Sunday, June 12, 2011

Fat Robin - New on Petite Purls

Hi Knitters,
I have a brand new free toy pattern up this morning on Petite Purls. I have a long enduring love of robins in the springtime in Wisconsin. The first sighting of a robin in our yard is a yearly event we look forward to.

Here is my story behind this fun new design:

Every spring I anxiously wait for the robins to appear. I feel like it is a true sign that spring is coming and we desperately need spring in our cold Wisconsin climate.

One day I was out for a run when I came across a neighborhood park. Sitting in the grass was the largest group of robins I have ever seen, maybe 20 or so just sitting there. I stopped in my tracks and soaked it in for a while. This really inspired me to get going on designing a robin which was something I have always wanted to do. The other aspect of robins which I love are their gorgeous tiny blue eggs. I had to include a few of these in the design as well.

Fat Robin got its name because my kids and I always comment when we see a fat robin with "That's a fat Robin!" The fatter the better for us. When my daughter picked up the Fat Robin she said, "Awwww." Then she turned it over, saw the eggs tucked under the wings and exclaimed, "Ohhhhhhhhhh!!" That pretty much sums it up. Of course, every robin needs a place to sit so I whipped up an accompanying nest.

The sweet blue eggs are the best part. They get tucked under the wing/tail overlay for safe keeping and easy storage.

The entire toy is knit in Spud & Chloƫ Sweater.
The robin is knit in one piece in the round from the bottom to the top of the head.
The wing/tail piece is knit in one piece from the top down.
With a few quick and easy stitches to attach the wing/tail piece to the body you are done. There is little finishing and only two parts to the robin. It's a very simple toy design.
This is my favorite part. Tucking the eggs under the wings is the best.
The nest is also knit in one piece. I made up this fringe stitch which is worked in as you go.
The simplicity, the interactive element and my love of robins in general make this toy a special one.





best, susie

20 comments:

Sarah said...

So so sweet!! Little blue robin eggs are the greatest. Thank you for sharing this!

Jennifer said...

So, so cute Susan! Thank you!

Anonymous said...

That is the cutes thing I've seen in a long time! Thanks so much for sharing it with us. I'm definitely going to make this. (And you are right-the same goes for us in NE Ohio~ seeing the first robins in the yard is truly an event we rejoice in!)

Kelly said...

I love it! Thanks, Susan!

Amber@Munchkin Land said...

I just bought your itty-bitty nursery to add to my itty-bitty toys of yours! :-) Love ALL of your stuff. I can't wait to knit this robin for my sweet Caroline- thank you for being so kind to share some awesome free stuff!!

Barb said...

Could you possibly be any more creative?? Seriously, you never cease to amaze me!! This sweet robin and her eggs is just too, too adorable.

Thank you so much for sharing your creativity with us - your generosity is truly a gift to the rest of us!!!

Erin said...

Great interview! I must get the book! I love that there is a children's story within!! My little 2 year old is always looking through my knitting books - he gets so excited when he finds pictures of sheep. This will be a book for both of us :)
Thanks for the free robin pattern - that is now in my favs!

Miss Julep said...

I LOVE your robin! I especially love how the eggs fit inside. TOO CUTE!!

Armida said...

I just love Robins!! My favourite thing in spring is when they start showing up in our lawn :) Right now we have a momma robin sitting on her eggs in her nest she built on the beam under our deck. She's so loving and attentive to her little eggs, it's so precious to watch! I can't wait for them to hatch. I think I'm going to have to knit up this pattern right away!! Thanks so much Susan for another great pattern :)

Stefanie said...

What a great idea!

mountain girl said...

Susan, I love this! You really make cute stuff. I'm just finishing your baby hat and cardigan from Itty Bitty Nursery, to go along with the baby texture blanket I finished last month. Love them all.

Tara Vanderkamp said...

Hi Susan,
I really like your new Robin, very cute and I can't wait to get started. I have all your books and the mag with the woodland animals in it. I was wondering if that mag on your latest blog about 'Petite Purls' will be sold in stores? I want to get a copy and I'm not sure how. My Mom wants a copy too. You inspire us and we're so thankful for you and all your hard work.
Blessings
Tara
tarakristav@hotmail.com

Rebekah said...

OH my goodness! I love it. But I must insist you stop writing toy patterns because my queue is getting way to long I want to knit everything. This friday I'm going on a yarn crawl in St. Louis and the goal is to take my Spud & Chloe book and get yarn for each project and knit a farm story. I can't wait! I haven't been this excited about a project in a long time.

Anonymous said...

Love it, love it, love it!!! Thanks so much :) We say the exact same thing about the chubby robins here. If you don't have a bird bath you are definetly missing out. They are hilariously enthusiastic bathers! Thanks for all of the work you do for these patterns and sharing them with us gratis. You are awesome and I so appreciate it!

Unknown said...

So cute! Isn't this issue of Petite Purls absolutely stunning?!

Connie, the daisyhead said...

She is adorable! Another fabulous piece of design work!

Now I must search for yarn to knit this one for my bird loving little girl...

Anonymous said...

It was cool to see what your project was from the "Something New" post from the end of March. I never would have guessed it would be a robin with eggs and a nest!

Alison said...

So adorable and completely ingenious! Even cuter in real life (if that's possible)...feeling so lucky I got a glimpse of him (and you!) at tnna.

paws said...

Oh my, you did it again. This is wonderful!

Anonymous said...

What a cute pattern!! Love it!