Bunny Galore and more...

Hello one and all,

Hope you are all faring well and enjoying the beautiful colours that this October has to offer.  I have been admiring the trees and how majestic they look in their amazing autumnal golds and greens.  Wonderful...

Nature can truly give inspiration when it comes to colour.  Anyway....knitting is what I am here for so let me get on.  Do you remember the bunny that I was knitting?   Well here is the almost finished article...

 As you can see (no pun intended as he is without eyes at this stage) he has no eyes or other facial features so I decided to make them out of felt.  I wanted a happy bunny although I am still not sure of those eyes and mouth.  I may change his face and embroider his features, instead, but he is very happy and cosy...

And what self-respecting bunny doesn't have a bobtail?  Knitted using two strands of yarn to give a textured appearance.  Someone asked if it was a bunny crossed with a bumble bee that would make him a Bunnybee I suppose :)   Hope the young recipient of Bunnybee enjoys him as much as I enjoyed constructing him.

Bunnybee also has a cousin as shown below.  She is not quite finished but will be by the end of the week...

As you can see, she still needs some work done to her but all will be completed and shown very soon. This one is done in stocking stitch for the head and back and moss stitch for the inner ear and front body to give more texture and her bobtail, not photographed yet, is crocheted.  Cannot wait to add her features to give life and character....such fun.

Yesterday I went to Loop , the lovely yarn shop in Islington, just to get a set of circular needles but of course one cannot just go into Loop (or any yarn store  for that matter) and depart empty handed - it's just not going to happen.  I spotted some Erika Knight Vintage Wool for sale and, of course, had to purchase 3 skeins, they were going for a song at £3.50 each!

And to finish off my Loop purchases I bought a ball of Natura DK - really because I love the colour.

I then went into Tiger (a Danish gift shop) where there is always something to buy and came across some yarn.  It may not be pure wool but I have bought loads of yarn from them before and it is not half bad.  So I bought six balls - not meaning to, you understand :)

Not entirely sure what I will make with them but a couple of cowls spring to mind or I could do some mittens.  The boucle (the three middle balls)  would look pretty around the neck so I think I will do a nice cowl with that one.  I love the muted colours giving a vintagey appearance I think.  The other three are a grey with tiny flecks of pink and green.  They would make a nice pair of mittens or a scarf...decisions, decisions :)

On my travels I also visited the The Handweavers Studio & Gallery based in Finsbury Park.  I have been meaning to pay them a visit for some time now and finally made it.  A fantastic studio with all things for weavers and spinners and such an array of colour and yarn - awesome.  Great to see looms and spindles for sale and lots of other customers who were just as enthusiastic in performing the crafts of spinning and weaving.  I bought some roving with which I will use to practice and met a lovely member of staff who was really helpful and encouraging, so I am going to persevere and take up some of the tips she gave me.

I'm not sure what this is (can't remember) - I think it is Blue Leicester which was recommended as being best for beginners.  I love sheep!  

Leader Yarn

I also bought a spool of leader yarn in this deep rich red and not expensive either. In total I spent just over  £5.00 so spinning your own yarn need not be financially prohibitive. 

I am also halfway through knitting a commissioned slouchy hat.  This is my' go to' pattern from an old 'Knitting' magazine.

Shown above is the brim of the hat - I love this slip stitch which looks like cable - its so effective.  I'm doing it in a DK yarn but this would look good as a scarf or cowl and the pattern is so easy, just four rows and easy to memorise.

So all in all a good Saturday's 'work' and now I will leave you to finish off the bunnies.  So whatever you're doing this week have a good one and happy knitting....