Blossom’s creative mum!

We could have a competition to create your own hamster or hamster accessories using a medium of your choice...knit, sew, needle felt, paint, papier mache etc 🐹Something to pass the winter hours eh?
 
I did start knitting some hamsters a few years ago. Have some patterns for knitted hamsters. But I never did get it finished! My life is quite hectic these days so getting things finished is the issue. But yes good idea to have a motivational deadline!
 
Maz said:
So how do you make them then if no sewing?
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You use core wool which is like rough fleece rather than the wool you use for knitting or other things & you literally stab it over & over with special barbed needles until it becomes really firm & you create the shape you want.
It does tend to involve a bit of stabbing your hands too!
 
I can’t quite imagine but it sounds very creative to get the shape you want. I always used to think I wasn’t creative - except with knitting and photography. But with actual hands-on making things - well they usually look like a four year old made them!
 
Your work is amazing! I love the leaf. What size needles did you use for that?

I learnt to knit a few years ago but I only learnt stockinette and garter stitch, and I've only made scarves and squares for blankets. I wish I could do more but these things take so much time! I've dabbled a bit in needle felting too - that's quite fun.
 
And here's a question - do you do the needle under one arm or not? I was taught that way (long needles) and can't do it any other way! Although I've tried. Most people I know do it with two shorter needles.
 
Daisy said:
Your work is amazing! I love the leaf. What size needles did you use for that?

I learnt to knit a few years ago but I only learnt stockinette and garter stitch, and I've only made scarves and squares for blankets. I wish I could do more but these things take so much time! I've dabbled a bit in needle felting too - that's quite fun.
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Thank you ☺️ I often use bigger needles than are usually suggested for the type of yarn as they produce a looser weave and the texture I’m looking for. This was linen yarn with 5-6 mm needles…I can’t quite remember 🤔 Realistically, if you do knit and purl stitches, you can pretty much make anything, as all knitting is made up of those stitches. Try a pair of chunky wrist warmers for a simple project.…one ball of chunky yarn (100g), 6 mm needles, 30 stitches and 40 rows of stocking stitch. Sew up the side and leave a hole for the thumb. Make 2 😉 They knit up really quickly and you’ll have something nice to wear in no time :)
 
Maz said:
And here's a question - do you do the needle under one arm or not? I was taught that way (long needles) and can't do it any other way! Although I've tried. Most people I know do it with two shorter needles.
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No, never come across that! For art pieces, I tend to knit on circular needles (using 2 to knit flat) as I have too many stitches to fit on regular knitting needles. Also, it means that you are not holding the whole weight of a piece, which stops your wrists aching if work is heavy 👍 There‘s more than one way tho…so long as you get a good result and even tension, that’s what matters 👍
 
The last real knitting I did was a giant Christmas stocking :-) It's lovely, even though I say it myself lol. It's basically a giant sock - dark red with white toes and heel part and a bit of white pattern round the top. They were so expensive to buy so I thought I'd knit one. It was great as a child's stocking because when stuffed it looked funny shapes and stretched round things. We still have it but it does have a few holes in now. I got the idea of a knitted one from my childhood. My parents used to use a pair of tights as a stocking and we thought it was hilarious seeing the tights a funny shape with knobbly knees.
 
Lovelyness said:
No, never come across that! For art pieces, I tend to knit on circular needles (using 2 to knit flat) as I have too many stitches to fit on regular knitting needles. Also, it means that you are not holding the whole weight of a piece, which stops your wrists aching if work is heavy 👍 There‘s more than one way tho…so long as you get a good result and even tension, that’s what matters 👍
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That is something I had to give up, circular needles. For some reason it affected my wrists. Maybe I'm just used to the one needle under the arm method! Where you don't really move your wrists. But I do have dodgy wrists.
 
Daisy said:
Your work is amazing! I love the leaf. What size needles did you use for that?

I learnt to knit a few years ago but I only learnt stockinette and garter stitch, and I've only made scarves and squares for blankets. I wish I could do more but these things take so much time! I've dabbled a bit in needle felting too - that's quite fun.
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Cowls are also a lot quicker to knit than scarves as they are much shorter…also no flappy ends when you are wearing them, so I find them much easier to wear 👍 A simple cowl pattern would be with 100g super chunky yarn (Drops Andes is a good one),cast on 60 stitches, knit about 55 cm garter stitch (or until your yarn runs out, which will be between 50-60 cm). Sew the ends together, and it’s ready to wear 👍
 
Believe it or not, we have a load of sheeps wool here each year (from the farm) which gets sold for peanuts to the wool marketing board. At one time I wanted to spin it and use it, but they're the wrong type of sheep for that! Their wool is very coarse.
 
Maz said:
That is something I had to give up, circular needles. For some reason it affected my wrists. Maybe I'm just used to the one needle under the arm method! Where you don't really move your wrists. But I do have dodgy wrists.
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That’s interesting as usually circular needles are much better for people with dodgy wrists due to not holding the weight of the knitting. I find I knit to a looser tension with circulars so tend to only use them for art pieces where it doesn’t matter. My tension is always spot on with 2 regular needles tho. Bamboo needles are better than metal ones as they warm in your hands. Metal needles make my hands ache!
 
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