Halloween Knits Special Offer

Getting close to Halloween, so I have decided to do a special offer. I have two spooky patterns, my knitted Bat and Little Pumpkins. My Bat pattern is one of my best sellers, throughout the whole year, and I love how on Ravelry so many knitters have linked their own projects.

 

So until October 31st I am running a special offer. If you buy both patterns which are normally £3 each on Ravelry, you will get a £2 discount if you use the code SPOOKY. This is the only platform that has the ability of set up discount codes, so go here rather than Etsy or LoveKnitting, where these pattern are also for sale.

I would love to see somebody make a Halloween garland with pumpkins and bats. Perhaps that's what I should do!

Christmas Sale Thursday

The next group of patterns that I am including in my Christmas sale are a little bit left field. The seaside themed Christmas tree decorations include - Scallop Shell, Sand Dollar, Starfish, Little Minnows, and I have included my Spiral Shell. 

It was 10 years ago that Mary Ann asked me to design a Christmas Sand Dollar pattern, to hang on her sister-in-law's ocean themed Christmas tree. I had a lot of fun with this design, which was helped by the real sand dollars that she sent me, which still decorate my bathroom. 

So while not completely traditional, why not have an ocean-themed tree? Tomorrow I will be showing the last group of Christmas decoration that are included in the 50% off sale, and publishing the discount code. The sale starts on Friday and continues until Christmas Day, and there will be a few more not very traditional decorations. 

Baby Penguin

I like to think that when I make a knitted animal I make it realistic. I don't go for a cute version. So in this case all I can only say that baby penguins really are this cute. Actually I think they may be even cuter.

This is my third polar Christmas decoration. The others were Polar Bear and Arctic Hare. I think I need to stop now, but I am really pleased with all these little animals on my Christmas tree. 

Baby Penguin is really quick and easy to make. Just for once I am going to recommend a wool. I used Rowan Alpaca Classic Shade 00101 to get the fluffy grey look. I think any other fluffy wool would work. Some of my first penguins were in a non-fluffy grey, and they are cute too.

The penguins have gone off again to the icy land of fluffy dressing gown. But they just keep waddling away in different directions when I try to photograph them.

These baby penguins are tiny - approximately 4.5 cm tall, and each one take less that 2g of wool. So this is the pattern for you if you like quick makes, and I am planning to make a lot more from my ball of wool, and those ones will be heading for my Etsy shop. But it is not for you if you don't like working small.

 

The pattern is be available on ravelry, Etsy and LoveKnitting. 

I have set up a discount code on ravelry if you buy any 2 of my polar animal decorations: Christmas Baby Penguin, Christmas Arctic Hare, or Christmas Polar Bear you will get £1 discount. If you buy all three the discount is £2. The code to use is POLAR, and this offer will run until the end of 2020.

 

Just a reminder that tomorrow you can still join in my Ginx Woolly Linx party for December. I would love to see what you have been working on.

 
 

Christmas Arctic Hare

 

Meet the Christmas Arctic Hare, my second polar Christmas decoration. Once again I have had problems with my photographs, until I discovered the polar region of "the land of dressing gown". Taken with a zoom lens, I really think it looks like snow.

I have become a bit hooked on the Philip Pullman's Dark Materials, being shown on Sunday evening. Perhaps I should have called the Arctic Hare Hester, and the Polar Bear Decoration Iorek. I am thinking of making my polar bear a suit of armour out of felt. You can see Polar Bear by scrolling down or find the pattern on ravelry by clicking here - Polar Bear.

Arctic Hare is tiny. I tried to weigh the wool I had used, and at first it did not register on my scales. So I would say he takes 1-2g. So this is a pattern for people who like quick projects and working small.

Arctic Hare pattern is available on ravelry, Etsy and LoveKnitting later today. 

As I mentioned I am hoping there will be one more (not arctic but antarctic) Christmas animal pattern coming out soon. I wonder if you can guess.

 

Just a reminder that tomorrow you can join in my Ginx Woolly Linx party for December. I would love to see what you have been working on.

Christmas Polar Bear

I've been thinking hard about a design for a new Christmas decoration, and have been pestering my family and friends for ideas - something original, but not perhaps not too unusual.

After a lot of thought I remembered a pattern I started back in 2014. I had the idea to make a collection of polar animals, and after getting quite far with two of them, the final animal stumped me. The project was put to one side, and sort of forgotton. 

But now I have reworked my Christmas Polar Bear, and here he is. He is not large (about 7cm long). If you can find the right sort of wool, one with a bit of fluffiness it really helps make him look realistic.

 

Below are a few of my previous Christmas decorations with links to the patterns on ravelry if you click on the pattern name. The Christmas Tree decoration was quite conventional, but then I branched out with Christmas Birds, and a symbolic Scallop Shell.

One year I tried to start a new tradition - Christmas Elephants. The Christmas Sand Dollars were requested part someone who wanted a seaside themed Christmas, and even sent me some real sand dollars as a thank you. And my Christmas Sloth took so long last year, that I did not have him ready until January. Perhaps I was a bit like the sloth. The Tiny Christmas Elf Clogs are just a good place to hide chocolates.

So the Christmas Polar Bear pattern is available well before Christmas, and I will be publishing my second polar animal shortly, and possibly number three will follow ...

Below are the original bears I made back in 2014.  I'm not linking this photo to the pattern, as I have made a few alterations. I can not even find the instructions for the two little cubs, and am not even sure I wrote it down, but they are rather cute.

You can find the pattern on ravelry, Etsy and Love Knitting if you want to make your own little hanging polar bear.

 

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

Christmas Elephants - My Christmas Rush

I am being a bit ironic calling this my Christmas rush, as I have not had many orders this year. Not all bad though, as it has given me time to get on with my husband's present. All will be revealed at Christmas, if I can get him to do some modelling. But I was really pleased to get this order for some personalised Christmas elephant decorations.

I would still like the elephant to become the new fashionable decoration for Christmas. I did see some felted elephant decorations in a shop recently, so maybe the word is spreading.

These elephants are now on the way to Canada, and I was really happy to add the personalisation of names embroidered on the back. It is nice to think of another family building up their collection of Christmas decorations. I can't wait to get mine out this year.

So if you fancy making some Christmas Elephants for yourself, you can find the pattern in ravelry, Etsy or LoveKnitting. Or if you would like me to make some for you, although they aren't listed in my shop, but just send me a message.

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

Tiny Dutch Christmas Elf Clogs

I decided to make some new Christmas decorations for my tree. What could be more cute than some tiny pairs of elf shoes? 

In The Netherlands at Christmas, children leave a shoe out by the fireplace or sometimes a windowsill. They also believe that if they leave some hay and carrots in their shoes for Sinterklass's horse, they will be left some sweets or small presents. I am not Dutch, but this seems like such a lovely tradition that I thought I would make  some very tiny elf clogs, to contain sweets or nuts on the tree. My daughter tells me that her German friend leaves a boot on the front doorstep for Saint Nicholas to fill, even though she lives in England.

I am posting about this today because we are very close to the days, 5th/6thDecember when St. Nicholas's Day is celebrated. (Although in some countries it is celebrated on 19th December.)

 

The pattern is available on ravelry, Etsy, and will be on LoveKnitting. They are an easy knit, all in garter stitch, and with one small seam to sew.

I apologise for the huge number of photos. I have rather got a bit carried away with making these little shoes. I also wanted to show them before and after they have been decorated. They are such a quick make, but also great fun to decorate. I have embroidered with wool, and added some beads. I am sure they could be zhuzhed up in other ways. I would love to see what other people do with them.

I've taken most of these photographs at the front of my house, where I have a fir tree. Lots of curious looks from passers-by. So my only problem now is when I do put them on the Christmas tree (we don't have it yet as my husband like to leave it closer to the day), how to I stop one very greedy labrador getting to them. 

In fact the whole dog/Christmas thing is a bit of a worry. We don't go to town with decorations, but do always have a tree in the living room, with gifts around it. I would love any tips on how to do Christmas with a dog who will eat anything and everything. I suspect the answer is, "carefully".

 

"Traditional Christmas Elephants" ... Again

I try not to repeat things too much, but it seems the right time of year to remind you about  "The Traditional Christmas Elephant". I published this pattern in the Spring, as I just couldn't wait, but I think now is the time of year people start thinking about making Christmas decorations. (You can read more about my ideas then here.)

For my new decoration I wanted to make something that had not been done before. You can find the pattern on Etsy, LoveKnitting, or Ravelry.
   
The pattern contains instructions for both large and small elephants. They have a felt backing, and my pattern contains photos and instructions on how to put the elephant together. You can also make it with or without the coloured seat section.  These elephants are a fairly quick make, so if you were looking to give the decorations as gifts it is ideal, as they are handmade and personal but not too time-consuming. You can use up oddments of wool that you have left over from other projects.

My other reason for repeating the pictures is that I have put the actual elephants in my Etsy shop. I have taken the opportunity to add a few other knitted items and relist some patterns that I had let drop out of the shop.
 

I am busy working on a new pattern. I am very excited about it, but this doesn't seem to have translated into getting on with it. It is one of those patterns that the family have scoffed at - "you just can't make one of those out of wool". Ha, they will see. I have the whole thing worked out in my head, but I need to get on and knit it and write the pattern. I would also say it is something that is iconic, and I think people who like them, really like them. If you want to have a guess in the comments please do ... but you will never, never, never get it.