Clarence the Pheasant

 

I just realised that although we will be in February I have not posted very much this year. So here is a photo taken from my kitchen window this morning. I call him Clarence, as that is what the lady we bought the house from called him when we saw him while viewing the house, almost a year ago. I'm assuming he is the same pheasant, but I suppose he may not be. If only he had been there at the weekend, when I was counting the birds for the RSBP bird count. I picked a bad time, as even all the usual little garden birds were not appearing, I think because it was so windy. Time to hunker down. Would a knitted pheasant be a good idea for a new project? Most likely someone has already done it.

I am crafting at the moment, but with not much to show for it. Making curtains for the living room, which is taking me such a long time. The header tape has arrived at last, so I may be nearing the end. Perhaps curtains are not that exciting, but I may post a photo here. And in the evening I am working on a pullover for myself, which may end up as a pattern. But that is also a long job, as I am only nearly at the end of the back piece.

 

 

Chameleon Knitting Pattern

I have been busy test knitting my new pattern. Trying to get these little fellows made while there are still some beautiful leaves left on the trees. 

 

This pattern uses a lot of my usual techniques. There is some icord knitting - this time with purl, to make the chameleon look more like he has scales. Some short rows to get the curves, and also a lot of sewing up. I have also done something that I haven't tried before, and inserted a pipecleaner in the tail, to get the curl, and some short lengths of pipecleaners in the legs to get them to bend realistically. So not an easy make, but I am really happy with the end result.

 

 

 

Bit of a dilemma with the photographs - should I get the chameleons to stand out or blend in?

The other interesting thing has been looking for wool which would work well. The very bright wool of the second chameleon was just some I had in my stash, but I think I love the top and bottom chameleon best, which was made from Hayfield Spirit Shade 0415. Actually bought this wool, but it came in lots of shades, and I think even if I made another one from the same ball, it would look completely different. I also went with the green wool, as I thought it would be interesting to see how hidden a green chameleon would look in green leaves. All the wools used are DK. I am keeping my eyes out for a suitable bluey wool, and feel I may have one more chameleon to make.

The pattern for this chameleon is available on Ravelry, Etsy and LoveKnitting. 

I have been slightly obsessed with these creatures, for another reason, which I will tell you about later in the month. 

Chameleon

I am busy working on a new pattern, and have returned to sort of thing that I do most - quirky little creatures. Do you like Mr Chameleon? 

I think I am nearly there with the pattern, but this is just a peek, as I realised I have not been posting very much at the moment. 

I am still at the testing and photographing stage. Tricky with a chamelon, as I really should find somewhere very colourful to put him, so you have no idea he is even there!

A Change of Scene

I have been dithering about this post. This blog gives some insights into my life, perhaps a slightly edited version. But as I know I have some people who have followed me for quite a few years, I thought I would just let you know that I have moved house. You may have noticed that I have been posting much less recently, mainly because moving house is such hard work. 

If you have followed my gardening posts you will definitely notice a difference next year. The new house has a lovely garden, but I am going to be much less vegetable-based. There are some lovely shrubs and flowers, so I am going to have to learn about this sort of gardening. There is a small raised bed, but I may have to plant some of my vegetables in pots or between the flowers in the borders.

We are now in a hamlet on the edge of Dartmoor. I think it will suit us well, and I have already been welcomed with a glass of wine by my new neighbour. When I say the edge of Dartmoor, I really mean the edge of Dartmoor. I have to frequently weave my way between sheep or ponies. The photo above was taken through the front window, where the ponies like to gather, no zoom lens needed. 

Our dog is enjoying some different walks, and we are looking forward to exploring Dartmoor and the surrounding countryside, which I expect you will see reflected here.

 

More Wee Mouse Photos and Pattern

As promised here are a few more photos of my mice, this time with what is a bit more of a wedge of cheese. Hard to find a piece of cheese that was perfect. This bit is jarlsberg and had the shape but not quite the holes. But the emmental in the shop had lovely holes, but were all cut into cubes shapes. I have spent quite a lot of time recently looking at cheese!

So at last the pattern is published. Thank you to Jennifer, who proof checks for me, and is brilliant. However careful I think I have been she finds something!

As mentioned before this pattern is knitted with 4-ply or fingering wool, and takes a small amount, about 15g. Well it is a wee mouse. I thought of this idea partly because of To a Mouse poem by Robert Burns. It is Burn's Night on 25th January so I have roughly the right date to publish the pattern. My daughter is off to visit one of her friends in Cambridge today, and is going to a formal Burn's Night Supper, followed by a ceilidh. I don't think she has experienced either before, so it will be interesting to see what she thinks

So here are links to the pattern on Etsy, ravelry and LoveKnitting, and I hope anyone who buys it enjoys making some mice, and you don't find they are overrunning your kitchen.

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.

 

Special Starfish

I am pretty good at watching on Ravelry if someone has used one of my patterns and linked their project. On Etsy I sometimes forget, as comments and photos come at the bottom of the shop page. But every so often I do a catchup, and was delighted to see this beautiful make from my Starfish pattern.

Pat is from Canada, and has made it for her granddaughter, on Vancouver Island, who is having her bedroom decorated with a sea theme. I just love the wool she has used, the mixture of colours. The choice to line of the french knots is lovely, and these are made with yarn spun with merino wool and Samoyed dog hair. Just exquisite - I think her granddaughter is going to be very happy.

 

Turtle Project

Once in a while someone shows me a project made from one of my patterns which is really special, and they allow me to feature it here.

 

 

This was the case with Lori, from Louisiana, who contacted me a few weeks ago about the finished size of my Tortoise pattern. She had found this beautiful turtle shell in the woods, and decided the time had come to make a body for him. As you see the shell is stunning in itself, but now Cecil has a body too.

Lori had to slightly adapt the pattern for size, and as you can see has done a wonderful job. She has made a body, which she has carefully slid into the shell, which is one piece.

Doesn't Cecil have a wonderful expression on his face. Thank you Lori for letting me share your project here. 

I love to see when knitters have used my patterns, especially for an unusual project. It makes designing a pattern really worthwhile to see it being enjoyed.

Child's Foxy Jumper Pattern

I've been working on this childrens'  jumper pattern for quite a while. When I look back the first small version was knitted in August, so I realise I am not working at a very fast pace. But finally the pattern is complete and published on ravelry, Etsy and LoveKnitting. The photo below shows Age 1-2 years, and 2-3 years, and the pattern comes in two more sizes up to Age 7.

I really like the little fox border, although in the last week one of our lovely chickens has disappeared. I suspect perhaps a fox, my husband a stoat, and we have also wondered about a bird of prey. But there was no sign of feathers, so my neighbour, who also has chickens, says she may have got broody and be hiding, sitting on a nest of unfertilised eggs somewhere. That would be great, but I am not very hopeful. If it was a fox I know foxes just do what they have to do to live.

Apart from the fox border the jumper pattern is really quite simple. It is knitted in 4-ply, from the bottom up. It is seamed, and has raglan sleeves. The bottom and cuffs have a border of garter stitch, although this could be altered to rib if you prefer that, and the neck is a simple roll collar. You need a small amount of two additional colours for the foxes, and a tiny bit of black for their eyes and noses, which are embroidered on at the end.

 

 

I so love these little foxes I am thinking of knitting a bigger version for myself.

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!

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.

Bats (and a Craft Fair)

Quite a few years ago I decided that craft fairs weren't really for me, and it was best to concentrate on online selling. Yet somehow here I was yesterday, in the village hall behind a table of my handmade items. Just seemed like a good way to get out there and meet some people, and although this fair wasn't not busy, I did quite well as people seemed to be there to shop. 

 

Preparing for this fair I have done quite a bit of Bat knitting, as I thought with Halloween approaching these might be popular. I only sold one bat, to another young stallholder, so the rest of these are heading off to my Etsy shop. If you want to make your own bats there is still time, and the pattern can be found for sale by clicking here Bat Pattern. 

 

 

 

I sold a few other items that I haven't ever listed in my Etsy shop (kangaroos, alpacas, and even an armadillo), so have decided to list a few of these in the Unique Knitted Items section of my Etsy shop. After all Christmas is approaching, although I try to put off purchasing until December, and then usually get in a bit of a last minute panic. Perhaps this year I will try to think a bit further ahead.

 

 

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

Sloths are Trending Again

Sometimes I like to return to my own patterns, just because it is reassuring to reknit them and check that they are still workable. So I decided to make a few sloths, as all the originals in my Etsy shop sold fairly quickly. And despite selling a few of this pattern, I still have not seen any sloth projects. Although this doesn't mean sloths haven't been made, it is always very reassuring to me when I see successful projects from my patterns.

So it seemed really funny that I was sitting working on a sloth a few weeks ago, when a section came up on The One Show, saying that sloths are once again becoming fashionable. The One Show is a UK early evening magazine show, that sort of covers everything.

These little sloths are heading to my Etsy shop. I usually try to make my little animals in realistic colours, but I thought for the sloths it was fun to use some bright colours in slightly fluffy wool that I had in my stash. I think that kids would love to have them attached to a bag or keyring. If you fancy making your own sloth the pattern is available on ravelry, and is a fairly quick make.

 

 

Still lots of time to join in Ginx Woolly Linx Party for June.

Seahorse

It's been a long time since I've produced a sea creature pattern. I have had a seahorse in mind for a while, and as usual it is a documentary by David Attenborough that has inspired me.

They are such interesting creatures, and come in such a range of colours that you really can't go wrong with whatever colour wool you use.

Apologies for the number of photos.  This pattern reminds me quite a bit of my Bat pattern, as it is a really good way to use up the little oddments of wool that you might have left over from other projects. 

The main body is knitted in one part, with a seam down the back, and a little sewing on the head. The only separate part to attach is the tail fin.

You will need doublepoint needles, and the main techniques are icord knitting for the tail and nose, and some short rows. There is a photo tutorial for the icord knitting in my sidebar, or lots of video tutorials on youtube, if you have not tried this before. On some of the seahorses I have sewn the tail into a spiral, or you can just leave it free, and it seems to have a natural twist to it. Each seahorse only takes a few grams of wool, and is about 5 to 6 inches long, depending on whether you spiral the tail or not.

I have not quite decided what to do with mine yet, but I think they would look really nice as a mobile for a child. The pattern will be available on ravelry, Etsy and LoveKnitting.

I have had this post waiting for a while, but thank you to my lovely pattern tester Jennifer, who as usual spotted some errors. I have now put this right.

Still plenty of time to join in Ginx Woolly Linx party for April.