One eyed pig

Here is a funny little pig, missing an eye! Technically I think this is a crochet creature, made of cotton thread, but I figure he can join the group. :) He has a bean-bag body with long floppy legs. I got him at a thrift shop on Salt Spring Island. All he needs is a second eye and he is good to go!

Woodland Gnome

I found this little guy at the Pender Island "Nu-to-Yu", a charming cross between a thrift store and a permanent garage sale although only open 2 days a week. The keenest bargain hunters are there on Friday morning as the doors open, although I tend to be part of the Saturday mid-morning crowd, heading over after a visit to the farmers' market and before dropping by the library next door. The Nu-to-Yu never fails to hold some treasure or another, and the "fill a bag for $5" days are not to be missed! :)

The gnome is in pretty good shape although a tug of his hat reveals a badly receding hair-line and interestingly, a second face on the back of his head. This one has a rather crooked smile so I am guessing it was a first botched attempt which was quickly covered up by the hat rather than unpicked. My kids think it is cool.

I will fix up his hair line and put him up for adoption. He has a snazzy belt buckle!

C.

First prize!

It has been a while since my last post and I have been busy collecting as well as creating knit creatures.

The teddy bear I was working on is now complete -- I set myself the deadline of our local fall fair to have it done, which was today!

Here is picture of the piecing together and stuffing process. I used pure wool salvaged from a wool-filled pillow that I accidentally washed the "wrong" way -- the insides partially felted so it made a very lumpy pillow but great toy stuffing! :) It took longer than I thought to stitch the bear pieces together neatly and alot more stuffing to fill it up. The bear ended up quite a bit bigger than I thought but I am actually really pleased as it makes a very cuddly size -- my daughter can't keep her hands off him.



My goal was to finish the bear and its Fairisle-style sweater in time for the Pender Island fair on August 25. After two full days of knitting, stitching and stuffing I had the bear done but the sweater was still far from complete so I entered the bear "au naturel" to the Pender Fair. For the bear I used all recycled, natural wool -- the only new item was a shiny 2007 penny which I stitched inside for good luck. And it worked!








He won second place in the "Teddy Bear" category! I was so thrilled, plus I got some wonderful comments from the other knitters.





Next my goal was to get the sweater done in time for the Salt Spring Island Fair a few weeks later.

And today, SUCCESS! He won the first place ribbon. Again, great comments from other knitters as well as general fair attendees. It is very rewarding that he won, although the biggest reward is that my daughter has been waiting for the fairs to be over so she can hug and squeeze him to her heart's content.

Knit Clown

This is a clown that I found for my sister a few years ago -- she knits her own very cool knit creatures and I thought this could be inspiration. :) Notice his little cape.

Knit Doll

Here is a little knit doll I found in my daughter's toy box...I bought this for her at a garage sale a few years ago. The doll is in pretty good shape considering she has been played with and tossed around over the years. :)

First Client!

Here is my first real client, a cute little gingerbread girl I found at a St. Vincent de Paul thrift store for 25 cents. She needs a little clean up but otherwise is in good shape -- she is quite sweet!

I am still working on the teddy bear. I do not have a lot of spare time to devote to it so the knitting has taken me longer than I thought. Makes me appreciate even more the work that goes into these knit creatures.

Remember to let me know if you come across any knit creatures of your own.

:)

Knit Horsey

Here is a cute little knitted horse I bought from a craft sale a few years ago for my daughter when she was still a baby. The horse was new, made by a friendly older woman as part of a knitting collective, and had a simple, homespun feel that charmed me, especially as a baby toy.

Send me your pics if you have any knit creatures, old or new, made by you or by someone else, that you would like to share. Thanks!

C.

Knit creature of my own

I have decided that in order to truly understand knit creatures from the inside out that I should make one of my own. So, I got a book from the library called "Toys to Knit" by Tracy Chapman and have started to knit a teddy bear. It is a really charming book and the patterns all seem quite easy so I am looking forward to getting into this project.

So far I have knit what will be the head of the bear -- all straight garter stitch which is nice. Here is a pic from the book of what it should look like, and a pic of what I have knit to date.

I am using some wool I bought at a thrift shop here on Salt Spring Island -- it is pure wool with quite a bit of lanolin still on it. It makes for easy knitting, although my fingers feel a little greasy after a few rows! It won't make for the softest, cuddliest bear as the wool is quite coarse but I bet the wool will form well so the bear will sit and pose well in the end. It's an experiment!

If you are making or have completed a knit creature, e-mail me a photo for posting on the blog!

knitcreature@telus.net

Thanks.

Bye for now. C.

The Launch!
The Knit Creature Rescue Society is now officially in operation!

Do you know of a knit creature in need of repair, love, and a new home? Send them in to the KCRS and we will make sure they are repaired, restored and, if they are able, adopted out to a loving new home.

For several years now I have noticed knit creatures filling up the toy shelves at thrift shops, boxes at garage sales, and even curb-side garbage bins. Lovingly and painstakingly made, usually by a grandmother or aunt, out of all manner of yarn, these creatures may now be considered out of fashion but they still deserve a home where they can be cared for and given a rightful place alongside other toys or artisania.

What is a knit creature? In my mind, any toy hand-knit for a child's use. They can be dolls, animals, clowns, etc. Popular at church bazaars of yore, knit creatures are generally made out of "scrap" yarn. Colours, size and shape are all individual, making each one-of-a-kind. Some make their way into a favourite child's heart and get lots of play time, others are relegated to a shelf or perhaps an attic box.

While there is a great resurgence in the interest in knitting among young people, including those who make wonderful new knit creatures, the old-style, homespun knit creatures are being looked over. They deserve better: knit creatures made by our forebears in the knitting world should be respected, even if they are made of 100% acrylic in garish colours. They are part of a cultural tradition to be cherished and built on.

Time takes its toll on knit creatures, with unraveled stitches, and fading smiles -- we have set up a rescue society for knit creatures where they can come to be repaired, cleaned and rest up before heading out to be adopted into a new home. Some may be in such fragile condition that adoption is not advisable: in these cases, the knit creatures will stay here, at our peaceful rural island home, to live out their days in comfort.

If you find a knit creature in need of some TLC, e-mail us at knitcreature@telus.net and we'll arrange to have the knit creature transported. We'll post photos of the knit creatures' progress. If you are interested in adopting a recovered knit creature, drop us an e-mail. You will receive an adoption certificate with each knit creature.
All services are free of charge -- because we run on a non-profit basis, we will only ask that you cover the cost of shipping your knit creature. Donations of yarn are welcome!
Stay tuned to this site for updates, patterns to make your own knit creatures, tips on care, etc.

The knit creatures thank you!
C.