Pattern: Squarey from Jess Hutch's Unusual Toys for You to Knit and EnjoyYarn: Lamb's Pride Worsted in Limeade (M120 - 1 full skein), Onyx (M05 - half a skein) and White Frost (M11 - half a skein)
Needles: Takumi US 8, straights and dpns
Mods: None
Rating: Squeezable
Mr. Square is finito! He looks quite dapper in his prison stripes, so I've named him Joey after a pop gem of a prison break song titled "Quick Joey Small."
I fell in love with Jess's toys from the moment I stumbled over her website a few years ago. Her whimsical, retro design sense delights me, and after buying her booklet I cast on immediately for Joey. I'd never made a toy before, and only once before used dpns, so I figured he'd be good practice for both. And he was.The knitting and sewing up were both easy...and would have been quick except I derailed myself trying to use 7" dpns to knit the arms and legs. I hated fiddling with them so much that Joey turned into a UFO until I tracked down some 5" dpns. Aaah, much easier to use.
Invaluable to me in the sewing up was Vicki Square's trusty Knitter's Companion. Jess's booklet gives great directions on everything but finishing the toys (she cites another book for that, one that I don't have in my library), so I wasn't sure how to seam up the bottom/last seam. Vicki's directions for an invisible horizontal seam fit the bill exactly. As for sewing on the arms and legs, I sewed the legs closed and then inserted them as I closed up the bottom seam. The arms I sewed on after seaming; not the greatest job, but he's finished!
14 comments:
He's gorgeous Madge! I remember looking for that book a while ago and it was sold out. Bugger.
Oh my lordy, is that cute!
He's adorable with all his appendages attached. Great work!
Joey is so cute and so *not* square. I love him!
Hey, it's hip to be square! Joey looks great--I think his stripes are quite fashionable! Black and white is the new... black and white! Okay, now you're putting me to shame, I'd better go knit something fast!
Love the black and white stripes - he's so cute!
Oh so cute!
My gosh, I can't believe how totally cute Joey is - I fell in love with him at first sight! And yay for managing all the sewing and finishing work - there's certainly a couple awesome How To - books out there that are totally priceless for us knitters it seems! Fantastic work, my friend!
Oh Madge, I love him. Love him! I think I might have to make one of those. Very winsome.
I tried to email you, but I must have got it wrong. It bounced back to me. My message was:
Hi Madge,
You asked me about Forest Camo sock yarn in the Henry’s Attic.
Still waiting for that yarn to arrive in the mail, but it shouldn’t be too long.
In the meantime, I’m playing around with a really nice superwash merino fingering (31/2 st on 2-2.5mm). It is soft and springy and would make lovely socks. I’ve posted a bunch of colours and just in process of posting more.
I have a colourway on today’s post in that fingering called GIRLY CAMO. It has the Forest Camo colours but with some pretty pink/burgundy/rust bits in there.
If you want that one instead of the Henry’s let me know. Otherwise, I’ll wait for Henry’s and make yours then.
You can e-me at:
see jayne knit at shaw daht ca
Joey is so adorable! Just looking at him makes me want to squeeze him. Very cute!
How freakin' cute is Joey!!!
Oh, just heart Mr. Square!
oh my goodness! he is so cute. i wish i could get my hands on a copy of her book. not that i'd ever have time to make anything from it...
Oh Joey is so cool ;) What a fab toy. I am so jealous.....
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