Birthday gift

I like to have a knitting project that is small enough to fit into my handbag (purse).

So I thought of coasters...

And then wanted to back them.

A great birthday gift!

Will work on a few more sets of these, I think. 

Handy to have gifts ready 😊

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Can you think of other small gift ideas I could knit?

 

Real dazzler!

Rather dazzling, isn't it? 😊

Do you recall back in November that I showed you the blanket I made for Dad's Father's Day gift?

I told you that he ordered another blanket to match.

Well, this is the same pattern, but with a different colour scheme!

Looks amazing!

 

A BIG bunny!

My second BIG bunny was ordered without clothes ☺

At 50cm (19.5") these bunnies are very large, and this particular one was soft and very cuddly.

Pictured with Tilly, who enjoyed a few cuddles before the bunny was packaged up and mailed to his new forever home!

 

Cuddles are important! Make sure you get some today ☺☺☺

Another rainbow!

 Back in September, I made a rainbow stroller blanket.

The colours were just gorgeous... I loved how they went together so well!

Seems I wasn't the only one who was taken with it...

I was asked to make a throw in the same pattern and colours!

47,600 stitches later... it was done!!!!

WOW!!!! 😲

Isn't it beautiful?

I wonder what I will knit next?

Zambezi the zebra

 

This cute zebra made a whole household smile late last year when it arrived in Melbourne during their LONG lockdown!

Named Zambezi by his new forever friend, he is much loved and joins a zoo of other animals who give much joy to a little girl 😊

Hope that you are doing well? Is your family in good health?

6 years of Betsy's Boutique!

Betsy's Boutique celebrated 6 years of business on the 2nd of January!

It has been an interesting time for me learning SO much.

The items produced over the years have changed quite a lot and I am expecting that this will continue to occur.

That's because I knit for the customers. If they want something, I do my best to knit it!

I ask LOTS of questions, and double check everything, so as to be sure to produce something which is just what the customer had in mind. 

My absolute favourite part of this business is...

being able to give such joy to so many!

 

A beautiful bunny!

 It is quite plain that bunnies are my most popular large toy. 

It's been a while since I counted up how many I have made, 

but it must be getting to be quite a number now!

Bunnies can be made in so many colours, and with clothes, or not as the customer desires.

I enjoy them, for that reason, because each one is different, and has their own personality!

All in the pink!

Tilly enjoyed a few chats with a smaller friend 😊 

She does find it interesting to see who will come off my needles!

Covid has made some people very lonely, which is sad. We need to be sure to phone those who could be lonely, it will definitely make their day! 

Especially at this time of year...

Keep safe, take time to rest and just breathe during your Christmas/New Year break...

Love gift for me!

 As mentioned in a previous post, my precious sister passed away in mid-April this year.

So it has been a pretty rough year.

Grief is hard work.

Really hard work.

Then her birthday was 16th October.

....

....

On that day, I received a love gift.

Her name is Tilly, and October 16th is now a happy day, because it is HER birthday!

Tilly is my friend, sits beside me at my desk as I work.

No matter whether it is knitting, school work, writing letters, or managing posts for Betsy's Boutique.

She keeps me going with a smile and I often chatter to her! ☺

I hope you have a friend that you can talk to ☺

Especially that you have a friend who doesn't argue back 😉

Dad's blanket

I had not done a blanket for Dad.

I show him pretty much everything I make, because he has always loved to see what his girls could do - yep, there was 4 of us =) 

But I managed to surprise him with an early Father's Day gift this year, of that ^^^ blanket!

He loved it so much, he ordered another in the same design, but with different colours. Keep an eye out for a future post featuring that blanket!

I had never done a pattern like this one before, and I really like it a LOT! Definitely one that could be repeated many times in many colours!

Now, how can I do better next Father's Day????

 

Big bunny!

 I was asked to make a bunny the size of an adult!

I didn't look to see if there was such a pattern, because I can't imagine there is!!! 

But I did my best...

and produced a bunny 51cm from top of head to bottom of toes. 

(Yep, that's 20" if you are outside of Australia)

Thankfully patterns can be changed to meet customer's needs! ☺

I've mostly knitted girl bunnies.

I wonder why?

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How are you doing? I hope that you are taking the time to unwind from the busyness of life on a regular basis. It is very important for all of us. A change of view. A change of pace. A change of routine.

Knitting is my therapy. I always have orders, but I also have items that I want to knit as gifts. So, more often than not, I have more than one item on the go at once. This is good for me. Means I don't get stuck in a rut. 

We all need rest. Be sure to rest!

Starry, starry night!!!

 How are you doing? Do you have a hobby? 

Some people do the most amazing handicrafts, seems the sky is the limit there! It is always amazing to see something that someone has done, and you really had never thought of such a thing, isn't it?

Talking about the sky.

I got an order for a star blanket! 

That was definitely a new idea to me. I didn't even know you could do one!!! 

This could be done in SO many different colour combinations...

Oooooh, that is one of my favourite subjects! 

Knitted items change SO much when you just change the yarn colour. I have never got over how amazing that is, hehehe.

I found another star blanket pattern when I found the one above. Perhaps one day I will have the opportunity to try it too. 

In the meantime, it sits with my all other patterns ideas 👀

Warmth for the elderly

As you would expect, I knit gifts to give away myself. 

Actually, I get frustrated if I can't!!! 

Gifts are most fun when it is made by one's self.

Don't you think?

This has kept my Grandpa warm this winter, which is wonderful!

The yarn was SO warm, and since he lives in a cold part of Australia, and being elderly has not the best circulation, you can imagine how much the warmth is appreciated.