Christmas Sale Wednesday

 

Some more patterns that will be included in my Christmas sale (which opens on Friday) are my three little Arctic animals: Arctic Hare, Baby Penguin and Polar Bear. 

What I enjoyed about the Baby Penguin and Arctic Hare was photographing them in the frozen world of "Fluffy Dressing Gown".

The full list of patterns and discount code will be listed on Friday 25th November!

Christmas Polar Bear

I've been thinking hard about a design for a new Christmas decoration, and have been pestering my family and friends for ideas - something original, but not perhaps not too unusual.

After a lot of thought I remembered a pattern I started back in 2014. I had the idea to make a collection of polar animals, and after getting quite far with two of them, the final animal stumped me. The project was put to one side, and sort of forgotton. 

But now I have reworked my Christmas Polar Bear, and here he is. He is not large (about 7cm long). If you can find the right sort of wool, one with a bit of fluffiness it really helps make him look realistic.

 

Below are a few of my previous Christmas decorations with links to the patterns on ravelry if you click on the pattern name. The Christmas Tree decoration was quite conventional, but then I branched out with Christmas Birds, and a symbolic Scallop Shell.

One year I tried to start a new tradition - Christmas Elephants. The Christmas Sand Dollars were requested part someone who wanted a seaside themed Christmas, and even sent me some real sand dollars as a thank you. And my Christmas Sloth took so long last year, that I did not have him ready until January. Perhaps I was a bit like the sloth. The Tiny Christmas Elf Clogs are just a good place to hide chocolates.

So the Christmas Polar Bear pattern is available well before Christmas, and I will be publishing my second polar animal shortly, and possibly number three will follow ...

Below are the original bears I made back in 2014.  I'm not linking this photo to the pattern, as I have made a few alterations. I can not even find the instructions for the two little cubs, and am not even sure I wrote it down, but they are rather cute.

You can find the pattern on ravelry, Etsy and Love Knitting if you want to make your own little hanging polar bear.

 

Just a reminder that there is still plenty of time left to join in my Ginx Woolly Linx party for November. Click on the photo above or at the top of the page to find the party. I would love to see what you have been working on this month.

Northern Lights Dress and Intarsia Knitting

The idea for this design came from the beautiful colours in the wool (James Brett), and also that I sort of love Polar Bears. I knitted a polar bear sample square a while ago, with the idea of using it on a garment. I have an idea for a polar bear hat, possibly with smaller bears.

The dress/top pattern is basically the smallest version of my Baby Daisy Dress, and although I love the finished result, I've decided not to publish this polar bear version as a pattern, mainly because it was such a tricky knit. I thought the snowflakes would make it a bit easier, as the white wool is carried across the back on the blue parts, but the blue is not carried behind most of the bear (except on the leg section), as it was such dark wool it would show. 

Here is a photo of the chart that I made to use on this design. As you can see it all gets a bit scrappy. When I make a chart it usually involves a lot of tracing paper and transposing marks. There is also then the problem of how to get a large chart into a pattern document. (I had the same problem with my Tree Cushion, where the chart was absolutely enormous.) 

There must be an easier way to make a chart I thought, and with a bit of surfing around, I have found it. The Knitting Site has software to convert any digital picture into a knitting chart. You can scale the chart up or down, according to the wool you are using and how much detail you want in your design. So although I didn't use it for this bear, and can see myself coming back here for some other intarsia designs.

And here is the little lady wearing it ...

Happy Christmas - Iorek Byrnison

Iorek Byrnison: Can is not the same as must.

Lyra Silvertongue: But if you must and you can, then there's no excuse. 

Wishing a Happy Christmas to everyone who has visited my blog over the last year. Thank you for all your comments. I hope you are all enjoying being with family and friends, eating and drinking a bit too much, and having a thoroughly good time.

I am working on a new idea, inspired partly by looking a polar bears for my little model bear. Also because I am a big Philip Pullman fan, and love his character Iorek Byrnison. (Pullman beats Rowling hands down. Ooh - I bet that is a bit controversial and a few of you don't agree.) I should really have put him in a suit of armour. At the moment I am just playing around with a few ideas.

 

A Polar Work in Progress (and a Poem)

Polar Bear in there

There's a Polar Bear
In our Frigidaire-
He likes it 'cause it's cold in there.
With his seat in the meat
And his face in the fish
And his big hairy paws
In the buttery dish,
He's nibbling the noodles,
He's munching the rice,
He's slurping the soda,
He's licking the ice.
And he lets out a roar
If you open the door.
And it gives me a scare
To know he's in there--
That Polary Bear
In our Fridgitydaire.

  by Shel Silverstein 

I've been working on something new, although I am not quite there with it yet. Still something not quite right yet about the shape of the head, muzzle and nose in particular. Perhaps the back should be a bit less curved? The legs could be stronger looking? the neck wider and a bit longer, I think?

What keeps you from sleep? Sadly these little details are the things that are keeping me awake at night ....