Miniature knitting dolls and Easter gifts

Two sizes of minature fox, Pattern from https://www.ravelry.com/stores/esther-braithwaite-designs

The bigger, but still mini, version of the fox, wolf and deer.

A 2 x2 rib beanie (standard pattern) and two miniature eggs, one with a rabbit toy and one with a dinosaur toy from Elendan

The wind down from term 1 of 2023 led me to make some more miniature dolls in both crochet and knitted fabrics. The Forest friend’s pattern is from Esther Braithwaite designs on Ravelry: https://www.ravelry.com/stores/esther-braithwaite-designs . I enjoy knitting these miniature toys in 4ply cotton from BWM on the addi crasy trio needles. It is a calming pattern that works up reasonably quickly in the round. The face embellishment uses duplicate stitches and the nose and eyes are very easy to place. This pattern is excellent as the arms and legs are just stitched through after you have stuffed the toy, and there is minimal sewing up. I did have to adapt the pattern slightly, as it has very clear instructions for working with Double Pointed Needles (DPNs), but is a little different on the Addi Crasy Trios, as there are live stitches on only two needles. It wasn’t too hard to work out how to set the cable in the middle of one needle, and then complete the rest of the toy. I also managed to master the Kitchener stitch to finish off these dolls at the tops of their heads. I have watched a few different you-tubes to learn this technique over the years, and the one that finally made sense to me enough that I was able to replicate it without watching the video for two of the three dolls was this one from The Chilly Dog: https://youtu.be/qwl2ob4Anog

The miniature egg toys were from a pattern from Elendan on Etsy, she is a superb miniature crafter and has designed and made-to-order a variety of whimsical dolls and houses. I love her paid patterns, which are clearly photographed and explained, so I have been able to create these as gifts. My rabbit ended up a little bigger than in the pattern, as I was using 4ply cotton yarn, not embroidery thread as recommended. I was able to purchase some 10ply Bendigo cotton from In the loop, a crocheter who makes lots of blankets etc, and had a variety of small amounts of yarn left over. It was perfect for making the right-sized eggs for these little creatures, and I am sure it will come in handy for my other miniatures too.

I’m enjoying making miniature things again. Have you got any favourite small projects you enjoy?

Until next time, happy crafting

Fiona T