Easter Bunting

We'll start with the bad news first:  As yet no creatures have materialised from the eye experimentation but I promise something will eventually!

And now to the good news!   I was beavering away ALL day yesterday and this is the result:

Some Eater bunting.   I enjoyed making the Halloween bunting so much last year that I thought I would continue the theme and rustle something up for Easter.   Here are some close-ups:

And this is what it looks like hanging up (thanks to Jasmin for the photo effects!)

It is now listed in my Esty shop so pop in and it could be yours!   :o)

Eye Experimentation

Last week I decided to try and complete all those little half-finished creatures there were sat in a bag in the back of a cupboard.   I am very fickle sometimes with projects -  I get an idea, design the pattern,  knit/ make up all the parts until I am happy with the outcome and that's usually as far as it goes!   I often find half sewn/ stuffed parts that need putting together but by that time I'm halfway through designing the next piece.   But the thing I struggle with most are the faces.   The pile I was working through last week were all  little faceless creatures.   The majority actually got finished and some even listed on Etsy but one still remains faceless.   I was having terrible trouble embroidering on the stuffed face.   I started experimenting with embroidering on other fabrics first but couldn't cut close enough to my stitches to loose sight of the underlying fabric (fraying edges everywhere!) or without cutting into my stitches and this also caused a problem with actually attaching the embroidery to the face.   But after some trial and error (and plenty of research on the internet) I think I may have stumbled upon a solution:

These eyes were supposed to be for a cat but when I made a pair and put them together I wasn't quite sure - what do you think?   Do these look like cats' eyes?

I also tried putting the eyelids on the other way round:

I think they look more like owl eyes now:  maybe there's an owl toy on the way.....

But the experimentation will also continue as I am still not completely satisfied with the outcome.  I want to achieve a more bulbous effect under the iris and pupil, at the moment any stuffing I put behind there is popping out the back because the embroidery causes too much stiffness.   I'd also like to try and add some eyelashes.  :o)

Next to figure out is the nose!!!

My First Etsy Listings

I have just spent the last couple of hours listing my first 4 items on Etsy - it takes a fair while to sort each item out! (big sigh)
Items have been getting made and hoarded for a few months now as I flitted from one project to the next so I thought it was about time that I started to trying to sell some of them. There are now 2 knitted cats and 2 knitted monkeys ready to go off to new and loving homes:

 Marcellus & Granville

 Marmalade

Chester

Maybe I can start making something else now..................................  ;o)

An Award

I opened my emails this morning to discover that Katie from her blog Odds0cks had passed on this award to me.   Thank you very much Katie it's really nice to know that people actually appreciate what I do.

The award now needs to be passed on; under these rules:

1.  Choose up to 5 up-and-coming blogs (with fewer than 200 followers) to award the Leibster to.
2.  Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them.
3.  Post the award on your blog.  List the bloggers you are giving the award to with links to their sites.  Leave comments on their blogs so they know about the award.

And so the winners are.............

Vaudeville Gypsy - Jasmin creates the most beautiful vintage head decorations and belly-dance costumes.  She also has a shop on Etsy and deserves the recognition for her gorgeous designs.

Felt Mistress - I think I came across this blog through a google image search and have been hooked ever since.   Her creatures are just amazing and she has got an exhibition coming up in London in May - I will definitely be there!

dot pebbles - I discovered this blog recently after purchasing Claire Garland's book "knit & purl pets".   The knitting patterns she creates are extremely clever and cute and her blog is an extension of this.

I hope you enjoy looking at these blogs as much as I do!

I will hopefully post again later today as I have quite a lot to share.  :o)