Bunimals

I have an adorable and silly new pattern for you today!

Bunimals are bun-shaped animal toys with cat, frog, mouse, rabbit, and robin variations. Each toy uses about 50 g of worsted weight yarn, and they knit up super fast! I designed this toy to be easy to embellish and modify (look for upcoming blog post on this), and a fun way to use colourful or textured yarns.

You can also get the pattern in two versions: knit flat or circular. While I do design most of my toy patterns to be knit flat, because it allows more knitters to be able to make them, this toy design would obviously work well when knit in the round. On Ravelry, simply select the version you want to download. On LoveKnitting, you need to purchase each version separately - flat or circular (I don't like this method, but it's what was allowed on the site. If you buy one version and would like the other as well, please email me).

I look forward to seeing what everyone will make from this new pattern! Please add your projects if you're on Ravelry, so others can appreciate them too.

mystery knit-along 2013

If you're in my Ravelry group, perhaps you'll have seen that I'm planning a mystery knit-along (KAL) beginning March 1. This was a slight planning error on my part, since we were on vacation for the past week! Anyway, my needles have been flying, and the keyboard clicking, and with some hard work everything will be ready to go tomorrow morning. There has been a bit of confusion about how everything will work, probably because I've never done this before, and I've been trying to sort it all out with a million other things going on. I'm hoping the information below will clear everything up. I really want it to be fun for everyone!

If you've never done one, a knit-along is a group activity where a bunch of people knit the same pattern at the same time. Via the Ravelry group, you post photos of your progress, and can ask and answer any questions that arise. A mystery knit-along is very similar, except you don't know what you're making until you finish (and you try not to spoil the mystery if you figure it out early!)

The mystery KAL pattern will be published via Ravelry. While you don't need a Ravelry account to buy it, you will need one to participate in the discussions and sharing. We will begin March 1, but you can join any time. To join, you need to purchase the pattern (here). A new segment will be added once a week for 6 weeks. So, every Friday for the next 6 weeks you will receive a notice to download the updated pattern (this also means that if you join late, you still get all the earlier parts of the pattern). Once we're done, and I have the final version of the pattern ready, you will get a copy of that as well.

We will begin with the garment, so the whole toy stays a mystery a little longer. There are 2 versions: one with stranded colour-work knit flat, one with stripes (or you could knit it in a solid colour). You can also choose between a more fitted garment with fingering yarn on 3 mm needles, or a looser garment with sport weight yarn on 3.25 mm needles. (Hopefully these options will mean you can destash if you don't want to buy new yarn).

The animal will be in a solid colour. I've been asked if it can be worked in stripes, but the animal in question isn't striped. If you want to use more than one colour of yarn, I suggest knitting the arms and legs in the alternate colour.

Here are the materials you will need, if you want to prepare:
Garment yarn: 25 g of fingering or sport weight yarn in colour A (a light neutral), 15 g of fingering or sport weight yarn in colour B, 15 g of fingering or sport weight yarn in colour C.
Animal yarn: 50 g of worsted weight yarn in medium brown, 10 g of yarn in dark brown or black, small amount of white yarn (or felt)
Needles: 3 or 3.25 mm (US size 2.5 or 3) for the garment, 4 mm (US size 6) knitting needles for the animal
Notions: 4 small buttons, pair of 9 mm safety eyes (or buttons or black yarn), tapestry needle, scrap yarn

If any more questions come up, I will add my answers here.

Q: Why are there black squares in the first 3 rows?
A: The black squares on the chart mark where there are no stitches. The first 3 rows are worked across only 30 stitches, then you increase 1 stitch on row 4. Also, when you begin to shape the shoulders, black squares mark where you lose stitches as you decrease.

Q: How do I know that I received all the parts when I buy the pattern?
A: When I update the KAL pattern each week, it includes all the previous parts. Part 1 is on page 1 and part 2 on page 2 etc (although the associated charts are at the end of the pattern). For example, if you've already printed out the first 2 parts of the pattern, all you need to do is print page 3 for the third part of the pattern.

lovey for Spring

While it's been awfully quiet around here for the past month, my knitting needles have been busy! I have a new toy design for you, just in time for thinking about warmer weather and the cute baby animals that come with it. The new pattern is called "Flat Foot Floogie" (named by my so-serious husband) and is a lovey with both lamb and rabbit variations. A lovey is not a toy I'm very familiar with, but there seemed to be a lack of cute patterns for them, so I thought I would fill the gap for you.

The pattern is fairly basic and knit flat, but with some nice shaping to keep it interesting. You will need to know stockinette stitch, garter stitch, increasing, decreasing, and how to cast-on stitches at the end of the row. There is some sewing and finishing, but not as much as my usual toys. Plus, the heads are very similar to my other toy patterns, so you could easily make other animals into loveys. I would just recommend adding 2 rows to the stockinette section of the head, to make up for the gauge difference between worsted and chunky yarn. Because thicker yarns vary so much in gauge, the pattern also gives lengths for the yarn requirements. If you're in doubt, make sure you have enough meters or yards - this matters far more than the weight.

While I designed the toy mainly for babies, my two boys (who are 4 and 2) love the test samples I knit. But they both insist the toys are better with a rattle in the head. I made rattle inserts from plastic cosmetic sample jars, by placing a metal jingle-bell inside and then glueing the lid on. However, small ones are fairly cheap to buy on Etsy (just search for "rattle insert" under supplies).

You can now purchase the pattern on Ravelry, Craftsy, or Etsy. If you buy it on Etsy, you will have to wait for me to email the download link (although I'm working on a solution to this).

happy holidays sale

Do you still have time to fit in one or two little holiday knitting projects? Of course you do! Or perhaps you'd like to gift a pattern to someone who likes to knit cute toys? Starting November 22 and running until November 30 (eastern time in Canada), there will be a Happy Holidays Sale in my Ravelry shop!

Use the coupon code "happyholidays" to get 20% off the following holiday patterns:
Baby Penguin
Cozy Elf Tuque
Festive Knits (ebook)
Macaroni Penguin
Polar Bear
Santa Reindeer
Surfer Koala (for my friends in the Southern hemisphere)

But even if you decide not to use the coupon, I have a new holiday pattern for you which should be ready very soon!

dragon with a wee knight and princess

Last Spring, a friend generously gave me the brilliant idea to design a dinosaur. That idea kicked around in my head for a while, and a few months later I drew up a sketch of how I wanted it to look. In the sketch I included a variation for a dragon, and that thought was so inspiring I went out and bought yarn before the end of the week! I found the perfect yarn: brilliant colours, soft to the touch, with just a little sparkle. Within a few days I had the body all knit, and was eager to start on the rest... but then the heat of summer set in. By the end of a busy day playing with the kids, I just wasn't interested in picking up something woolly and using my brain.

We got home from visiting family at the beginning of September, and as soon as the kids were off at preschool, I started working again after a much-longer-than-expected break. I decided to go with a simple pattern to ease myself back in. The Baby Orangutan was something I'd worked on a long time ago, and just needed a few adjustments and an accessory to finish it up. While I was happy with it, I wanted more of a challenge for my next design.

I had a brilliant idea one day during a yoga class (yes, my mind was wandering, but you can't always help that)! I enlisted a friend's help with smoothing out the design and picking colours, found some yarn to knit a sample, and eagerly picked up my knitting needles... Only to fizzle out after a week, when I realized I'd messed up the first part and would have to pull it all out.

At this point I felt a little lost, so I asked my friends which idea they would choose, of the 3 I felt like working on. The vote was unanimous for the dragon. Feeling renewed inspiration for the toy, I set to work again. It came together so quickly - just a few adjustments to the legs, 3-4 versions of the head, and maybe as many for the tail... Anyway! I soon had a design I was very happy with, and then had a brilliant idea for the accessory.  A week or so of furious knitting, next to a sick little boy, and everything was done. My cousin kindly offered to test knit the pattern for me, and had it done in just a few days (she's amazing. I don't know how she got it done so quick, when she's also a graduate student!)

I took some photos, my husband worked his usual magic with the ever-temperamental publishing software, and, "Ta da!"

So, much sooner than I planned, and with a very happy heart, here are the Dragon and his wee friends. Find it on Ravelry or Craftsy. Knit some cuteness!

yarn stores and kits

I've had a few yarn stores ask me about making up kits with my patterns. In the past, this was a bit difficult because I don't keep a stock of printed patterns and I don't have a distributor. However, the In-Store Pattern Sales program on Ravelry has made this so much simpler! You can go here to read all the details about the program. In brief, you ask to be added to the list of participating stores, Ravelry reviews your request, and upon approval you can then sell patterns from a wide range of designers (the designers also have to sign up for their patterns to be sold this way). The store gets a percentage of the sale, and can either print out the pattern for the customer, or email them a copy.

If you're interested in making kits from my patterns, here are some other helpful tips. I don't list a specific yarn for any of my patterns, since toys can be knit from a wide variety of yarns. I always give accurate amounts and colours, so you can use whatever yarns you would like to promote. If you need more information on what yarns I used for a particular pattern, you can send me a message, or check my Ravelry projects. I usually use polyester fiber-fill for the toys, which is inexpensive and easy to find at fabric or craft stores. I sometimes use wool roving, which makes very nice stuffing, but costs more and can be harder to source. I use plastic safety eyes for all my toys. Etsy is a good place to find a wide range of sizes and colours, but you may be able to find them at craft stores. I also tend to use vintage buttons on the clothing, which helps keep the costs down.

Feel free to use my free patterns for kits as well! The Fuzzy Lamb, Holiday Mice, and Mini Alien are some of my most popular patterns. Besides, if someone really likes the toy they make from a kit, perhaps they will come find out what other toys I've designed.

The In-Store Pattern Sales program is good news for other people as well! If you would like to buy my patterns, but are hesitant to purchase something on-line, talk to your local yarn store about signing up for the Ravelry program. As well, if you would like to teach a class using one of my patterns, the yarn store could use this program to purchase copies for your students.

baby orangutan

It's been almost a year, but I finally have a new pattern for you! The Baby Orangutan is available in my Ravelry shop. I knit the first one ages ago, and had so many requests for a pattern, I knew it had to be the next design I developed. The final version is a little different, but I think he's cute and clever!

The right yarn, and a few interesting techniques, combine to make the toy look just right. You need a soft, fuzzy yarn in rusty red for the main colour. The face is created with intarsia, while the thumbs are little bobbles, and slipped stitches give shape to the ankles. A little rucksack for adventures seemed like the perfect accessory. This one is knit from fingering weight yarn, and you can make it with or without the flap on top. I decided to use a finer yarn for the rucksack, so it's simpler to scale up for my larger toys.

I haven't had the pattern test knit, since I didn't want you to wait any longer for a new pattern. However, because it's sold on Ravelry, I can easily send you updates if I need to make any changes to the pattern. If you find a mistake, please send me an email or Ravelry message, so I can take care of it right away.

I will have a small number of kits for sale in my Etsy shop, probably tomorrow. I'll post an update when they're ready.

summer vacation sale

We're headed out west next week, to spend the summer with my family! Mountains, lakes, forests, small towns, cousins, grandparents, and all kinds of other good things. My 3-year old asks about 20 times a day how soon we're leaving. I'm looking forward to actually being there. Getting ready to go is another matter! Thank goodness we have lovely friends house-sitting for us, so there's a lot less to worry about (like poor lonely kitties).

As a little summer treat for you, my lovely knitters, I'm having a sale in my Ravelry shop. The sale starts June 27 and runs until July 11. You'll get 15% off all my single patterns, and 10% off both my ebooks. No coupon code, and no minimum purchase required (just to make things simpler for all of us). Why not pick a summery pattern, like the Alpaca with Bikini or Surfer Koala? Or if you've done these already, knit summer outfits for your other toys! You could also try using a soft cotton yarn for more comfortable knitting in summer weather. I've been knitting up a bunch of Wee Wuzzies for gifts in un-dyed organic cotton. You can get all kinds of colours which are perfect for little animals (I've used this one, and really like it).

Before we leave, I have a couple blog posts I'd like to get written. A small modification on the Pookies to make another cute animal, and I've just had a fun idea for a give-away. So check back soon!

pdf pattern sale changes

With everything we have to do before our new baby arrives, keeping up with email has gotten to be quite a chore. In order to give myself a bit of a break, I've decided to stop selling patterns on Etsy. However, my Etsy shop will stay open for selling toys, kits, and other odds and ends when I have time to make them. It's always been a bit of a pain selling PDF patterns on Etsy, since I have to list them individually, email them on time (hoping that the email address provided actually works!), and try to keep up with which ones are sold out.

Instead, we'll be switching pattern sales to Ravelry (my website already has a handy link to my shop there). You get to see a lot more info about the patterns, a download link is emailed to you as soon as you pay, and you never have to worry about a pattern being sold out. Besides all this, Ravelry is a great resource and community, and well worth exploring if you love to knit and crochet. Because I won't be able to offer the discount pattern bundles there, we're going to reduce the price of most patterns (excluding a few which are already cheaper there).

Unfortunately, we'll still have to sell our printed books through Lulu (the printer), since Ravelry only does PDF patterns. I know this might be a bit confusing, but the book pages on Ravelry do link to my Lulu shop, if you prefer a paper copy of the books.

I plan to get this done tomorrow (Feb. 23), although it will take me an hour or so to change all the pattern prices on Ravelry. Hopefully this change won't be too confusing for you, and will free up my time to answer your questions and contribute to Ravelry discussions.

pookies now available

Can you knit just one of these cute critters? 

The pattern is now available on Ravelry and Etsy (the difference in price is due to fees, but you don't need a Ravelry account to buy the pattern there, and you don't need to wait for me to email it!).*

Here are the main details. Pookies are bean-bag animal toys in 3 sizes (3", 3 1/2", 4"). To make a set of 3 toys (one of each size), you need 50 g each of 3 colours of worsted weight yarn. However, this is a great project for using left-over yarn. The toys are completely knit in the round, on 4 mm DPNs or circular needle (your choice). The ears and hood are knit separately, then attached to the toy. The pattern gives instructions for 5 ear styles: mouse/hamster, bunny, puppy, kitty, and bear. Other materials required are polyester stuffing, ¼ cup dried beans or plastic beads per toy, 3 pairs of 9 mm safety eyes, black yarn to embroider the face, tapestry needle, 2 stitch markers.

If you're a member of my Ravelry group, I would love some photos and feedback on the pattern, since these toys are very different from my other designs.

Happy knitting everyone, and I hope you all have a great day!

*I won't be listing the pattern on Lulu, because their fees are too high, and we're going to move away from selling anything but the books there.

cozy elf tuque

We finally found a few hours to get this new hat pattern ready for you! You can buy it on Ravelry, Etsy, and Lulu. I don't know if the photos do the hat justice, as it is adorable in person, and so cozy and comfortable to wear. It's a simple design, but doesn't take much yarn, so go ahead and use some yummy fiber in a beautiful colour!

The hat is knit in the round, and you can easily use either double pointed needles or circular, depending on which you prefer. I've written it for 6 sizes, from infant to adult, so you have plenty to choose from. I also decided to include many sizes because the yarn you use can affect your gauge (I had that issue with the adult size). If it's a yarn new to you, it might be worth knitting a little swatch to make sure of the finished hat size.

I hope I've given you enough time to knit one or two before the cold weather arrives wherever you are!

wee woodland wuzzies

The new pattern is now available! In the end, we have called it "Wee Woodland Wuzzies" which is a combination of your suggestions, Mr. Mitten's, and a slip of the tongue by me (I had meant to say "Fuzzies" but the alliteration was just too good). You can purchase it on Ravelry and Etsy, and I will add it to Lulu later today (we're on our way to a birthday party, and I've run out of time this morning).

The pattern includes instructions for 6 woodland animals: a squirrel, a mouse, a hare, a hedgehog, an otter, and a fox. The finished toys are about 3" tall, so they're great for little hands, or as decorations. They are all based on the same body pattern, with different heads/ears/tails. Each toy uses small amounts of worsted weight yarn*, so they are great for any scraps you have left from other projects. The patterns for the hat and scarf are also included, and they use fingering or sport weight yarn (if you don't knit socks, hit up one of your knitting buddies for a bit of left-over yarn).

I hope you enjoy this addition to the Fuzzy Mitten family!

As with any new pattern, there may be a few mistakes I've overlooked. Please let me know if you find anything, so I can make corrections to the pattern. 

*I’ve used worsted yarn for the toys because it is common in Canada and the US. The toys could easily be knit from DK, but you would need to go down a needle size for both the toys and the accessories

alpaca pattern is ready!

Finally! Finally the Alpaca pattern is done and ready for you. We're very sorry for the delay, but there is still a little bit of summer left for your alpaca toys to enjoy (if you get knitting right fast)! Although, if you live in the Southern Hemisphere, I guess you have plenty of time.

So here are a few details about the pattern. Like most of my toy patterns, this one is knit flat and seamed (although you could try to knit it in the round). The knitting techniques include knit, purl, several increases and decreases, and simple lace. You also need to make the hair, but that's pretty easy (there are diagrams in the pattern). The toy is made from worsted weight yarn, and the clothes from fingering weight. Because of the long neck, this toy is 9" tall, a bit bigger than my usual toys (but the other small clothes will still fit her).

You can find the pattern on Ravelry, Etsy, and Lulu*. If it's sold out on Etsy, I'll try to add more copies as soon as I can. Thanks so much for all your patience, and I hope you enjoy this new toy!

* The pattern costs more on Lulu because their fees are much higher than the other two sites. I will soon change all the pattern prices there, although the books will remain the same price at all my shops.  My hope is that Ravelry will make my shop public, so I can stop using Lulu for PDF sales.

bunnies!

We had a lot of fun with the Spring Knit-Along, over on Ravelry. It's been over for a week or so now, but I thought it was a good time to show off some of the toys that were made. Today is for bunnies!

This is Blackberry Bunny, by froggyster. She looks very cozy in those fluffy pink flowers.

Next is this sweet and fuzzy bunny by stitchingdragon. It reminds me of all that fuzzy yarn in my stash, which is waiting to become fuzzy bunnies.

wrchili knit a pair of Mama bunnies in pink, and they're both so adorable and cuddly, it makes me want to knit the pattern again, in something more interesting than brown or grey.

This little bunny by bluesocks is all ready for Spring in her cherry-blossom pullover.

And the last one for today is this Scraps Chaps bunny by Je55ie, who looks like he got a little too close to the Easter egg dye!

Fuzzy Knits, take 2!

At long last, after a year's worth of knitting, writing, editing, photographing, proof-reading, formatting, (and on and on, it seemed) the second edition of Fuzzy Knits is ready!

I've written a bunch about the individual designs before, so I won't get into them now. You can go here to see images of all the patterns. I'll just leave you with the details of where you can get it (clicking the links to follow will take you to where you can purchase the book).

The download version (i.e. a PDF file) can be bought on Ravelry and Lulu. The file you download includes the cover. This option is really nice, because you can print it yourself and keep it in a handy binder or plastic sleeves.

The printed book can be bought on either Lulu or Qoop. These two shops offer slightly different versions of the book: on Lulu the book is perfect-bound with a soft cover and full-colour photos, while on Qoop the book is coil-bound with a soft cover and you can choose between black & white or full-colour photos.

Now for the tricky part. We are offering a copy of the new book to anyone who bought the first edition of Fuzzy Knits. Because Lulu does not give us a list of who buys what, we will need to see a copy of your receipt for the old book*. You can forward that to barbara at fuzzymitten dot com. Then I will email you a PDF file of the new book. Please be patient, as it may take me a few days to get through everyone's emails.

EDIT: I’ve also discovered that if you no longer have your Lulu receipt for ‘Fuzzy Knits’, you should be able to find a purchase history in your Lulu account. So you can just copy that info into an email and send it along to me.

Also, you might notice that we updated the cover of Festive Knits. This is so the style matches the cover of Fuzzy Knits, but the content of that book has not been changed in any way.

*Please note that if you bought a printed copy of the first edition, we cannot replace it with a printed copy of the second edition. You will receive a download copy of the new book.

bunny puppet now available

A very quick post to let you know that the Bunny Puppet pattern is now available! You can purchase it on Ravelry, Etsy, or Lulu. I had to make a few last minute changes, but it should be all good now. Please note that this pattern is intermediate level, and knit in the round. If you've made mittens, you shouldn't have any trouble. If you find any mistakes, please email me (barbara at fuzzymitten dot com) so I can update the pattern. I'm a bit short of time this morning, so I'll try to write more about the design later!

happy valentine's day!

Need a last minute Valentine idea? You can print these out on heavy paper, then cut out the individual cards with fancy scissors, and there's lots of room on the back to address one to your sweetheart! Just download the largest size image for the best results.

Of course, you don't need a sweetheart to have a happy Valentine's Day! I like to take this opportunity to show all the people I care about how much they mean to me - family and friends who are special and deserve gratitude for everything they do all year long (I'm just lucky to have two big sweethearts to share the day with, as well).

Knitting time has been pretty scarce around here this week, as Munchkin Mitten was sick with a cold. I'm hoping to try out my new light tent this weekend, so maybe I will have a few photos to share next week. And if your in the mood for Spring bunnies and lambs, there's lots of action over on Ravelry! The knit-a-long is going for anther 5 weeks, so there's plenty of time to join!

silly duck, new edition

If you've noticed that it's been a little quiet around here, that's because we've all been down with colds for the last week and a half. Nothing like having the whole family sick at once! Anyway, we're on the mend, and managed to get a little work done over the last few days.

Finally, the new edition of the Silly Duck pattern is ready! You can find it on Ravelry and Etsy (if it's sold out, don't worry as I'll list more copies as soon as I notice). You can also get it on Lulu - there was a problem with the cover editor over there, so click the preview link below the cover image to see what the pattern looks like.

Here's the tricky part: if you bought the old pattern, and want a copy of the new one, there are 2 options. 1) If you bought it on Etsy, just email me, I will look up your receipt, and send you the new pattern. 2) If you bought in on Lulu, you need to forward your receipt to me, because I don't see who buys patterns on Lulu.

It is quite different from the old pattern, which is why I couldn't post part of it here on the blog, like with the Mouse and Panda. The beak is now knitted, so you don't need to worry about finding felt or doing any hand-sewing. The feet are now much more duck-like, as is the body shape. The whole toy is knit flat on straight needles, except for the hat which is knit in the round on dpns. If you've been wanting to learn how to use them, though, a little hat might be a good place to start.

I used Elann's Bamboo Fusion for the main colour of the duck, and I think the shine of the bamboo makes the knit fabric look just a bit like shiny duck feathers. The beak and feet are in plain worsted wool, and the hat and scarf and knit in a bit of variegated wool I had in my stash (I don't remember the brand).

Somebody is cranky, so I have to go. I hope you all enjoy the silly pattern!

holiday sale

I just had a sudden inspiration to offer you a surprise New Year's sale! Until January 7th, my Well Dressed Bunny pattern, as well as Clothing Bundles 1, 2, and 3 are all $2 off! Those links are to my Lulu store, but you can also find all those patterns on Etsy, and the Well Dressed Bunny on Ravelry. Happy knitting!

(Edit: the listed prices have been changed to the sale price, so you don't need to worry about sale codes or anything like that)

I hope you are all enjoying the holidays, and maybe even a well-deserved break from work (I know I am). We had a good visit with our house-guest last week, and even managed to get out to see a movie thanks to free babysitting. This week should be a little more laid-back without any holiday preparations to worry about. Although, we are officially on a diet from all the sweets and rich food (we might make an exception for New Year's eve celebrations). Lev is enjoying the new toys and books he received from relatives. We got him a shiny red sled, but he wasn't very happy in it the first time we took him out. Hopefully we get some fresh snow and less-cold weather this week, so we can try again.

I have completely failed at getting any photos, though I intend to try a little harder this week. It's just so discouraging when our house isn't very sunny (especially in winter) and I find our camera too clunky and heavy for fun snaps. The only photos we have are some portraits of Lev, which we took to send out to our families. Hopefully this goofy smile makes up for the lack of other photos!

holiday mouse pattern

I can hardly believe some of you have already knit my Holiday Mouse pattern (some people have made more than one)! They are all very cute, so you should try it! In order to make it easier for you to work on the project away from your computer, Mr. Mitten has made the pattern into a PDF file. You can download it directly, or get it on Ravelry. These wee guys take almost no time at all, and very little yarn, so they won't add too much to your holiday knitting list ;o)