Help a girl out.

So I’ve gotten alot of positive feedback on my little knit animals, and have had several people ask me to make them for them and they’ll pay me…. but what do you guys think is a fair price for something like that? Obviously, the smaller ones (like the mouse) would be less, but I have NO idea what to charge. They do take a few hours, but not alot of money, because they use so little yarn. I looked some up online, and the prices vary so much that I don’t really think it’s a good gauge on how much to charge…

So, you should help me out!

Jessikins Elephant

Another special request for an animal, this time it was for a tiny pink elephant!

I’m not too sure about the legs though. They may need to be a bit bigger.

But the bunch looks happy together.

Pattern below, if anyone wants it:

Body:
Cast on 6 on DPN’s
Knit 1 M1 til end of row
Knit row
Knit 1 M1 til end of row
Knit row
Knit 1 M1 til end of row
Knit rows (until body is as long as you want it)
Knit 4, K2G until end of row
Knit 3, K2G until end of row
Knit 2, K2G until end of row
Knit 1, K2G until end of row
K2G until end of row
Stuff the body
Take remaining thread and pull it through the stitches still on needles, tighten.

Head:
Cast on 6 on DPN’s
Knit 1, M1 until end of row
Knit row
Knit 1 M1 until end of row
Knit rows until your head is about the size you want it.
Knit 4, K2G until end of row
Knit 3, K2G until end of row
Knit 2, K2G until end of row
You should have about 6 stitches on your needles, knit those on DPN’s until your trunk is as long as you want it. Bind off.

Legs/Arms: (Make 4)
Cast on 6 on DPN’s
Knit in the round until they are the length you want them, then take yarn and pull it through remaining stitches.

Ears:
Cast on 13 stitches
knit 14 rows
k2g, knit until last 2 stitches, k2g
knit row
k2g, knit until last 2 stitches, k2g
(continue until you have 4 stitches on the needle, bind off)

Dylan’s Turtle

I had a special request for a turtle, but was unsuccessful in finding a good pattern for a turtle online, except for itty-bitty ones, and I didn’t really want to make one that small. So I made one up, and sometimes my made-up patterns actually work.

I am kind of sad that the turtle and the lamb have to leave us soon. I will most likely need to make replacements.

Pattern below if anyone wants it:

Shell:
cast on 6 stitches,
row one: knit
row two: knit one, make one
(repeat rows 1 and 2 three times)
knit 6 rows (alternating color every 2 rows)
knit 4, k2grep to end of row
knit to end of row
knit 3, k2g rep to end of row
knit to end of row
knit 2, k2g rep to end of row
knit to end of row
knit 1, k2g rep to end of row
knit to end of row
k2g rep until you have 6 stitches on your DPN’s
Stuff the shell, thread tail through last 6 stitches, pull through, tighten.

Head:
Cast on 6 stitches
Knit to end of row
K1, M1 to end of row
knit to end of row
K1, M1 to end of row
Knit 4 rows
Knit 4, ktg rep to end of row
Knit 3, ktg rep to end of row
Knit 2, ktg rep to end of row
Knit 1, ktg rep to end of row
Ktg rep until you have 6 stitches left, stuff the head, thread remaining yarn through last six stitches, pull tight.

Legs/tail:
Made 4 ‘flippers’ for legs (6 stitches for 6 rows, decrease 2, knit 3 more rows, decrease 1, knit one row, bind off) and one tail (knit 4 stitches for 3 rows, decrease two, knit for 2 rows, bind off) and sewed them all together. I tried to do everything on DPN’s because I hate seaming more than anything.

Singing Zimmerman Praises

I am working on my 3rd sweater(3rd adult sweater), it’s a top-down raglan, based on Elizabeth Zimmerman’s basic pattern.

My book is a bit worn out, as you can tell.

But it gives you all the basic principles that you need to know to make a sweater, but it is more of a bare-bones pattern more than a step-by-step pattern. So you have to do a little math, but this website helps out a bit. You can enter your needle size and gauge, plus the size (In inches) you want it, and *presto* if pops out a much more direct pattern for you to follow! It’s pretty amazing, especially for those of us who are not so good with the math portion of figuring out your own patterns. But it’s pretty liberating, knowing the basic steps to be able to create a sweater of any size, without having to have all the trouble of figuring all that complicated math stuff.

I highly recommend E. Zimmerman to every knitter, once you get the basic steps of knitting down you can follow these steps and make a beautiful sweater!

Giveaway!

Since there has been so much clamor about these little lambs I decided to do a giveaway and giveaway this lil’ guy.

He’s pretty cute, if I do say so myself.

So you now the rules- you can enter by:
1. Leaving a comment
2. Put it on your blog.

But remember, if you put it on your blog, please leave a second comment letting me know you’ve done so, so you can get your second entry!

Comments will be open until Friday at 6:00pm, and the winner will be announced Friday evening!

Easter Bunny

So, I’m not completely in love with this one. But he’s kind of cute anyway…

The more I look at it, the more I want to change the nose, but I don’t know exactly how I want to do it. Any suggestions?

When I was constructing the body, he looked like a little ghost, which I thought was kind of cute,

But they are all happily co-habitating on the knitting shelf.

And, while it stopped snowing, it’s kind of gross, drizzly and yucky out. I think we’re having a night in! (And making homemade pizza for dinner with Artisan Bread dough)

Happy Almost-Easter

And here in Northern Idaho, we’re celebrating with white, wet, cold confetti.

It snowed. Again.

Luckily it didn’t stick around for too long, but it’s mighty chilly in this apartment.

I’m making a cute knit Easter bunny,(he’s named the Sugar Bunny, apparently) pictures should be up tonight. Also, a giveaway coming next week, so keep on the lookout!

Meet Marisol

I made another little animal. This is Marisol.

She’s got funny little legs.

But she and the little lamb get along great.

But once I saw them together I realized that I really didn’t like the button eyes on the lamb, so I pulled them off and did embroidery eyes instead.

I think he looks a lot better that way.

New Headband and Little Lamby

Last night I made another headband for the Birds on a Wire fest we went to, (And will be attending again today)

And I made that little lamb.

Before the stuffing.

After the stuffing.

So, I was going to use black bead eyes, but I didn’t have any, and didn’t feel like going out to get some. So I made it with white buttons. It might look a little too Coraline for me, but we’ll see. Cute, no?