Grover / Super Grover for D's Birthday 2009(?)

Wheeee! Super Grover flies again!! 

Smarter than a Speeding Bullet!

"onward and upward to do brave deeds.... up up and awaaaay...."

Look someone needs help!

This is a job for

Super Grover!

Up up and away!

But first I have to hold Mother's hand to cross the street

...................

I'm still craftless, with hands wrapped like mummies now, but my poor Hub needed a Peep for his birthday. What could I do?

I had made Grover / Super Grover for him two years ago, but Grover was packed up (along with the other peeps) when we made a temporary forced move, because our place was being re-roofed.  Soooo ... I unpacked him and he flew in to sing Happy Birthday to my Hub!  ;o)

 "Happy birthday to youuu

happy birthday to youuuuuu......."

Grover was made much like Elmo and Cookie, but with facial features added. I hadn't intended to make an open mouth, but after knitting him up like the others, I just felt he NEEDED that big jaw. So unlike the all-in-one-piece method I used to make the open-mouthed Stitch and Sackboy, since this was an afterthought,  I made the jaw separately, sort of a watermelon wedge shape, and sewed it on.  His red mouth is an i-cord, sewn to the jaw.  I also added a kind of flattened sausage shape for his upper lip, and two little sausages for eyebrows.

This was definitely more work than using the flap /loopy legs technique for the mouth while knitting the head.

 Grover mugging in mug shots.  ;o)

Isn't that a cute little belly?!

His mouth is flexible and can be posed.



Super Grover's emblem is one of my few felt efforts (because I'm not good at that), and is attached to the cord of his cape, so that it's gone when he is in his secret identity of Grover.  :o)

Making his helmet was interesting as I remember, but it was two years ago so I don't remember much.  :o/   I knitted the helmet, but crocheted the visor so it would have more body.  I do remember that I crocheted the visor sideways.

You might observe that the visor is a bit flattened in some photos.  That happened while he was packed away and I didn't notice till after I took most of the pics. Easily fixed though.  :o)

close-ups of helmet

My hub and I were really happy to see Grover Peep again!  Yay!  And now he gives us smiles every day.  :o)


You may be seeing more of the peeps who were packed away in future posts.

Pattern Notes for Stitch - Lilo's Friend

^..^

Oh, YEAH?!  Just try and MAKE me!

As requested, I'm making my pattern notes for Stitch (of Lilo and Stitch) available.
                                   (for more pics and Stitch's story, please see previous post)

This isn't a complete pattern, but most of it is there and I've spent the past few days cleaning it up and filling in some of the blanks. But it is still an incomplete and untested pattern. But it's free so I guess you're not risking much.   ;o) 

I won't be making another Stitch, so I won't be bringing this to any further level of completion, but if you find any glaring errors or come up with improvements that you'd like to share, please email or comment and I'll pass the info on.  :o)

You'll find the link to the PDF for Stitch's Pattern Notes on my patterns page.  You can click on the “Patterns and Tutorials” link at the top of this page or just click here.

Stitch is knit in the round (I used two circular needles) and his torso, 4 arms, and head are knit in one piece. Legs, ears, eyes, nose and color patches are knitted separately.  There are no seams. I would not suggest this for a beginning knitter. But determination is a wonderful thing.  :o)  I have included links for tutorials for some of the techniques I use.

I know that some of you totally enjoy these larger projects (Yesterday, I saw an etsy listing for a crocheted Mickey Mouse, and a Snoopy too, the size of a 10-year-old child!! WOW!), but since I really dislike making these larger ones, I have promised myself to make only the smaller peeps from now on. The larger ones take so much time, and I don't like to devote so much of my time to one project. There are sooooo many more peeps that I want to make, and that I have on my list as requests, So this was my last of this size.  It was a labor of love for our nephew.

Back to the wee peeps! Yay!

Oh, my fingers are itching to knit another Hello Kitty ...
I'm just dying to make one after seeing a totally adorable crocheted one that K and J Dolls has available! But I have too many other peeps that I need to get to, so I don't know when I can squeeze her in. Drat!

Here's my one and only Hello Kitty, made in my early days of toy knitting (made for an adult - thus the bead bling).

The one by K and J is just wonderful! I love their designs! If you crochet your creations (I don't, because of hand issues), and if you work from patterns (I don't do that either), you should definitely check them out!

A last note... I'm just finishing up a new pattern for Elmo (it will be for Cookie also), using a more standard toy knitting approach than my original doubleknit pattern. Though the original was easy to do, and it was fun to use the doubleknitting, I really prefer the results of doing it this way. It's neater all around. The stitches are tighter and you have better control over the increases and decreases. (doubleknitting by nature is looser because of the slipping of stitches) I'm just finishing making one more Elmo using the pattern (another request, but a good opportunity to test the pattern again) and then I'll post it.

Okay, I know you want to know where to find that giant crocheted Mickey Mouse pattern! Heh heh.
He's here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/Chonticha
along with a bunch of other wonderful designs! Including a super adorable crocheted Lilo AND Stitch pattern! This designer is so talented!

And here's the link for K and J Dolls' Hello Kitty,
http://kandjdolls.blogspot.com/2010/09/kimono-kitty-by-theresa.html
and to the rest of their patterns. I just love everything they do!
http://kandjdolls.blogspot.com
http://kandjdolls.etsy.com/

Oh, pfui! In getting the links, I just read that they’ve had to take down their HK patterns due to a complaint by Sanrio. :o/ Well, you can still use the photos as inspiration, anyway. That’s what I do.   ;o)  It’s certainly reasonable for Sanrio to stop people from profiting from their property, but wouldn’t it be nicer to ask the transgressors for a percentage of their profit instead of robbing the world of such cuteness? *sigh* She did such a great job of designing those HK’s!  :o/

Hope you're all having a great week! It's raining here, and in Sunny Southern California, it's a welcome relief! I love the rain.  :o)  Especially after that scorching week of Indian Summer we just had.

Wishing you all the Best!

Cute Sackboy for Sale! & Oscar the Grouch ...

Or ... what to make when you're feeling grouchy ... Oscar of course!

Sackboy Peep on flickr

I get quite a few emails from folks asking to purchase a knitted Sackboy like the one I made for Matt, but considering the fact that my poor Hub is still (a year later!) waiting for me to make one for him, I don't think that's feasible - even if I would ever consider selling any of my peeps (wouldn't that be slavery??). As most of you know, I only make them as gifts of love, for friends and family.

But... I have found a solution for those seeking to purchase (rather than make), a Sackboy ...

for sale at amazon.com!

Click here to go to the page where you can buy a Sackboy

Cute, huh?!  :o)

I had planned to make a Sackboy for my Hub's birthday last month, but life intervened and things have been kinda crazy for a while - so no Sackboy Peep yet. :o/   So when Matt mentioned seeing this little guy at thinkgeek.com I had to check it out. As is usually the case with thinkgeek, they were sold out by the time I got there, but I found them at amazon.com!  Yay!

And, YES!  My hub now has his very own Sackboy!  - just to tide him over till I can make one for him - he still wants my peep version.  ;o)   Don't feel too sad for him, I've made him dozens of peeps!  Just haven't gotten to Sackboy yet. Someday I'll get caught up on my peep posting and you can see some of his collection. Okay...  That may never happen, but I can TRY!

This little Sackboy from amazon.com is made out of knitted fabric but (sadly) is stuffed with something rather firm, and isn't soft and cuddly, but he's very cute for display!  We love him!

Click here to see all the other cute Sackboys (and girls) at amazon.com

So what peep did my Hub actually get for his birthday this year?

Oscar!

Oscar the Grouch

(The Muppet from Sesame Street for anyone who doesn't know him)
Or "Garbo" as I tend to call him when I can't remember his name.   ;o)




I had to restrain his enthusiasm as he was so excited to have his photos taken.  ;o)  You'd think he'd be used to it, but he says that Elmo and Kermit and Cookie usually grab all the attention. 

He goes along with my Hub's other Muppet Peeps, Elmo and Cookie and Kermie, whom you've already seen all over the place, and Grover, whom I made for his last birthday, but haven't posted yet.

Oscar has a little friend, Bitty Kitty, whom he loves very much, and he's not grouchy with her at all.  :o)

Bitty feels very comfortable and secure when she's with Oscar.




Oscar Loves wee Bitty Kitty and watches over her carefully

Bitty Kitty is very very tiny

My Hub says I should show you the large photo as well, so you can get a good look at her.  :o)

Yep, Oscar's trashcan is a bit (!) small...  Duhh... I was knitting away without looking at his can (no pun intended!  Hee hee) and got a bit carried away with his size. He's knitted all in one piece, so the trashcan was bobbing about, below my needles, and still I never noticed!  Heh heh


         "UGH!  Tight fit!"

Happily my Hub loves him, just as he is!  Yay!  And so do I.  :o)

Hope you've all had a lovely summer!   ;o)


You can find posts about the other Muppet Peeps here, and pics of lots of the peeps here: www.flickr.com/knittycat