New Pattern - Wee Bunny Rabbits

I'm excited to share with you a new knitting pattern I wrote for a sweet stuffed bunny toy.  It's called Wee Bunny Rabbits and will be available for sale in a few weeks (in time for your Easter knitting perhaps?)  You may remember this post I wrote about searching for the perfect bunny knitting pattern, and at the time it was just what I wanted, but now I think I have an even better one.  This time around I wanted more prominent legs with a body shape that was more true to life.  It is a pattern for an intermediate knitter as it is knit on double pointed needles and has lots of short rows, but I think the end results are well worth the effort.  You can see more photos and read about them here.

I am knitting them using Angora Garden lovely angora yarns in Winter White, Cocoa Bean and Winter Gray colors.  There will also be a softer gray and light fawn available after I receive my new yarn in the post (don't you just love getting yarn in the mail?  It's my favorite!)  The bunnies have the same handspun 100% angora pom pom tails as my older version did and oh are they soft!  Along with releasing the pattern I hope to release some kits for these delightful animals that would include angora yarn, wool stuffing, pom pom tail and embroidery floss.  All you would need to provide are double pointed needles, scissors, a yarn darning needle and an embroidery needle.  You'll be able to request what color bunny as well as the eye and nose color.  What do you think?  I've always wanted to make kits for my shop and if these do well I'll try assembling kits for my Gnome Family, Teether and Rattles. 

Joining in with Nicole for Keep Calm Craft On.

Knitted Gnome Family Pattern

 

I have been busy knitting toys in hopes of a good Holiday Season of sales here at Simply Playing.  Along with knitting toys I developed a pattern (last year actually, but finally written out) that I'm hoping to launch in the next month or two.  It's of a gnome mama with her baby and child.  Some will be in the store soon sold as mama with her baby in a sling and then the child will be sold separately.  Being new to pattern writing I am looking for a few test knitter's to test it out before it's made public.  If you are interested in being a test knitter please email me at ann"at" simplyplaying"dot"net.  

Joining in with Nicole for Keep Calm Craft On and Ginny for Yarn Along.

Fresh Off the Wheel - Speckled Chickens?

 

It's getting close to the Holiday Season of Craft Fairs for me and my knitted toy business Simply Playing so, personal knitting has slowed, if not stopped completely, while toy making goes into full swing.  Thus today's post on my latest "Fresh Off the Wheel" yarn is not intended for a hat or mittens as is my usual, but instead is for chickens - knitted toy chickens.  It is rather silly to spend all the time I do spinning yarn (I am a slow spinner) to knit a simple little toy, but I really love the results which oddly I came across by accident.  

You see I purchased this black lama roving from Friends in Fiber thinking I would ply it as a single strand to ply with a rainbow ply to sell in my shop.  Well, it kept breaking and getting away from me as I was trying to spin it being too slippery for my inexperienced hands I believe.  To solve this problem I thought I'd card it with another wool fiber to give it a bit more "grab" so the fiber would stick together and let me draft with better ease. White merino was what I had on hand and using it with the lama fiber did make drafting easier, but I had no idea what to make with the yarn it until it occurred to me that it kind of looked like a black and white speckled chicken.  

One of the venues in whose Holiday Fair I participate in is Dodge Nature Preschool.  They have an interesting feature to their classrooms - live chickens.  Yes, they have live chickens that the preschoolers get to help care for and play alongside with - it's a very wonderful school.  Needless to say I sold out of my chickens at last year's fair.  As I'm hoping to participate again this year I thought I'd make more varieties and quantities of knitted chickens.  And now I have a speckled black and white variety to add to the mix.  What colors do you associate with chickens?

Joining in with Linda for Creative Friday.

Rainbows on a Toy Ball

If you've read more than 3 posts on this blog you've probably noticed I like rainbows A LOT.  Today's post is yet another about rainbows.  Most of my toys in my shop Simply Playing feature rainbows because I believe children should have bright and cheery play things.  Here is a very simple ball with rainbow coloring in wedges moving around the surface.  I use Judy's 12 section Ball pattern found on Ravelry for free, and as with all my toys the yarn has been plant dyed by Judy of Mamajudes on Etsy.  It's rather a time consuming knit, but I love the end result and it's a very popular item so I continue to knit them. They have been out of stock for a few months so I'm busy this week making some to add to my growing inventory - yay!

Joining in with Nicole for Keep Calm Craft On.

A Bunny Tale or Tails That Is.

I've been working on getting my shop's inventory of Waldorf styled knitted toys full to bursting and this week's assignment is bunny tails since Easter is less than a month away.  The cute pom pom tails are made with some of my own angora/merino handspun yarn using a fork, darning needle and a sharp pair of scissors.  I love how they look all jumbled up in a pile.  After the tails I start knitting the squares that make up there bodies using the dimensions in this pattern.  The yarn choices are grey angora/wool, brown mohair, tan angora/wool or dark brown alpaca (not shown in the photo.)  Next, using double pointed needles I knit up the ears, which are of my own design.  Lastly,  it's on the sewing and stuffing.  So, there you have it a bunny tale (of a sort)!

Joining in with Nicole for Keep Calm Craft On.

Large Gnomes are Huggable!

I thought I'd introduce you today to what is new in my shop - large 14 inch tall gnomes!  They are from a pattern written by myself which I hope to have available in my shop in the next few months.  I really hate seaming so I went about devising a pattern for gnomes that would be knit in the round.  It has a smoother look to it that I adore.  The pattern will be in 3 sizes - mama, child and baby.  So far, I have the mama and child listed in the shop with the baby on it's way.  I need to dream up a knitted sling for the mama to carry the baby in first. Here's a look at my samples below.

 

 As well as trying out a new pattern I am also trying out a new online venue to sell through called Zibbet.  You can see my shop here.  I have put everything on sale for 20% off to celebrate the grand opening.  Why a new shop you may ask?  Well, Etsy has been good to me, but it's gotten so large and their rules for what is considered handmade includes just about anything now that I feel I'm not being represented well.  Please let me know what you think about the new pattern and shop and if you would be interested in test knitting in the future.  Have a great weekend!

Joining in with Linda for Creative Friday.

Finished Project - A Teddy Bear

I've been wanting to knit a teddy bear for some time now, but just haven't been able to find the right one.  The patterns are either too complicated, take too long to knit or are simple enough, but I don't like how it looks until I found this pattern.  I knit it with some of my earliest handspun yarn (very lumpy bumpy thick thin) that I just dyed with avocado skins.  The resulting color of the yarn was a warm pinky tan which, oddly enough, was about the color of my first teddy bear Fred.  Hmm...do you think that's where I got the idea? 

Please excuse the dark pictures as we have been having some truly gloomy days here in Minnesota.  The only thing I did not like about this pattern was the very thin neck so I gave him a little red garter stitch scarf to ward off the cold.  I'm already knitting another version out of my black walnut dyed yarn.  This time around I'm knitting the neck thicker and the head bigger (my mom's request) and will see if he"ll need a scarf or not.  This first one in now available in my Etsy shop if you think you can provide him with a loving home please purchase.

   

For books, I'm still reading A Thomas Jefferson Education.  With the darker days and earlier evenings I'm finding it hard to read at night and quite frankly, I keep falling asleep.  My guess is I just have to find another reading time while it's light out, but then what to do with Sam?  When do you find time to read?

Joining in with Ginny for Yarn Along.

Yarn Along - Knitted Chickens

Well, I have been flipping from knitting project to knitting project this week.  Not quite sure why I am so unsettled and unfocused.  Maybe it's the darkening days here in the North which are leaving me with the feeling of having to hurry and finish knitting everything (and let me tell you I have quite a few works in progress) before it gets cold.  As I said last week, many of my knitting projects are big ones so the end is not in sight for most of them.  This "hurry up" attitude makes me want to complete something, anything really.  So, I've turned to making toys for my etsy store instead of working on my personal knitting.  I settled on chickens as they are quick to knit and let's face it - so cute to boot!

These chickens are stuffed with a wooden egg for the body with just a bit wool for the head.

Here is my array of chicken body colors; all will have red feathers and beaks.  Some use my own handspun yarn and the yarns are either in the fiber's natural color or plant dyed. 

As for reading, I haven't done much this week; again trouble with focusing.  But, I did at least start A Thomas Jefferson Education : Teaching a Generation of Leaders For The Twenty-First Century by Oliver Van DeMille.   A homeschooling friend of mine recommended it and so far as the first 20 pages go I am intrigued, but feel it pertains more to older children (my Sam is just 7.)  Maybe by next week's Yarn Along I can tell you more.

Be sure to check back here this Saturday the 13th for another Giveaway!

Joining in with Ginny for Yarn Along.

In Search of the Perfect Bunny Rabbit and a Giveaway

Have you ever knit with angora yarn?  It's ever so lovely and soft as it passes through your fingers.  Since embarking on "The Naturals" kitty cat gang and knitting one of the cats from my gray angora hand-spun yarn, I've been a bit obsessed with angora and can't stop knitting and spinning with it.  My fiber comes from a lovely woman named Mary Lou who runs Angora Gardens along with her daughters.  I met her this past Spring at Yarnover, the annual knitting/spinning/all things fiber conference here in Minnesota, and the moment I touched the fibers she had for sale I was hooked.  I purchased her grey cloud roving, which is a blend of 60% sheep's wool with 40% angora fiber, that day to spin my own yarn.

I had plans for the freshly spun angora yarn to line mittens and hats for some extra soft warmth, but my plans took a turn to toys instead.  What better fiber to knit stuffed bunnies with but with bunny fur itself!  So, now that I knew what I wanted to knit with my yarn I embarked on finding the perfect bunny rabbit pattern.  The two I liked best was this one where the bunny is made from a simple square of stockinette knitting and this one which is knit in the round using double pointed needles.  Neither was quite right until I combined them and gave the ears of one to the body of another, thus making, in my eyes, the perfect bunny.  This bunny, along with it's predecessors, are in my shop now for purchase.  But, you can also win one in a giveaway over at Linda's blog Natural Suburbia where I am a new sponsor.  Head on over to Natural Suburbia tomorrow to learn some more about me and my business Simply Playing and of course see how you can win the sweet angora bunny pictured in the third photo below!  

Good luck everyone and have a joyous weekend!

  Bunny number one I thought the ears were too floppy.

 Bunny number two I missed having any back legs and  found the pattern a little too fussy for my taste.

  Bunny number three I just love!  All four legs, simple pattern and ears that stand up - perfect!

The Naturals Gang

Let me introduce you all to the new cats in my shop - The Naturals.  As their name implies, they are made with un-dyed all natural fiber knit up with my own hand-spun yarn in a variety of fibers.  The cream kitty is made out of Shetland sheep's wool.  Domestic sheep's wool (this mean it's from the USA and is a mix of many breeds of sheep) and Alpaca fiber (the Alpaca's name was Chip - cute no?) make up the cream and caramel model.  While the dark brown cat is made out of Shetland wool too, it's a completely different shade do to the breeds variety of colors.  Lastly, we have a sweet little gray pussy knit in a sheep's wool/angora mix from a lovely local angora rabbit breeder.  So soft!

I am always amazed at the variety of expression that occurs upon completion of this simple pattern.  Some look feisty, some a bit quirky, but always cute don't you agree?  Should I make an all caramel alpaca too to round out the color selection a bit?  What do you think about matching knitted gnomes?  Maybe angora knitted bunnies with little white angora pom-pom tails?  Hmmm...  I definitely have toy making on my mind today!

Joining in with Nicole for Keep Calm Craft On .

New Ball

If you have visited my etsy shop you may have noticed that I have a "thing" for rainbows.  When I found this knitting pattern on Ravelry for a 12 section ball I just new I had to do it in a rainbow of colors.  It's a very simple pattern using short rows to shape the curve of the ball.  The only change I made was to" wrap and turn" instead of just" turning" so there wouldn't be any holes.  You use small needles, I chose size 5, with worsted weight yarn to create a dense fabric which keeps the wool stuffing from peeking through. 

 

This ball is much bigger than the variegated rainbow ones I make as you can see by the photo below.  It's approximately 5 inches in diameter or 14 inches in circumference.

A ball is certainly not a new inventive child's toy, but it is a classic which is why I choose to include it in my shop.  My version is made with all natural plant dyed wool yarn and natural wool stuffing making it ideal for babies and children.

New Baby Toys

After I let the month of January and most of February slide by without much notice, I decided it was time to get back to working on items for the shop.  I came up with a few new things for babies, because making things for babies is such fun!  First off I have a new rattle/teething toy.  It is a felted wool ring, in rainbow colors of course, with 5 maple wood rings attached.  It makes a nice quiet rattle sound and provides lots for little fingers and new teeth to explore.  I made one in pastel and one in a bright colored rainbow as who doesn't love a rainbow?

 

Secondly, I have a simple knitted ball stuffed with natural wool.  So far I only have the pastel rainbow, but will be making a bright rainbow as well.

And lastly, I have put these 2 new toys along with a gnome in a packaged gift set.  They come wrapped in a biodegradable cellulose bag  with a piece of tissue paper and a yarn bow.  Again, I only have pastel rainbow at present, but will be coming out with a bright rainbow version as well.  You can currently choose between brown or peach skin for your gnome.  

That's all the news for now.  I'm hoping to make more of a regular appearance on this blog so stay tuned for more.  Have a great week everyone!

The Kitties Are Back!

Yes, the classic knit Waldorf stuffed cats are back for sale at the Simply Playing shop.  Why you might ask did I stop in the first place?  Well, these little kitties are a lot of work to make - simple but time consuming.  I felt they were not worth my effort as I couldn't see charging for the time they actually took me to create.  So, the next question logically follows - "Why are they back then?"  Plainly put I just missed them.  They are so charming and bring a smile to my face after I finish each one.  I like that the head always seems to have a "front" side even though each side is the same.  It is the absolute best use for spare lengths of yarn, and I LOVE using up all my yarn to the very last bit. 

I feel I should caption this photo "The Running of the Kitties"

So back they came into my life and shop ready for new families to take them into their homes to love and cherish.  Please stop by and take a peek at them all for they are all very different with their own personalities.  Some are curly from using boucle yarn, some fuzzy from mohair yarn and some just plain old wool yarn (all plant dyed of course.)  Let me know what you think about these little fellows - are they keepers?

New Item for My Shop

Coming up with ideas on items to create for my shop I find rather difficult. The ideas are there, but they tend to be too complicated and time consuming for making multiples. On the other hand, I do find it easy to make variations on a theme (i.e. different types of wands), but it is hard for me to come up with new ideas that are truly my own (it's so easy to be influenced by all the great creators on etsy.) Well, this new item is a variation on my crown theme and yet became its own theme too. They are flower wreaths to wear on your head much like the dried flower wreaths you see at Renaissance Fairs, except these are more indestructible and can take being thrown in a toy box. I was always sad when the flowers eventually all broke off or had gotten smashed on the flower wreaths I received as a child. So, no more of that!

Here's my red flower wreath above with matching red flower wand below. This is my favorite color combo as, like me, not all girls are into pink and purple as the department stores would have us believe.

I wanted a head piece to go with the flower wands as the crowns pair with the heart and star wands. So, I modified my crown pattern to be just a band using Elizabeth Zimmerman's sewn bind off thus keeping the band from becoming too tight. Then I shrunk my flower pattern to a size just bigger than the band. I used the colors of the wand as my palate and sewed the flowers on with french knots which also creates a sweet flower center. Lastly, I attached ribbons in the back for a flowing look.

Here's my lavender version above and matching wand below. I did change this set a little by making the band purple instead of pink, and vice versa for the flower centers. The purple I felt was too dark and the centers needed pink to make them shine brighter. So, same colors just not the same formula as before.

I just had to include this photo. Well, I must say my son is a good sport about modeling. Doesn't he make a lovely flower boy?

I have yet to do a wreath for my pink flower wand, but it's in the works. What do you all think of the design? Will this one be a winner? I certainly hope so as I really want to expand my line of dress up items and toys. I'm thinking of doing the same style wreath with butterflies adoring it to match my butterfly wands. But, it will all depend on how the butterfly shape looks being so small. What new projects are you working on?