More Mini-Me Ladies And a Man!

I enjoyed creating the ladies, not just the Knitters and Natterers that go to the tea shop but also the owner and her staff.
My knitting then ventured out to the hairstylist, Noreen, next door

and the boutique owner across the road, Ricky

who then asked me to make her daughter, Natalie as a surprise.

And I couldn't leave out Lesley who works in the chemist across the road with her blond ponytail and white coat.

However, I had never attempted a man and so I considered the gents' hairdressers situated the other side of the tea shop.
I wanted to make one young man in particular who frequently pops into Tinker Taylor for his takeaway coffees. He is certainly striking enough to make a good caricature. See the dictionary definition - it's definitely what I'm doing!

Caricature
noun

1. 1.

   a picture, description, or imitation of a person in which certain striking characteristics are exaggerated in order to create a comic or grotesque effect. 
2. 
   
3. (Hopefully, I have achieved the 'comic', not 'grotesque' effect)

Short hair is the most difficult to do; as I always say, 'There is only so much you can do with wool'. The short neck hair and beard are the most difficult but as he's growing his hair and currently wears a hairband, the rest was much easier.

 I need to trim his short hair again, he wouldn't be seen out with these straggling whisps around his ears!

I finished each of my little tea shop ladies with a tote bag last week. I copied and miniaturised the logo Tinker Taylor then printed onto white cotton fabric.

From left to right - Jo, Pam, Antonia, Carol, Sarah, Ursula, Jo, Lottie and Mimma.

 Antonia, the lovely owner of Tinker Taylor

 Naturally, the knitters carry their work in their new bags. This is our Jo.

The Mini-Mes are now finished, the yarn and needles tidied away. (For now!)

It's Friday, I hope you have a lovely weekend,

The 'Mini-Me's get some Glasses

I had a rethink about the eyewear and made an effort to make glasses. Some worked out ok but I found the frameless designs too difficult.
After working out the size I cut them from cardboard, painted them and covered them with Triple Thick. They actually looked a little like plastic when they had dried.
This is a new lady, complete with her glasses (which she usually wears on her head)

Me!

Jo

Ursula

Mimma

Lottie

Sarah

The glasses have to penetrate the head as I don't knit ears.
All for this week, I'm working on another heart wreath for Christmas,
Happy Weekend!

Little Knitted Friends - Part Two

The ladies in the Knit and Natter group come and go but there is a core of regulars I have got to know quite well. Being able to create these ladies at home with only a memory of them in my head I have created little comic strip character of each of them, including myself.

The great unveiling of them was this week and thankfully no one was upset, although one lady thought her hair needed restyling! I shall attempt to do that for her.
We all laughed at ourselves and also each other, especially when one lady made a late entrance and we saw that she was wearing the very outfit I'd knitted!
Here are all the girls together.

I really couldn't be bothered with shoes, I only made one pair and as for glasses - only one of us doesn't wear them, so I decided not to bother as the project was intended to be knitted. I didn't want to get into polymer clay, cardboard or wire.
For the same reason, I didn't make handbags.

 This is the glamorous owner of the tea shop, Antonia. She kindly allows our Knit and Natter group to take over part of her shop once a week with positively more nattering than knitting!

 This is me!

 This lady tries to knit and natter but can't do both together so she has given up the knitting part!

 This is the lovely lady who arrived today in this very outfit!

 The lady who can't afford a decent pair of jeans!

 We love the colourful outfits worn by this lady.

 Mauves and blues are this lady's favourite colours.

 Colourful skirts and chunky jewellery are this lady's choice.

Maybe the glasses, shoes and handbags will come later when I need something to do on a cold winter's day but until then, they are finished.
It's the weekend, I hope you have a good one,

Little Knitted Friends

Having crocheted just about anything and everything for a long while I thought I would never knit again but the need to knit just crept up on me one day.

Like an addict for a quick fix, I bought a giant ball of wool to knit an aran cardigan but soon gave up. Too much concentration was needed to work on it at the Knit and Natter group especially as there is often more nattering than knitting.

And I didn't like the way the cheap yarn fuzzed up so much.

So that is now living in the bag in my 'wool cupboard' with some of my stash.

It's the miniaturist in me that says 'Make it small, make it small'. I heard that little voice and thought of little people.

I decided to create the K & N group, at Tinker Taylor tea shop, using up some of my mountain of stashed wool but soon realised, as usual, the stash was not going to provide me with enough yarn for bodies so I had to buy more yarn! (As you do...)

Then, of course, the colours were not right for the clothes I needed to make. Aha, yes, buy more yarn!
I chose Ricorumi DK 100% cotton partly because it comes in tiny 25gm balls. It's also lovely and firm for the bodies, unlike an acrylic mix I used for one poor lady who might have to endure pipe cleaner insertion.

A sneak peak of the first lady I made and have finished.

Others in various stages, like this one in her leggings, getting her hair done!

The hair, I found is the hardest to get right. I could knit wigs, but they looked as though they were wearing helmets so I have rooted this lady's hair using a crochet hook.

Hopefully more to show soon

Clothes for Dolls - The First Dress

Since I finished the last shawl, I have been a bit distracted by the heatwave we are having here!
Until the temperature drops, I shall have hands too clammy and brain to fuggy to concentrate on a cosy, warm shawl.

Thinking back to Christmas, a bit crazy in this heat, I know, but I had put an 18" doll on my wish list, just because I'm still a kid at heart and I love making clothes for dolls.

Christmas Day I was presented with Rose and I was so pleased but as I had some other projects started and I've been trying very hard to finish things, I put her in my queue to wait her turn!

After a couple of months, I started to be asked 'Have you made any clothes for your doll yet? And they kept asking, so despite having a work table covered in various works in progress, I spread to the dining table with fabric and sewing machine, as you do, and came up with this dress.

I had plans to make a matching hairband but time was getting on and I had to clear away all signs of having broken my self-discipline and spread to other rooms.
She will get a hairband and more clothes once I finish the new knitting project I've started and am really excited about!
I am making tiny things so can do them in the evenings as the temperature cools a bit. More about that another time.

Rose is very well made and a dream to fit as the clothes are not too tiny or fiddley, although they do take more fabric than I expected but then I'm used to making tiny miniatures that use just scraps.

A little tip I've found very helpful when sitting outside place both feet in a bowl of cold water. It cools the blood nicely!

Stay cool and carry on!

Double Pointed Needle Cases

The sets of double pointed needles I have are usually rolling around somewhere they shouldn't. There is always one missing. They are too short for the needle case I made and they fall out of the cardboard pack they are sold in.
I have made individual pouches for each set and have made three so far.

They simply fold over and fasten with a fancy button.

I will now be able to find a set quickly and easily - that's the plan, anyway!