Union Jack Mini Cooper

So much for all my New Year resolutions to post more often. I have just finished this mini cooper with a Union Jack roof, for a customer on Etsy. I always like making this version of my car pattern, and it is off to be gifted to Harry in New Hampshire. His name is on the numberplates, which you can't really see in these photo.

I have been knitting, but have been working on a jersey for my husband. His Christmas present, which may be ready just for when the weather warms up, and he doesn't need it.
 

 

Christmas Robin Pattern for Next Year!

I mentioned before Christmas that I was selling at a few local craft fairs. Getting ready for these fairs I decided to make a few little hanging Christmas Robins, and am publishing the pattern I made up for these robins in all the usual places as a free pattern. Here it is on ravelry.

They are very little, so take just a few scraps of wool, but are great fun to make. When I first started writing knitting patterns, it was because I was really uncertain if it was alright to sell products made from other's pattern. For all my patterns I am quite happy for buyers to sell what they make in small quantities at local craft fairs, but not online or in a large volume.

It was hard to decide whether to wait until next Christmas, but as this is a very little pattern, I decided to bring it out now. I started off making red and brown, but then looking at the robins in my back garden, I also tried for some slightly more realistic orange and light brown colours.

So lots of time to make a few little birds for next Christmas, and I will republish this post next autumn as a reminder, so you can make plenty more. And I have time to try and get the perfect robin photo - but for that perhaps I need a sprinkling of snow.

Daisy Flower Video

 

A Neighbourly Mini Cooper

I've been busy making another mini cooper, this time for my neighbour at my new home in Cornwall. Being a neighbour here in the country is a different thing, than in London. There you could easily hear neighbour's conversations, as they were a matter of feet away, but here even a close neighbour is a bit of long stride across a field. 

We seem to have a lot in common, as we met at the local craft fair. And both owners of a mini cooper, a lovable black dog, and a black and white cat. 

For this mini cooper I slightly altered my pattern - adding details to the wheels, and adding a spoiler to the back. Rather a sporty model.

Black Mini Cooper

Another Christmas knit, which I could not show until it was given to the recipient, my sister-in-law. Her previous red mini cooper had a little knitted version on the dashboard, but when we saw her in the autumn we heard how that car had come to a sad end in some flood water. But she was in a new black mini cooper, which I have made a version of. Had to sneak out and take a few photos, just so I could get all the details correct.

Knitted from my own pattern, which you can find here. I have made a lot of these little cars over the years, and I am currently working on another one for my mini cooper owning neighbours.

November Balaclava by Petite Knit

Another Christmas knit, which I couldn't post about until now, although this time the main reason was that I hadn't finished it. My daughter very much wanted a balaclava, which I read are in style at the moment. Lots of patterns for these, but she found this one by PetiteKnit, called November Balaclava.

For me the knitting was a bit tricky, because it involved using circular needles. I would always rather use doublepoints, but I decided to try and follow the instruction, and perhaps it was not as scary as I thought, and I may give the circular needles another go in the future. 

 

The main part of the hood is knitted with a fisherman's rib, a stitch which I haven't used before. I also bought the wool recommended, which was Peruvian Highland Wool by Filcolana. Perhaps I didn't really think through the colour, and I have rather made her look like the head of a match. But she is happy with it, and I am working on another one in a more neutral shade. I slightly altered the ribbing around the face, as she wanted it a bit lower on her hairline.

So hopefully we may have a bit of colder weather. So far this year it has been very mild in Britain.

Happy New Year - and a Morris Traveller

Happy New Year. It has been a tough time for everyone, in different ways, but I am wishing everyone who visits here that you find joy and comfort in being creative in 2022.

I would like to show you one of the things I have been working on. It is a Morris Traveller for my mother-in-law. When my husband was a child this was the family car, and he remembers all four children being piled early in the morning half asleep into this car for the long trip from Devon to Norfolk. Although I wasn't well enough to go on the Christmas visit, my husband says she instantly recognised it when she opened the parcel and was really delighted to see the old family car.

You really don't see these cars around much any more, but they were very distinctive, with the wooden box frame at the back. I have spent a lot of time looking at photos. The curved bonnet at the front has also been a bit of a challenge. In due course this will be a pattern, but I will have to write up from my notes, and make a few more, before I am ready to publish it.  

 

I have decided for the moment to have a little break from the regular monthly Ginx Woolly Linx Party. I will continue to visit the blogs of regular contributors and keep up-to-date with what you are working on. I started the link party in 2018, but have felt recently I have been relying on it too much, and not been publishing my own original work. I am hoping that I can focus a bit next year, and write a few more patterns. Plenty of ideas, but it is very easy to get distracted. But I may occasionally do a themed link party, so do keep checking in with me.

My favourite projects from December's party are this lovely lapghan throw from Valeria of Just East of Eden. Nice to see these Christmas cards from Liz at Howling at the Moon. Simple and elegant.  Alexandra of Eye Love Knots has reviewed a pattern for this fair isle gansey cowl. I enjoyed the fair isle crochet. And finally I could not resist showing you Tonna of Sew Craftsy Crochet who has modelled this Christmas bauble on her own cat, Maki. Just adorable.