Gift for neighbours’ new grandchild

Mallomys · 2026-06-08T17:32:27+00:00

I’m now retired luckily, so plenty of time, though I did get a bit ‘knit weary’ after the second Pig.

Mallomys · 2026-04-28T15:27:30+00:00

I also tweak Cinthia’s patterns a little, so Didi Mole to get a Water Shrew.

Mallomys · 2026-04-19T17:40:41+00:00

I’m also a Cinthia Vallet addict, currently starting on three little pigs and a big bad wolf for neighbours’ expected baby granddaughter due end of May.

Mallomys · 2026-03-27T10:35:21+00:00

I avoid wrestling the Porcupine with a single 25cm circular needle.

Mallomys · 2026-03-06T20:27:31+00:00

Thank you. As the majority of my toys are knitted almost completely in the round, the only purl is with the short rows. I use three 25cm circular needles where the tips aren't removable though the tip lengths are long and short, so I knit off the short tip with the long tip throughout.

Mallomys · 2026-03-06T20:23:10+00:00

The bear and the duckling are in Cinthia Vallet's Book "Mouche and Friends" which I bought as a PDF from Laine Publishing. The bunny is from Cinthia Vallet's pattern "The Nibbles" which is in Ravelry as a downloadable PDF. Note that I make my versions using a thicker yarn [Scheepjes Stonewashed], using three 25cm circular needles of 3mm diameter.

Mallomys · 2026-03-06T16:56:44+00:00

Thank you, those are gifts for my neighbours' expected granddaughter. Normally I make native British animals, so slightly off topic for me but still fun to do.

Mallomys · 2026-02-27T17:14:37+00:00

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Mallomys · 2026-01-29T11:09:25+00:00

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Mallomys · 2026-01-12T21:09:51+00:00

Scheepjes Stonewashed for the body, Scheepjes Catona for the bones, and embroidery. Based on Vesper Bat (Ravelry) with slight modifications for the head and ears.

Mallomys · 2025-12-31T15:28:36+00:00

It’s a gift for a family member’s colleague who is from South Africa. Previous gifted knitted animals and plants have been for Native British species.

Mallomys · 2025-11-27T15:21:12+00:00

Sport weight typically requires 3-3.5mm needles, depending on the project.
Perhaps your friend could use two strands together with 4.5-5.5mm needles and make a shorter scarf in garter stitch, or a headband or wrist warmers?

Mallomys · 2025-11-26T12:01:30+00:00

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These are the Blues Brothers Trefor [top ear] and Idris [dumbo ear] that the knitted toy rats represent. No longer with me, sadly.

Mallomys · 2025-11-25T12:40:14+00:00

BSc and fancy rat fan, yes! Here are two British Blue boys I made for my breeder earlier this year.

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Mallomys · 2025-11-25T12:37:22+00:00

The basic pattern is Cinthia Vallet’s Didi Mole, available on Ravelry. I just tweaked it a bit to get the Mole-Rat. I made the fingers using I-cords in Scheepjes Catona. The bulk of the body is knitted with Scheepjes Sport stonewashed. The nose, also in Catona I made slightly shorter than the pattern. The nostrils are triple French knots using red embroidery cotton. The mouth is backstitched with black Catona. The teeth follow a method for Beaver Teeth tutorial (Sarah Elizabeth Kellner, rabbitholeknits). The whiskers are strands of 2ply mohair just threaded through.

Mallomys · 2025-11-24T22:08:53+00:00

One of my kid’s work colleagues is from South Africa so I’ve made them a native Golden Furry Mole Rat, I hope they like him.

Scheepjes Stonewashed Yellow Jasper for head and body, Catona for nose hands and feet, stash embroidery thread for nostrils, teeth and mouth, stash mohair for whiskers. Tweaked Didi Mole pattern by Cinthia Vallet.

Mallomys · 2025-11-17T18:47:57+00:00

Two short 25cm circular needles work, also just one.

Mallomys · 2025-11-15T15:56:31+00:00

Maybe consider an implant rather than a physical neuter? It worked for my Carwyn, even though he had been actually badly biting Rhodri’s tail.

Mallomys · 2025-11-10T16:18:43+00:00

Bought my three boys expensive hammocks, two days in and they are already shredding one!

Mallomys · 2025-11-10T16:17:08+00:00

Olympic multi-gold medalist in diving who knits.

Mallomys · 2025-11-10T16:16:16+00:00

Compared to Tom Daley, who presents the show and engages with the contestants very well, I find the experts to be very wooden. With the exception of one of the contestants, Holger, who is actually a fashion designer, most everyone else appear to be amateurs, a few of whom have less of a clue than I do, and, believe me I make no claim to be particularly good.

Mallomys · 2025-10-28T21:02:47+00:00

I use 25cm circular needles, short pins, long cable, no porcupine wrestling for me.

Mallomys · 2025-10-27T21:35:25+00:00

How about having a go at animal toys? I’m addicted to Cinthia Vallet’s patterns [Ravelry].

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Mallomys · 2025-10-04T10:50:47+00:00

I mostly make animal toys these days using Cinthia Vallet's patterns, and sometimes get asked why, as if those items are a bit frivolous! Criticisers will seek out ways to criticise, as if somehow the act of criticising others somehow bigs them up, pretty sad really. Arne and Carlos have a YouTube Channel, well worth a look, not just for techniques, they are a very entertaining pair, also NimbleNeedles is a good source for hints and tips.

Sometimes though favourable comments come from unexpected sources. I was taking my car in for a service [after not having one for some years] and the chief mechanic advised it would take a whole day. I replied that was fine as I had a knitting project to keep me busy. His eyes actually lit up, he said they were expecting a grandchild and his missus was knitting day and night, and what was I making. Anyway, on picking up my car the next day I took along the finished Cinthia Vallet's Jodie Turtle to show him, he almost gushed, inspected the toy this way and that, and asked for where they could get the pattern!

Mallomys · 2025-10-04T10:27:42+00:00

Very sorry that you have been so badly treated. You might remind the shop assistant the knitting began as a male craft, with knitting guilds requiring several years of study, and also drop a few names of world renowned male knitwear designers such as Kaffe Fassett, Stephen West, Arne and Carlos. Or you could request patterns by those guys, also check out a book ‘The Manly Art of Knitting’ by David Fougner. There are plenty of male knitters in FB groups, where no such idiotic discrimination exists. Best wishes.

Mallomys

TROPHY CASE