Fox Jumper and My Thoughts on Foxes

I have designed a new knitting pattern, which I am calling Fox Jumper. My Child's Fox Jumper Pattern is selling well, and as I had some of the same wool left over, I thought I would knit a similar garment for myself. This fox jumper is loose fit. I guess you might call if a boyfriend jumper or a sloppy joe. I love this style of garment and designed it using one of my favourite shop-bought jumpers as a guide. The sleeves are quite loose, but then gather in to a neat fitted cuff. The neck is a boat edge, which I thought fitted with the stripes on the sleeves to give a bit of a retro feel.

I have thought a lot about the foxes while knitting it, and toyed with the idea of having more of them maybe higher up or on the sleeves, but in the end settled for a single row about the base, like the child's version. I have added the fox coloured stripes on the arms and cuffs, as I wanted to highlight the cut of the sleeves. These sections could be knitted in the main shade. Or indeed the row of foxes could be left off, if they are not your thing.

The Fox Jumper Pattern is for sale on Ravelry and Etsy, and will be in the other places soon. 

 

But enough about the fox jumper, and on to foxes. I do think they are lovely creatures: the long noses, pointy ears, beautiful colour, their family groups and cunning, or what I would call intelligence. When I lived on the edge of London foxes were a regular sight. If you were out walking at night it would not be unusual to have several cross your path. When our neighbours house was empty for a while we had the pleasure of seeing a fox family being brought up in their garden, much to the annoyance of some of the other neighbours.

  

Now I live in the county it seems much harder to see foxes. Below is one that I unexpectedly saw when I was trying to photograph rabbits. I was sitting in a bush, and he was also very interested in the rabbits, so did not notice me.

On Boxing Day a local hunt sets off from the town square. I was on my way to work (I know, work on Boxing Day!), and have to say I was much more on the side of the small group of anti-hunt protestors. This is a scent hunt, as fox hunting is not legal, but I am not sure if a pack of dogs caught the scent of a real fox it would be possible to call them off. 

So I am a fox fan, but I am also a chicken owner, which does put me in a bit of a dilemma. We lost one of our chickens, but I am not convinced that it was a fox who took her. Below is my favourite photo of the three girls. I would occasionally let them out of their coop to have a peck around the garden, which was possibly rather foolish. It is a balance between keeping them safe, and letting them have some quality of life. Called out by some sqwaking - Nugget, the chicken in the middle was just gone, and the other two had flapped up onto a fence and were very upset. Despite searching the whole area, we never found any sign of what had happened to Nugget. Not a single feather or trail in the undergrowth. So I am not sure that I can blame a fox, and have my suspicion it might have been a stoat. I saw one kill a rabbit in the garden once, and despite its small size, drag it off. Either that or it was alien abduction!

The other two chickens are still with us, and although we did think about getting a replacement for Nugget, they seem happy as a pair. I still let them out to the garden from time to time, but only when I am out gardening to keep an eye on them. And I guess foxes are just doing what they have to do to survive.

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.

Focus

A rather drab day, and although I am a bit embarrassed at the quality of these photographs, of what I think are a sparrow and a blackbird. I just thought it was quite interesting to show what is almost the same shot, but with a different focus. Do you have a preference, and why? Slightly reminds me of Hitchcock's The Birds.

And while I am posting about the wildlife I can see from my bedroom window, I thought you might like to see this rather scrawny fox. I only just had time to grab my camera and get this picture, before Fantastic Mr Fox disappeared. I like the way he did seem to be looking right at me!

And then I could not believe my eyes when I looked
 in the other direction, I saw this other rather plumper fox.