Baby Tulip Cardigan Review

I recently had a lovely customer on Etsy, Joanna, who purchased one of my Baby Tulip Cardigans along with one of my Tulip Hats. She shared the sweetest review—and even included a photo of the cardigan on an actual baby! She’s kindly given me permission to share it here.

It absolutely made my day to hear from such a happy customer, and seeing one of my cardigans being worn by a real little one means so much to me—especially since I don’t have any babies in my life right now to model them!

 

Chameleon Knitting Pattern

I have been busy test knitting my new pattern. Trying to get these little fellows made while there are still some beautiful leaves left on the trees. 

 

This pattern uses a lot of my usual techniques. There is some icord knitting - this time with purl, to make the chameleon look more like he has scales. Some short rows to get the curves, and also a lot of sewing up. I have also done something that I haven't tried before, and inserted a pipecleaner in the tail, to get the curl, and some short lengths of pipecleaners in the legs to get them to bend realistically. So not an easy make, but I am really happy with the end result.

 

 

 

Bit of a dilemma with the photographs - should I get the chameleons to stand out or blend in?

The other interesting thing has been looking for wool which would work well. The very bright wool of the second chameleon was just some I had in my stash, but I think I love the top and bottom chameleon best, which was made from Hayfield Spirit Shade 0415. Actually bought this wool, but it came in lots of shades, and I think even if I made another one from the same ball, it would look completely different. I also went with the green wool, as I thought it would be interesting to see how hidden a green chameleon would look in green leaves. All the wools used are DK. I am keeping my eyes out for a suitable bluey wool, and feel I may have one more chameleon to make.

The pattern for this chameleon is available on Ravelry, Etsy and LoveKnitting. 

I have been slightly obsessed with these creatures, for another reason, which I will tell you about later in the month. 

Baby Tulip Cardigan

I have been hard at work on this new knitting pattern, which I am calling Baby Tulip Cardigan. It has taken a lot of thought, and knitting. Cardigans just seem the best sort of garment for a baby, with none of that squeezing over the head of a jumper. The tulips are smaller than those on my Tulip Hat, but knitted in a very similar way. Each flower uses two separate lengths of yarn - one for the leaves and one for the flower, which are not carried between the flowers on the reverse of the work. I love the look of the raised flowers, but put them only on the front of the cardigan, as I felt they might be a bit bumpy on the back for a lying or sitting baby.

The pattern comes with instructions for four sizes (0-3 months, 3-6 months, 6-9 months and 9-12 months). I have written sized patterns before, but this one was slightly more complicated, as the flowers had to be placed on each version. (The pattern contains a lot of brackets, and I hope will be fairly straightforward to follow.)

 

 

I have knitted Size 1, 2 and 4 - each one in a different DK wool that I had in my stash. Some of the places where I sell suggest that you will do better by recommending a specific brand of yarn, but I thought knitting with different yarns was a good way to test the pattern. The cardigan only takes 70g to 120g of main shade wool, depending on the size you knit, plus small amounts for the flowers, so it really is a good way to use up some yarn left over from another project. I used Stylecraft Sweet Dreams for Size 1, some North Ronaldsay DK for Size 2, and some Rowan Designer DK which I think came from my sister for Size 4. (Just looked this up, and apparantly it was discontinued in the 1980's, so that has been in my stash for a while!)

 

I like them all, and am rather fond of Size 4 - with each flower being a different colour, and the different coloured buttons at the front. Spent a lot of time in a haberdashery picking these out.

  

 

 

But what now to do with all these baby garments. I don't seem to know anyone with a baby, so apart from no baby models, I have ended up putting my samples in my Etsy Shop, along with my sample Tulip Hats.

The pattern is available on Ravelry, Etsy and LoveKnitting.

My resolve was to design more knitting this year, although I have been a little distracted by printing, walking, and now the gardening year is beginning! I have quite a few more ideas brewing, so time to start my next design.

More Wee Mouse Photos and Pattern

As promised here are a few more photos of my mice, this time with what is a bit more of a wedge of cheese. Hard to find a piece of cheese that was perfect. This bit is jarlsberg and had the shape but not quite the holes. But the emmental in the shop had lovely holes, but were all cut into cubes shapes. I have spent quite a lot of time recently looking at cheese!

So at last the pattern is published. Thank you to Jennifer, who proof checks for me, and is brilliant. However careful I think I have been she finds something!

As mentioned before this pattern is knitted with 4-ply or fingering wool, and takes a small amount, about 15g. Well it is a wee mouse. I thought of this idea partly because of To a Mouse poem by Robert Burns. It is Burn's Night on 25th January so I have roughly the right date to publish the pattern. My daughter is off to visit one of her friends in Cambridge today, and is going to a formal Burn's Night Supper, followed by a ceilidh. I don't think she has experienced either before, so it will be interesting to see what she thinks

So here are links to the pattern on Etsy, ravelry and LoveKnitting, and I hope anyone who buys it enjoys making some mice, and you don't find they are overrunning your kitchen.

Malstrøm Fisherman's Sweater

Some of you may wonder if I am still knitting, and indeed am I still writing knitting patterns? I have been a little distracted by walking, gardening and other crafts, and this latest project has taken me such a long time. I have been working on it most of this year, but thinking about it for even longer. But I am really pleased to have finally completed my first adult garment knitting pattern. It will be for sale shortly in all the ususal places: ravelry, Etsy and LoveKnitting.

A few years ago I knitted my husband an Icelandic sweater. Not from my own pattern, but a fairly vintage one from ravelry, and genuine Icelandic wool. Since then he has been asking me to make a Norweigan style fisherman's sweater. I tried to tempt his with other Norweigan sweaters, but he was very specific in what he would like. Fairly simple pattern over the whole garment, stripes on the rib sections, and reserved colours. I can see this style of sweater for sale, but could not find quite the right pattern.

So I decided to go for it, and write my own pattern. Having written it up for his size, I have graded it for other sizes. The pattern has eight sizes from 32-46 inch chest, so could be for men or women. It is knitted in DK, and I think would also look nice with navy, if you were going for a different traditional look. This has taken quite a long time, and a lot of maths. I am not bad at maths, but knitting maths is something quite specific, which needs not just maths but also knowledge of knitting.

He is very happy with the finished garment, and I persuaded him that we should go all out for the photos. He really is the best, as I am sure a lot of husbands would have refused to do this. It was quite a blustery day, so hopefully he looks like a swarthy Cornish (or even Norweigan) fisherman. Thankyou to whoever owns the fishing equipment that was on the beach at Bude!

Special Starfish

I am pretty good at watching on Ravelry if someone has used one of my patterns and linked their project. On Etsy I sometimes forget, as comments and photos come at the bottom of the shop page. But every so often I do a catchup, and was delighted to see this beautiful make from my Starfish pattern.

Pat is from Canada, and has made it for her granddaughter, on Vancouver Island, who is having her bedroom decorated with a sea theme. I just love the wool she has used, the mixture of colours. The choice to line of the french knots is lovely, and these are made with yarn spun with merino wool and Samoyed dog hair. Just exquisite - I think her granddaughter is going to be very happy.

 

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.

Baby Sail Boat Hat

Another view of my new pattern - Baby Sail Boat Hat. Same cute little great nephew who was in my other photos, who came to visit and has grown a little.

Pattern is for sale on ravelry, Loveknitting and Etsy.

 

Baby Sail Boat Hat

 

I have been busy working on the three sizes for my new sail boat baby hat. I made this pattern up for a hat for my great nephew, which you can read about on a previous post. The pattern comes with instructions for three sizes: Newborn, 3-6 Months, and 6-12 Months.

 

You can see all three hats together below, after they were knitted. I then spent a little while considering whether to add pompoms or not. I really love my instant pompom maker. On the second size hat I knitted a cover for a button, which I also really like, and for the largest hat a plait with a tassel (but not so long that the baby could reach or get tangled with it). 

 

I had my usual problem with the lack of a baby model. Secret - some of the photos above involve a grapefruit and a kitchen bowl. So here again is my lovely great nephew modelling the original version of the hat. And now to work out sizes for the babysuit, so you may not hear from me for a little while!

The pattern will be published shortly in all the usual places, ravelry LoveKnitting and Etsy, and my sample hats will be for sale in my Etsy shop.

Morris Traveller Pattern

Sometimes a pattern will just fly off the needles, and other times it is more difficult. But this one has gone beyond difficult into another zone. It has taken me over six months to get the final version, and I am sort of done with it now.

 

I knitted the first version, the black morris traveller, for my mother-in-law for Christmas. Actually that is my favourite one, and my daughter tells me it went well because it was made with love. But when I decided to do another test knit, the pattern I thought I had written up had gaps. The second version, the light green, is fine from the sides but just didn't look in proportion widthwise. So finally I have knitted the last morris traveller in burgundy, and I think at last we are there.

There are slight variations in the different models of morris traveller. Some have the front windscreen divided in two. But I hope I have caught the main features - the curvy bonnet, and the wooden frame at the back.

You hardly ever see a morris traveller these days. More often a morris minor might be about. So I am not really expecting this pattern to be a big seller, but sometimes you just have to make something for the love of it.

The pattern is available on ravelry and will be on Etsy later in the day.

 

Union Jack Mini Cooper

So much for all my New Year resolutions to post more often. I have just finished this mini cooper with a Union Jack roof, for a customer on Etsy. I always like making this version of my car pattern, and it is off to be gifted to Harry in New Hampshire. His name is on the numberplates, which you can't really see in these photo.

I have been knitting, but have been working on a jersey for my husband. His Christmas present, which may be ready just for when the weather warms up, and he doesn't need it.
 

 

Audrey Hepburn - A Tiny Icon

I have an item in my Etsy shop called Tiny Icons, where I make tiny versions of icons of screen, or music. I was delighted to have one of my Marilyn Monroe dolls bought recently, and the buyer also wanted an Audrey Hepburn, which I got busy making. 

As you will see, I particularly like it if the icon has an iconic dress or outfit. It makes it a bit easier for me to make the icon recognisable. 

Who are your favourite icons? I would love some ideas of other dolls to make.

 

Still plenty of time to join in the Ginx Woolly Linx Party for November.

 

Bats (and a Craft Fair)

Quite a few years ago I decided that craft fairs weren't really for me, and it was best to concentrate on online selling. Yet somehow here I was yesterday, in the village hall behind a table of my handmade items. Just seemed like a good way to get out there and meet some people, and although this fair wasn't not busy, I did quite well as people seemed to be there to shop. 

 

Preparing for this fair I have done quite a bit of Bat knitting, as I thought with Halloween approaching these might be popular. I only sold one bat, to another young stallholder, so the rest of these are heading off to my Etsy shop. If you want to make your own bats there is still time, and the pattern can be found for sale by clicking here Bat Pattern. 

 

 

 

I sold a few other items that I haven't ever listed in my Etsy shop (kangaroos, alpacas, and even an armadillo), so have decided to list a few of these in the Unique Knitted Items section of my Etsy shop. After all Christmas is approaching, although I try to put off purchasing until December, and then usually get in a bit of a last minute panic. Perhaps this year I will try to think a bit further ahead.

 

 

Still plenty of time to to join in Ginx Woolly Linx Party for October.