Knitted "Vampire" Bat

I have been so terrible at blogging that it may have seemed like I had retired. I have seen other blogs disappear, but I am still here. I realise having a blog is not quite the thing it once was, but I think of my blog as a little bit of a diary, so hope I will not give up on it. 

I used to put on posts to pad out from crafting, with other things - gardening and walking. I have less to show from my gardening this year in the new house, as I have not quite got to grips with the raised bed, or greenhouse. Keep looking at the lawn and thinking perhaps part of it needs to be dug up!

I decided to make a bat from my bat knitting pattern, as it is approaching that time of year. I have given him vampire teeth, but I think it just makes him look not very scary but like a debonair gentleman bat.  

 

No pumpkins, but I managed to grow one Turk's Turban Squash. It is not very big, but is very pretty.

You can find the Bat Pattern on ravelry or Etsy. They do not take long to make, and it would be nice to have a whole chain of them. You could mix them up with some knitted Little Pumpkins. 

Just looked up that a group of bats is called a colony, although a group of flying bats can be called a cauldron.

 

Wee Mousie Knitting Pattern

I wrote quite a long while ago about a pattern I was working on for a little mouse. There was something not quite right about the first mouse (although he was cute) so I have revisited this. The new mice are knitted in 4-ply, and I have just used some odds and ends from my stash of wool. I have altered the legs and toes, which I think are now a bit more realistic. I have gone for wool that is a bit fluffy, but I think any 4-ply yarn would work. A mouse only takes 15g of wool, and a tiny bit of pink for the ears, nose and toes.

So as you can see, I have had quite a jolly morning trying to photograph the mice. At one point I took my eye off the cheese, and realised it was not getting eaten by the mice, but my dog was licking her lips.

So keep an eye out, as I think I will have one more go at the photos, perhaps with a block of cheese, before publishing it in all the usual places. There is a lovely cheese shop in Tavistock, and I was trying to pluck up the courage to ask to photograph the mice by one of their enormous cheeses. But in the end I did not have the nerve.

 

Teddy Bear Photo Update

 

Just been looking through some of my patterns and updating the photos. Somehow I had not added these photos to my Teddy Bear pattern, as I think they were taken when it was a work-in-progress. They were just snaps, but now looking back I think they are nicer because of the lighting than the photos where the finished bears went off to the park and had a picnic (much to my daughter's embarrassment).

The pattern is available in all the usual places, (ravelry, Etsy, and LoveKnitting) and although might be a bit more complicated than some bear patterns, because you need to use toymakers joints, you will finish with a classic vintage style bear. He has all the features you would expect: a slight hump at the back, a muzzle, paw pads, a round tummy and a slightly serious expression.

He is knitted flat, so there is some sewing up, but this means he has curves in all the right places. The finished bear is 17 inches or 43cm tall. You will need 120g of the main shade and 20g of the paw pad shade.

I am currently working on an animal-themed garment, which I am writing in larger than just baby sizes. As usual it is taking me much longer than I had expected. Actually I like this garment so much I may have to make an adult-sized one for myself!

Mutant Farm Mice

Once again I have been busy making mutant mice. They are really fun to make, and although my husband keeps saying "why not just make some animals" I am quite enjoying keeping them essentially as mice, but with just a few features of other animals. 

I am getting ready for another craft fair next weekend, and although I am not sure these will appeal to anyone, I am having a nice time making them.

 

Still plenty of time to join in the Ginx Woolly Linx Party for November.

Mice, Mice, Mice

I've been busy making some mice, and started off by making some Fair Isle mice from this free pattern by Yellow Pink and Sparkly. After a little while I thought about the pink sugar mice that we would get, especially at Christmas, so had a go at making one of them.

Next it seemed like it might be fun to make a few stripey mice, with different combinations of colours.

And finally after making a black and white striped mouse, I was told I had made a zebra mouse, so I thought I would add to the group with giraffe mouse and lion mouse. The family think I am bonkers!

Still time to join in the Ginx Woolly Linx Party for October.

Rainbow Lizard

 

One of the reasons I like selling on ravelry is that it gives the options for people to link up their projects made from a pattern. When I am looking for a pattern myself I always have a look at the projects. Do they look like the pattern samples, what comments have been made, etc. 

Etsy doesn't have this option built it, but I have noticed recently that buyers of my patterns on Etsy are sending me photos of what they have made, or posting them in the review/comment section. I love it when this happens, and was really delighted to be sent this rainbow version of my lizard. Susie who made it contacted me about the wrap stitch technique, but once mastered she has done a really great job. There must have been a few ends to run in, but I love this little rainbow lizard, who is on his way to Spain for her grandchild.

If you have made a project from one of my patterns I would love you to share a photo, and I do take all the comments onboard.

 

Still plenty of time to to join in Ginx Woolly Linx Party for September.

 

My Very Own Mini Cooper

I have made my fair share of knitted mini coopers over the years. I have tried to do a count up, and think it is at least 15, but I have have missed some. But finally I have made a car for myself, and it is going to live on the back shelf of my very own mini cooper.
  

This knitted car is smaller than the usual cars I make from my Mini Cooper pattern, as I decided to knit it in Cornwall over the half-term holiday. I rather stupidly only took the needles for the wheels. The body of the car is knitted on larger needles. So I had to really adapt the wheels so they were in proportion.

It sort of upsets me that real life minis seem to be getting bigger and bigger.  Occasionally you still see an orginal mini, and they really are like a different car to the mini countryman. Little confession - I was quite keen to get a Fiat, but was over-ruled, and now we have the mini (called Neville) I really love it. It is very easy to park, but also quite nippy when needed. I am taking my daughter out in it for driving practice, and she finds it a lot more powerful than the driving instructor's car on which she is also learning.

Just a reminder that there is still plenty of time left to join in my Ginx Woolly Linx party for March. 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.

Black-Eyed Susan Fairy

Here is the second of my fairies, and she is called Black-eyed Susan. I've found out that there are two types of Black-eyed Susan, and the one she represents is the black-eyed susan vine (Thunbergia alata). I really like this plant, because it looks a bit like a flower drawn by a child. I was hoping that my fairy's black eyes would be a clue. Not many of these plant in my neighbourhood, so I had to take this photograph at my local garden centre. Yes, that is what the strange lady with a camera was doing between the flowerbeds. 

Just a reminder that there is still time join in my Ginx Woolly Linx party for July. 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.

Red Ted

I wrote a post, which I now see was back in November called My Work Basket. How can the months have slipped by so quickly. A few people did spot that I was making a teddy bear, and was using my own pattern. This teddy is jointed, which might put a few people off, but the joints are quite easy to buy on-line (and probably in shops), and I think give a more authentic bear that hopefully will be fun to play with.

Teddy has been finished for a while, but I was waiting to see if my niece had a boy or girl before I made the scarf. I used to a combination of bright red and sock wool for the scarf to give a slightly random stripe. So this teddy is now on his way to Ireland, to meet my new great nephew.

The pattern is called Teddy Bear on ravelry. This teddy also has a small hump, which I now realise I haven't photographed. (Debating whether to unwrap him for another photo-shoot.) Have you ever found yourself saying (in your head) "work it teddy", while getting a woolly bear to pose in the back garden?

Just a reminder that there is still time join in my Ginx Woolly Linx party for February. 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.

A Few More 2CVs

2CV orders are a bit like buses. You wait for ages, and then two come along at the same time. The first order was for this black and yellow Charleston 2CV. I really like it when I have to slightly adapt my pattern. Much more interesting for me, and I was really pleased with how the side panels turned out. Here is an actual 2CV Charleston, to show you what I was aiming at.

And then just a few days later I got another order for a red 2CV. Both are knitted from my pattern Henrietta 2CV, and you can read about the original car that inspired me here.  And if you would like me to make a 2CV for you, here is link to the page on Etsy where you can place on order. Although making these little cars is part of my business, it is always very cheering when I hear someone is happy with their purchase.

Just a reminder that my Ginx Woolly Linx party for August is now running. 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.

"The Cupboard Was Bare ..."

I had the idea to knit a toy for our new puppy. The family scoffed. Given the rate that she is chewing through shoes, they did not think that a knitted toy would last more than a few minutes. But I was sure I knew better.

I found some wool that seemed like it will be hard-wearing, and then had a scout around ravelry to see if a bone pattern exists. Of course it does, so I downloaded Fetch! by KrisKnits and got going.

For my first bone I followed the pattern exactly. It seemed fine when I started knitting, but puppies grow very quickly (or perhaps I knit slowly), so by the time I had finished it seemed a bit small. So I had a go at a larger one, just by increasing the cast on and adding in a few more rows. And when middle bone was done I thought I might as well use the remaining wool to make a really big bone. So here are the bones hot off the needles, before being given to the dog. 

She had a huge amount of fun playing with them. She really did seem to really like them. Especially the largest one.

But annoying the family were almost right. As this picture below shows what I was left with after a day of chewing. (Don't worry I did keep a good eye on her, that she didn't eat the wool or stuffing.) Middle bone is the worse for wear, but the big bone and little bone have just about survivied. I still think it is a good idea, and might work as a more long-lasting toy if I could use string or nylon twine. So you never know I might have another go. But for the moment it is probably back to the plastic chewy toys.