Tinylope!

I haven’t done a blog post recently because I’ve been concentrating all my energies on this:

This is a close up shot of the making of my under the sea blanket.  I just found the color combination too pleasing now to document it.  I’ve posted a few finished items for this project on the blog, here, or here.  I started this project in 2008, but I’ve actually made the bulk of it over the last month.  In the past few days though, I’ve realized how glad I am that I waited.  It is nice to be able to see improvement in your own skills.  I think what I see most in my own work is an increased willingness to improvise, and I’m glad to see it.  The blanket will get its own post after Thanksgiving after I’ve had a chance to give it.

But wait!  I have photos of other projects that have just been hanging around.  I don’t know what I’ve been waiting for, except that I’ve just been knitting sea critters all night, and so I haven’t been in a writing mood.  I thought I would do a little winter cleaning and get these photos posted.  

Here is a miniaturization of the Hansi Singh Jackalope pattern.  I made a larger version for my parents a few years ago.  Being Mid-Westerners always in their hearts if not their address, it was much appreciated.  I love Hansi’s patterns, and I love making them tiny.  This guy ended up being bigger than a chipmunk, but smaller than a squirrel.  

I worked this pattern almost exactly as written.  I attached the legs after the body was grafted together, making them set a little wider apart at the top, and I had to redo the bottoms of the feet, which didn’t miniaturize as well.  I suspect this is because my rainbow yarn is a little thicker than fingerling weight.  I just picked up the recommended number of stitches, K2tog around, and then threaded the needed through the remaining stitches and pulled tight.  I used 000 needles, some brown sock yarn I had kicking around in my stash and some rainbow yarn left over from this project.  I used some of my trusty garden wire in the legs to make them a little stronger.  

My favorite part of this pattern!  Isn't this a ridiculously life-like rump?

I also just want to give a shout out to my Tiny Laptop Pattern.   Over 100 have added the project to their favorites on Ravelry, my favorite social network site for knitters and crocheters.  One industrious crafter has already made several for her little monsters to play with!  I agree with her that it is pretty irresistible to put toys to work when you’ve got a tiny laptop bumping around your house.  On the internet, nobody knows your a Jackalope.