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ShannonM
Gabber Extraordinaire
352 Posts |
 Posted - 08/27/2007 : 11:07:34 AM
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I've been looking at toy patterns a lot lately and can't figure out why they're so fiddly? The knitting is fairly straightforward but holy cow, the sewing up is killing me! They all seem to be that way - knit two ears, knit a front and a back, four limbs, and a tail - all separately.
Are there any patterns for toys with less finishing? There has to be a better way.
Shannon
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fillyjonk
Permanent Resident
1127 Posts |
Posted - 08/27/2007 : 11:34:01 AM
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I think it's kind of a trade-off: more realistic shape = more fiddly finishing. There are some patterns out there that are knit in-the-round and so there's a LOT less sewing (those are the kind I prefer)
An example is Jess Hutchinson's knitted bunny:
http://www.jesshutch.com/bunny.html
(She had a whole booklet of lovely knitted toys but is sadly not reprinting it).
There's also a whole directory of toys here:
http://www.knittingpatterncentral.com/directory/toys.php
At least SOME of those are knit-in-the-round with minimal finishing.
There's also a traditional pattern (I've seen it described as both Scandinavian and Irish) for a doll who is standing there with his or her hands in his or her pockets - it's all knit in the round and the arms are right up next to the body, so it's done all in one piece. |
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knittingbaglady
Permanent Resident
USA
1207 Posts |
Posted - 08/27/2007 : 11:52:03 AM
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The only toy patterns I ever knit were old ones from the 50's. My boys are 20 & 17, so it was awhile ago....but I made them bean bag clowns with big huge legs...cute, and not much sewing.
Martha.
http://www.greenmountainknittingbags.com/ |
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Luann
Permanent Resident
USA
2340 Posts |
Posted - 08/27/2007 : 12:49:13 PM
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A co-worker of mine knit a couple of "sculptures" all in one piece as an experiment. They were spectacular, oddball and funky and really fun. I wish I'd taken pictures. One was a mer-man (started out as a too-small baby sweater she wanted to salvage.) She picked up stitches and added a head, tail, hands... he was also anatomically correct. The other was a devil-cat. Both were sold at a charity auction for appropriately high prices.
Knit and let knit!
This is not a blog:
http://www.luannocracy.blogspot.com |
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anderknit
Permanent Resident
USA
2272 Posts |
Posted - 08/27/2007 : 1:43:29 PM
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I agree completely - I have used "World of Knitted Toys" lots of times and each time I am astounded at how many separate (flat) pieces there are to the patterns. Finally, I took matters into my own hands and adapted some pieces to be knit in the round, and others to be knit together. It worked out great. But to address your first point, I think the reason patterns are written flat and in many different pieces is to appeal to more beginner knitters. Maybe publishers think that beginning knitters believe that shaping and knitting in the round is harder than seaming.
"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, 'I will try again tomorrow.' " |
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KathyR
Permanent Resident
New Zealand
2862 Posts |
Posted - 08/27/2007 : 2:36:51 PM
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I have been knitting for many, many years now and consider myself to be a reasonably experienced knitter but I cannot knit toys! Small ones tend to look like some tiny, distorted monster while large ones don't get finished - there must be a trick to sewing large heads onto large bodies so they don't wobble! So I have totally cried off making toys. I don't do it. So there. So please don't tempt me with all these patterns for cute little things!
KathyR
Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
My Blog |
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ShannonM
Gabber Extraordinaire
352 Posts |
Posted - 08/27/2007 : 4:00:04 PM
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I was never interested in toys as a beginner, but now I think they're adorable and an especially good way to avoid mass produced lead-filled toys from China.
I don't even mind the seaming, it's the ends!!!
I seem to remember that Jess Hutchison has a pattern or two on Knitty.com. I didn't buy her booklet when it came out (stupid me) because I didn't see myself knitting toys and I thought I couldn't realistically own EVERY book on knitting. I won't make that mistake again.
Shannon
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sjanova
Seriously Hooked
USA
907 Posts |
Posted - 08/27/2007 : 4:49:19 PM
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Yes, Jess has Kate (a kitty) on Knitty. I made Kate in slightly different colors. And the person who gave Kate as gift wanted her to have a tail, so I made a tail (in the round, with a point when the donor said it was long enough). So Kate could stand on her own, with two legs and a tail. She was cute. I probably should make another one soon. I do have Jess' booklet and have made a couple of things from it, with more to come. I love that booklet!
Actually, there are other toys in the round out on the web. I made a frog (basically, an egg shape with I-cord arms and legs -- made one as in the pattern, then one about twice the size) which is here: http://stitchesoffaith.blogspot.com/2007_04_01_archive.html and she has a few other cute toys on her blog. The frog was a pretty quick knit. Kimberly Chapman has some cute toys also, if you look here: http://kimberlychapman.com/crafts/knit-patterns.html -- I made the sputnik ball (a baby's grabball with self-designed options for the grabbies) and have to make another one for someone else. And then there's the kiwi bird I made recently (looked them up and made a spotted kiwi since I had that color yarn -- and put in the gift box with it a little package of kiwi food -- aka gummy worms) -- pattern is here: http://bittersweetblog.wordpress.com/2007/07/09/crazy-kiwis/ -- the bird took only a few hours to make, total. I think I found all these from posts here on KR, for which I am very thankful.
I have almost every knit toy pattern book I've seen, probably. Bernat had two little booklets -- I made a bunny and a boa from them. Have the bigger books also. I guess I have gotten used to the fiddly assembly aspects of toys, as well as the need for amending the patterns from time to time, and since I like the uniqueness and safety of the handknits (aside from the fact that they don't hurt anyone if the kid bops himself or herself or anyone else on the head with it), I keep making more of them. Just intersperse them with no-assembly-required items (washcloths, anyone?). 
sja |
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pinknewf
New Pal
USA
38 Posts |
Posted - 08/28/2007 : 09:23:59 AM
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I just finished my second Baby Bobbi bear from Blue Sky Alpacas. The only finishing is to sew up a small seam in the crotch and to sew on the ears.
Molly
Visit my blog http://knittingbackwards.blogspot.com |
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busygirl
Permanent Resident
New Zealand
1595 Posts |
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sjanova
Seriously Hooked
USA
907 Posts |
Posted - 08/28/2007 : 4:28:48 PM
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The last time I recognized that I had not assembled a toy because I was not excited about all the bits and pieces, I set aside a weekend day and said, ok, that's what I'm going to do today, no knitting, no casting on, no reading. Once I got going, it went fine, of course, and I really liked the result. Dedicating a day to it meant I didn't feel rushed (mostly, I have just evenings available and weekends are pretty jammed up with errands) and I made a couple of pots of tea through the day and just enjoyed myself seeing the toy come together. (Actually, it was 3 of the same toy, and I did the same bits on each toy and then moved on to the next bit.)
One of the champion toymakers (there are several, of course) here is, I think, Luci, who does lots of little toys, too, and I think she maybe does assembly line style toy assembly. Am I right, Luci?
sja |
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lucylocket
Permanent Resident
Australia
4172 Posts |
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crsknit
New Pal
USA
37 Posts |
Posted - 08/29/2007 : 05:13:07 AM
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I knitted two Santa dolls for my little boy ( he specifically asked ) and I said never again. I hate all the bits and pieces, sewing together, etc. The one that I made all in one piece was the easiest.
Finishing is better than starting. Ecclesiastes 7:8 NLT |
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Mocha
Permanent Resident
Singapore
2887 Posts |
Posted - 08/29/2007 : 08:36:07 AM
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| I made Harry Bear from Berroco and you don't have that many sewing up. Also saw another knitted bunny where it's garter stitch and you seam it at certain points to shape the legs & ears. |
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Fivefibers
Permanent Resident
USA
1131 Posts |
Posted - 08/29/2007 : 10:44:26 AM
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I guess I have my fingers in several pies. I like the larger things but when I want to take a breather, I can rely on doing 1 or 2 little things in the interim.
Besides, I just Alan Dart's 'Noah's Ark'.
And.... Yuletide gnomes.
This is all Miss Lucy's fault, you know!
Fivefibers
2sheep; 3goats; 5bunnies
(so far) |
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lucylocket
Permanent Resident
Australia
4172 Posts |
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SweaterGrrrl
Chatty Knitter
USA
334 Posts |
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Fivefibers
Permanent Resident
USA
1131 Posts |
Posted - 09/08/2007 : 2:31:17 PM
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Since someone started the knitted toy topic, I was browsing on ebay and saw a pattern that I fell in love with! I have always been a Beatrix Potter fan and then saw a collection (?) of them while on ebay. My fav is, without a doubt, Jemima Puddleduck.
Does anyone know anything about these? Are they old collector's items? Fairly recent? I am beginning to obsess about Jemima....
Fivefibers
2sheep; 3goats; 5bunnies
(so far) |
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SweaterGrrrl
Chatty Knitter
USA
334 Posts |
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lucylocket
Permanent Resident
Australia
4172 Posts |
Posted - 09/11/2007 : 9:07:10 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Fivefibers
Since someone started the knitted toy topic, I was browsing on ebay and saw a pattern that I fell in love with! I have always been a Beatrix Potter fan and then saw a collection (?) of them while on ebay. My fav is, without a doubt, Jemima Puddleduck.
Does anyone know anything about these? Are they old collector's items? Fairly recent? I am beginning to obsess about Jemima....
Fivefibers
2sheep; 3goats; 5bunnies
(so far)
I've just been having a look on Ebay - Alan Dart designed a whole lot of Beatrix Potter toy patterns for the UK Woman's Weekly Magazine several years ago.Some of the toys are quite large (around 13-15 inches tall) and somewhat fiddly to knit in spite of their size. Beautiful designs though and some of them do seem to be on Ebay. These toys were exclusively designed for the UK WW mag - I don't think they have been republished in any other form. Ebay would possibly be the place to look for them - I had a go at Mrs Tiggywinkle years ago but never finished her. Someday perhaps! Jemima is gorgeous! There's also Jeremy Fisher, Peter Rabbit, Cousin Ribby, Tommy Brock, Pigling Bland, Tom Kitten, Timmy and Goody Tiptoes, Hunca Munca and Benjamin Bunny and possibly others too! Hope this helps! Happy Knitting!
Lucy [IMG]http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q61/loliwoli/catyawn.gif[/IMG]My Blog - Lucy Knits |
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nanetteb
Chatty Knitter
220 Posts |
Posted - 09/12/2007 : 3:03:42 PM
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I have a book called Knit a Square, Make a Toy: 24 of the Easiest Soft Toys You'll Ever Knit from Cole's Home Library Craftbooks. I bought it at a book closeout place for a few dollars. I made the fun tropical bird and don't recall it being too fiddly. There is sewing involved but the actual knitting is just garter stitch squares. The toys include a cat, duck, horse, elephant, penguin, moneky, polar bear, camel, etc.
Nanette
http://knittingincolor.blogspot.com
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Toy patterns - why so hard?
