Pink Echinaecea Fairy

And finally here is the Pink Echinaecea fairy. Well done to those who identified her. Once again the only flowers I could find were in my local garden centre, although they aren't yet in bloom, the plant behind her really was a Pink Echinaecea. And below is a photo to show you want they look like at their best.

I will not be posting much for August, and might be found at the bottom of a packing case under a load of bubblewrap, but hope to be back with lots more posts in the Autumn.

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

Madame Lavender

I think it is time to reveal the first of my garden flower fairies. She is Lavender Fairy, and while making her I did think that she might be a French Lavender, so that is why I have called her Madame Lavender. 

I think she might have been difficult to spot as lavender seems to come in many shades. (I found out that apart from the blues and pinks, lavender also comes in white and yellow.) The photo at the top is what I was aiming for with her hat, and the photo at the bottom was taken in my own garden.  In a few days I will reveal the identity of the second garden flower fairy.

You can still guess who the other fairies are on my last post Garden Flower Fairies.

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.

"All The Single Ladies"

... or perhaps I should call them "all the single fairies". It has taken me longer than I thought (as all jobs seem to), but the fairies have now headed off to my Etsy shop, complete with their little hand embroidered bags. I do hope they end up with someone who loves them.

And now to start thinking about the summer garden flower fairies. I have started on lavender, but would love it if you have any suggestions for the others.

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

Daffodil Fairy

This is the final of my spring wild flower fairies. I have a few more fairies in the pipeline, but they are summer garden flowers, so you will have to wait a while for them. As you can see, Daffodil is flamboyant and a lot of fun. 

None of the fairies have made it to my shop yet, as I still have to make their little bags. Can't believe that the Easter holiday has gone by and I have got to it yet. 

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

Snowdrop Fairy

Hello Snowdrop Fairy. I am a little late in the year to find any real snowdrops to photograph her with. At first I thought she didn't need a hat, but I could see her looking at Primrose with a bit of envy, so in the end I made her one, and we had to go out again to the woods for more photos.
  

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

Primrose Fairy

I've been making a few new fairies, using my fairy and mermaid pattern, and they will be heading to my Etsy shop, although first I have to make each one a little embroidered bag to live in. First meet Primrose - she can be a bit shy, but if you pick the right time of year you will find her in meadows, hedgerows and woodland. There will be a few more flower fairies appearing soon.

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

Homespun Miniatures

This morning I heard the big thud of a parcel come through my letterbox. What could it be? I was delighted to find the latest issue of Homespun had winged its way to me from Australia, and in an article on miniature crafts, my own tiny Forget-Me-Not Fairy. Some of the other miniature crafts featured are truly amazing, and I felt quite honoured to be there amongst them.
 

I do love Homespun Magazine. It is just jam packed full of really beautiful patterns and projects. A really inspiring magazine. So I settle down now for a good read.

Leafy Child's Cowl

I've been working away at a new pattern, which I've decided to call The Leafy Cowl. (I toyed with the idea of calling it either the Fairy Cowl, or Pixie Cowl, but I think I have finally settled on Leafy.) It is knitted in Debbie Bliss Blue Faced Leicester Aran, but other similar weight wools would work well. The pattern is now available on Ravelry. Just click on the links in my sidebar.

This pattern has some simple cabling on the neck section, as I wanted it to be really cosy. It also has a tension gauge, a recommended wool and yardage details. 

I usually call my knits quick, but the leaves (of which there are 25 in all) took me two evenings to knit. I guess you might say that is not really long, but I had to knit a few prototypes before I did this final version, so feel a bit leafed-out. Compared with some of my other patterns there is quite a lot of knitting (and also running in of ends).

Here is Little One in the cowl, and I am in the process of knitting an adult version. At first she was a very reluctant model, until she decided to draw up a modelling contract where she gets a percentage of any pattern sales. We haggled a bit, as she tried to also get a flat rate for each photo I took. Smart girl, but since I take about 10 bad photos for every OK one I didn't agree to this! Sorry about our slightly shabby side alley. Originally I had decided to take some fairy photos in the woods with Little One posed on a tree stump in a dress, but in the end preferred these ones taken at home at the side of the house. This is a cowl for a girl who might turn her hand to a bit of carpentry or DIY.

Little One is ten, although very small for her age. The cowl would fit most children between 4 and 13. Teenagers and adults should wait for the adult size pattern. The cowl has a stretchy double cast-on edge, which is very elastic. If you are not familiar with the double cast-on method I have made a photo tutorial, which I have put in a new knitting tips corner that will remain in my sidebar. I am also thinking of doing a separate Baby Leafy Cowl, probably in a softer finer wool.

I'm really happy with how the cowl has turned out. It will be so useful, as it smartens up any outfit, and is very cosy, and I hope it has a quirky stylishness. I drew some of my inspiration from the flower fairy books, by Cicely Mary Barker.

Faerie in My Garden

I loved knitting Carrie's Christmas fairy. The pattern is on her Forrestdweller Blog at http://forrestdweller.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/christmas-fairy-knitting-pattern.html. I think he is quite charming.

All my favourite things: a little bit of knitting, four needles, felt and embroidery. In fact I didn't have the right colour felt to match the blue wool, so had to use fleece instead. Not as nice to sew with.

I love the fact he has no features on his face. I think it is a bit early for him to be a Christmas Fairy (I think he is a boy), so we are going to give him to Frankie's teacher, as an end of year gift. So I may well have to make another one for my tree this year. His collar was not very neat, which is why I have added a little button.

He looks quite at home sitting in my apple tree