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A 'Crochet Ninja' Is Planting Free Yarn Superheroes Around the City

By Nicole Levy | March 3, 2017 12:00pm | Updated on March 6, 2017 7:24am
 A crocheter who calls herself
A crocheter who calls herself "the Geeky Hooker" is planting three mini Marvel superheroes around the city this weekend.
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Cindy Wang

Think of it as an Easter egg hunt for comic book nerds.

A self-described "crochet ninja" has been planting yarn superheroes around Manhattan and Brooklyn in hopes that they make their way into the homes of supergeeks who will love them.

Cindy Wang, a healthcare professional from Houston, Texas, otherwise known as the "Geeky Hooker," flew into the city Thursday with three crochet critters from the Marvel Universe: Spider-Man, Captain America and Iron Man.

That afternoon, she dropped off the first of her heroic trio at Midtown Comics, alerting fans to his location on Twitter.

Wang has been hiding her crochet creations where geeks can find them for six years now, mostly at San Diego Comic-Con, she told DNAinfo New York in an email. She was first inspired by a photo of a crocheted ninja, and boredom.

"I'd rather give them away than sell them because I like being able to crochet on my own terms! I don't want to have to make 50 Batmans," she said of her hobby.

Added Wang, the enterprise would never be profitable even if she charged minimum wage for her labor. It typically takes the crocheter three hours to finish one critter, but more elaborate designs can command up to nine hours of work. 

"It's more fun to just make them to give away to friends and family," she said.

Wang asks that anyone who adopts her mini Dr. Stranges, Elevens and Harley Quinns send a photo of their dolls and the approximate address where they'll make their new home.

"I've had several go missing in the past," said Wang, whose book "Literary Yarns" hits shelves May 2. "I do this knowing that's a perfectly realistic outcome, but it doesn't make it any less disheartening when one goes missing."

Captain America will land Friday night in his home borough of Brooklyn, where Wang — on the foodie's fourth trip to New York City — has dinner plans.

You can follow his whereabouts on Wang's Twitter account, and by keeping your eyes peeled for the hashtag #CRITTERDROP.