It’s been awhile. I know. But rest assured, I have not ceased making things…I have just been very bad in documenting. But it’s a whole new year. So let’s begin again.

A friend of mine recently commissioned me to make a mobile for her darling niece as a Christmas gift. I always prefer making something for a known recipient, so it was really fun to get started on this project. The nursery has a woodland theme, so my friend (let’s refer to her as my benefactor) and I decided on using this pattern collection and from there I could do what I liked.

I had never done any embroidery and I found that I really enjoyed it. Aimee Ray (who wrote the patterns) also has a book on embroidery called Doodle Stitching which I think is an apt name for the craft. It’s so simple and you only need to learn a couple basic stitches to get started. I found this amazing resource with a tutorial for every stitch imaginable. However, I completed this project using just the back stitch, the satin stitch, the lazy daisy, and the french knot.

As with many of my other projects,  I conjured these up using wool blend felt, stuffing, and embroidery floss. In addition, I added a fishing weight to each one and hung them with fishing line. They definitely need some added heft to keep the line taught. A pie weight or something similar would work just as well.

My original intention was to hang the completed critters from a couple of nested embroidery hoops. That turned out to be more complicated than I had hoped. The architect in me wanted things perfectly level, perfectly symmetrical, and perfectly aligned. It was not happening and the toddler in me wanted to have a tantrum. Instead of kicking and screaming I took a look around the house and found this contraption lying unused on a shelf. Originally meant to hang pictures, I later realized that I’m not one to have pictures around my house. I removed the clips and hung my 4 creatures, 4 mushrooms, and acorn in perfect harmony. I was happy.

For fun, I added little embroidered tramp stamps (I mean hearts) to the backsides of each little creature. I also cut out clusters of leaves and affixed them with wire at various intersections of the mobile. Once I felt confidant with the embroidery, I also added Claire (the recipient’s) initials to the central hanging acorn. All in all I was quite pleased.

I think that Claire was too.

While the Loch Ness Monster may or may not live in the Scottish Highlands, this one (lovingly referred to as Nessie) had an awesome weekend trip to Washington’s Orcas Island. While there, she basked on rocks, lounged regally amongst driftwood, and even sat for a spell on a park bench. Unlike her Highland cousin, this monster is not afraid of being photographed.

Our adventure to the San Juan Islands occurred on a day as grey as Nessie and she enjoyed every minute. And just when I thought she would blend into the muted landscape, she would crane her neck and demand another shot.

Not surprisingly, this is yet another Hansi Singh pattern which can be found in her book or sold as a pdf on ravelry. Have I knit every pattern in her book, you may be asking yourself. No. Not quite. While knit creatures (obviously) greatly appeals to me, knit fruit and vegetables is low on my list. To each their own I suppose.

While knitting Nessie, I took the time to read up on her legend, and of course, took the time to peruse Etsy for other legend inspired items. Below are a few of my favorites.

{1} brooch   {2} poster   {3} poster    {4} pins

The Nessie research led me to other cryptids (animals or plants whose existence has not been proven). Next up on my knitting needles…the Kraken of the sea!

what is your favorite cryptid?

• bigfoot
• unicorns
• el chupacabra
• jackalope
• kraken
• nessie

It’s a tough question, I know.

::mandi

Knitting this guy was not my best endeavor in direction following. I sewed up the slug portion inside out and had a brief moment where I convinced myself that I could live with the imperfection. But then of course, I opened him back up, removed all the stuffing, flipped him around, and grafted him back together properly. I felt immensely better.

I won’t go as far as to say that the directions are confusing, but I would recommend reading some of the helpful comments on Ravelry before beginning. This is another Hansi Singh pattern which can be found in her book or sold as a pdf on ravelry. The Seattle Public Library offers this book as a PDF that you can download temporarily as well.

Look at this little mollusk. You can knit him up in any variety of leftover yarn varieties and colors. And I love his antennas.

And I was more than thrilled when I took him out on a photo shoot and happened upon a slug. Don’t they look like they are going to ride (or splorp) off into the sunset together?

Lastly, all this talk of snails and slugs got me thinking about this video which makes me laugh every time I watch it.

Please enjoy.

::mandi

If you troll pinterest like I do (and you should, though it can be VERY addictive) then you have probably seen various versions of this flower pin tutorial by Megan of not martha. I have made half a dozen of these over the last couple months and LOVE them. This project requires no sewing, minimal materials, and can be completed in an hour or so once you get the hang of it.

Seriously, if you haven’t already received one of these from me (Katie, Kelsey, Erica, Eric’s mom) then there is a high probability you know what you are getting this holiday season. Megan wrote the tutorial as a mother’s day gift idea and her version includes a darling pocket in the back for a little sentiment. If you know me, then you know that sentiment makes me uncomfortable…so I skipped that part. But I appreciate the detail none the less.

You can sew pin backs or hair pins onto the back of the flowers so they can be used as either hair accessories or a brooch. For gifts, I tend to err on the side of the brooch. While I adore wearing these in my hair (and get a lot of compliments when I do) I understand that it may be a little too much for some.

The maroon flower above was made with felt on the fly’s merlot 100% felt.  The green one is made with a 20% wool blend I found at Jo Ann Fabrics in a heather color called relish.

tips & tricks

Besides learning to make a timeless little item, this tutorial taught me one of the greatest crafting lessons of the decade. Fabric glue. Who knew? Even as I write this I feel it necessary to take a moment to revel in this new found craft supply. Megan suggested using fabri-tac to shape the petals and because I love her blog and trust her, I went with it.  Again…who knew? A lot of comments on her tutorial seemed to be from uppity people insisting that while they loved her project, they would be sewing each and every petal because they wouldn’t stoop to such behavior. “Get over it” I say.  You could try using a glue gun I suppose, but these are small pieces and I envision blistered little fingers.

One trick I found that I think works well is to use binder clips to hold the petal while they are drying. I believe Megan suggests holding them down with a can or pot in her tutorial, but if you have these laying around your house, I think this is easier.

Make one. Or twelve. You won’t be sorry.

::mandi