Friday 4 April 2014

Out and About

 
One of the things I enjoy most about what I do now is getting out and about and meeting people.

Over the past two weeks I've had great fun with Abakhan on their stands at The Spring Knitting and Stitching show at Olympia and Sewing for Pleasure in Birmingham. I designed a special little Easter bunny outfit for the adult meerkat and Abakhan put some fantastic bundles of books, yarn and the special pattern together. I met some lovely people and the meerkats made everyone smile.

Abakhan have very kindly given me permission to share the pattern with you. The ears and basket are knitted using DK wool and then embroidered using scraps of yarn.

me signing books at the Abakhan stand

I hope you like it! If you don't have a meerkat then why not just make the basket and fill it with a little Easter treat.


Easter Meerkat
  
Easter Meerkat
 
To make your Easter Meerkat you will need one completed meerkat (excluding the tail)
and the following.

Materials:
Brown DK yarn
Cream DK yarn
Oddments for embroidery
Small amount of toy filling
Chocolate eggs

Needles:
2.75mm knitting needles

Abbreviations:
See the back flap of ‘Knitted Meerkats’ book

Basket:
Using brown yarn cast on 5 sts and knit 1 row.
Next row: K1, M1, K to last st, M1, K1. (7 sts)
Knit 1 row.
Repeat last two rows once more. (9 sts)
Knit 2 rows.
Next row: K1, K2tog, K to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1. (7 sts)
Knit 1 row.
Repeat last two rows once more. (5 sts)
Cast on 19 sts at the beginning of the next row and knit to the end of the row. (24 sts)
Next row: (K3, P3) four times.
Repeat last row twice more.
Next row: (P3, K3) four times.
Repeat last row twice more.
Next row: (K3, P3) four times.
Repeat last row twice more.
Starting with a knit row, work 4 rows in SS. This will roll over and form the top of the basket.
Cast off.
Handle:
Using brown yarn cast on 20 sts and starting with a knit row work 4 rows in SS.
Cast off.

Ears: (make two)
Using cream yarn cast on 6 sts and knit 8 rows.
Next row: K2, K2tog, K2. (5 sts)
Knit 3 rows.
Next row: K1, K2tog, K2. (4 sts)
Knit 4 rows.
Next row: K1, K2tog, K1. (3 sts)
Knit 3 rows.
Next row: Sl1, K2tog, psso. (1 st)
Fasten off remaining stitch.
 
 
Leonie and I

The other outing I've been on did take me outside my comfort zone! I went to Peterborough to guest present for Bergere de France on Create & Craft TV. Gulp!
Leonie, the presenter, was fantastic and soon put me at my ease but it was hard to forget the cameras were all pointing at us. I do have a theory that thinking about something is worse than doing it a lot of the time and on this occasion I was right. Once we got going the hour long programme flew past (you can see it here) and before I knew it, it was all over . . . until next time!!

me on the telly!

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