Finished Object: Omniscient Octopus

Pattern: Omniscient Octopus by Joane Rowe
Yarn: Madelinetosh Sock 
Colour: Mandala
Needles: 3.25mm Round Needles
Start of project: August 13th, 2017
End of project: August 26th, 2017

On Ravelry

My brother is a diver and he loves octopuses, he even has a big tatoo of an octopus all over his arm. So it came as no surprise when he wanted me to knit a toy version of his favourite animal. It took me a while to find a pattern that didn't look all childish and boring, but then I found the Omniscient Octopus. I could tell it was going to be a challenging knit, but I had no idea how much so.

This was probably the most difficult thing I ever knit and also the one I kind of regretted starting most. To knit this octopus you have to survive lots and lots of suckers, I think there are about 300 of them, which are done by casting on stitches and then casting them off again right away and then you catch the suckers on the next two rows, before you start the next one. The whole time I was knitting I had to be really focused on what I was doing and I was never really sure if what I did was the way it was supposed to be. After a while I'd gone to far to stop so I pushed on but I was really close to giving up many times.

The thing that really kept me going was that it looked very realistic and also very cool. At the end you add chenille sticks to the arms before you close them and then the octopus can me formed it every shape you want it to. I added these really intense red eyes which are slightly creepy but I love the way they look.

Yesterday I met my brother for dinner and gave him his new toy. He was really happy about it and we even took it out to a bar for a drink afterwards (people were looking at us in a funny way for sure). He named it Hänk and I could tell he likes it a lot which makes it one of the best things I've ever knit (but there is no way I'd ever consider doing another one ;-)

Finished Objects: Tschiertschen and Monkey Jacobus

Pattern: Peanut by Tin Can Knits
Yarn: YOTH Yarns Big Sister
Colour: Thyme, Hazelnut
Needles: 3.75mm and 4.5mm Round Needles
Start of project: January 5th, 2016
End of project: January 8th, 2017

On Ravelry

I knit this little vest for a baby that I will see for the first time in February. I hope he won't be too big by the time we get there, I wasn't sure how much yarn I had, so I went with size 6 to 12 months. 

I combined a few pattern for this project. The basic vest pattern is Peanut, the fair isle pattern is Anders. Because I needed a number dividable by 12 I had to add 4 stitches, but that wasn't very complicated. When I got to the end and the only thing left was the cast off I remembered the beautiful finish of the button band of my Silversmith Hoodie so I added an iCord in the contrast colour. I am really happy with how that turned out, it looks so very tidy now.

In the end there was still a bit of the yarn left over so I cast on for another project for the same baby:

Pattern: Monkey Jacobus by Annita Wilschut
Yarn: YOTH Yarns Big Sister and a bit of Tanis Fiber Arts Yellow Label
Colour: Thyme, Hazelnut and Poppy
Needles: 3.5mm Round Needles
Start of project: January 8th, 2016
End of project: January 15th, 2017

On Ravelry

I love knitting toy and this is going to stay another favourite of mine. It was so interesting to knit this monkey, I can't believe how clever all the construction was.

I knew it was going to be very tight with the left over yarn. In the end, I didn't have enough of the Thyme for the last arm. After a bit of playing around I settled on a stripe of neon yellow and a slightly wider one in red which I think looks super funky and retro. The Hazelnut was just enough, there was probably about 10 inches left in the end. I used the red yarn for the mouth and the tail as well.

Now there is only one problem - Antonia and I are seriously in love with this monkey and we both can't imagine to let it go. So I might have to find some other yarn and knit a second version, this one just stole into our heart and seems to want to live on our sofa ;-)

 

ETA: Because we were so attached to this monkey I started a second one. I used up the small left overs from my bounce blanket. Somehow the second monkey looks more feminin which is why we call her Lotta. They both stay on the sofa for the moment but I think we are ready now to let the first one go and just keep the second one ;-)

Finished Object: Bunny Boy

Pattern: Well-Dressed Bunny by Barbara Prime
Yarn: Tanis Fiber Arts Green Label, Madelinetosh Pashmina, Malabrigo Arroyo
Colours: lots of different ones
 Needles: 3.5mm and 4 mm round needles
Start of project: March 10th, 2016
End of project: March 16th, 2016

On Ravelry

After my Clarke I didn't quite know what to knit next. The yarn for two new projects was on its way and at the same time I felt like there was nothing left to knit.

So I dove into my stack to see what I could use up and then I think I saw a picture of a knit toy dog (on Knitted Bliss' Blog) which inspired me to do another little animal. I actually love knitting these little critters by Barbara Prime, they grow so quickly and are a lot of fun to knit. I already did a few Mini Pookies,a Zebra and my first Well-Dressed Bunny.

I chose the Well-Dressed Bunny again but this time I wanted to knit a boy (well you can only tell because of his clothes, everything else it totally gender neutral). I used up all of the grey yarn first and then I had to improvise. I think the brighter yarn looks almost like a diaper which wasn't my plan but it's funny nevertheless.

Once all the pieces for the bunny were done I realised that I didn't have eyes that were big enough. To gap the time of their arrival I knit a few clothes for my little bunny boy, at first a hoodie, then a little jacket and in the end I decided that he really needed a pair of overalls as well. I modified the patterns a little bit and knit more in the round because I don't like sewing all that much and I think they turned out fine like that as well.

Now I only need a little person who'd like to love it ;-)

Finished Object: Bunny Girl

Pattern: Well-Dressed Bunny by Barbara Prime
Yarn: Madelinetosh Tosh Sock
Colours: Smokestack and Turtle
Needles: 2.5 mm DPS
Start of project: June 3, 2015
End of project: June 7, 2015

On Ravelry

I knit another one of Barbara Prime's adorable little toy animals. This bunny comes with three different outfits. I chose the pinafore dress which I find just as cute as the hoodie. The knitting went fast and now that I've done a few of these patterns I can see how they all follow a similar but still individual and very clever construction. I really love the bunny feet in this one.

I love the transformation with these toys. Lots of little pieces come together and make such a cute little friend. Today I was a bit tired from too much sun at the pool when I sewed it together so it turned out more wonky than I wanted to but with the dress it's barely visible.

 

on my needles in June

Finished Object: Savannah Chaps - Zebra

Pattern: Savannah Chaps by Barbara Prime
Yarn: Tanis Fiber Art Green Label
Colours: Lucky Penny and Sand
Needles: 4mm DPS
Start of project: April 3, 2015
End of project: April 5, 2015

On Ravelry

I fell in love with this zebra when I saw one on Julie's Blog Knitted Bliss. I added it to my long queue list without a plan for when to knit it.

Then I had quite a bit of leftover from my R&R Hoodie and even though the yarn is not really a gradient yarn, I thought it was varied enough for the darker stripes. And I was totally right, I love the subtle colour changes.

This little toy is done very quickly. You knit all the parts seperately and in the flat and then you sew it, stuff it and join it all together.

I was a bit apprehensive about the face, I wasn't sure if I could pull it off, but it wasn't too difficult. I love the intense black eyes and the mouth looks friendly. The mane took quite a while, but it was worth it, now it has this 80s style hair, kind of like my own ;-)

I will share this on "Auf den Nadeln im April"