Well that was an enjoyable make! Rather than finish all the extra pieces I decided to sew up the elephant part first. He stood naked for a while until I'd finished the blanket. This is one of those designs that is more 'knitterly' in construction; flat parts, a gusset and then sewing. Not my favourite way of producing an animal but since he's so cheerful I can forgive it just this once.
So this fine chap might not make it to market to be sold (at a craft fair) but he will be sticking around as a useful prototype for future reference. Number two is already underway, although he may be made in slightly different colours. I think the two shades of grey were playing it a bit safe, and also those tassels were a bit of a faff, I'm sure there is an easier way to make neater tassels. Maybe I just need practice.
My favourite part is the blanket which is done in linen stitch, which doesn't really show up in these photos, but looks satisfyingly 'woven' close up. He's a nice size too at about 12" wide and 8" tall. I scaled him up from DK to Aran. He's very squidgy. The bright yellow is a very welcome colour to be working with today while we have grey overcast skies and constant rain. The dogs looked like drowned rats and since they harvested the wheat in our fields they also look like dog scarecrows with straw bits sticking out of their curly ears.
I'm planning on making just two elephants for my craft stall as colourful eye catching items alongside the hats and some jewellery. It's tricky to decide on prices. By the time you've factored in yarn (about 150g), toy stuffing, buttons and safety eyes it doesn't leave a lot of room to take into account the time spent making this toy, so really it's just about the enjoyment of making something and selling it to someone who will enjoy it too.
It looks amazing, it is certainly eye catching and will make the perfect adornment for your stall.
ReplyDeleteIt's a stunning make and will certainly catch peoples' eyes at the craft fair.
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