As a chapter in my continuing celebration of American crafts, may I present some poodle projects. Actual poodles are an ideal crafting inspiration, as they seem like something which God came up with, after He’d purchased too much pink yarn. Poodles are one of the few animal breeds, along with bunnies and baby chicks, which people like to dye bright colors. I’ve always especially loved two specific poodle projects: first, the use of a crocheted poodle to disguise a roll of toilet paper. And next, the classic chrysthanthemum poodle. Both of these ideas seem jubilant and tortured at the same time.
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I once gave my friend Todd Ruff the most perverse gift of all time: I had found, somewhere, a ceramic decanter shaped like a poodle. There were at least six detachable ceramic shot glasses hanging off the mother poodle, and the shot glasses were molded and glazed to look like they were made out of poodle fur. This gift was so grotesque that it made Todd physically uncomfortable, and he immediately stashed it in a dark closet, and he finally claimed that he’d re-gifted it, but I have my suspicions. I wonder if Todd killed that poodle, and I wouldn’t blame him. In Todd’s honor, here’s a poodle-inspired greeting card:
Tragically, there is no photographic record of the original poodle decanter. But these photos will give you the general idea. WARNING: do not look at these photos right before you go to sleep.
