Definition:  The pathological fear or loathing of SPIDERS! 

  But who could be afraid of this cute little guy!  Follow these directions for a quick and easy addition to a Halloween spider's web, hat, centerpiece or cauldron ingredient.

1.  Cut out two circles for patterns: one 3.5" and a 5".  Pin to felt; cut out.  I actually used a black fleece for the body, and a dark grey wool felt for the head.  It stuffs well when it has a little give.

When I do hand gathering or stitching, I prefer to use DMC Perle Coton.  I LOVE DMC Perle Coton!  (It's another one of those things I gather!)  It is twisted and offers a lot of color in a single strand.

2.  Do a big running stitch around the edge of the circles.

Sorry…the picture is a little blurry.

3.  Gather up the edges and start stuffing fiberfill into the the middle of the gathered circle. 

4.  After the head and body are well stuffed, tie off stitching.  Don't pull it all the way together – leave a little of the fiberfill showing.  These open spots will cover up each other.

5.  When stitching the mouth and eyes, start from the back side and end up on the backside.  This makes for no loose ends.  Once you add the first eye, anchor it on the back, pulling it tight so as to push the eye in a bit.  Repeat with the other eye.

6.  Next, add the legs.  Take 4 black pipe cleaners and tie them in the center together; place them in the center of the body, stitched side up.  Take several big stitches, over and under the pipe cleaners, to anchor them down.

 
 7.  Place the head over the legs and tack the head to the body.

This is what you end up with.  This little guy is almost done!

8.  Determine what you want to use your not so itsy bitsy for.  Bend the legs.  There are two different looks on the computer.

Or you can bend up the feet a little.

These are cute and didn't take very long…even less if you don't have to figure it out.  Wouldn't these be cute as party favors or table decorations?  You can also add a piece of the perle coton behind the head for hanging it up. 
  
 Just one of many phobias that are (or could loosely be considered) Halloween related.  There are so many interesting ones, like:

wiccaphobia – fear of witches

bogyphobia – fear of the bogey man

cucurbitophobia – fear of pumpkins

achluophobia – fear of darkness

hemophobia – fear of blood

placophobia – fear of tombstones

coimetrophobia – fear of cemetaries

alliumphobia – fear of garlic

dementophobia – fear of insanity

I think it's the last one that I am so afraid of…but wait!  Is there a fear of hoarding?  We'll have to see about that one!