Welcome


Hello, my name is Dionne and I have been crafting for a very long time. As a very young child my mother tried to teach me to knit, it was a disaster. However, it must have sparked an interest in making things and, partly to prove that I was not totally useless and partly because I really wanted to make things, I taught myself to crochet. Over the years I have developed a love of cross stitch and all types of paper craft ..... I eventually even taught myself to knit.


I am married to a very understanding man, thank goodness, because I spend all my time either crafting, thinking about crafting or talking about crafting. I am hopeless at housework and dinner is often late!


Thank you for visiting my blog.


Dionne

Tuesday 2 January 2018

Cuddly Teddy Bear

It is the start of a New Year and the weather here is so utterly miserable.  I know I should not complain, we may be have endless heavy rain, but least it is not snowing or blowing a hurricane - as it is in other parts of the country.  How is the weather where you are?

Today I wish to share with you a little teddy bear I made for my niece.  Those of you who follow my blog will remember my niece and her Christmas elves.  Last July, when I gave her her all of the dresses and jumpers I had knitted for her and her elves she said that she thought it would be a great shame if, when her children grew out of the fun they have with their 'Elf on the Shelf' antics, the clothes I had made were simply forgotten about.  She wondered whether she could find a doll they would fit.


This gave me an idea, I wondered if I could adjust my Little Cotton Rabbit pattern to fit these slightly larger clothes (you will recall that I made the clothes in Double Knit instead of 4 ply so they would fit te elves).  I gave you a brief glimpse of my labours to find the correct size yesterday.  Sadly none of those bunnies were the size I was looking for.  I thought I had been defeated, but a search of the internet told me that there is a thickness of yarn I had not heard of before - Aran, I had always thought this was a pattern not a yarn.  So, I ordered some Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran, which is a fabulously soft Marino Wool and Cashmere mix.  The size was perfect and it knitted up a real treat.


Here are a few photographs of this sweet teddy wearing one of the new dresses I made for her. This dress pattern is called 'Tiny Buds', it was designed by the talented SuzieMarie.  All of her designs are available free from Ravelry.


In the rear view you can see the tiny button fastening.  If you look closely you will see that it is a tiny heart shape.


Her other new dress is taken from Julie Williams 'Little Cotton Rabbits - Girl Fox' pattern. This dress design is called 'A Flowery Frock'.  As before, I made both dresses with Double Knit yarn.



A closer look at the new dresses.  I think the tiny buds are so sweet and the tulip design is very pretty, don't you agree?


I took this next photograph so you can see how much larger this bear is compared to the normal 'Little Cotton Rabbit' size, the only thing I did differently from the pattern was to use the Aran wool instead of Double Knit.


And finally, because I never made any shorts for the elves, I knitted several pairs of shorts for teddy to wear with all of the elf jumpers.


I really enjoyed knitting with the aran wool and think it will not be the last time I use it.


Dionne

8 comments:

  1. Besy wishes for the New Year Dionne and thank you for the get well message.
    Love all your gorgeous knitted toys and Dear Santa card,the little dresses are gorgeous and love the little heart button
    Carol x

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    1. Happy New Year Carol, it is so good to see you up and about again. How was your Christmas and New Year, I hope your ribs did not stop you haveing a good time?

      I hope 2018 is a good one for you and your family.

      Dionne x

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  2. Hi Dee. Such a beautiful set my friend! Just wanted to say Happy New Year!! I hope you and hubby had a wonderful holiday! Thank you so much for all of your support and inspiration in 2017. May 2018 be a year of crafting, friendship and good health!! sending hugs :)

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    Replies
    1. Happy New Year my friend and thank you for all of your support, encouragement and friendship. Here's to an even better 2018.

      Dionne xx

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  3. These dresses are so pretty and the models wear them so well. The little shorts are so cute as are the new models. Xx

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    1. Hi Lisette. Many thanks for your lovely comments, you know just how much I appreciate them.

      Dionne xx

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  4. I am afraid that, once again, Blogger has failed to show the comments left on this blog. Luckily, I receive email notification and know that you have been so kind to leave a comment - for which I am exceptionally grateful.

    Ludvik Andresen has left a new comment on your post 'Cuddly Teddy Bear':

    I love the idea of crafting a teddy bear from scratch. It's not just a toy; it's a labor of love and creativity. Your post has provided valuable insights and inspiration to start this meaningful project.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment Ludvik. I really enjoy making knitted toys for the younger members of my family. If you are interested in making some yourself, you will find other examples on this blog, along with the links to where you can obtain the patterns and ideas of which yarns I have used.

      I hope you are tempted to pick up your needles and have fun making your own creations.

      Best wishes.

      Dionne

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Thank you for visiting my blog, I look forward to reading your feedback on my work. I hope you will visit again.

Dionne