Back to school bunny

July 29, 2019January 18, 2021Out of the Thistle 2 Comments

For some of you, you are already singing the praises of school days being back. For some of us, we still have a month of summer… but, that means some more time at the pool and taking a few more small trips!

I made a back to school bunny to celebrate the occasion! Here she is!

Her short-sleeved shirt, skirt with straps, and shoes are all removable.

As pattern suggests, it is recommended to use the same yarn for doll and clothes to ensure the best fit, however, you can knit a swatch of the doll yarn on a size bigger needle, then gauge it and match a yarn exactly.

Materials used:

Doll: Fur-Cascade 220 Aran in ‘Aspen Heather,’ knitted on sz 5 needles; socks-Cascade 220 Aran in ‘Natural,’ knitted on sz 5 needles

Skirt with straps: Quince and Co Lark in ‘River,’ sz 7 needles

Shirt: Quince and Co Lark in ‘River’ and ‘Egret,’ sz 7 needles

Shoes: Quince and Co Lark ‘Smoke,’ sz 7 needles

Apple knee pads: Quince and Co Lark in ‘Peaks Ferry’ and ‘Snap Pea,’ duplicate stitched

The stocking instructions are included in the pattern. I’ve attached the apple knee pads below, which can be duplicate stitched onto the knee. Just ensure that the knee pads are centered on the front of the leg and even with the opposite one.

The shirt pattern will soon be available as well! Enjoy!

Deer update!

July 25, 2019April 11, 2020Out of the Thistle 2 Comments

Hey there!

We have new patterns coming tomorrow for our Dress Up Dolls, but I did make another variation of my pre-existing deer pattern. I made this guy:

I followed the entire pattern for the body and head, also doing the muzzle color-change where specified in the pattern. Once the ears were knitted, prior to attaching to head, I duplicate knit a white color in the center of the ear, tapering up towards the top. I also modified the small antlers in the pattern and made them into “Y” antlers, which I have included that change below.

“Y” Antlers (make 2)

Use the same yarn (different color) and needle size in which you used to create the doll.

You will also need at least 6″ of waste yarn or a small safety pin.

CO 5 sts, leaving an 8″ tail. Place BOR sm and join to knit in the rnd as follows:

Rnds 1-4: Knit 4 rnds

Rnd 5: kfb, k2, kfb, k1. (7sts)

Rnd 6: k2, slip next 4sts onto waste yarn without working them, k last st (3sts)

Rnd 7: knit the 3sts

Rnd 8: K2tog, k1. (2sts)

Rnd 9: k2tog. Break yarn and thread onto tapestry needle. Weave in.

To create the 2nd ‘spike’ slip the 4 live sts off of waste yarn and onto needles. Attach yarn leaving a 6″ tail and work in the rnd as follows:

Rnds 1-3: Knit 3 rnds

Rnd 4: (k2tog)2x (2sts)

Rnd 5: k2tog. Break yarn and thread onto tapestry needle. Weave in end.

Use the 2nd CO tail to darn the hole at the center of the “Y.” Weave in end.

Use the 1st CO tail to sew the antler onto head at inner edge of ear. Weave in end.

Additional notes: the materials I used in created the deer above–

Fur: Cascade 220 Chocolate Heather on needle sz 5

White Accent: Cascade 220 White

Antlers: Cascade 220 Natural

Large Multi Stripe Sweater–Quince and Co “Lark” on sz 7 needles, colors: egret, sedum, audouin, bird’s egg, bark.

Merry Knitmas!

December 14, 2018December 14, 2018Out of the Thistle 2 Comments

Yesterday was a bit of a cliffhanger, but I feel like it was obvious enough. We’ve got new patterns!

I decided to make a line of Dress Up Dolls patterns. Say you are a knitter and love our items, but they just aren’t in the budget. Well now, you can make one for yourself! They are a more simplified version of my shrunken wool rabbits that I’ve been creating lately, but they still have hips and feet and shoulders and beautiful heads! Another bonus: they are knitted in the round! Makes knitting a breeze. No mountain of body parts waiting for their seams to be sewn up and attached. They look beautiful dressed and undressed.

The pattern is a standard deer: one color, no muss no fuss. So if you’re still a kind-of new knitter, you can do this! If you would like to venture out, you can change colors like I did. I simply knitted the muzzle a different color (tip included in pattern), added antlers (also included in pattern), embroidered on some spots and ‘hairs’ in the ears and voila! Rudolph! My daughter went nuts over him.

I also bought a skein of a mohair lace weight and knitted it together with my wool to create a fuzzier doe:

ALSO, You can see they have little sweaters on–that is also available as a pattern! It was so easy to make; I foresee a boatload of beautifully detailed sweaters in the future! The pattern is for a simple, single-colored sweater. However, as you can see, it makes a great base for being creative. I double-knit in a nordic design on one. I embroidered little holly cluster polka dots onto another. I made Rudolph’s sweater striped! Details for the stripes included in pattern. I can’t wait to see all of the different finishes!

***Please note, I created this pattern as just to be knitted, not shrunken as well. If you do decide to shrink it, it will look completely different than this! I do not use these designs for my shrunken wool dolls. I merely created a pattern to look similar to those. ***

I wasn’t really sure of when I was going to offer these patterns, but I figured no better time than the present! It may be a little bit like offering in the eleventh hour, but they don’t need to be holiday deer. There’s always New Year’s, Valentine’s Day, Easter, birthdays, nightly toy knitting, or just ’cause! So grab these patterns at our Etsy shop; more are already in the works!

Some kind of segue

December 13, 2018December 13, 2018Out of the Thistle 1 Comment

You know, it’s been a while. This year, for us, has been a period of trying to ‘figure ourselves out’ in a business-focused aspect. For me, I previously wasn’t as drawn to shrinking up my dolls after knitting them because I saw the incredible amount of tedious work it took for my mom to perfect the technique. However, the finished product is unlike any other doll I’ve ever held. To me, it is the highest form of doll making that aims at the longevity of the life of the doll, also allowing for daily use, and holding up to even the most brutal play my young daughter has had to offer. This year, I was drawn to work in that avenue of art. I mean, look at the finished product! No seams, no loose stitches, no misshaping.

For those who are new here, this technique requires that you create the entire doll out of wool yarn by crocheting or knitting, then agitate it with water and soap and pressure over and over until it shrinks and is thick and firm but fluffy and springy. This incredible form of art takes a lot of time, as I’ve stated over and over previously. So here’s the deal. I worked tirelessly with my mom’s guidance and I was able to create many dolls this year. Here’s a few:

Yes, those are knitted-then-shrunken dolls wearing tiny skirts and tiny knitted cabled and fair isle sweaters, wearing hand-stitched boots and Maryjanes. I loved holding each one in my hands when I was finished with them. Each unique in their own way! So I decided, I would like to switch gears and offer something that allows other knitters to become creative and make their own unique items using a sort-of template. I’ll just leave it at that and share more very soon! Thanks for checking in!

XO, Rhonda

What the fuzz?

May 7, 2018May 8, 2018Out of the Thistle 1 Comment

Felting? Fulling? What is it?!? We decided to put together a little ‘infomercial’ on what sets our products apart and what it is that we actually do.

I believe it should also be noted that that some folks may have been attempting to confuse what we do with wet felting. Wet felting is basically using the raw, unspun wool and turning it into a felt sheet. This is nothing like our process. If it does not say fulled or seamless shrunken wool then it is not created the same.

No rain, no flowers.

May 1, 2018May 1, 2018Out of the Thistle 4 Comments

Hey, how are you? It’s been a while. I hope you’re doing well, that things are okay. If you’re not all right, well then, that’s okay too. Truth be told, I think the majority of us aren’t “all right.” We all go through an ebb and flow of difficult situations that are essentially helping us grow up into better versions of ourselves, even though they seem to come in the version of 20-foot waves.

I love (yet also simultaneously despise) the saying “no rain, no flowers.” It’s reassuring that the waves of torrential downpour will guarantee growth, but nobody wants to keep getting dumped on in order to see the bounty of blossoms.

Did you know this business began over 30 years ago? Bet a dime you didn’t, and it’s likely that you may have never even heard of us until recently, or even today. See, shortly after my mom and grandma started this business, it rained. And it didn’t just sprinkle or mist, we’re talking 40 days’ and 40 nights’ worth. Could you imagine essentially being a nobody (sorry ma) that people were still so threatened by? There was wave after wave of people who sought to fight against the productivity, the growth of this little business.

The flood of legal battles have ended all in our favor (thank you God), and so seems the defamation as well. The army we once faced for nearly two decades, many of those jumped ship. However, after the water dissipated, we realized that the time lost on protecting our possessions would never be recouped. In those days of legal paperwork and continuously setting the record straight, we were outrun in the race. We had lost time investing in promoting our products. People who had just begun these crafts were already widely known. We thought the lack of interest was because of the types of products we made, so we invested even more time in design, and even less in advertising and reaching out.

Friends, can I tell you, sometimes it feels like The Great Flood is at your door. You may feel like you are experiencing tumultuous undercurrents from other people, which keep you from your full potential. Don’t look at it that way. It becomes really easy to be dismayed, trust me. To be clear, you’re not a bad person for losing faith over it. I’ve been there. Sometimes, I didn’t want to be faithful, but I looked at it as a duty. If you focus on the bad that’s happening, you’re only going to drown yourself.

If we hadn’t experienced everything that we did, we may not have grown into creating better products, we may not have grown into becoming wiser in business relations and protecting our intellectual property. We’ve become more bold. We also relate to a lot more people now, sharing struggles. This business may not mean anything to anyone else, except those who wanted it snuffed out. But we’re here, we’re growing, and I think it’s finally showing! We are pretty dang excited with our refined designs (we’ll share more in the next few days).

Recite these, heck, stitch it on your sleeves: no grit, no pearl; no pressure, no diamond; no rain, no flowers. And just remember, you aren’t the only one who gets to enjoy your flowers!

Here’s some florals from around my house to distract you and temporarily drown away your sorrows. I hope your clouds will clear out soon!

Hugs, Rhonda