How to make miniature knitting

Little Knitting Mice

7th March 2015

It really is starting to feel like Spring in Leeds - the wind has lost its biting chill for the first time, and the snowdrops and crocuses are coming out in force! But even though it's warming up, the creatures have been having a lot of fun with trying their hand at knitting!



Over the past few weeks, I've spent a fair bit of time teaching myself to knit again (my last effort was a rainbow Dr Who scarf back in the 80s - I think it got so long only because I didn't know how to cast off!)

First of all, I made the tiny knitting needles, cutting a cocktail stick about 2cm from the pointy end. I added small blobs of polymer clay to the blunt end fixed with white craft glue (I've found that Fimo Professional champagne colour blends best with the wood). I then baked the needles for 15 minutes at 110C and let them cool.

For the knitting itself, I've been using very short 2mm metal knitting needles (they're only 10cm long) and embroidery thread or embroidery wool. I cast on six stitches, and then knit stocking stitch for about 10 rows or so.  On the final row, I knit three stitches onto one of the tiny knitting needles (that's quite a fiddly process!) As for the other three stitches, I slide them off the metal needle, and then thread them onto the second tiny cocktail stick needle, and I secure the wool in place with a dot of glue. The knitting these mice are holding was made with embroidery wool. I'm going to investigate whether single ply normal wool will achieve the same effect. 

I found some lovely variegated embroidery thread on eBay, 12 skeins in all, and being the completist that I am, I couldn't resist making one of each colour, even though that meant working until 3am one morning! The thread is harder to knit that the embroidery wool because it separates into strands rather easily, but I think it's worth the effort. 

Next up, and by popular request, I'll be trying my hand at miniature crocheting! I can make a miniature crochet hook using a modified eye pin. Mind you, I'll have to teach myself how to crochet first - I've never done it before! 

My next Creature Event, where you'll find lots of Knitting Creatures, and quite a few others besides (including four Snails!) takes place on Sunday 8th March at 8pm (UK time) in my online shop. 

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