I WIsh I Could Knit Faster ...

Last night, I had a dream about a felted mermaid! I guess that's why I keep a notebook by my bedside! When I woke up, I sketched her out and even knew what yarn to pick out from my stash! THEN I knew I'd have to figure out a seahorse to go with her ... and maybe a pirate or two? THEN I thought I have to knit up a unicorn, of course, and I've already promised I'd do a dragon, which I have sketched out, too. The only problem is, I don't have enough hands to knit them all at once. I am still fiendishly employed at resizing my teapot and finishing up the cookie patterns so that I can post them at The Pattern Box by next week. (That would sort of be on schedule for me ... my own deadline, of course!) And then, I'm still working on the Simple Dolls. I have three more knit, but I have so many faces and hats to do, that I certainly need more of the basic dolls!
I won an auction on eBay for assorted mohair and mohair-type yarns. Most of them don't have any brands or fiber content or anything listed to identify them, but they are lovely colors. I have in mind a whole new set of toys that will not be felted, but will be knit with mohair/blend yarns. One ball that came was in a soft green. Perfect for a little frog! I hope to have a whole garden collection that would include a frog, ladybug, bee, butterfly and dragonfly. I will probably experiment with some of the glittery yarns, too. I have a few lurex balls leftover from when I did the Christmas pickle last year! These might be nice additions to the yarn for the dragonfly's wings.
I am still working on my pop-up puppets, too, but I have sort of put them on the back burner for now ... and especially since the whole mermaid dream, I think I will definitely work on the mermaid and dragon after I finish the Simple Doll faces.
Well, I better sign off for now. Hoping everyone is having a wonderful Sunday!

Devon Clement's Small Hedgehogs!

Thank you, Devon, for sharing photos of your finished small hedgehogs! I love the yarn textures you've chosen and the colors, too! The embroidered faces are wonderful. Thanks so much for letting us all see them! If anyone else would like to share photos of their finished hedgehogs from my patterns, please let me know!

My Felted Fish is on Craftstylish.com!!!

Felted Fish says, "WOW! I'm almost famous!"

Tina Hilton from Craftstylish Knitting has generously featured my felted fish this week! Take a look at this wonderful site for knitting, crocheting, beading, etc.! And did I mention this pattern is available for free on the Craftstylish website??? Please let me know if you decide to knit one (or two, or three)! I'd love to post photos of your finished fish here. As always, if you run into any problems or if you just want to say, "hello," please feel free to email me.

Simple Dolls Now at The Pattern Box!

I had another one of those breakthrough moments the other day! And voila the Simple Doll was made! I have lots and lots of other face-styles! I just can't wait to make all of the "prototypes" so that you can see them all! If only I could knit faster! I will be posting the pattern on my website soon ... and also uploading it to Ravelry. It's very simple and will include directions for many faces. I've decided not to try to sell the dolls that I make ... only sell the patterns. That's what I'm good at doing, so I should stick with that!

Okay, now I know I have to get back to typing in those remaining animal patterns! I've already written up the description and loaded the photos onto the Ravelry database. All that's left is for me to upload the patterns. I'll be up late tonight, I know it!

Knitting in the Round on Double-Pointed Needles

It seems like a long, long time ago, but I remember when I used to think that knitting on double-pointed needles was way too difficult for me. I remember casting on stitches, only to have them slip off of one needle after the other as I tried to divide them. It was so frustrating. AARRGGHHH! I'd have my trusty book open to the right page and time after time, I'd try it again. Yet, time after time, I'd throw the tangled mess down.
THEN ... one day, I signed up for a sock class. This class was taught by the incredible SOCK LADY! She revealed to all of us the way her grandmother had taught her ... cast on the stitches called for, then KNIT them onto each needle. This will really count as the first round of most patterns ... but my patterns take this into consideration and actually begin counting rounds after that one.
I can't tell you what a breakthrough this was and how much I appreciate the SOCK LADY!
So, the moral of this story is: If you have had trouble knitting with double-pointed needles because your stitches keep falling off before you can even begin, then try knitting them when dividing and your entire life will change for the better!!!

I'm Getting Closer!

Introducing:

White Sheep

Yellow Chick
Pink Chick

Blue Fish

Yellow Duck

Gray Goose

"Pink Pig"

"Blue Jay"

"Scarlet King Snake"

Brown Rabbit

Here are a couple more of the animal patterns I have written in my notebooks! I am steadily typing them up in Publisher, then converting to PDF to upload to Ravelry's database and THEN putting the link there and on The Pattern Box. I can't believe I have four notebooks' full now. And the ideas still keep coming!! (Next on the needles, the colorful carousel horse!)

I must admit, I feel a little discouraged that it's taking me so long to get all of them typed up, but every day I seem to be called away on errands of one sort or another. *sigh ... I was really hoping to have all of this done by now ... and I haven't even attached my giraffe's limbs yet! But he came out just as I had hoped, so I'll try to get photos soon. I have re-knit the teapot in another color and also two teacups and saucers and cookies. I think I may have mentioned before in an earlier post, when I get all of the 20 animals typed up and for sale on The Pattern Box, I am going to offer the patterns for the teacup and saucers, along with two cookies, for free ... and I'll have the teapot pattern for sale. So, I hope everyone will stop by The Pattern Box's "grand opening" and celebrate with me with a tea party! I'll post it here when that finally happens! I hope soon! MUST be before the end of June!!! (That's my goal.)

In the Tips and Techniques section of The Pattern Box, I will have mini videos of attaching the glass eyes and how to string joint. Even if you don't knit up my patterns, I hope the videos will be helpful if you ever make moveable limbs for your toys ...

More later ...

After the Dust Has Settled ...

I can't believe it's June 9 already! The weather forecast calls for near 100-degree temps. today! Incredible! I just want to grab my summer, put it in a jar and save every drop of every day. I looked forward to summer for so long!!! All through that dull, dreary, cheerless winter I thought about how good it would feel to have the sun on my skin ... and to open the windows ... and to hear the birds and the crickets and the frogs.
Anyway, I mention all this because here it is June 9 already and I haven't been to the pool yet! SO, I am going to try to hurry up and work hard this week and get the rest of my patterns posted ... but at the same time I realized (and this realization is the "dust settling" part of this post) that I hadn't intended to sell anything on this blog ... so I do hate to inconvenience anyone, but I'm replacing all the links to the shopping cart with links to shop at The Pattern Box. I hope, if you do like my patterns, you won't mind being directed over there. Having everything at the "shop" will be much easier to keep track of things and keep the business of selling where it belongs. I will have lots of tips and techniques for completing the patterns there, as well. I do also want to mention that felting is such an incredibly fun thing to do. You have so much more control over shaping than you do when you knit normally.
Well, I better grab my cup of coffee and get going so I can see some sun today!! And, as always, I'm so overwhelmed by the number of people who like my Take-Along Sun! Do you know that it was rejected from Knitty.com? So, it's so encouraging that so many like it ... and that it can bring a smile to your face like it has my own.
More later!

More Patterns Added!

Okay, Okay! You're probably getting sick of hearing about all these patterns, but I just finished uploading both the small and mini hedgehog pattern, along with lion pattern. I still have lots to go, so I hope my blog won't be too boring until I'm finally finished with this part! I have so many other pattern ideas jostling around in my head that I can't wait to finish all this so I can get back to knitting!!!
Anyhow, if you'd like either one, they will be for sale for $5 each at The Pattern Box later tomorrow. Thank you for all your continued support, encouragement and patience as I get all this going!

Two of the Hedgehogs Have Been Added! And my website is down! :(

Well, I was able to write up the Large and Medium Hedgehog pattern in Publisher and save it as a pdf file this afternoon and I've now added it to Ravelry. Since my webserver sometimes has issues, I guess the safest route is to always email me at my regular email address if you have any problems, questions, concerns or if you just want to say, "hi!"

I hope you like the hedgehogs. They, too, are knitted in the round and then felted in the washing machine. The 8-page pattern includes complete directions for both sizes. The patterns for each are slightly different, not just switching down a needle size. In fact, both sizes are knit on size US 10 1/2 double-pointed needles.
Meanwhile, I have two smaller sizes still to put into Publisher ... a small and a mini! If you'd like to purchase the Large and Medium Hedgehog pattern, you may do so at my shop, The Pattern Box, for $5.

Scottie Dog Has Been Added!

I have just uploaded the pdf for the Scottie Dog, as well! He, too, takes only one skein of 220-223 yards wool yarn and one 50 g./90 meter ball of eyelash for his eyebrows/mustache. He is knit on size US 8 double-pointed needles. The 8-page pattern also includes directions for making a bigger Scottie. For more information, see The Pattern Box.

Gray Squirrel Link to Ravelry

I didn't realize anyone would want to purchase the squirrel pattern from here! If you'd like to learn more about the Gray Squirrel pattern, or to purchase it, please go to my shop at The Pattern Box. Thank you so much for your interest!

Gray Squirrel is Now For Sale!

I just uploaded the pdf of this pattern onto the Ravelry website! I also included a link to buy it from The Pattern Box. I'm not sure yet how this will work if someone is not a member of Ravelry ... we'll have to test it somehow!

So, I guess The Pattern Box's lid is opening a little! I'll keep you posted!

Business License!

I guess I can say it's official! Kent and I went uptown on Wednesday and I registered The Pattern Box with the Registrar of Deeds! It was quite interesting, really ... and everybody was so helpful. It's a little old-fashioned, the way you manually search through books to see if anyone has already chosen the name you want ... the books are pre-computer days. You also conduct a computer search, too ... but that's for the more recent entries. Fortunately for me, nobody had chosen my name. After the searching was finished, the form filled out and notarized and then filed with the $14 fee, we went on to find out about obtaining a business license ... when I was handed the license, the clerk told me about the need to re-zone my home if I were going to be setting up a business there. YIKES! I always knew there were lots of complications to doing this ... just didn't know there would be so many fees!
Anyhow, I did that, too. So now all I have to do is file with the state's income tax people ... as I don't have any employees, I don't need a federal tax identification number.
Glad all that is finished! I'm closer and closer to getting The Pattern Box going!