me for several lifetimes, no doubt.

While decreasing it's head I worried that this wasn't going to come out right because the instructions just seemed funky. But, it's head is fairly perfect. I used my new favorite mattress stitch to attach the head to body. It's head... now that is a fun thing to contemplate. I stuffed some of my extra ends into the body, that's what you see just inside it's "lip."

The whole time I sewed the head on I kept thinking of the cannibalistic flower from Little Shop of Horrors crying "Feed me Seymour. Feed me. Feed me!" And with the half-attached head, it operates much like a puppet, so the cannibalistic flower thing was Quite Realistic, as you might imagine. Then at certain angles I thought it resembled a seahorse thing. What were those things you ordered from the back of mail order catalogs? I'd love to find a pattern for a seahorse.

In another week or two, I plan to make its tentacles, because a Nautie is not a Nautie without them. I might have to buy another set of needles US 4, because I don't have them. Then, you know the rest, picking up three stitches and making eight lovely tentacles. Here's to another post in another month featuring All Done Nautie. I haven't decided what gender/sex my Nautie is. Any ideas? Maybe I'll just keep it an It.