Monkey Business

I have finished my Baboon Pattern, and placed it on ravelry. It has been a bit of a slog, but three baboons later I have the final version. The nose was lengthened and then shortened. The shoulders were made narrower. The neck thicker. Ears added. I could continue ....  

Then off down the garden for the photoshoot.  I do think my neighbours may genuinely think I'm a bit mad. "She's arranging woolly things in her trees again!"

This pattern has been a real learning experience for me. I am happy with the final result, but this toy is not an easy knit. Well actually that isn't true. The knitting is really quite straight forward, but it is the construction that is tricky.  The pattern has photographs and diagrams to help. The head is made of five different panels. I really had to try to balance keeping it simple, but also getting the end result right.

If anyone does knit him I would love to see your finished baboon. Although any double knit wool would work, I do love this Sirdar Escape DK, and the variation in colour makes it perfect. I found some for sale at Black Sheep Wools.

So I guess this is the final word on baboons or mandrills for now. Or should I say the bottom line!

I'm have put these two baboons in my Etsy Shop for non-knitters.

The Evolution of Baboon - A Work In Progress

I am very bad at sticking to WIP Wednesday, as I like to put projects on my blog when they are finished. I have been working really hard on my newest pattern, but it is still very much a work in progress.

I call him a baboon (although I think he is technically a mandrill). Although I really like his serious little face, he still has quite a few issues. Nose should be a bit bigger! Should he have ears? Something not quite right about his arms ..... etc.

But some of his features have turned out as I imagined: his prominent brow, and his colourful rear end.

Baboon Bottom!

I have had him in mind for a while, but could not find the right wool. And then on holiday saw the ideal wool (Sirdar Escape DK) in a bargain bucket in the window of a tiny wool shop in the village. I had to buy it, as it was just perfect. But it took three visits to the shop before I managed to get my hands on it. Shop owners in North Devon seem to close for long lunches. So now I have ordered two more balls of this wool online, so I can have another go at refining him.

And although he is not quite right yet, I am not going to unravel him. So I hope to be able to show you how he has evolved from this to the final version in a few weeks.