Grande Gatto and Cleo.

 

Grande Gatto II

Grande Gatto was originally created for jumbo weight yarn. The yarn company discontinued the yarn and sent me a replacement yarn to create an update to the pattern. I love to create toys in cotton yarn as it has proved over the years to be durable and last well through the years of play time, washing, and travelling. Therefore, I have picked two cotton yarns to held together to knit the new samples. I have used the Billow and Snuggle Puff yarn by Knitpicks for the samples. The first sample was knit as the original. Due to the yarn and needle size change the toy turned out to be about 10" (25.5 cm) tall. I created a second sample, and then a third sample, which came close to the original Gatto size of 15" (38 cm) tall. 

The pattern is updated on Ravelry, and you can purchase it here: Grande Gatto on Ravelry. 

You can also purchase the pattern on Payhip: Grande Gatto 

Sometime this week I will add the pattern to Lovecraft website, and the pattern will be also at some point on Knitpicks website.

Cleo

Cleo, is our next toy mystery KAL. During the next week I will add the pattern to Ravelry and create the timeline for the clues to be released over the period of 3 weeks. 

I will add the link to the pattern here: 

The pattern will be discounted during the period of toy mystery KAL, and there will be a coupon code for the subscribers of my newsletter to get the pattern for free. Visit my website to sign up for the newsletter to get the special discounts and savings.

Stana's Critters Etc

Once the mystery toy KAL is over the pattern will be priced as my other toy patterns and will be added to Payhip and Lovecraft website. 

Stana's Critters Etc on Payhip

Stana's Critters Etc on Lovecraft

Toys, toys, toys....

 

Toys and more

I have to admit, my favorite knitting projects are usually toys. I love to make them and even more I enjoy giving them away. Sometimes I get to do special requests toys that require me to be creative and use more than just knitting needles in order to capture the image or an idea. In the collage picture above, you can see some of the toys I have made over the past few months. 

The large picture has our dog posing with a large teddy bear and a small cat. They were both Christmas presents for two small children. The two dolls in the bottom corner were created to replicate drawings of a young artist, and they were received with a huge smile on the artist's face. The cat in the top corner was made for a colleague of mine at work. One day we were talking, and he showed me a picture of this peaceful looking yoga posing cat and I tried to recreate that image, while adding the coloration of his own cat.  

At the moment I am working on a new toy mystery KAL. I have to get the PDF files ready with all the clues and set the dates and hopefully it will bring some smiles to anyone who will participate. I will post more information as soon as I have everything ready. Here is a sneak preview of the yarn I am using for Cleo.

Cleo, toy mystery KAL

I spent yesterday evening knitting a new sample for my older pattern named Grande Gatto. Here is a link to the original blog post about the pattern. The jumbo weight yarn that the original Grande Gatto was made in has been discontinued and I have received new yarn from Knitpicks to give the pattern an update. The original Grande Gatto made in jumbo weight yarn measured about 15" / 38 cm, the new resized Grande Gatto is about 10" / 25.5 cm, which is still a decent size for a huggable toy or a cool decoration. It might be on a smaller size as a pillow, but I may make another sample with different stitch counts and rounds to make the Grande Gatto closer to the original size. 

Grande Gatto

Grande Gatto

Thank you for visiting.

New Patterns and more

 

In my blog post from September 2020 (read here) I talked about how my love for knitting and creating started. You can see a photo of my first finished sweater, and in some way my first design of a sweater, even though it was created only to fit me, and I never dreamed of becoming a knitwear designer at that time. 

photo by I Like Knitting

This is my 304th knitting pattern, Helena Cable Cardigan published in February issue of I Like Knitting magazine. The pattern is free for the subscribers. 

link here to the I Like Knitting website

Helena Cable Cardigan on Ravelry

Update on Helena Cable Cardigan

photo by I Like Knitting

For the pictured sample I have use the Cascade Yarns Aereo Tweed in Marine colorwork. It's a snuggly mix of Merino and Baby Alpaca yarn that was a pleasure to work with. 

Two of my previously published patterns are now available as Ravelry downloads and will be shortly also on Lovecraft website and in my Payhip store.  See pictures bellow of the Cuddly Cat Pillow a whimsical pillow and Brie's Cowl an introductory brioche technique in the rounds.

photo by Interweave Knits

photo by Knitpicks

Also, during the last year, I had few more patterns published by I Like Knitting: 

First in August 2021 Issue two patterns for pillows:

Zion Canyon Pillows on Ravelry

Zion Grotto Pillows on Ravelry

photo by I Like Knitting

In September 2021 Issue it was a Raven Plaid Poncho.

 Raven Plaid Poncho on Ravelry.

photo by I Like Knitting

Once the rights to these patterns are reverted back to me, I will add them as PDF files to Ravelry, also to Lovecraft, and Payhip.

My 305th published knitting pattern is a whimsical instant gratification project named Monogram Gift Heart.

At the moment the pattern is available as Ravelry download, and will be added to Lovecraft, Payhip and Knitpicks website. The pattern is written for variety of yarn weights, from fingering all the way to bulky, and has charts for all the letters of the alphabet, a paw print and a written-out direction on how to knit the hearts. It is a perfect project for those long gloomy and cold days as it will brighten up your day as you work on the monogram heart, and it will definitively bring a smile to anyone who will receive this little gift heart. You can play with different letters, creating words and messages.

Happy Knitting.

Thank you for visiting.

A year of knitting...

 

This is a picture of a ball of scrap yarn from my last year of knitting. I started this ball last January. I am not sure what I will do with this scrap yarn. Previously I have made a cowl, an infinity scarf, and a pillowcase. The links to the patterns are provided above and below you can see the finished projects. They all used the tiny pieces of yarn that usually gets discarded as too small for anything. I collect them and tie them together with a knot and when there is enough to do something I pick a project and start knitting. I am not sure yet what I will do with the ball of scrap from my year of knitting. I have yet to decided it. In a way these scraptastic projects are also a little knitting diary, as when I look at them, I can remember what projects I was working on, one stitch at time. 

There are so many of my patterns that I have not mentioned here on my blog, that were published over the past year, including the latest knitting pattern for the Helena Cable Cardigan in February issue of I Like Knitting. I hope to catch up on that over the next month or so. 

Stay safe, healthy and enjoy the work in progress one stitch at time.

Thank you for visiting.