Peter Rabbit...

 A couple of weeks ago we had a heatwave - unusual for Britain in June, and felt far hotter than anything I've experienced in this country before.  So it was a matter of getting everything done early in the morning while there was a vestige of cool air, then spending the rest of the day flopping around being sweaty!

I couldn't paint - the paint dried on the brush before hitting paper - so  I decided to knit this Peter Rabbit for my granddaughter.  She had said that she wanted one so that he could play with her other knitted rabbit.

 I used the book 'Knitting Peter Rabbit' by Clare Garland, which contains knitting patterns for most of the Beatrix Potter characters.  This pattern was supposed to use multiple strands of alpaca wool in order to get the texture and colour shades, but as this was the first time I had tried the pattern, I just used plain DK.

 I think because of the different yarn he might have turned out a bit bigger than he was supposed to be - his jacket (made from felt) was a bit snug!  It didn't bother my granddaughter though, she was very happy with him!

I'm working on some little creatures for the animator, and I have a painting still on the go - a watercolour that should have been completed in a few days but due to the heat is dragging on far too long.  After that, I have another painted wooden box to get on with. 

Bunny!

 Now Easter is behind us, I can show you the bunny I knitted for Nudinits.  This has to be one of the cutest things I ever made. He's only just under three inches from nose to tail and knitted in softest angora.

I want to make more...if and when I have the time!

Bunnies, Babies & Lots of Water....

 I was inspired this weekend to crochet a little pink rabbit.  I like this pattern - it's from a Japanese book I have, so I cannot credit the designer as all I am able to decipher are the diagrams!  It crochets up quickly and is always cute.  I added wooden buttons for the eyes and a ready-made pom-pom for the tail, thus making it far to risky to give to the little girl that gave me the yen to make it.

This is my great-niece Valentini - couldn't you just eat her up with a spoon??

Took the dog for a walk around our newest park yesterday.  It lies next to a massive housing estate that has recently been built on what used to be essentially marshland.  Let us hope it doesn't go the way of certain villages in Somerset this year. However, this is Clovis on the path...

...here is a bench from which you can play King Canute.

These are not planned lakes...

...neither are these.

Pretty, but actually supposed to be a picnic area.  We look forward to seeing what happens to all those lovely new houses they are still building here in the future...

There Were Two In The Bed.....

I tend to pile up my finished projects in a bit of a heap while they wait to be sent off to wherever they are going.  Not too sure I should have put a couple of rabbits on a double bed....still, it might save me the trouble of knitting any more!

Finding Time...

Here is the little rabbit compete with body.  This is such an amazing pattern, it is knitted entirely in one piece apart from the front paws, and stuffing is inserted through the hole between the ears before you sew it up.  I found that if I stopped knitting before the ears, I could put in safety eyes quite easily.  This took an evening to make - it would have been quicker without the embroidered face, but I always like to go the extra mile.

I used the free pattern called Henry's Bunny by Sara Elizabeth Kellner, which can be found here. 
I take my hat off to Sara - this is such a simple but clever pattern, the contours of the rabbit's head are perfect, and the shaped body just fits perfectly in the palm of your hand.

Now that Christmas is over and done with, things are slowly getting back to normal and I am finding the odd hour here and there to get on with oustanding commissions.  One of which is this portait of a greyhound:

Whist I love black dogs in reality, painting or drawing them is a nightmare - it's easy for the black to dominate and look like a gaping hole!  Luckily, this handsome dog is very shiny, so I can ensure there is plenty of contrast.  I am painting this using Derwent Drawing pencils with white acrylic and black ink to help with definition.  I am hoping to get some time today to carry on but have the suspicion I will be called upon to assist digging a pond.....

Run Rabbit, Run Rabbit......

I just love some of the odder commissions I get because they make me go off into directions I woun't normally take.  Here is a rabbit head trophy....

...he looks a bit glum, but then, wouldn't you?

I used the cleverest pattern I have ever come across to make his head - it is so clever that I am now making the entire rabbit and will give a link to it when that is complete.  This entire head was made in one piece, even the ears, leaving just a small hole between the ears for stitching - it was genius!

I am also ploughing away at a miniature knitted duvet cover, which is proving not to be as miniature as I first thought...

It's been a long time since I fed my fabric obsession - found these little beauties on eBay just before Christms and they arrived yesterday.  What am I going to use them for?  Who knows, but aren't they just nice to look at!

Look Who Came To Stay!

Big excitement over breakfast yesterday when the postman brought a parcel addressed to my daughter.  There are no birthdays or celebrations this week, so she was totally unprepared to receive gifts.  When we opened the big box, out popped this magnificent fellow!  He is a Dartmoor Hare, beautifully made by Midge over at Soggibottom, who really ought to be making these for a living instead of teasing us by making her bears sporadically!  Stacie was so pleased, she positively beamed!

There is a bit of a story behind this (not very interesting but I'm telling it to you nevertheless).  Last year I was given a big sack of fabric by a colleague who was clearing out her spare room, and amongst it all were some pieces of fur fabric.  I passed these on to Midge as I very rarely use fur in what I make.  They survived the double flooding of her house over the winter months, and now a portion has come home to roost in this lovely form.  We have to find a special place for him to sit and watch over us, not hidden up in Stacie's bedroom...and far away from a certain doggy chap who showed an unhealthy interest!

What's the best time to go to the dentist...

This is a knitted clock, with movable hands, destined to be in the animated film.  It is three inches across and was one of the easier items I have had to construct lately.  I can't show you what I knitted yesterday as it is not very pleasant, but I can tell you it's brown and falls out of a pig's bottom...I get all the best jobs!

If You Have An Aversion To Chocolate....

...you get given a nuigurumi dung beetle!  In our house we have one who can't eat chocolate, one who doesn't want chocolate and two who really shouldn't eat chocolate, so whilst there are a few Easter treats lurking, we don't have a mountain of chocolate eggs this year.  This beetle is for my son who is on a major keep fit kick at the moment and is trying to stay away from unhealthy food.  I need to point out here that he is also very into bugs - the choice of a beetle wasn't totally random on my part!

This is sewn out of felt from a Japanese pattern and is just about life size.  The legs are made from black jewellery wire and caused no end of problems while being sewn in!

I have totally fallen in love with this clever little brooch pattern and have made several of the things for anyone I think might appreciate one - I am fascinated to watch the perfect shape of a rabbit emerge every time I knit one, and the little hidden pocket just makes me smile.  This one is just for me!

Logging On

This is what I have been working on for the past couple of days.  Yup, a log.  It's a piece of scenery and was a bit more complicated than it looks as I have knitted the bark with various cables and ribbing to get the texture.  I can just imagine a little bird popping his head out of that hole to say hello!

I spent a couple of hours yesterday knitting this fun little pattern as a couple of Easter gifts.  It makes a brooch but the surprise is that it has a secret pocket in the back of the bunny (he's double layered) to pop a tiny egg in.  You can find the pattern here on the Loop website.

Last Minute Gift......

While I actually have bought, wrapped and sent presents for extended family, I wanted to make an extra little something for my great-niece who I shall meet for the first time next week at a big family get-together.

I've always loved this little Japanese pattern, which crochets up to about 6 inches high - just right for tiny hands. I've used Sirdar Baby Bamboo in a nice creamy shade, which is soft without being fluffy.

The eyes are securely sewn on felt (no risk of ingestion!) and the bow is also sewn in place.  I do hope she likes it!

Little Grey Rabbit Purse

I've taken a short break from knitting this week and sewn the above little rabbit purse. It is based on a Japanese pattern using dark grey felt for the body. The legs are thread jointed, so can be posed. She is wearing a red polka-dot dress, with back-stitch embroidered around the edges. On the dress she has a hand-stitched felt daisy, complete with bead ladybird. She has a red satin bow under one ear - just out of sight in the photo.


From behind you can see the zippered opening to the purse, which has been lined with red and white starry cotton fabric. You can just see her little white tail poking out under the dress. The dress is designed so that it allows full access to the zip, and although it has a button at the neck, I'm afraid it has been sewn on so you can't take it off!

The whole thing has been hand-stitched - I'm basically just too lazy to get the sewing machine out when I could be sat in front of the television in comfort while sewing! She will be in my Etsy shop very shortly.

Today sees the start of the Fleet Art Society exhibition being held at the Harlington Centre in Fleet. I have four framed paintings on show as well as three in the folios. If you are in the area, come and have a look - the standard of work in these exhibitons is generally quite high and worth a visit. Various artists will be painting on site throughout the weekend (myself included on Sunday) which is always interesting.

On a more serious note, I am in the throes of planning another blog, this time about Down's Syndrome. Some of you already know that my own daughter has Downs and over the past 22 years I have had to learn a lot about dealing with the condition. I am also a learning assistant in an infant school to a small boy with Downs and have been doing this job for 6 years, with more to come as I take on a new child in September. As a result, I feel that I would like to share some of the information with other parents - most of the time you are not informed of half the things you are entitled to, both in and out of school. Also, 'experts' know the text-book side of things, but it's a whole different kettle of fish dealing with your child at home on a day-to-day basis. I would like to share tips and strategies I have learned and used successfully and give other parents a chance to share what they have learned too. It may take a while to get off the ground, being a very personal subject which will mean a bit of soul-baring along the way - it's certainly not been plain sailing, particularly the early years. But I feel compelled to get it up and running soon - wish me luck!

Thank Goodness For Glue Guns......

This has to be the tiniest bunny's water bottle ever...constructed from half a glitter tube, and knitted ends, all held together with glue. Yes, that is actual water in there - I need to get out more......

Time to Get Back to Normal

What with one thing and another over the past fortnight - snow, Christmas, pet demise - I've not done very much arts and crafts. I can show the wonderful sewn stocking made and given to me by my daughter for Christmas though. This past term she has been attending a craft workshop at the local technical college once a week and had hand-made gifts for all of us for Christmas. I'm very impressed with what she has made, as her fine motor skills are not great so I understand just how much effort she has had to put into each and every gift.


This little knit rabbit set has been made to order and is just about ready to be sent off to his new home...I've been trying to figure out just how to make him a knitted water bottle, have come up with an idea which has to be implemented today. I'm hoping I've not tried to be too clever and that it will work!

Just to let you know that now I only have one more potato illustration to do, I am open to commissions once more so if you feel your child or pet needs their portrait painted, check out my website and maybe I can be of assistance!

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Further to my previous post, not only are we having to deal with our own grief at losing a beloved pet, but our other dog has taken the loss incredibly hard. Last night was the fifth night of him howling all night when put to bed in the kitchen. I'm very, very tired! I've checked out the relevant chapters in my doggie books, looked it up on the net, and we are doing all the right things to help him but it seems we just have to wait for time to be the healer. Any (sensible!) suggestions would be gratefully received!

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Finally, I'd like to wish you all a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year - this year, please leave a comment if you visit my blog, I'd love to hear from you.

Allsorts...

All too quickly Christmas is almost upon us, and with it the usual round of school fairs. Having signed up for a few, I realised that with all the potato painting and various other commissions this year, I haven't got very much new stock. Time to start sewing.....five little purses done so far, fully lined with matching felt and just awaiting some zipper charms to complete them.


Here are the two little pets finished and ready to be sent off, together with their food bowls, carrots and lettuce. Excuse the bad picture - light just reflects off the white wool and it's far too windy to go outside for a photo session. I am planning more guinea pigs....but with squeakers this time.


Finally about an afternoon's work from completion is the dog portrait I have had on the go for weeks now when I had spare time from potatoes. It is for the mother of a child I help at work, and he firmly put me in my place last week when I dropped into the conversation that the picture of his dog was nearly finished.

"Well, you've had enough time to do it!"

Quite.
I would point out that when I was given this commission there was no time limit attached and the lady was well aware that the potato illustrations came first, and I have done 91 potatoes.....but to argue this point with a 6 year old? Best not!

Jumpers!

How to construct a knitted rabbit hutch....that has been the conundrum on my mind the past few days. In the end I used a cardboard box, whittled down to sized with some cunning scissorwork and masking tape, which was then lined with Ingres pastel paper in a nice woody brown. I spent an inordinate amount of time knitting a box cover for it - first a rectangle, then picking up stitches on each edge separately and knitting the sides, which were then sewn together. This had to be then slipped over the box and stitched all round with about half an inch of the knitwork folded over into the box - ouch, my fingers!


The hutch door caused me more problems - I had cut the right shape out of card and then cut out the central hole. How then to cover the remaining shape...... in the end I resorted to winding yarn around it as tight as I could, using tacky glue to keep it in place, with a bit of jiggerypokery around the corners. The mesh was sewn and woven with grey wool, with a bit of fabric stiffener applied overnight. I still have to work out a nice child-friendly catch to keep that rabbit in! Oh, and he has a knitted boucle straw-coloured mat inside to represent...well, straw!

Next on the agenda, how to knit a lettuce leaf.......


I finally finished the complicated chunky lace pullover for myself - there is no way I could have completed it before going on holiday, the sewing together alone took me a whole evening. It is knitted in pure alpaca yarn, called Peru I think, in the shade 'blanket'. I didn't notice until blocking it that the yarn formed quite distinctive stripes even though it was all from the same batch. Whether or not this fades with washing, I don't mind as it is a quite nice effect.

I love the way the extra long sleeves with their 'U' shaped finish go almost right over my hands - a definite plus in the cold weather, expecially for someone like me who suffers from cold fingers at the best of times. No photo of me modelling it - far too cold today to be taking clothes off and on!

Cuddle-Bunny

Here he is, a mini-me based on an actual rabbit. I have been wondering for a couple of weeks how I was going to achieve this, and in the end it has been with the use of three different patterns for three different animals, selecting the bits that looked rabbit-like and adapting them accordingly. I embroidered on the distinctive markings and gave him button jointed legs so he is fully poseable.

Now the conundrum is how to knit a hutch that is going to keep it's shape - will need a little cardboard inside I feel.....

I also have to knit a mini-me guinea-pig which should be fairly easy...famous last words. If any of you out there would like your pet miniaturised in yarn, feel free to contact me but if it is for a special occasion, give me plenty of notice as I am one busy lady!

Here's My Little Cotton Rabbit......and me in a hat!

Thank goodness the postal strikes don't seem to have affected us here - my little cotton rabbit prize, Gracie to her friends, arrived this morning. She was made by Julie, whose wonderful work you can see over on her LCR blog. I was so pleased to find out just how small and delicious these little bunnies are, and so beautifully made. She's poking her nose out of the box here because I haven't finished playing with her (!) or yet decided where she will live - it has to be somewhere just right! (Her little toy bunny in her pocket is about the size of a large peanut shell - too cute for words...)

I finished the Noro cloche hat last night and am very pleased with it. This one is all mine, but if you would like something similar, just e-mail me and let me know. I'm about to be very brave and show you the front view....I hate showing photos of me, so please be kind and remember it's the hat you are looking at!


This hat will certainly keep out the winter winds as it covers just about everything, as well as being just a bit more stylish than the average bobble hat!

Cuddly Bunny & Cupcake Pendant

I've not done much crafting over the Easter break - too busy with the family as well as a bit of titivating the home while I have the time. However, I did manage to whizz through a crochet Amigurumi rabbit, made in a soft slubby cotton yarn. He's got some vintage buttons for eyes that I picked up at a boot sale this weekend, and a simple embroidered nose & mouth. He'll be in the Etsy shop later on for approx. £6.50- unless you'd like to nab him now, in which case e-mail me!

I forgot the other day to put up a photo of my little glass cupcake pendant made for me by Laura Sparling, clever lady that she is. I love this, it really makes me giggle - check out her blog for how to get your own!