My 1st toy pattern, Mao.

I am proud to finally reveal my first toy pattern, Mao. If you haven't seen the Summer 2011 Issue of Petite Purls yet, you are in for a surprise. It's their 2nd anniversary and to celebrate, they published an all toy issue, plus launched their new website design. Co-editor, Brandy Fortune, did an amazing job with their re-design. She is the genius behind the design and coding of the website. For this special issue, she photographed all of the projects for the patterns. I love the photographs she took of the kitties in the tree for my pattern page.

This is the prototype of Mao. Mao is the name for “cat” in Chinese. It is knit in the round, seamlessly from the top down, starting at the ears. It has a flat bottom and the tail is made with I-cord by picking up stitches from the back of the cat. When I did the final version, I refined it a bit with different increases. And for child safety reasons, I decided to embroider Mao's facial features with yarn and embroidery floss.

I am so excited that my first toy pattern was included in this issue along with all the amazing toy designers. You all know that I am big fan-girl of Susan B Anderson. Well, I got see her Fat Robin and meet Susan in real life this month, but more on that later. This amazing issue features toy patterns that are knitted, crocheted, and sewn. It's been so much fun seeing the projects pop up on Ravelry. Take a look at this stripey Mao and this variegated Mao.

Thank you to Stacey at Knit Picks and Knit Picks for providing the yarn for this pattern. Swish Worsted is a great machine washable wool yarn. The pattern takes less than one ball. In fact, I think you may be able to get 2 cats out of one ball.

Ravel it or cast on right away, pattern is here. It's such a quick project, you'll have a full litter of kitties before you know it.

Flapjack Frog

I was so excited to see Anna design another stackable toy pattern. Her series of stackable toys are so cute. I was happy to test knit the Flapjack Frogs for her. She didn't need the test knitters to knit up all 3 frogs, but I plan to when I get my order of safety eyes. I only had one set left for one frog. As always, her construction techniques makes the knitting very interesting. The only thing to seam up was attaching the arms and legs to the body.

Melody has been enjoying playing with it. She likes to make the frog eat the fly by hiding it underneath it's belly. It's so cute hearing her say,"Nom, nom, nom!"

Pattern: Flapjack Frogs by Anna Hrachovec
Needles: US5/3.75mm double pointed needles
Yarn: Cascade 220

And the winner is...

Pixiewear, please contact me with your mailing address. You can email me at oiyi.yau(at) gmail (dot) com.

Thank you to everyone who entered the contest! Did you know that Anna has posted the pattern for the Baby Gators for free? You can get it here or here. Now let's see some baby gator knitting.

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Last year, I test knitted a few of the patterns for Anna's book using yarn from my own stash. I had to keep it a secret for over a year, but now I finally can show what I made.
Plucky Mushrooms, I used assorted handspuns scraps I had on hand. The colors definitely indicates that it's a deadly fungi! At least they are pretty to look at.Squirrels on Wheels, it's a new breed of squirrels at the park!Grouchy Couch, all done in fair isle knitting. The knitting was labor-intensive, but totally worth the results. Everyone that I have shown this to gets a kick out of it.All 4 cushions are removable. Perfect for a doll pillow fight.I tried to adjust the t.v. for this little guy, but all I got was static. (The bear was made for me by Sara a long time ago. It's one of my favorite dolls in my toy cabinet.)

See how awesome all the patterns are from the book? Go get the book!

Knitting Mochimochi Review & Giveaway!

Anna Hrachovec's new book, Knitting Mochimochi, is fresh off the press. I have been test knitting Anna's patterns since the beginning when she launched Mochimochi Land in 2007. We met via Flickr and I was her first test knitter. Now, 3 years later, she has released her first book! I am honored to be able to review her book. I also have a extra copy to give away to one of you lucky readers. Details to follow at the end.

I have always enjoyed knitting toys. Unlike garments, they don't have to fit anyone and there is no need to check your gauge. They don't need to make sense because it's a toy. Anna's toy patterns has always been on the quirky and fun side. She says that her toys are inspired by everything cute, funny or strange that she sees. As you will see in the following photographs, the patterns are definitely fun and cute.

One of the reasons I love Anna's patterns is the construction techniques. The patterns are as seamless as possible. You might be required to stitch up a few limbs or seams on some of the patterns, but she really does try to minimize that. She is quite inventive and clever with how her toys are knit up. There is detailed instructions and photographs to help you out with certain aspects of the pattern. Which I always find very helpful in any pattern.

With any toy pattern, it really does matter in how you assemble it. When you take the time and care to put a toy together, you get a professional result in the end. Anna has included a section in the book called Basic Toy Techniques. In that section, these topics are covered; The Stuffing, The Closing, The Eyes, The Seaming, The Loose Ends, The Embroidery, Additional Techniques, and The Magic Loop. The topics have step by step photos to help you in understanding the technique. One of my favorites is the Seaming Section. She covers 7 different Mattress Stitches that will help you seam up your toys.

For those of you who would like to try your hand at designing a toy pattern, she has a section called Design Your Own Knitted Toy. She starts off with a sketch of a Pig and helps you break down the sketch into sections. Then step by step, she walks you through on how to plan it, number it, knit it, check it, continue it, appendage it, finish it and write it and share it. She also includes guidelines for 4 basic shapes and increases and decreases to shape the design.

There are 20 super-cute strange designs in the book. From small quick projects to more elaborate projects. The Impractical Wearable chapter has patterns that you can wear! There is something for everyone. You can be a beginner knitter and still be able to make something fun from this book.

I recently had the opportunity to help Anna knit up 5 samples from the book with the original yarn and colors done in the book. They are for Cascade Yarns, which will be used for a traveling trunk show to promote Anna’s book. Cascade Yarns generously donated the yarn, Cascade 220 Wool. Believe it or not, it was my first time using Cascade 220! The colors are great and I love the feel of the yarn while working with it and the finished results.Bite-Free Bed BugsOrbiting OddityThe little guy next to him is Squoze from the pattern Hugs and Squoze.Baby GatorsNeck NuzzlerTV GuyFor a chance to win a copy of the book, please leave a comment stating that you want to be entered in the giveaway. Anyone can enter, even for those of you outside of the United States. The last day to enter will be July 8, 2010. The winner will be picked by a random number generator. I will announce the winner on July 9, 2010. If I don't hear from the winner after 1 week, I will draw another name. Good Luck!

A huge thank you to Watson-Guptill for providing me a copy to giveaway to my readers.

Just in time for Valentine's Day.

I jumped at the chance to test knit this for Anna of Mochimochi Land when she asked for testers. This little monster will be the perfect gift for my little monster. :-) Even though I had a tight deadline for this project, it really didn't take long to whip this up.Everything is knit in the round and the arms and legs are done in I-cord. No seaming! The arms and legs were a bit fiddly in the beginning because you have to pick up stitches from the already stuffed body. You can also just sew the arms and legs on afterwards, but I like the fact that there is no sewing if you pick up the stitches.And if you are not into all that lovey Valentine's Day stuff, Squoze (the little guy) makes a perfect voodoo doll for jabbing needles into. Um, don't ask me how I know that.

Melody saw me working on it and she was absolutely in love with it. She kept bending over to kiss Hug's head. I can't wait until she sees the completed doll on V-day.

Pattern: Hugs and Squoze by Anna Hrachovec
Needles: US 5 / 3.75 mm
Yarn: Lion Brand Vanna's Choice in color: Rose and Dusty Rose. Lion Brand Wool-Ease in Grey Heather
Size: 6 inches tall

Tiny Things

If you any of you have been following Anna's blog, then you have seen her tiny creations. If not, Anna has making miniature knitted objects and posting them to her blog weekly. I volunteered myself when she asked for test knitters for the 1st collection of Tiny Things.

The pattern calls for Fingering Weight, but I used Worsted Weight. I have a much larger collection of worsted weight colors than fingering weight. These were quick and simple to make and it took very little yarn. It's great for the yarn scraps you have laying around. Even though I used a heavier weight yarn, they still came out really cute.Tiny Violin
Tiny Toothpaste
Tiny Elephant
Tiny Corn on the Cobb

Pattern: Tiny Things Collection 1, available on her website and on Ravelry.
Needles: US 4 / 3.5 mm
Yarn: Assorted Worsted Weight Yarn

She calls him, Snow.

I can't believe that it's time to cast aside the Thanksgiving decorations in favor of Winter Holiday decorations. Although, the tree has not been put up yet, this Snowman has now taken the place of the Turkey. It's much larger in size and stands prominently next to the TV in the living room.

I test knitted this pattern for Daniel and I was very happy with how nicely it turned out. It's knitted from the top down, so the head, chest and bottom is all in one piece. Practically no seaming at all! There is an additional bottom piece that is attached so that the Snowman sits upright without falling over. How I love clever constructions! One of my favorite parts is the hat, knit in the round with simple increases that shapes it. The hat really makes the snowman complete. The tree branch limbs are done in i-cord and is also made in one piece.

I told Melody that it's called a Snowman once and now she obsessively calls it Snow. Whenever she sees it, she points to it and yells out "Snow!". Now, Snow will be a permanent part of our Christmas decorations.How about making your own "Snow" for your holiday decorations? There is still plenty of time.

Pattern: Snowman Toy by Daniel Yuhas, you can purchase the pattern from Here or on Ravelry.
Needles: US 4 / 3.5 mm
Yarn: Various Worsted Weight Yarn, specifics are on my Ravelry project page.
Size: 10 3/4 inches tall including the hat.

Happy Thanksgiving!

This is the only turkey that I made for Thanksgiving this year and it's not even edible! The whole family loved it. I think DH might have claimed it for himself.

This turkey started as a Mystery Knitalong hosted by Susan B. Anderson on the Spud & Chloë Blog. It was fun to log into the computer each morning to find the next clues. I followed along diligently until the last clues which was the tail feathers. I let this sit around until last night because I had some more urgent projects that needed my attention. I wanted to have it done for Thanksgiving Day, so I took my yarn and needles to my knitting group meet up and whipped out those tail feathers. I sewed them on after I got home. But not before I baked my Thanksgiving desserts.
Pattern: Tiny Turkey by Susan B. Anderson, Free pattern HERE.
Needles: US 6 / 4.0 mm
Yarn: All done with Worsted Weight scrap yarn. I listed all the yarns I used on my Ravelry project page.

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So, what did I bake this year?
Apple Cake adapted from this recipe. For the batter, I grated 1 medium apple and mixed it into the batter. And used 1 medium apple for the apple slices on top of the cake.John's Pear and Almond Cream Tart. I omitted the jam layer and used only 1/2 tsp of salt in the almond cream.
Maple Nut Tart, which is also from Everyday Food Magazine. I could not find the recipe link on Martha's website. It uses real Maple Syrup and equal portions of Pecans and Walnuts. The smell was heavenly as it was baking.

So, I have made these desserts plenty of times before and I figured the tried and true route was the way to go. The little one has been keeping me so busy these days. I really didn't have the energy to try new recipes this year. The only thing I omitted this year was a Cheesecake. I hope my friends won't mind.

Only a few more hours before we get into the car and drive over to my friend's house for a huge feast of Chinese Hot Pot and a Roasted Turkey (for the kids). I can't wait to slice into the desserts. I hope all of you are spending time with friends or family and enjoying this holiday.

Another Baby Gift Set

I love making Baby Gift Sets. It's so much fun picking out patterns, yarn colors and then the making of it. I wish I could make a living out of it. But then again, maybe it would take the fun out of it.

Remember, the Mirabilis Baby Blanket that I made as a test knit? I knew I would find a home for the blanket. No sooner had I finished it, my friend announced her pregnancy. So, I waited until I got the baby shower invite and then used the leftover yarn to make a Owl Baby Vest and a Bear Rattle to make a complete baby gift set. I work better with a deadline.
This is my 3rd Owl Baby Vest and I still love it. That's saying a lot because I hardly ever repeat a pattern. It's because I love making new things and there is always a new challenge or pattern to try. But this pattern is quick and cute, and only takes a skein of yarn. I actually do see myself making more of these. I used worsted weight again so I could get a 12 month size.
This Bear Rattle turned out huge. In my opinion, it's too big for a baby to grasp. If I made it again, I would reduce the size of the handle part. I inserted a brass jingle bell in the head so that it will make a soft jingling sound when you shake it. Overall, I think it turned out really cute.

Pattern: Owl Baby Vest (Ravelry Link)
Needles: US 5 and US 6
Yarn: 1 skein of Lion Brand Wool-Ease in Gold

Pattern: Bunny Buddy by Vicki Howell ( Crochet Today! May/June 2009 issue), shorten the ears to make the bear.
Hook: 3.75 mm (F)
Yarn: Lion Brand Wool-Ease in Gold, small amount

The rest of the 2008 knitting.

My cousin had a baby boy in August 2008, named Marcel. This was my Christmas to him.I am calling this the Om Baby Sweater. Why?On the back, I put the Om Symbol (also known as Aum) on it. My cousin is very into Yoga. She can't live without it. She told me that she often chants her Yoga Mantras to Marcel because she doesn't know any lullabies or children's songs. It turns out that he loves it.I used Sublime Yarns Extra Fine Merino Wool DK for the sweater and had a little bit leftover. It's a really nice yarn with some interesting stitch definition. I used the leftover to make the sweater portion of Henry the Bear from Unusual Toys for you to Knit and Enjoy by Jess Hutchison. I have renamed him Marcel the Bear.My cousin's husband was very impressed with the craftmanship of the bear. He said that the eyes were on straight and that everything was equidistant to each other. I was beaming with pride when he said that. My cousin recently told me that the sweater fits very well, way better than the store bought ones she has bought for little Marcel. Isn't that nice to hear?

Pattern: Henry the Bear from Unusual Toys for you to Knit and Enjoy by Jess Hutchison. The sweater is my own raglan sweater pattern. I incorporated the Om Symbol into the back as I was knitting. The symbol is a free dishcloth pattern that I found online, here is the link.
Needles: US 6 / 4.0 mm for the bear. US 4 / 3.5 mm and US 6 / 4.0 mm for the sweater.
Yarn: 3 balls of Sublime Yarns Extra Fine Merino Wool DK in the color Green 0019, the rest of the bear is made with Caron Simply Soft in the color Bone.
Size: Sweater is 6-9 month size

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Now, I can tally up everything I knit in 2008. 35 items! I can't believe that I was able to knit 5 baby blankets, 2 of them were for Melody and the rest were gifts. Actually, I am amazed I knit anything at all. As some of you remember, Melody had a rough beginning with a bad case of colic. I still shudder when I look back.

On the sewing front, I made 12 items. 2 of them were baby quilts, one for Melody and the other was a gift. A lot of the sewing was mainly Quilt Blocks for my online quilting bee group, Common Threads.

Sadly, I noticed that out of all the things that I made last year, only one thing was for myself. It's the Rainbow Moebius and that was a test knit. I will have to remedy that this year.

A NYC Rat is moving to Oregon.

My knitting pal, Brooke, is moving back to Oregon. I wanted to make her something to remember her time in New York City. We both admire and love Ysolda Teague's toy patterns. So when the pattern, Mousie, came out, I knew it was the perfect thing to make for her.Now, if you have ever been to NYC, you will surely have seen a rat scurrying on the sidewalk or most commonly sighted, on the subway tracks and platforms. The pattern calls for fingering weight yarn which would make a cute little mouse. I used worsted weight and he ended up looking like a mouse on steroids. He is really more the size of a NYC Rat.The NYC Rat was a welcomed addition to our household in the beginning. But he got restless and started to cause some trouble. Climbing on my shelves and getting way too close to my new set of measuring cups. (Those were a Christmas gift from my sister. So cute!)And then he was terrorizing Napoleon! I realized that the NYC Rat was just lonely and wanted some company.After realizing that the NYC Rat meant him no harm, Napoleon got pretty chummy with him.The day of his departure finally came last night. It was the last knitting group meet up that Brooke would be attending before she left next week. She was happily surprised when she pulled him out of the bag.She named him Oscar. I hope that every time Brooke looks at Oscar, she will remember her knitting pals in Brooklyn, New York. Brooke, you will be missed very much. Good Luck!

Pattern: Mousie by Ysolda Teague
Needles: US 6 / 4.0 mm
Yarn: Lion Brand Wool-Ease "Grey Heather" and Vanna's Choice "Dusty Rose"