The Mandalorian fans are literally crocheting their own Baby Yodas in anticipation of official merch

No one could have guessed that The Mandalorian's debut on Disney+ would spark an increase in crocheting among Star Wars fans. In particular, those with the ability to crochet have made their own cute, yarn and felt-based versions of Baby Yoda (the show's breakout character) as they wait for licensed Disney merch to hit their favorite retailers.

"For me, crocheting was like a hobby with one or two sales a month until Baby Yoda came, and suddenly it became a full-time job commitment with a 35-person waiting list," Paola Meownsk, who runs a crochet business on Etsy, tells SYFY WIRE. "[They're] willing to wait up for a month or two to get one. So yes, it's a boom! You could say Baby Yoda is a dream-maker! Plus, it's so cute. I'm glad people liked my version of him and being able to pursue something I'm really passionate about."

Paola's Baby Yodas can be glimpsed in the first image below:

Credit: Allison Hoffman

Naturally, all merchandise based on The Mandalorian was smartly kept at bay until Baby Yoda was revealed at the end of the pilot episode. Since that time, the adorable, Force-using toddler has charmed every person on the planet. T-shirts, plushes, and other consumer products inspired by the series are expected to roll out just in time for the holiday. Other items won't be available until 2020.

You can even pre-order the Funko Pop! vinyl figure of Baby Yoda right here.

There's also an edible version of the kid in the form of a custom Baby Yoda drink off of Starbucks' "secret menu." It's not really an official drink of the store, but if you ask for a matcha green tea Frappuccino with caramel drizzle, whipped cream, and caramel ribbon crunchies, you'll get an iced beverage that recreates the character's color scheme.

At this point in time, the identity and origin of the child are still a mystery. All we know is that many bad-intentioned folks, several of them ex-members of the defunct Empire, want to exploit him for some unknown reason.

The closest we came to an explanation is when Mando (Pedro Pascal) walked in on Dr. Pershing (Omid Abtahi) running some sort of medical test on Baby Yoda in Episode 3. In the previous chapter, we learned that the kid is capable of harnessing the Force, even at his young age, making us assume that many — if not all — of Yoda's species are born with abilities that would take a regular Jedi years to learn.

Written and directed by Dave Filoni, Episode 5 of the first season premieres this Friday, Dec. 6.