Meet Frog-Turtle

Malcolm loves it!  He caught me seaming it together (which he recognizes as meaning I'm almost finished with a knit project), and neither of us could wait until his birthday.

Frog Legs

I-cord with 3 stitches.

 I'm sure my knitting friends know how to do an I-cord... but I'll tell you anyway.  On a double-pointed needle, knit across 2, 3 or 4 stitches, instead of turning the work, just slide it down to the other end of the dpn (double-pointed needle).  Bring the yarn around back -- tightly, and knit across.  Repeat.  This forms a tube.

I-cord

A yarn-end woven in for each toe!

 It was simple and really quite brilliant, the way the frog's toes were created.  Just knittting in front and back of a stitch to add one, then picking up another needle and starting a 2-stitch I-cord for a toe, leaving the other stitches hanging out on the first dpn until you're ready to make toes out of them, too.

Embroidered face and legs attached.

Knitting the legs and toes made me think of a Pencil Plant.  I'd like to design a knitted version; you could shape it with pipe cleaners inside the I-cord tubes...

You couldn't neglect a knitted house plant...

Progress

Frog head. Nothing tricky, here. Just a ball and two quick, little eyes, whipstitched on. (Can you tell one eye got an extra row knitted in? That's what happens when you knit while a 3 year old climbs all over you.) Still need to embroider on eyeballs and mouth with the contrast color.

Knit-a-long: Frog Body + show & tell

First, I have to show off my yarn bowl:

I love it.  My mom bought it for me at the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival, last month.  It's from Greenbridge Pottery in Dayton, MD.  They have bunches of beautiful pieces, but this was the first time I'd heard of a yarn bowl.  My working ball of yarn stays securely inside, and feeds to me as I need it, instead of rolling across the floor, gathering dust bunnies.  AND I can put a lid on it when I walk away, instead of leaving my yarn at the mercy of the cat. Love it.

Here we are, now... knitting up the body of the frog side of this toy.  After a couple of knit rounds, there's a purl round, which will later serve as your turning edge, leaving a nice, neat hem.

Pretty simple so far. Just like a little baby hat:

Do remember to leave tails at the cast on (for whipstitching a hem), and a tail at the top, which will stitch on his little, froggy head.

Let's cast it ON!

I am not so handy with the double-pointed needles. But I'm glad for the practice offered by this project.  One day I will knit a sock.  With any luck, TWO.  And I get a little better each time I use them.  For instance, up until now, I have always cast all of my stitches onto one needle, then divided them evenly among the other three or four double-points.  Granted, this seemed harder than it should be, and the stitches also seemed to get tighter, being fussed with and moved around to another needle, but I just never looked for another way.  Until today --and I am not a novice (but, then, maybe I am) -- when it finally occurred to me to cast on, dividing as I go.  AHA!  20 stitches to the first needle; then, holding the second needle right alongside the first, and continuing to cast onto it: 20 more stitches; the final 20 to the third needle in the same fashion...  It was a real AHA moment.  Those are awesome, right?  Except when you end up feeling like a moron.  Like, Why Didn't I Think of This Sooner?!  really.  You learn something new everyday.

Now, whether you cast on and divide or cast on all fancy like me, don't forget not to twist the stitches when you join to knit in the round.  Click that link there, and choose "Preventing a Gap" to see how I join to knit in the round.  Though, now I'm sure there are many other ways to do things more efficiently than I'm doing them now...

Knit-a-long!

 

Photos by Susan B. Anderson and from Susan B. Anderson's Ravelry page for this pattern.

I will be knitting the Frog and Turtle reversible toy from Susan B. Anderson's book, Itty Bitty Toys.  Highly recommended -- It's got projects for all levels and attention spans.  I've never knit a reversible, and all the toys I've done so far have been pretty simple, so this will be an adventure in stick-to-it-edness for me.  And I've got to stick to it because it's for Malcolm's birthday, coming up at the end of July.

Each time I sit down with a project, he asks, "Is that for me?"  It sort of breaks my heart when I tell him no.  SO, I let him peruse this sweet little book, and I told him, "Pick anything you want. I'll knit it for your birthday!" Is he spoiled because he's so supremely adorable?  Yes.  Was I over-estimating my knitting prowess?  Probably also yes.

However, I will not underestimate the power of inspiration:  At this very moment, Malcolm is outside in the backyard with me.  Older sister in school, younger sister napping.  He's got a wooden sword sticking out of an elastic belt worn around faded p.j. pants, tucked into cowboy boots.  He's lean, and his t-shirt sort of hangs off one shoulder, and, hopping around like only three year olds can do, his right hand battles the left... Right brandishing the wooden sword against imagined, though none-the-less sinister, baddies.  Supremely adorable.  I am delighted to put time and effort into a handmade gift for this boy.  He will love it, and give it life.  He deserves it. 

And, just because I am totally smitten, I am editing this post on Sunday to include another picture, taken today at a totally sweet birthday party: