Bunny Mail Project Continues: Bunny Kits!

I wish I could mail you all little bunnies as part of my bunny mail project, but alas I don't have time to knit so many little bunnies (not that I have a huge following, but enough to make knitting everyone a bunny a scary thought). So, I would like to give everyone the opportunity to enter in a drawing to receive a bunny kit!

What is a bunny kit you ask? 

Well a bunny kit is a little bit of pink, white, and black yarn (enough to make two bunny items) a pattern for bunny puppet and bunny ring, and a surprise all in a little plastic easter egg, sent to your address. 

What's the surprise? 

I can't tell you! Then it wouldn't be a surprise would it? But it'll be small enough to fit in the egg. 

How do you enter to receive a bunny kit? 

Well you join my mailing list. You can use the form below or the one on the left side of the page. If you want two entries you can also 'like' me on Facebook. 

What is I live outside of the USA?

Well, I've heard that other mail systems don't like mail in plastic eggs, so if your name is drawn and you live outside of the USA you will receive your bunny kit in an envelope. 

I will draw names on March 31, 2012, so subscribe to the mailing list and like us on Facebook before then! I have three bunny kits waiting to be mailed.

Bunny Kit

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Now on Facebook!

Mari Knits has its very own Facebook page!

Some of you may be wondering, what took you so long? Well, I don't like Facebook that much... Gasp, I know, but anyways, here's the link: https://www.facebook.com/mariknits. I hope you'll "like" me!

You can also see more awesome photos of my knitting by the amazing Katy Doyle on the Facebook page

Bunny Mail

I'm currently working on a couple new difficult designs. They lead to lots of ripping out yarn and angry looks at my scribbled notebook. I felt like I needed a break from this exercise in frustration, and took a look around the internet for some inspiration.

I found this post from Giverslog about sending plastic easter eggs in the mail, then saw these tiny bunnies. Then when I went to the grocery store yesterday they had 6 plastic eggs for $1. So last night I began by knitting MochiMochi Land's tiny bunny, and then I created two of my own bunny creatures.

Now through March 31, 2012 you can enter to win your very own bunny kit! For more info please see this post.

Bunny Kit!

Bunny puppet, bunny nugget (from MochiMochi Land), and bunny ring

For all three I used the same materials:
DK weight pink yarn
DK weight black yarn,
Worsted weight white yarn
yarn needle
2.75 mm double pointed needles

Mini Finger puppet:

CO 12 sts on 2 double points and join to knit in the round

Rows 1-7 knit

Row 8: *ssk, k4* (twice)

Row 9: graft all stitches

Ears (make two)

CO 3

1-7: knit in i-chord

Sew on your ears

To finish use other scraps to sew on eyes and a little tail 

Bunny Ring

Using provisional cast on cast on 6 sts (leave a tail, this is what you will use to graft the ring together)

knit for 1.5" (or more, depending on how big the finger is) while always slipping the first stitch

Remove 6 stitches from waste yarn and graft all the stitches together

Pick up 3 stitches along the edge and knit in i-chord for 6 rows, break yarn and weave in the end

Pick up 3 stitches along the edge about 4 stitches away from the first ear, and knit in i-chord for 6 rows, break yarn and weave in ends

Use black and white yarns to sew on eyes and a tail.

Then I packed each bunny with a note about the bunny's origin, likes, dislikes, etc. with some stickers and a chocolate chick in a plastic easter egg. 

I loaded them up with stamps and addresses, and here's hoping they find their way to their intended recipients! 

Punisher Hat

Ok, this took way longer to take a picture of than it should have. Mostly because I kept getting side tracked, and then it was really rainy, and then it snowed for the first time all winter! Anyways, here's finally a picture of the hat. I think it turned out pretty well, and Brian likes it, so that's what really matters right?

Punisher Hat

Brian asked me for this Punisher hat on Ravelry about 4 months ago. I finally cast on as a quick in-between project, but of course, it wasn't meant to be. I found the chart made from a free online website hard to read, so I had to create my own chart. Also, Brian has a giant head so I had to make the hat larger. Anyways, here are my own instructions for creating a large Punisher hat. A picture of the finished hat is coming soon.

CO 108 sts
 join in the round and knit in 1x1 rib for 1.5 inches
*K3, M1* to end (144 sts)
k until the hat is desired length, (I knit mine to about 6.5", and did duplicate stitch for the skull)
Crown Decreases:
Round 1: *k14, k2tog*
Round 2: k
Round 3: *k13, k2tog*
Round 4: k
Round 5:*k12, k2tog*
Round 6: *k11, k2tog*
from this point decrease every round, following the set pattern, then tie off remaining 9 sts.

Here's my chart:

Yak Hands Mitten Pattern

Here is a new and improved version of the Yak Hands! Mittens. These mittens are knit at a slightly tighter gauge to make them extra warm and cozy for winter. At the end of the mittens you will need to Kitchener stitch the remaining stitches. Alternatively you could also do a three needle bind off, though this will leave a seam.

Materials
1 skein Lotus Yarns Tibetan Yak 4 100g/150 meters
4.5 mm double pointed needles

2 buttons

Gauge

10 sts and 13 rows in 2 inches

Abbreviations

k knit

p purl

k2tog knit two stitches together

ssk slip 2 sts, knit them together

p2tog purl two stitches together

M1 make one

Seed Stitch; Row 1: k1, p1 repeat to end; Row 2: p1, k1 repeat to end

M1: (increase 1 stitch) pick up the horizontal strand between the two stitches, twist, and knit

Left Glove

CO 34

Rounds 1-4: seed stitch*

Round 5: k1, p1, k2tog, double yarn over, p2tog, seed stitch to end

Rounds 6-10: seed stitch

Round 11: (WS) BO 6, p (28 sts)

Round 12: k

Round 13:  distribute sts onto 3 needles and join in round and k

Rounds 14-16 k

Round 17: k14, Place Marker, M1, k1, M1, Place Marker, k to end

Round 18: k

Round 19: k to marker, slip marker, M1, knit to marker, M1, slip marker, k to end

Round 20: k

Repeat Rounds 19-21 until 13 sts between markers

Rounds 22-23: k

Round 24: k to marker, slip marker off, put next 13 sts on holder or spare yarn, slip marker off, CO1, k to end (29 sts)

Round 25-36: k

Round 37: ssk, k to end (28 sts)

Rounds 38-45: k

Round 46: ssk, k12, k2tog, k12

Round 47: k

Round 48: ssk, k11, k2tog, k11

Round 49: ssk, k10, k2tog, k10

Kitchener stitch remaining 22 sts 

Thumb

Round 1: palm facing place 13 sts from waste yarn onto needles and knit, then pick up 5 sts from the gap on the inner thumb (18 sts)

Round 2: k to last two sts, k2tog

Round 3: k

continue Rounds 2-3 until you have 13 sts remaining

Rounds 4-7: k

Round 8: k2tog, k5, k2tog, k4

Round 9: k

Round 10: k2tog, k4, k2tog, k3

break yarn and tie off remaining 9 sts

Right  Glove

CO 34

Rounds 1-4: seed stitch

Round 5: seed stitch to last 6 sts, k2tog, double yarn over, p2tog, seed stitch to end

Rounds 6-10 seed stitch

Round 11: seed stitch 28 sts, BO 6, break yarn 

Round 12: (RS) rejoin yarn and k

Round 13:  distribute sts onto 3 needles and join in round and k

Rounds 14-16: k

Round 17: k14, Place Marker, M1, k1, M1, Place Marker, k to end

Round 18: k

Round 19: k to marker, slip marker, M1, knit to marker, M1, slip marker, k to end

Round 20: k

Repeat Rounds 19-20 until 13 sts between markers (6 times)

Rounds 22-23: k

Round 24: k to marker, slip marker off, put next 13 sts on holder or spare yarn, slip marker off, CO1, k to end (29 sts)

Round 25-36: k

Round 37: ssk, k to end (28 sts)

Rounds 38-45: k

Round 46: ssk, k12, k2tog, k12

Round 47: k

Round 48: ssk, k11, k2tog, k11

Round 49: k

Round 50: ssk, k10, k2tog, k10

Kitchener stitch remaining 22 sts

Thumb

Same as the thumb on the left glove. 

Photos courtesy of  Katy Doyle


If you have any questions/comments about this pattern, or need help you can email me at marichiba@gmail.com or leave a comment on this page. 

Sinking Heart Shawl

On Monday I posted about re-writing the Falling Leaves scarf pattern to be a shawl pattern as well. Of course I couldn't just re-write the pattern. I also had to knit a sample to make sure it worked, and looked nice. I used my scale to knit to the half-way point, measuring to make sure I had only used half the yarn, and then knit the rest of the shawl. I'm only two and a half leaves from the end of the shawl, but now it doesn't look like I have enough yarn!!!

I tried to take a picture of the very small ball of yarn to illustrate my point, because a picture is worth a thousand words, but in this case the picture was taken with an iPhone, the yarn is an emerald green, and the picture looks like grainy cat vomit, so I won't post it. 

Now I'm torn, do I just keep knitting, and see if I have enough yarn, or assume that I don't, rip back a bazillion rows, and start the decreases earlier. Or an even stranger option, decrease faster on this side so that the shawl is asymmetrical? 

Today is a bad yarn day. 

Falling Leaves Scarf

My newest endeavor is to re-write the Falling Leaves Scarf to be a scarf and shawl pattern. I also noticed there were some errors in the chart (oh my!) so I'm also working on reworking the chart. I have to say, editing is not my favorite part of designing.

My very talented friend, Katy Doyle, has also been taking pictures of my samples. I'm really excited to share a couple of her first photos of the Falling Leaves Scarf, and as soon as I finish it I will also send her the larger shawl! (I wouldn't dare take a terrible photo on my dining table of the incomplete one and put it next to her much prettier ones.)

The Falling Leaves scarf is made with 200 yards of Lotus Yarns Cashmere DK. The new shawl version I'm making is knit with their Cashmere Fingering, which is just as soft but with a lot more yardage.

What else can you do with yarn?

As much as I love to knit, I'm also interested in other yarn projects. Here are some really cool ones I found on Pinterest, which is a great website for finding, and remembering ideas/items/anything.

Yarn balls: balloons, glue, and yarn, from Sweet Designs

Yarn letters: yarn and wire from Family Chic

Yarn animals for sale by Beklina