Knitted Toys: The Slippery Slope

Writer and avid knitter Selma Moss-Ward joins us for a series of blog posts about becoming a first-time grandmother.

Many years ago, expecting my first child, I focused my knitting on baby clothes.  I saw these small projects as ideal canvases for learning complex techniques—Fair Isles, Arans, and other fancy work—and the garments I made tended to be, so to speak, labor intensive.

After my first and then second son outgrew them, the tiny sweaters, caps, and sundry garments were wrapped up and saved for The Future.  Now I’m delighted to report that a special baby will arrive in late November, when I become a first-time grandma.  The heirloom knits will go to him.

For this reason (and also because he’ll live in LA, where heavy clothing isn’t required), I decided to knit him something else…something unique…and something fun.  Combing through the Lion Brand pattern database, I found a trove of adorable designs for stuffed toys.

Unsurprisingly, I couldn’t limit myself to just one.  My first pattern choice, though, is a real winner.  A blast to knit, it took me less than three hours from start to finish including stuffing and embroidery, and is so adorable that I must make a companion for WILLIAM the HEDGEHOG in the very near future.  (There’s enough leftover yarn for this.)

Here are some photos of the finished William, and in my next post I’ll tell you about his creation.

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Selma Moss-Ward is a freelance writer who combines her love of writing and of knitting in her columns, stories, and blog posts. Selma is also an active classical musician and the caretaker of five wonderful pets. She lives with them and her husband in Rhode Island. Read a monthly fiction story by Selma in our Pattern Journal newsletter.