Little Elf

 Just off the needles! I had intended to make a little fairy, being so close to Christmas and all, but as I was puting her together, she decided she'd rather be an elf, which was ok with me!

 I haven't made many dolls before, and I know I need to find a way to make faces properly. I wasn't quite sure what I was doing with her face, so it's not really where I want it to be.

 That being said, I'm really pleased with how her body turned out. Her legs are slightly shaped, which I like, and her hands are ok too. Her skirt is light and flowy, which is cute.
But what I really like about her is her hair.

 I've never put hair like this on a doll before. It's takes a fair amount of time to do, but is well worth the effort! I'll certainly be keeping this in mind to use for the future, and I love this colour as a hair colour.

 She sits well and is a cute addition to my knitting collection. Making this has been a learning curve, and I can use most of the techniques for other projects in the future! Overall, I'm pleased with what I've learned, including the neck, and making her head stand up.

Oh, and her name is Gráinne! :)

Knitted Chess Set

Here is my version of Alan Dart's Chess set, from Simply Knitting magazine. I got this magazine a while ago, but have only just finished the chess set pieces.

As you can see, I have not made the chess board yet. I want to make one, but I'm not sure what I will make it from yet. Glass might look really nice, but it would be a very big and very bulky thing to heft around. I loved the detail in this pattern, every single piece was considered and I appreciated that. The instructions were simple to follow. This was important for me, because I am not a professional knitter. 

This project was fun; I loved seeing the little characters coming to life, and seeing how each one turned out. This pattern was so well written, with lovely illustrations of Alan Dart's own knitted set which is just beautiful. Because I had started this project and put it down about half way through, I nearly didn't go back to it. As I was making it for my dad, I knew I wanted to finish it and finish it well, so I persevered. I'm glad I did! 

What I can appreciate about this pattern (now that I have finished it!) is the attention to detail. There are no cut corners and it's hard not to knit the pieces with lots of love and affection. I'm not sure this project is soemthing that could ever be rushed. The placement of hands, the adorning of cloaks and helmets; you want the characters to look the best they can! 

I loved making the knights! They probably took the longest to make out of all of the characters. Instead of gluing some parts of the pieces together, as suggested in the pattern, I decided to stitch the pieces in place instead. I decided they might be more secure that way, and also, I didn't have any quick-drying glue to hand at the time! It worked out just fine all the same. Because of this, the knights' visors can move up and down!

The bishops seem quite simple, but the detail gone into them is subtle and give them an understated quality. Their mitres (their hats) have two little knitted ribbons at the back, their crosiers (their sticks) are made with an ingenious method, I never would have through of, so simple, yet so effective. There is nothing I didn;t like about this whole chess set pattern. 

The rooks are another favourite of mine. Although I'm not sure I have a least favourite! The brick work pattern gives them a beautiul texture and a nice solid presence on the board (if I had a board!) The flags are made in such a way to make it look like they are blowing in the wind!! I love it! Through making this set, I can appreciate how small details can lead to a brilliant finish, and how knitting can become more than just an old craft. It's a very current and vibrant medium. Alan Dart is a spectacular designer and I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for more of his patterns. 

 

I have quite a few knitting projects I want to put onto my blog, so I will be doing so shortly. This is the first post in this blog.  Although I am not an experienced knitter, I have a Facebook page and I would love to share it with more people. I do have more images of the chess set there too. I'm a glass artist who's trying out different media. I also sew and draw, and do lots of things. If you'd like to see more, please like my Facebook page and join me on my journey! I also have a website, www.valeriemchugh.ie and I would love to see you there!

Valerie.