Introducing Nikodemus Plesiosaur and Angelica Apatosaurus

An Apatosaurus and a Plesiosaur—unlikely friends? Oh, I don’t know about that. Sure, one lives on land and the other in the ocean, but they nonetheless have much in common. For example, it’s easy to imagine these two having many thorough discus sions on the joys and issues of having a very long neck.

Say hello to the latest new additions to the Morrgan's Creatures family: Angelica Apatosaurus and Nikodemus Plesiosaur!

I've made both plesiosaurs and apatosaurs like this before, but never got around to writing them down in pattern form before. Well, that's fixed now!

These two are knitted in the round and they partially share the same pattern - they only differ in the shape of their limbs. These dinos are very simple and quick to make; especially the apatosaurus makes a fine project for a beginner.

Angelica and Nikodemus are available as a knitting pattern via Ravelry (or click here to buy now - no Ravelry account needed), Craftsy and from my Etsy shop.

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Introducing Hektor the Tyrannosaurus

Tyrannosaurs may have a fearsome reputation, but little baby T-rexes like Hektor are actually very sweet. Much like an eager but adorably clumsy puppy, who stumbles over his own slightly too big feet in his excitement.

Say hello to Hektor, better know as Mr. T among friends and family!

I may have mentioned my notebook before. It's got everything from hastily scribbled notes and little drawings of ideas to the first pattern versions I write by hand as I create my creatures and other designs. One of the earliest idea notes, which I jotted down many years ago, reads (translated from Swedish): "T-rex (red with big feet) Hector".

Well, this guy may be a handsome plum purple instead of red, but he did end up with the big feet! It was one of those ideas that are almost complete in my head, but some vital bit is missing - in Hektor's case, the head. I knew I wanted a cute little baby Tyrannosaurus with huge feet, but the design of the head kept eluding me. That's probably why it took me so long to get around to realizing this idea.

Even now the head was the last thing I did. In the end I gave up trying to come up with a design first and just started knitting. Surprisingly enough, the first version I made ended up being perfect! Sometimes my fingers have a better idea of what to do than my brain, it seems.

Hektor is available as a knitting pattern via Ravelry (or click here to buy now - no Ravelry account needed), Craftsy and from my Etsy shop.

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Introducing Konrad the Cognitive Panda

Konrad is a scientifically inclined panda. He especially likes numbers. Give him a sufficiently tricky mathematical problem and he’ll be entertained for hours.

Unusually enough, the main problem with Konrad was figuring out a suitable adjective for his logical nature. Intelligent? Smart? Cogent? Cerebral? Perspicacious?

As I may have mentioned before, while I work on a design I have many hours of knitting when my hands are busy but my brain is idle. Often my mind begins to create a story for the creature I'm designing, so that at the end the complete design also includes a personality. It's important to me that the adjective, if there is one, fits the creature I have made.

For Konrad, many, many alternatives were found with the help of a thesaurus and my walking dictionary, Mr Morrgan, but none of them seemed a perfect fit. Then eventually Mr Morrgan suggested "cognitive" and everything fell into place. Konrad finally had the right word to describe him!

Konrad is available as a pattern via Ravelry (or click here to buy now - no Ravelry account needed), Craftsy and from my Etsy shop.

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Introducing Claptrap of Borderlands fame!

Greetings traveller! I am CL4P-TP; you may call me by my locally designated name, 'Claptrap'.

Claptraps are fun little robots you encounter in the Borderlands games. The poor things are often used for target practice and abused in other ways by the bandits of the Borderlands, so I spent much of my playthroughs wanting to give these poor guys a hug. Well, now I can!

Knitted Claptrap and Game Claptrap.

Work on Knitted Claptrap started in 2010. I made decent progress for about two weeks, then Christmas season kicked in in full force and I had little time for extra projects. Alas, after that poor Clapson had to sit on my desk in a semi-finished state for almost two years. When Borderlands 2 was released earlier this year, it inspired me to finish my own little robot!

Then for some oh-so-important numbers and other facts.

• Mr. Claptrap is knitted both flat and in the round, from various DK weight wool blends.
• Special techniques used include intarsia and i-cord knitting.
• He needed a ridiculous total of 40 separate pieces, if I counted correctly.
• He's a respectable 40 cm / 16" tall, making him the perfect size for hugs.
• Working on him gave me a really sore neck on three occasions.

I wanted Claptrap as detailed as I could make him by knitting alone (plus a wee bit of embroidery). I could add a few more details, I suppose, but then I might go insane, so I say he's ready now.

So, what do you think?

Introducing Sophie the Sleepy Snake

Sophie is a pretty laid-back snake lady. Give her a warm place to sleep and a hug now and then and she’ll be as happy as can be!

There's a little doodle in my notebook, a few years old by now. I'm pleased to say it looks pretty much exactly like the photo above. There are few things more satisfying than being able to create a design exactly as I've seen it in my mind's eye.

After the Humboldt pattern was ready, with its many pieces to knit and sew together into a fancy bunny, I knew that I wanted to make something simpler for my next project. Something with few parts and straightforward knitwork. With this in mind, I browsed through my idea notebook and came upon the drawing mentioned above. Perfect!

At the time I had also been working on other small knitted projects and had ended up with quite a pile of yarn ends on my desk, in many different colours. Playing with this colourful pile brought forward a delicious combo of moss green, yellow and rusty orange. I knew that whatever I made next, it had to have these colours. Thus, Sophie's colour scheme was decided.

Sophie is available as a pattern via Ravelry (or click here to buy now - no Ravelry account needed) and from my Etsy shop.

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New in October: Persnickety Penguin Magnet

 

Birds lend themselves well to knitted form, for some reason. I've always had a fun time making them. The magnetic creature family includes ravens, owls, kiwi birds, eagles... and now, penguins!

This persnickety little guy is as tiny as the rest, measuring a mere 4.5 cm (1 3/4 in) tall. He's made with a wool blend, using both knitting and crochet to give him a proper penguin shape.

Would you like a penguin magnet to guard notes on your fridge? Take a look in my Etsy shop!

Introducing Humboldt the Fancy Bunny

Humboldt is a bit of a fancy bunny. He’s the sort of rabbit who would wear a top hat instead of being pulled out of one. However, he isn’t exactly a snob; he just enjoys the finer things in life. Only the freshest hand-picked carrots will do for Humboldt!

Guess how long I have been planning to make this particular bunny? Anyone?

I looked up the receipt for the yarn I bought specifically for this bunny. The yarn was bought in February 2011 and I know I had the vision of a long-and-floppy-eared bunny in my head for way longer than that. Poor Humboldt. He's certainly had to wait for his moment in the spotlight!

Humboldt is available as a pattern via Ravelry (or click here to buy now - no Ravelry account needed) and from my Etsy shop.

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Introducing Magda the Cuddlesome Crocodile

The best thing Magda knows is cuddling. But alas and alack, her arms are too short for giving proper cuddles! She more than happy to receive hugs, though, so please make sure this poor little cuddlesome crocodile gets all the cuddles she needs.

I'm very pleased with miss Magda! She turned out precisely as I had envisioned her in my head.

All she needs now is a little bird friend.

Called Heath.

Magda is available as a pattern via Ravelry (or click here to buy now - no Ravelry account needed) and from my Etsy shop.

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Introducing Marigold the Moose

Marigold the Moose

Marigold the Moose got her name because marigolds are her favourite flowers. To eat, that is. She likes to keep one behind her ear as an emergency snack!


Marigold's history
Who would have guessed that making a moose could cause so many unexpected problems?

One day I started knitting a moose, and while knitting I was pondering a suitable name. "Marigold" popped into my head. Perfect! Mr Morrgan also thought the name would suit a moose and suggested that she got the name for liking marigolds so much for lunch. Even more perfect!

After that it was settled. The moose called was Marigold.

Only a little later did it occur to me that a lady moose doesn't have antlers. D'oh! Some biologist I am. By this time it was too late. The name Marigold was so perfect it had to stay. I decided she just belongs to a special species of plush moose, where every individual has antlers. So there.

The second uh-oh occured when I was trying to place the ears. I put them between the antlers. ...No, that didn't look right. I put them behind the antlers. Nope, didn't work either. I put them below. Still looked wrong.

There was only one way to solve this: searching for moose pictures online! I discovered something interesting. Plush moose often have the ears below the antlers, whereas live moose have them behind and often showing between the antlers. No wonder I had trouble placing them.

After the gender/antler trouble from before, I felt my integrity as a biologist (ahem) would suffer too much if I'd bend reality twice for the same creature. Hence Marigold's ears are behind and between the antlers, unlike most other plush moose.

Marigold the Moose is available as a pattern via Ravelry (or click here to buy now - no Ravelry account needed) and from my Etsy shop.

Marigold is an intermediate level pattern. Marigold is knitted both flat and in the round, with the stitches knit, purl, lifted increases, knit/purl 2 together and slip stitch over. I-cord knitting is used for the flower (the pattern has brief instructions on how to do that).

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Introducing Clive the Chilly Giraffe

Bored of the heat and eager to see more exotic surroundings, Clive the giraffe left the savannah and traveled north to temperate forests. At first everything was just as he'd dreamed - plenty of trees to nibble on, pleasantly warm without being hot.

Then it got a bit colder. Then all the leaves fell down. And then it got absolutely freezing.

So here's poor Clive enduring winter, so chilly that he's turned blue, trying to keep warm in his red scarf. Let's hope the scarf keeps him from getting a cold - with a neck that long, a sore throat would not be fun!


Clive is available as a pattern via Ravelry (or click here to buy now - no Ravelry account needed) and from my Etsy shop.

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Introducing Hugo the Hugglephant

On August 22nd 2009 I tweeted thusly:

"is starting work on the HUGGLEPHANT."

I got off to a good start, then had to prepare for a trip and after that the holiday season was upon me. Poor Hugo has been terribly neglected since then, until the start of July. I picked up where I left off and am very happy to finally be able to introduce:

Hugo the Hugglephant
Hugglephants are like elephants, only their trunks are extra-long for hugging!

Hugo the Hugglephant dreams of becoming an acrobat when he grows up. He enjoys spending his time by rehearsing fun tricks, like standing on his head!

However, he is a hugglephant first and foremost, so he makes sure to also take frequent huggling breaks.



Hugo is available as a pattern via Ravelry (or click here to buy now - no Ravelry account needed) and from my Etsy shop. The pattern can also be used to make a regular elephant.

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Introducing Paulo the Charming Tiger

This is Paulo the charming tiger.

Mister Paulo knows how to charm the ladies. His secret? He's actually sincere.

When he says he bought these roses because their loveliness reminded him of you, that's what he did.

When he says that as lovely as they are, they pale next to your beauty, he really means it.

And the ladies know it. Oh Paulo, you charmer.


Paulo is my entry for this week's European Street Team challenge, hosted by Sofia-Sobeide. The theme for this week was "my favourite flower". Now, how do you get a charming tiger from favourite flowers?

To be honest, I'm not entirely sure myself.

However, the inspiration for Paulo and his personality came to me as I was sitting in my balcony, trying to decide on a fave flower. I looked at my red miniature rose and suddenly the choice was clear - roses. Soon after, the idea of a sweet little tiger holding a bouquet of lovely red roses came to me. How? Why? Who knows. The mental image stuck and I had to try to make Paulo. I'm very pleased that he turned out exactly as I saw him with my mind's eye.

Paulo the Charming Tiger is available as a pattern via Ravelry (or click here to buy now - no Ravelry account needed) and from my Etsy shop.

His roses are also available as a separate tutorial, suitable for beginners.

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Introducing the Tiny Dragons - the first five

Here we go! The first five of the tiny dragons are ready for introductions. From the left to the right:

#1. Daisy - creamy white and grey
#2. Rupert - turquoise and teal
#3. Charles - grey and black
#4. Olivia - mossy green and dark green
#5. Elinor - pale beige and turquoise

I realized I really missed making dragons. My fingers were itching to make some. So create dragons I did. And more I shall create, because I also realized I want to make a huge collection of different ones. These five are the beginning of that collection. Each dragon will have a unique set of colours and they will get a signed hatching certificate with their name, number and date.

I have the following idea in mind. Every now and then I make a batch of 5 dragons. When they're ready to list, I post an introduction on this blog like the one above. During the following few days, I'll list them in numerical order in my Etsy shop. Should you happen to spot one you must have, let me know and I can reserve it for you.

You know, there's something very pleasing about creating a tiny dragon. There really is.

Introducing the Pensive Goldfish and the Timid Turtle

The title above could make a pretty neat little story, don't you think? Or alternately a good name for a pub. I know I'd want to visit "The Pensive Goldfish" immediately, should such a place exist.

I'm not starting a pub, however. This particular goldfish possessing a thoughtful nature happens to be one of my latest magnet designs. You might find the look familiar from Eustace the Tiny Goldfish - the brooding one is indeed similar and based on the same pattern. What is he pondering, I wonder? Whatever it is, he seems a bit worried. Poor thing.

Fortunately he's not alone. His friend is a tiny magnetic turtle, and a timid one at that. He's not afraid of helping out a friend in need, though. Perhaps they can figure out goldie's troubles together?

(If the timid one also seems familiar, it's because he too is based on a previous design: Harald.)


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Introducing Hannibal the Man-Eating Plant

Introducing Morrgan's Creatures is an ongoing project to introduce all the creatures that gave my shop its name.


Hannibal the Man-Eating Plant

Ack! It's a man-eating plant!

Don't worry though, there's no need to run just yet. This little guy called Hannibal is still a small sapling and doesn't even have real teeth yet. So he'll just look really adorable as he tries to chew on your arm.

Hannibal is quite a friendly little guy, despite the ferocious reputation of this particular species of man-eating plant. He'll do very well on ham-and-cheese sandwiches, with the occasional fly thrown in for extra protein - just look at his chubby stem.


Hannibal the Man-Eating Plant is available as a pattern via Ravelry (or click here to buy now - no Ravelry account needed) and from my Etsy shop.

Making Hannibal involves both knitting and little bit of crochet. The knitting is done both flat and in the round, with the stitches knit, purl, lifted increases, knit/purl 2 together and slip stitch over. The crochet stitches are single crochet, chain and slip stitch.

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Introducing Hubert the Grumpy Unicorn

Introducing Morrgan's Creatures is an ongoing project to introduce all the creatures that gave my shop its name.


Hubert the Grumpy Unicorn
This is a grumpy little unicorn called Hubert. Why grumpy, I hear you ask? Well first of all, this particular teenage boy unicorn happens to be very pink. Just how is a poor unicorn supposed to impress that cute pegasus girl when he's as pink as can be? AND named Hubert? Seriously, what were his parents thinking?

If only he was a cool steely grey like his uncle Reginald, then things would be different. Or at least had uncle Reginald's name. Now there's a proper noble name for a mighty unicorn, sure to impress any cute pegasus. Not at all silly. Unlike Huuuubert.

But no, that wasn't to be. This little guy is pink Hubert. A very grumpy pink Hubert.


Grumpy Hubert is available as a pattern together with Tony the Lazy Pony via Ravelry (or click here to buy now - no Ravelry account needed) and from my Etsy and ArtFire shops.

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Introducing Morrgan's Creatures - a new series of posts

Most of my creatures end up with a story or a personality. It comes naturally as a part of the process of making them - while my hands are busy there's plenty of time to just think. Often my thoughts are preoccupied with what I'm making at the time and, in the case of creatures, eventually my mind gives them a personality and sometimes a little story. Occasionally it happens that the story comes to me first and I just have to make the creature it's about. (My knitty notebook has pages full of such stories - I hope I'll have time to make all the creatures too!)

It occured to me that it'd be fun to share these stories. Starting today, I'll be presenting my creatures one at a time in the series "Introducing Morrgan's Creatures" and I aim to post a new profile every week. I hope you'll enjoy!


Click here for the creature introductions.