"And also, while Sangelica is adorable 95 percent of the time, it’s really pretty disturbing to see how the bear drinks through its forehead."

A giant teddy bear walks into a Tokyo Starbucks.

A Sous Chef

Yarn Art

At the 2015 Venice Art Biennale.

Knitted Toys

Anna Hrachovec knits many types of "mochi," including a vomiting robot.

ADDED: Madison fiber artist Susan B. Anderson also designs adorable knitted toys.

"Of course, real animals are more difficult to catch."

Target of a zoo's animal-escape drill is a guy wearing a gorilla suit.

Is today special?

Maybe. It's World Zep Day.

Here's how the United States Embassy in Vilnius commemorated the occasion.

ADDED: Hiroshima's Little Lithuania recognizes the day, too.

Imports

I've been following the Japanese knitters' love of fair-isle knitting (see here). Japanese knitters cherish all things "Northern." Japanese knitting books not only focus on fair-isle garments; many also highlight Canadian (Cowichan) knits, Aran or Irish knits, the traditional styles of Icelandic knitting, and various Scandinavian techniques.

I learned recently that a Hiroshima shop, "Little Lithuania," sells knitted and fabric garments produced in Lithuania. The shop's blog lingers on some cultural details; last month, the blog featured a post about Kūčios—Lithuanian Christmas Eve.

UPDATE: Here's an article (in Lithuanian) about the Japanese shop.

Crocheted Therapy

Japanese rescuer swaddles a kitten in a crocheted onsie designed to hasten the injured animal's recovery.