Easter Bunnies

My sister and I never really played with dolls much. We liked stuffed animals better, especially bunnies. We got a new one in our Easter baskets every year. The first ones we named Hoppy, both of them. I think maybe there was a bunny on Captain Kangeroo named Hoppy that we named them after. I made some bunnies with clothes for my grand children, the two year old and the not yet two year old.... I introduced them last week, and then took them back because I wasn't finished with the clothes and had to make sure they fit, as well as clothes for big headed bunnies can fit....

The naked bunnies.

The summer outfit....

The fall outfit...

The winter outfit....

The Easter Bunnies and their new pals.

Felting Experiments

I am still knitting fish and got the idea to try felting them. I am thinking it will make the increase stitches show less and make them a firmer object. I knitted 5 different color variations and took notes on the pattern, yarn and needle size. I put them in the washer with HOT water, a little soap and a couple of pairs of jeans. Then let them agitate for 7 minutes. Squeezed them out and into a bucket of cold water. Repeated this a few times.

They came out rather torpedo like......So I made some more, trying to exaggerate the length and the tail. Here they are before felting.

I also made some bunnies....felted everybody:

The striped fish and the gray bunny were gifts for my friend Mike's kids.

I am still working towards the perfect fish shape. Have been also knitting bunny accessories....

Mitten Frenzy...

Before I went  to California I started some worsted weight mittens with some bands of fair isle type stuff above the ribbing. I quickly realized that the start of the row was in the wrong place in relation to the thumb and I didn't like my color combination. So I ripped it up and made this sample piece...

This was a handy reference for knitting my grand daughter 4 variously colored tiny mittens (so 2 can be lost and there will still be a pair). Tiny mittens are FUN! Really fast. I made the tops so that they will go on either hand.

I started a pair for myself and finished them in San Francisco and waiting for planes. Between SF and Milwaukee I lucked out and had 3 seats to myself so I could knit. In a full plane all I can manage to do is read. Feels like if I were to knit the person next to me would be jabbed by my pointy elbows. I was hoping to be bumped and given free plane tickets, but 3 seats is the next best thing...

Tried the star toe option for the ends. Decided it has too much texture.

Mural

The day before I left my grand daughter's house I painted a mural on her bedroom wall. Her parents had moved a huge piece of furniture the day before while we were at the park without them...leaving a big bare space next to the mural my Iowa daughter had painted earlier...

My painting is on the right. It is some sort of interesting clay, non toxic paint. The blue was a new color and sort of strong compared to the others. The banner the bird is holding says SWEET DREAMS.

This was a fun, quick project. I tried to make my part go with the original part and I think it works. And most importantly, the two year old loves it!

There were a few other grand daughter projects in the house...

This is a giant crocheted doily I made as a baby blanket. I bought a book of doilies supposed to be made with skinny thread and a tiny crochet hook. I just sort of blew one up. Tore it up numerous times..to get it sort of flat I think I took out 2 of the pineapple motifs. I also made one for my mom who had had a knee replacement and my grand son who may not have even been born yet.

This is my version of a baby quilt. Really fun to make. Tied together with cotton thick crochet thread.

Another

The night before I left on my trip I finished up this image.

Image copyright Diane Muse 2011

I'm quite happy with it. Need to order some new screens to put these new images on.

Fish Knitting

I went to visit my 2 year old grand daughter in California last week. She did some pretend knitting with me...note the yarn scraps and needles in her hand.

I started knitting her a fish from a pattern I got off the Lion Brand Yarn website. It had you make three pieces and sew them together. I knit one and realized I could knit all three at once with 4 needles and not have to sew it together so I did. Forced my daughter to drive me to a fabric store for stuffing.

                                                                                                                             Then I made another one...

The 2 year old seems to like them...

After I left I kept knitting fish...

Made the blue one at my friend in San Francisco's kitchen table while she was working on her computer.

Got stuck at the Milwaukee Airport for 4 hours on my way home and started fooling around with the red one and realized the three sections don't have to be the same. Then I decided they don't need to have fins to look like fish.

I am plotting a gray stingray, think I can figure out how to make it flat...

I think I am understanding knitting as never before from making these silly fish....thinking over sculptural ideas, will be interesting to see what happens.

Mittens Revisited

I added some ribbing to the mittens. Then I decided they were a little too big and a little too long for me so I sent them to my son.

Here's the fancy plastic needles from Hobby Lobby. They only have them in sizes 6, 7, and 8.

I made another pair of lumpy, hand spun mittens that fit me better.