Boundary pushing to please customers :o)

The handmade items market is so competitive.
Since I started designing my own hats etc, I've taken to googling "crocheted *insert item* here before I start work.
Not so I can make something that looks like the other things, it's so I can make something just a little bit different - this can have disasterous consequences, and in those cases it's back to the drawing the board.
But sometimes it works, and when it works and people say "Wow! That's different in a good way!" I know my job is done.

One of my fabulous repeat customers indicated she would like to order a Peppa pig hat soon.
My recent blanket marathon gave me a pretty sore arm yesterday, so I decided to give the blanket Marathon a break and see what kind of Peppa hat I could come up with.
Google provided several images of crocheted Peppa hats, which were simply awesome.
But I didn't want to copy someone elses awesomeness, I wanted something that could bare the name QUIRKY CROCHET.

 At this point I was questioning my abilities on making the hat 3D...

 I chose to make a first size hat, purely because if it flunked I didn't want to have to rip back a toddler hat sized amount of yarn.

Some cheeks and a mouth being added made me feel a little better about my mad skills with a hook.

.... and ears convinced me I may well have cracked my mission on the first attempt.

 

My toddler, Miss Buzz, is quite insistant the hat is George, not Peppa.
She also likes squeezing the snout whilst snorting Peppa Pig style.

So far it seems to be a hit on HMBAQC

The next time I make this hat it will be in aran (worsted weight) yarn in a pink a little closer to the colour of the original oinking one :o)