I can now release my mini Australian animals pattern. The pattern has been published in
Australia in Homespun, which you can read about here. After a bit of
negotiating Homespun have kindly let the copyright return to me. I have been waiting for my little animals to return, mainly because I needed to take my own photos for the pattern. Kind of chuffed that my little creatures have actually done the journey to Australia and back. (Because of some trouble with customs charges they have actually been there and back three times, which is why hubby refers to them as the jet set.)
These animals are really tiny. So I recommend the pattern only for those that are fans of the fiddly and little. There is quite a bit of sewing up in the attachment of legs, ears and beaks.
The pattern contains instructions for all four mini creatures. Homespun presented them as mini pendants, though I think they are also cute as little toys.
This Blue Kookaburra was my first try. He is native to Northern Australia and New Guinea. Homespun decided to go with the traditional brown Laughing Kookaburra, which is the one most people have heard of, though I think visually I prefer my distinctive blue one.
The wombat was the design that I worried about most. I was not sure than I could make him distinctively wombatty enough. I even toyed with the idea of replacing him with a crocodile. But in the end he turned out just fine.
Kangaroo and Koala just flew off my needles. It would have been nice to have given Kangaroo a pouch and a joey, but given the size this just wasn't possible. So I have just googled "Do male kangaroos have pouches?" and found out they do not. So I guess I can say that he is a boy.
I enjoyed the challenge of making these little creatures so much that I am currently working on another set from a completely different part of the world.
The pattern, which contains instructions for all four, is available on ravelry, Love Knitting and Etsy.
I can finally show you a project that I have been itching to talk about for almost a year. My first published collection of patterns in a magazine. Last Spring I was commissioned by Homespun, Australia's number one craft magazine, to design some tiny knitted Aussie animals made to be worn as pendants. They would be published to coincide with Australia Day. And finally here they are: Kangaroo, Koala, Kookaburra and Wombat.
I am so pleased with how they have been presented. The title Wee of the Never Never confused me at first, until they explained that it refers to a book called We of The Never Never by Jeannie Gunn, and would be instantly understood by Australian readers. Homespun is packed full of articles and patterns, not just knitting but quilting, crochet and sewing. Printed on lush thick paper, and containing a removal section of pattern pieces, it is the sort of magazine that I would keep and refer to for many years. Available downunder Homespun does annual subscriptions and mails internationally.
Thank you to some of my more experienced Handmade Monday friends who gave me some valuable advice before I went ahead with this project. The staff at Homespun were really a dream to deal with. Completely friendly, fair, straightforward and efficient. (Not naming anyone in particular, but I have found the exact opposite with some UK magazines.) What I did discover is that I work much better with a deadline to aim towards. Although the patterns are only available in Homespun at present, in time the copyright will revert to me, and I will make them available online.
So there I am, looking at myself from my own coffee table. I do realise most of my friends will not recognise me. This photo took a trip to the hairdressers, make-up!!!, and then selection from about a hundred shots, before I finally felt happy with sending it and the personal profile off to the magazine.
I am linking to Planet Penny Happy Friday, and although I'm not sure that I am completely in the rules, the arrival of my pattern did make me smile.
