Tag Archives: knitting

Christmas is Early

I’m afraid that my gift to you this year has some assembly required.

on the mantle

Surprise! It’s a garland!

Smitten (a Holiday Garland) is now available as a free download at KnitPicks.com.

I knit a mitten a day for most of October. After I memorized the pattern (around mitten number 6), they took me about an hour each. Marcia, my Top Secret Test Knitter, says that her first one took about twice that long – but she was correcting my mistakes at the same time. Long Story Short: If you want 24, it’s time to get started!

mitten stack

This was my “Guess what’s next?” picture that I never posted.

If you don’t need an advent calendar, put letters on the mittens and spell something festive or seasonal like “Let it snow!” Or use them for ornaments. Or money holders. They are about 4.5″ from finger tip to cuff so small toys, treats or jewelry will fit neatly inside.

toy inside

Bendy doll by Princess Nimble Thimble.

Happy holidays! If you make something with the pattern, I’d love to see it in the Smitten Flickr Group.

Knitting Halloween

black cat adn pumpkin

The cat was a special request. The cat was lonely, thus the pumpkin.

The little jack-o-lantern isn’t made from this pattern. But it was a direct inspiration (I didn’t want to get up and disturb the cat just to get the laptop so it’s really a ‘recreation’). Want to make your own pumpkins? Click one more time to get to Natural Suburbia. While you’re there, take a look at her little garter stitch bats. And when Halloween is over, there are ladybugs and flowers to keep you occupied.

swipe

Yoink!

Trick or Treat

eeeeee

He wants to share your candy!

There is plenty of time to knit a few for Halloween.

eeek!

There is also one in my shop.

His body is worked in the round on DPNs, of course. It saves time. You need to know how to increase, decrease and work a yarn over. His legs are worked flat, the optional hanger is icord. As my patterns go, he is not at all fiddly and if you’ve been thinking “Hmm. Knitting a toy might be a fun thing to try!” Spider would be a good one to start with.

Spider Beside Her is available for free on Ravelry. If you don’t Ravel, he’s also on my Free Patterns page.

Ellie is not afraid of Spiders

Ellie is not afraid of spiders.

Many thanks to Marcia for the super quick test knit!

Hoot

hooty hoot hoo

He’s giving lots of thought to nesting in your eves.

You are probably asking yourself, “Which part of that picture is in focus?” The answer is: I can’t tell either.

I’ll take another one tomorrow.

If I’m not feeling too lazy.

OutFoxed

stuffed fox

Pattern now available on Etsy and Ravelry.

The Etsy for Animals “Charity of the Month” for September, 2010 is Defenders of Wildlife. As my contribution, $1 from every Fox pattern sold on Etsy in September will be donated to this “national, nonprofit membership organization dedicated to the protection of all native animals and plants in their natural communities.” To find more items that benefit EFA’s Charity of the month and animals in general, try using our tags in the search box: team efa, team efa cotm.

Nibble

New in my shop.

Here’s the concept sketch:

I left off the tummy and added whiskers.

One of these days I’ll do a post series titled “From Picture to Pattern.” But that day is not today, Ellie has shared a cold (the deluxe version with fever). Today is a win if I answer all my email.

*blows nose*

‘Scuse me.

The New Owl

Ready for a new Yarn Miracle?

fox

Fox!

I need to make him one more time to double check the pattern and take a couple of in-progress pictures, then the pattern is ready for test knitters. Test knitters acquired! Thanks a bunch!

HUGS

Ellie likes him.

I was going to get a picture where you could see the fox’s whole body and tail, but he is having his nap and I’m not taking any chances with waking Ellie. But I will show you what he looked like before he was yarn.

fox drawing

Spitting image.

Chickens in Rothera (Seriously)

There is such a thing as a 48-Hour Antarctic Film Contest. Following strict guidelines, the participating research stations have 48 hours to script, act, film and edit a five minute work of cinematic art. Requirements change each year so that no station can get a head start on their film. For 2010, the line “Has anybody seen my chicken?” had to be included in the dialog. I am sure you can see where this is going.

The British Antarctic Survey‘s entry, From Rothera with Love, is an action-packed thriller about a mad scientist’s attempt to take over the world. And his love for a Chicken (Chicken Chicken). Got your popcorn handy?

‘From Rothera With Love’ by the wintering team at Rothera Station, Antarctica from Ben Tibbetts on Vimeo.

The chicken knitter, Ravelry Morganna, chronicles her completely alien (to me – 91F and thunderstorms this afternoon) lifestyle at Wholesome Fun at Home and Abroad. Sage and Onion (her finished chicken and rooster) can be found here.