... but you see, I'm their Mother and I can tell them apart, because I created both of them.

Bimbo is the one on the left (in case you're confused) and he is responsible for the rest of my collection. I saw his pattern in a knitting book and fell in love. Many hours and days, and some weeks later, I had an amazing collection of all kinds of shapes and sizes and colours of knitted pieces with labels pinned to them - 'left hand, front and back', 'buttons', 'bows for shoes', 'bow-tie', 'knee patches', etc., etc... It was unbelievable how many bits go to make up a Bimbo clown.

Before I had too long at all to enjoy him as a whole person, our god-daughter had a little son, and as I searched for just the right present for him, I had a 'light-bulb' moment and decided to make a twin Bimbo. At some time his new family chose the name Glen for him and he became the apple of his small Dad's eye.

In my Small Knitty Gritty Folk Tales book, I tell the tale of when the new Dad, Liam, came to visit, found Bimbo on my bed and was SO excited to find his Glen had beaten him to my place... and wonder of wonders, after his visit, he found Glen had beat him home as well. His little eyes were nearly stretched wide as his 'O' mouth!

And why was my Bimbo the first of many? When you've stitched that many stitches you have vast admiration for anyone who has done the same. And then, when you find these precious children discarded and deserted in charity shops and on rummage sale tables, in all states and stages of disrepair - and try your hardest to imagine someone, somewhere didn't love them anymore... aarrgh! If I weren't so outraged, I'd definitely be speechless.

Age and dwindling space have sadly limited my rescues - so today my role is more as a Mentor, a Rescue Leader-type.

And my Knitty Gritty Kids applaud loudly (even when I'm the only one who can hear them!).