Crocheted Cows in the Barnyard

Charlene and Carrie, two Crocheted Cows

An old nursery rhyme tells us that the cow's in the corn. My crafty crocheted cows are actually in my Etsy Shop waiting for fans of Barnyard Buddies to bring them home.

When I create a crocheted 'critter' I often base them on my interests and experiences.

 I lived on a farm the summer I was ten and my brother and I were put in charge of a pair of twin calves born that Spring. I've liked cows ever since.

I grew up in western New York State, a large dairy region, so I am very familiar with the Holstein bred as dairy cows for their large milk production. Today, the state is known as the Yogurt Capital of the Nation.

Carrie the Plush Cow

This is my interpretation in crochet of a Holstein cow.  Her name is Carrie and she is a roly-poly plush cow who is small enough to fit nicely in a child's hands at a round 5 x 5 inches. Carrie is handmade in washable acrylic yarn in black and white.

How did the Holstein get its coloring?

More than 2,000 years ago, two European tribes migrated to the Rhine Delta of the Netherlands and brought their stock. One tribe had black animals and the other had white animals. Intermingling through breeding of these animals gave us the black-and-white dairy cow we know today. True story!  These cattle were brought to America after the New World was settled and the Holstein is now our main milk-producing breed.  

Charlene the Brown Jersey Cow

How Now Brown Cow

 Another cow in my Etsy Shop's "Barnyard Buddies Series" is a replica of a brown Jersey Cow, which is another kind of dairy cow originally found on the Jersey Island in the Channel Islands of the English Channel off Normandy on the French Coast.   Since the real Jersey Cow is too big for a playroom, my little round Roly-Poly Jersey Cow named Charlene is the perfect playtime size at just 4 x 4 inches. 

Did you know that cows only sleep about 4 hours a day? So these little plush cows will be awake and ready to play just about anytime.

Country Decor in a Cow Theme 

Cow and Cowhide Coasters 

Plush animals are not the only thing I create in a Cow theme. I enjoy the simplicity of country designs for décor and these black-and-white Cow Coasters are the perfect beverage mats. 

These coasters were created using plastic canvas and acrylic yarn. This set of 4 includes 2 coasters with a design of a cow stitched in black, white and  peach on a green background, and 2 coasters stitched in black and white in a 'cowhide' design. They come with a matching cow magnet.

Moo Cow Potholder Set on Etsy

Continuing the cow theme in the kitchen, here are some moo cow potholders. 

Cowhide Potholder measures 9 inches. The front fabric has black and white cows scattered over white fabric and the back fabric has "moo...moo" on white. They are lined with a layer of Quilters Dream cotton batting and insul-bright lining that helps protect hands from the heat. Each pot holder is embellished with a ribbon hanging loop secured by a matching themed cow button.

These hand-stitched moo cow potholders are in the shape of a hexagon. They can be found in the Etsy Shop called The Kwilty Kat-Knapurr run by Kathleen of Madera, California.

Cow Refrigerator Magnets

Topping off the country cow theme in the kitchen, we have a set of refrigerator magnets in a cow design to hold up your grocery shopping list as a fun reminder that perhaps you 'need milk'. :-)

July  10, 2018

is

Cow Appreciation Day

by

Chick-Fil-A

(c) 2014 by Wednesday Elf

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.”