Archives for June 2015

I added my catnip mouse pattern to my Ravelry store today. I priced it at $1.25 so after Paypal takes its cut, that’s $.91 made on each pattern. I am keeping track of patterns sold and will donate all money earned from this pattern to animal charities when I make donations throughout the year.

You are welcome to make mice to sell at charity events from this pattern.

This is an updated and refined mouse pattern from my “Projects for Leftover Sock Yarn” pattern and I am now offering it as a stand-alone pattern because I’ve gotten so many requests for just this pattern.

The beauty of this pattern is that it is seamless. Not only does that make it faster and (I think) easier to make, but it makes it stronger and more impervious to rough play from kitties: There is no weak spot where they can tear it open

You can use any weight of wool to knit a mouse, ranging from fingering to worsted. I’ve offered alternate numbers for fingering, sport or DK, and worsted weight yarn. They are not a hard and fast rule, but a guide. You can change the rate of increase, the number of stitches you increase to, and where you place the ears. Want a short plump mouse? Up the rate of increase (e.g., increase on every round) and knit a shorter body. Want a long skinny mouse? Reduce the rate of increase (e.g., increase on every third round) and knit a longer body. You can also add your own creative touches: stripes, perhaps?

I wrote the pattern for two circular needles, but you can use any in-the-round technique: magic loop, or double-pointed needles, for example. You will want to use a needle size that will create a tight firm fabric. My suggestions are a 2mm needle for fingering weight, 2.75mm for sport or DK weight, and 3.25mm for worsted weight.

To knit this pattern, you need to know a toe-up sock cast-on technique like the figure-eight cast-on, Turkish cast-on, or (my cast-on of choice) Judy’s Magic Cast-on. You can find many resources online that will show you how to execute these cast-ons.

You need to be able to work a “knit front and back” increase, work in the round, knit a bobble, and work an i-cord (instructions for bobble and i-cord are in the pattern.)

Happy mouse knitting!

Camp Loopy Project

My Camp Loopy project is progressing nicely:

And Loki is taking the art of relaxation to a whole new level.

If it’s June, it must be time for Camp Loopy!

Here is my Camp Loopy project:

This is the start of Angelina, a cardigan knit in an all-over mesh pattern. I am using Cascade Ultra Pima in the Coca colorway and am getting gauge with a U.S. size 7 needle.

This pattern has an interesting and fun construction and is a fairly easy knit. So far, so good! I just need to finish it in June and I am well on track for that.

A close-up of the stitch pattern:

In other news . . .

Dottie and Inga are enjoying their June dresses!

Here is Loki’s catnip mouse:

While Loki has never shown much interest in catnip, he does like this mouse and has been playing with it since I gave it to him last Sunday. I gave it a very long tail because he seems to enjoy dragging things around, and this mouse is no exception! Here’s another mousie I knit for one of Loki’s friends:

I’ve had several inquiries about the pattern for this mouse. It is part of my Projects for Leftover Sock Yarn, a collection of 7 patterns for small items that can be made from bits of leftover fingering weight yarn. But since I have gotten so many inquiries about the mouse pattern, I’m thinking about writing up a separate pattern for it. It’s a great construction because there are no seams, which makes it sturdier and less likely to be ripped apart by kitty claws.

Once I write up the pattern I’ll put it up on Ravelry, and sell it for a nominal price, like $1. Then I’ll donate all proceeds from the pattern to animal charities. Not that I’m expecting to make a pile of money off this, but I do donate to animal charities regularly and this will be a little extra I can add!

A colleague gave me some fresh catnip for Loki to try. While it did not drive him crazy, he was interested in it!