Finally!

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Today it happened! I've arrived at a chippy that I'm truly happy with. I also drafted the pattern for him and hope to do the detail photos for the instruction sheet by next week. 

But here he is in all his chippy-glory…

Chippy-final-portrait

I couldn't resist and had to make him a little tiny acorn…

 

Chippy-final-sitting

Chippy-final-whole-branch

Chippy-final-whole-sniffing

Chippy-final-whole

The pattern will be suitable for immediate/advanced knitters/needleworkers I think. Would you be interested in testing my pattern for me? If so, please leave me a comment with your e-mail and in a bout 2 weeks I will e-mail you my instructions for your feedback. 

Knitting the "hide" of the chippies is not that difficult. You'll have to be able to cast on, knit, purl, cast on within the knitting, cast off,  knit an I-cord. The shape of the chippy becomes apparent through "sculpting" with needle and thread while sewing him together. 

When the pattern is finalized, I would like to offer it for free as a pdf file here on the Olive Sparrow Blog. I might also sell an extended instruction sheet that has additional animal instructions on it.

Do you like my final version?

Chippy

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The "Hide" from last week has been sewed up and this is the chippy resulting from pattern #2. It's not bad, but I wasn't fully happy with it. I also experimented with the way to add the stripes to the side, but don't think it is successful.

Chippy-2-on-cast-4
There is also a new cast on my finger with new art – Egyptian inspired me thinks.

Chippy from Pattern #3, as pictured below has an extremely long tail (about 14" long), per Huxley's request and since making hand-made goodies for boys is so much harder, I indulged him.

Why the long tail? It makes "Tail" as he was named better able to fly (i.e. swing the tail and launch), also, the tail can be wrapped around Tail's body, or around Huxley's hand or finger.. so much potential. 

Chippy-trial-3

I also switched the needle size down and made the front paws a bit smaller than the hind paws – Hubby's idea. The tail is also sewn up-wards, so that Tail can more easily sit on his behind and look more chippy-like. The body is a bit longer too, as chipmunks tend to have longer bodies (hard to see when they are sitting upright).

 

 

 

Casting about…

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The cast is not supposed to get wet. I am therefore working on some projects other than my paintings too. Long, long overdue ones. 

Today's task: prepare the pattern for the Chippys I made back in 2009. 

There was some pattern drawing, some test knitting, some introductions:

Chippies-shadow

There was also some procrastination where I spent time decorating my cast (inspired by Frieda Kahlo, but on a bit a smaller scale)

Chippy-1-on-cast

The finger feels a lot better, but I need to see the hand therapist twice a week to change the cast and tend to the skin under it. Huxley and I were horsing around tonight and the finger got a tug on it… wow.. that was not good!!!!! 

Back to the chippies:

I'm not satisfied with the body shape of the one above and have re-drawn the pattern and re-knit the next "hide". Most of the work in these sweet little chippies is in the sewing up and embroidery. Once I have the pattern finalized, I will need to write up those instructions, then look for some test-knitters to see if my instructions make sense. 

Chippi-hide-pattern-2 

Knit in 100% Alpaca, on 2.5mm needles.

I also went to the wool store and got some white angora to make bunnies.

 

 

Harey Business

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Not for easter, so not way behind schedule, yet so pleased to having gotten this done together with Huxley.

Bunny-cage-1 

Bunny-cage-2 

Bunny-cage-3 

Bunny-cage-4
 
 
 Project notes:

Bunny hutch from the dollar store (sorry, but that big "M" craft store was selling these for almost $5, I got this one for $1). The bunnies and the hare are by Schleich (although some of ours might not be available anymore.

Needle felted lettuce, mega carrot (with a little bit of wet felting to make it less hairy) and water bowl – made by me.

Needle felted straw hutch insert and grassland including a little pond made by Huxley. 

I used a very large about 3" thick piece of upholstery foam to needle felt on. I sat right besides Huxley and instructed him very closely on how to wield the dangerous tool. 

There is a constant struggle in my life of finding time to make projects with Huxley. After spending the morning at the studio (from 7 am until 10:50 am), picking him up at kindergarten, driving home, making a full lunch (which tends to be our main meal of the day, sitting down with daddy), then doing the dishes, having a snooze for 10 minutes (I get up at 5 am), while Huxley has his quiet time for about an hour, I am then ridden with guilt if I don't do my housewife duties for the whole afternoon. I need to try to set one afternoon a week aside at least where we just do something. The above project took about half an hour to make. So it is definitely doable. 

Hop, hop, hop…..