Long - Knitted toy tales : irresistible characters for all ages

Toys and fairytales were an important part of my childhood and there are certain toys I will never forget. In fact, I still have toys I could never be parted from. This collection of sweet little knitted toys brings out the child in all of us. By creating traditional toys out of yarn you can make beautiful pieces that can be enjoyed for many years to come. Each toy in this book has its own unique character, and each has a little story to tell, a story that links all the characters together. Everyone loves stories, and you can bring a story to life with each piece you make.

There are projects in this book for everyone to enjoy knitting, from beginners to more advanced knitters and through to people like my mother, who can knit just about anything! If you are a beginner, I would advise starting with a simple project such as the bunnies (pp. 1013) or the mice (pp. 6267). Once you have mastered simple shaping techniques such as knitting two stitches together (k2tog) to decrease stitches, and knitting into the front and back of a stitch (kfb) to increase stitches, you can knit toys to your hearts content. You can make a whole toybox full! I am not a fan of knitting lots of components for each toy and having to
sew them together afterwards. I like to see the toy develop as it is being knitted.

Therefore, my patterns have been created with shaping and using a minimal number of parts. This gives you a three-dimensional effect without all the sewing. Frederick Frog is a very happy frog with lots and lots of friends. Toys are perfect for using up leftover yarns. You can be creative with your yarn and colour choice. If you want to make a purple rabbit, a fluffy orange bear or a pink sparkly snake, go ahead and knit one ... in fact, knit two, three or even four! Knit a whole family of brightly coloured creatures.

You dont always need to worry about the gauge (tension) of the knitting. Who cares if your toy is a bit bigger or smaller than mine? Knitting should be fun, and mistakes give your toy personality. Imperfections should be enjoyed. No one is perfect and neither should your toys be. Quite a few of the projects combine knitting with fabric detailing, such as fabric sewn under the birds wings (pp. 3641). 3641).

I think this adds a special character to the toys and brings out the nostalgic nature of the work. Over the years I have collected large amounts of fabrics. Some are truly cherished pieces, and I wait for the perfect project to use them. These toys provided me with the perfect excuse to use these special fabrics, because a special toy deserves a special finishing touch. You could use fabric from an old dress, a childhood blanket, or even
an old handkerchief. Make a toy that is truly personal to you; a toy that has
some history and a story to tell.

I have thoroughly enjoyed working on this book, from drawing my initial sketches of the characters, to realizing them into final pieces. I hope
you will enjoy knitting them as much as I have enjoyed creating them. A cherished toy is remembered forever. Love, Laura

PROJECTS

The Bunny Bunch

Rating This simple project is just right to get a beginner started on making toys Two little baby bunnies and their mummy live in Polly Dollys garden and sleep in a big wooden hutch. They love to jump and play silly games. They like chasing butterflies and eating dandelions and daisies.

The bunnies heads and bodies are made in one piece from very soft, towelling-type yarn. The boy bunny has a white muzzle, so you will have to change colours to make him. Fluffy pompoms make the bunnies tails, and fabric scraps line their ears. They are perfect projects for beginners as they introduce you to very simple shaping. yarn Lightweight (DK) 100% polyester with
towelling or chenille texture Mummy bunny 1 x 1oz (50g) ball in white (A) Baby boy bunny 1 x 1oz (50g) ball in white (A), 1 x 1oz (50g) ball in pale blue (B) Baby girl bunny 1 x 1oz (50g) ball in pale pink (C)
needles Size 6 (4mm) knitting needles
gauge 16 sts and 31 rows to 4in (10cm) Dont worry if the gauge is not exact it doesnt matter if the bunnies are a little bigger or smaller than shown
finished size Mummy bunny 5in (14cm) long (not including tail) and 4in (11cm) tall Baby bunnies 3in (9cm) long (not including tail) and 3in (9cm) tall