Dog finger puppet pattern: new version

I had requests for a version of my dog finger puppet knitting pattern that includes instructions for knitting flat on straight needles. So here it is:

PATTERN FOR A KNITTED DOG FINGER PUPPET

This is a knitting pattern for a dog finger puppet that should fit most children and adults. It can be knitted flat or “in the round”. I have included instructions for both methods. The benefits of knitting “in the round” are a neater finish and minimum seaming.

You will need

dk yarn in dog colours: brown, beige, grey etc

dk yarn in bright colours for the scarf

3mm straight knitting needles if knitting flat

black embroidery thread for facial features

soft toy filling for the head

3mm double pointed knitting needles if knitting “in the round”

Body and head

With 3mm needles cast on 18 stitches.

Rows 1 – 4: knit every row. This makes a garter stitch hem.

If knitting flat:

Rows 5 – 35: continue in stocking stitch commencing with a purl row.

(If you want a different colour head, change colours on row 26.)

If knitting “in the round”:

Change to 3mm double pointed knitting needles.

Rounds 5 – 35: knit every round. This makes a stocking stitch body and head.

(If you want a different colour head, change colours on round 26.)

Row or round 36: knit 2 together to end of round.

Draw a thread through remaining 9 stitches. Pull tight and sew firmly.

With right sides together, close the seam.

Turn right sides out and stuff the head with soft toy filling. Draw a thread around the neck. Pull tight and sew very firmly so that there is no access to the stuffing.

Scarf

Cast on 30 stitches.

Cast off all stitches on next row.

Sew scarf on to the puppet.

Ears (make 2)

Cast on 4 stitches.

Rows 1 – 7: knit every row.

Row 8: knit 2 together to end of row.

Cast off.

Sew ears to either side of head.

Face

Embroider facial features.

Dog finger puppet

PATTERN FOR A KNITTED DOG FINGER PUPPET

This is a knitting pattern for a dog finger puppet. It makes a mostly seamless, “in the round” finger puppet that should fit most children and adults.

You will need

dk yarn

3mm straight knitting needles

3mm double pointed knitting needles

embroidery thread for facial features

soft toy filling for the head

Body and head

With 3mm straight needles cast on 18 stitches.

Rows 1 – 4: knit every row. This makes a garter stitch hem.

Change to 3mm double pointed knitting needles.

Rounds 5 – 35: knit every round. This makes a stocking stitch body and head.

(If you want a different colour head, change colours on round 26.)

Round 36: knit 2 together to end of round.

Draw a thread through remaining 9 stitches. Pull tight and sew firmly.

Stuff the head with soft toy filling. Draw a thread around the neck. Pull tight and sew firmly.

Scarf

With 3mm straight needles cast on 30 stitches.

Cast off all stitches on next row.

Sew scarf on to the puppet.

Ears (make 2)

With 3mm straight needles cast on 4 stitches.

Rows 1 – 7: knit every row.

Row 8: knit 2 together to end of row.

Cast off.

Sew ears to either side of head.

Face

Embroider facial features.

Making up

Close the garter stitch hem with a mattress stitch seam.

Definitely the last masks...

Back in December, before our latest lockdown, I was volunteering in a charity shop. I decided it was high time to make some more masks, but this time in a plain, light colour. Because I wash my masks every day, they are starting to look past their prime. So I dug out my material scraps and made these two beauties. The material came from my wedding dress that I cut up for projects yonks ago. Waste not, want not. I never dreamed decades ago what that material would eventually be used for. Very sad. 😢

Anyway, what is even sadder, is that my charity shop which was decorated and stocked up for Christmas, was closed at very short notice by the latest lockdown a few days before Christmas. It looks like being months before it is allowed to open again. Christmas will be a distant memory, which is just as well really as it was not what we were all looking forward to. 

The only silver lining is that, when we reopen, I will have two summery masks ready to wear. I'm expecting mask-wearing to continue for the rest of 2021 and maybe even longer on public transport. But I'm not going to make any more. I have a boxful now and that's enough.

I'm making very slow progress on the crochet blanket that I started months ago. Every time I sit down to work on it I suddenly find myself with a lapful of cat. She is 18 now, so how can I say no?!

Hopefully, I will be able to show a photo of the blanket in progress in my next blog post. Watch this space...

Another [collective noun] of masks...

Who can come up with the best collective noun for face masks? Oops, we're supposed to call them face coverings here in the UK, but very few people do. I happily wear them when I have to. But I don't in the slightest believe they protect me from anything. I read recently that the virus is so small that a tablespoon could hold all the virus in the world. If I can breathe air in and out of a mask, then the virus can find its way in as well. Oh well, so far so good. At least my face is warm.

I made another 14 masks for the worry monsters project run by Knit-for-Nowt. They will be distributed to therapists and social workers throughout the UK. Apparently there is a very long waiting list for the monsters, so I know whatever I can make will be put to good use very quickly. I will be so happy when these are no longer needed; hopefully next year.

I should have said I made 15 masks. I did, but one of them was possessed. I made every mistake possible on that one mask: crooked seams, loose tension, broken elastic etc etc. Eventually I did something I very rarely do and aimed it at the bin. Bullseye! 

I have knitted something possessed in the past. There were too many stitches, dropped stitches, purl instead of knit etc etc. That had to go in the bin as well because yarn can only survive so many rip outs and reknits. I haven't crocheted anything possessed yet. That is only because I crochet very slowly and carefully and only attempt easy projects. Having said that, I have probably just jinxed myself!

Someone sent me some Christmas material and asked me to make her some Christmas masks. Here they are:

I wouldn't wear one myself. But she was pleased with them and that's all that matters. I expect we'll see many more Christmas themed masks in the next few weeks.

I'm going to sign off now and catch up on reading my favourite blogs. Thanks for visiting and commenting throughout this strange year. I read and appreciate all the comments even though I can't always think of a reply. 

Wishing everyone a good Christmas and an even better 2021

All masked out...

I decided to make a couple of pretty masks...for myself this time. There was a bargain rail outside a charity shop. On it I found a little skirt for £1. The material was lovely. It was such a small skirt with seams in all the wrong places. So I just about managed to cut enough pieces to make two masks. 

I use the fantastic pattern by Dhurata Davies. It is so comfortable and stays in place without constant adjustments. There are three layers as recommended by the medical experts. So it was quite hot in the summer even though I use cotton material. But we are now coming up to the cold seasons and this is already keeping my face toasty warm.

Talking of charity shops, I recently started volunteering in one on two mornings per week. It was for entirely selfish reasons. I was going stir crazy because I'm waiting until at least next year before braving the gym again, and my other voluntary work hasn't really restarted properly yet. So the charity shop gives me a good opportunity to get out and keep active.

It's quite an eye-opener to see what goes on behind the scenes. We receive tons of donations and most are good quality. So far, I've managed to resist the urge to buy everything apart from one little jumper. It's lovely to see people buying the bargains. It's not so lovely dealing with customers asking for price reductions or even freebies. Luckily, I wear a mask and they can't see the disgusted look on my face. We are a charity shop for goodness sake! It's even less lovely when items are stolen. That is rare but extremely annoying. I suggested that maybe the thieves are really desperate. But the manager checks the CCTV and says you'd be shocked at the unexpected people who steal.😢

I made some more masks for the Worry Monsters given out by Knit-for-Nowt. Clare, who runs the charity, asked for material in plain colours instead of my carefully sourced children's patterns. I can see how the patterns might have detracted from the amazing monsters that she receives. For these masks, below, I just used material from old t-shirts. All the masks I have made, patterned and plain, have been given out and were very well received according to Clare.

It's worth looking at the Knit-for-Nowt website to see what marvels are sent in. The therapists who receive them are rightly delighted with them and Clare has a long waiting list of people who have requested the monsters. If anyone feels like knitting, sewing or crocheting even one monster she would be very grateful. She is based in the UK and gives out her address when requested by email.

I've made dozens of masks recently. It's not something any of us thought we would be doing this year. I have to admit the novelty has well and truly worn off. Someone asked me to make her a mask using Christmas material. I agreed, but don't know when I will feel like doing it. Possibly at Easter 😀.

More worry monster masks...

Crikey! I know it's been a while since I posted, but I wasn't expecting to have to learn a whole new Blogger. I expect there were good reasons for the changes, though I was very used to old Blogger. I know I can go back to it, but I'll see how I get on with the new, improved version before I do that.

Here are another 13 masks that I sewed and posted off to Knit-for-Nowt. In July, I suggested it might be a good idea to add little face masks to the knitted worry monsters that go off to teachers and therapists. I didn't realise I was opening up a can of worms. This little batch is my third attempt to make something suitable! The first two batches fitted only the smaller monsters because the ribbon ties were too short and the mask shapes weren't quite right.

For safety reasons, the ribbon ties can't be any longer. So this batch has elastic loops and elastic ties that will hopefully stretch to fit more of the monsters. I also had to bin my fancy, diamond shape design because it was apparently covering the monsters eyes. Having looked at the gallery of monsters on the Knit-for-Nowt website, I suspect these rectangular masks will do the same because a lot of the noses are in between the monsters' eyes. 

I'll have to wait and see what Clare says about this attempt.  My ultimate aim is to write a set of instructions for whichever mask fits most of the worry monsters. Then other people will be able to join in the mask sewing fun.

Now, I really must catch up on all my favourite blogs. See you all soon...

                                                                                      

I spoke too soon...

When I said I was done with masks, I spoke too soon. As I was putting away my sewing machine, I had one of those Eureka moments. Why not make face masks for the worry monsters that Knit-for-Nowt gives to therapists who work with traumatised children? I contacted Clare who runs the group and she thought it was a great idea because a lot of these children will be coming across adults who have to wear face masks and some children are afraid of them. I think there will be more traumatised children than ever after this year's events.  If I had had to miss so much school and stay at home for months as a child I know I would have been climbing the walls. 

Clare gave me a few basic measurements and I sewed some masks in various shapes and sizes. She will try them against the worry monsters that are sent to her and let me know what works best. Then I will write some instructions for other people who might want to sew some. They are quite easy. In fact, the two white masks in the photo came from shirt cuffs donated to me by Hubby. These would be extremely easy for anyone with a serger machine to make. I don't have one of those and my old sewing machine can't cope with raw edges. So I won't be making any more. But I included them as an example of what can be made.

Clare requested cheerful material for the masks. I splashed out and bought some from Ebay. A little goes a long way especially if you use scrap material as a backing layer. I also recycled some material I have been holding onto for years. The orange hippo material in the centre of the photo originally covered a beanbag that we used to use to prop up Daughter when she was a baby. I've always l liked the material and knew it would come in useful for something. I was thinking of bags or cushion covers. Little did I know what it would eventually be used for.

I hope everyone is well. Stay safe....