a simple correction

2014 Holiday Crafts issue

A big 'thank you' to the person that brought to my attention the errors in the Better Homes & Gardens Holiday Crafts roly-poly snowman pattern. I am grateful that they are minor, but nonetheless, here are the simple corrections:

• Small red jingle bell for the stocking cap’s pompom (it was omitted from the materials list)

• White roving (on the materials list, but not needed)

• In the abbreviations section, ‘inc 1’ was omitted. This increase method is knitting into the front and then into the back of the same stitch, increasing one.

• Stocking cap: round 19 should read *k2, k2tog*

I never got to proof the copy after I had sent it to the magazine, but mistakes happen. Sorry for any inconvenience. 

Happy knitting!

A Real BIG Baby!

I just completed my over-sized Woolly Snowbaby and am very pleased. The original size of a felted snowbaby is 5-inches. The photo below shows the two sizes side-by-side.

 

two sizes of snowbabies

The little snowbaby used one strand of sport weight yarn and the large snowbaby, two strands of Cascade 220 worsted weight, #8010, and one strand of Frog Tree Alpaca cream sport weight yarn. The two yarns together created a wonderfully felted snowman! 

I used real twigs clipped from my crab-apple tree for arms. I held them in place by poking them into a small block of styrofoam placed within the snowbaby's interior. This worked slick! 
After having completed the arms this way, my first reaction is that I like him more withOUT the arms, but I wanted to have a photo to show with.

I didn't fill the snowbaby up with plastic poly-pellets like I usually do because of the size. I am planning on sticking a stone inside to give that extra weight, then sewing a circle of felt over the hole to finish off the bottom. 

For the eyes, instead of the usual french knots, I embroidered several small stitches using worsted weight black yarn. Then I added a single stitch using DMC white floss to create a highlight dot.

The nose is red wool roving needle felted into a round ball and attached to the snowbaby's face. The cheeks are small bits of pink roving again needle felted to the face.

I love this size snowbaby! so many fun possibilities for outfits, hats and accessories! let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Happy knitting!