Does anyone out there get Simply Knitting? ds is on the letters page! :0)

[GreebosWhiskers]

Just got the new issue, opened it on the bus home & got some very funny looks when I got to the letters page and started giggling & grinning like a loon. ds is there clutching a knitted boob I sent the photo in months ago & forgot all about it - he's 9 months old now but the letter says he's 6 months.

I'm well chuffed

Oh how funny.

Is that the magazine that has got the lovely knitted Noahs Ark in? (I saw it advertised in a craft mag and you just jolted my memory to get it!) Thanks

It is the Noah's Ark one. I've been getting the mag for a few months now & it's had some great toy patterns in it - I'm saving Noah's Ark for the dc's xmas.

'tis a little really 'cos I emailed a pic of dd3 with her new Dr Who doll on Monday so they'll be looking at the name & thinking

Oh I shall go and buy it and have a look, Page 9 you say. I was very impressed with the Dr Wo doll. I can knit a bit, but normally sew - I like making story sacks for the DDs school. I did knit a Handa's Surprise story sack - took me ages!

It's on p22 actually. But isn't the Noah's Ark wonderful. I've only looked at it briefly, but aren't you going to have a lot of wool left over?

DutchOma - the Noah's Ark is gorgeous. I've got loads of odd ends of DK so I figure I can use that for a lot of the smaller animals. I might have a go at making a set to give to dniece & dnephew as an extra pressie too.

I've got a vast amount of jumper weight pure wool from Shetland. It knits as 4 ply. But I think if I use this throughout, the animals might be a bit smaller, but quite in proportion, iyswim what do you think? Even if I don't do the whole projects, an elephant would be nice?

4 ply weight would probably work fine - you'd just have to make sure you used slightly smaller needles than you normally would so your finished fabric is nice & tight & won't show the stuffing.

I thought making the ark & Mr & Mrs Noah then adding the animals gradually was quite a good idea if the thought of all that knitting at once was off-putting. Just doing it for birthdays & xmas is probably a bit too far apart but a pair a month or something would be good. I might do that & then I can concentrate on getting 2 arks done for xmas.

It's not so much the knitting that puts me off, but all the sewing and stugging.

Yes, I would use the needles that I normally use for Shetland knitting, I'm not sure what they are, 3 and 3 1/2?

I hate sewing up! When I made the Dr Who doll (on my profile) I left it all 'til the end & was just about demented with it. Then some lovely Mner said it was better to sew up as you go along which sounds like a much better idea.

I'm really envious of you all that can knit!. My aunt was a great knitter and she tried to teach me several times but it never worked out right - I don't know if it was because she was right handed and I am left handed.

Could you manage continental knitting where you hold the needles the same way but hold the yarn in your left hand? This site looks quite good for left-handed knitters & the videos seem pretty clear. There are videos on continental knitting & knitting totally left-handed.