L.A. designer knits a critique of Helms

A Los Angeles designer is taking one last shot at former Sen. Jesse Helms.

The North Carolina Republican is one of six people who died this year included in a set of "Gone But Not Forgotten" knitted finger puppets being sold by the New York-based shop Moss.

Four of the puppets have halos: Actor Heath Ledger, Soviet dissident Aleksander Solzhenitsyn, transcendental meditation guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent. Two have horns: National Rifle Association president and actor Charlton Heston and Helms.

The Helms puppet (above left) is also shown wearing a dark business suit and glasses and holding a tiny American flag.

The hand-crocheted cotton puppets, which cost $90 for a set, are manufactured by L.A.-based finger puppet makers I Golfini Della Nonna, which is Italian for "grandmother's sweater."

Helms, a Christian conservative, might have disagreed with some of the choices of the puppet makers, but he would have been a strong supporter of putting a halo on Solzhenitsyn, whom he admired greatly and called a friend.

Update: Designer Francesca Basilico said the choices — including who got halos and horns — were made by Moss, which contracted with her to make them puppets.

She said she worked with her knitters to come up with a few details for the Helms puppet, such as the round glasses and the American flag. 

"I don't know how much it really looks like Jesse Helms," she said.  

She said she did not follow the senator's career much, but she didn't disagree with the decision either.

"I don't have a very favorable opinion of him," she said.