Small Horse, „Waldorf style“

And then – bam! – a horse appeared. Just like that, out of nowhere! Even better – it came from a Waldorf kindergarten. But let’s start from the beginning:

At the moment, I’m juggling a couple of projects—a colorful African Flower blanket and a new cover for a footstool/ottoman (posts to come!)—but it seems that coming across an unusual or inspiring pattern almost always makes me put everything on hold and start something new. That’s exactly what happened when I stumbled across the homepage of a German Waldorf kindergarten suggesting knit farm animals. I immediately fell for the horse. The pattern is simple, quick, and the finished result is absolutely delightful. Now our little herd has grown to a band of wild horses… and one zebra.

 

horse Waldorf-Kindergarten häkelmonster

The way it works is straightforward: first, you knit the body according to the pattern. It’s all done in one piece with a few increases and decreases, and honestly, it’s quick—done in about an hour. Then you fold it in half and finally join it together, making sure to work in the tail along the way. So far, none of the horses I’ve made have ears or a mane—I’m not a fan of the ears the pattern suggests, and I haven’t figured out a good way to do the mane. But honestly, isn’t it just as loveable even without them?

Flower Blanket

The weather outside is downright miserable—cold, rainy, just plain NASTY—and for some reason, it’s making me want to repost the flower blanket. Here it is, snuggled up with the kid for scale and company.

BlumendeckeRecently, I started working on a “summer version” made from pure cotton, but of course the store ran out of red and pink… so now I’m stuck. Do I arrange the squares randomly, leaving out red and pink entirely? Or do I wait until next summer, hoping the colors will finally be back in stock? Maybe I’ll surf the web (why didn’t I think of that sooner?!) and see if I can find the yarn online.

Either way, it’s shaping up to be a true 2013 project – slow, evolving, and full of little decisions along the way.

 

Flower Squares

I started these little flower squares back in 2010 – yes, 2010 – and maybe I needed a blog to finally admit it: this will NEVER become a proper blanket. NEVER. Each tiny flower square measures just an inch… so small, so delicate, yet there are so many of them.

But now I’m stuck. What am I actually going to do with them? Turn them into greeting cards? A mini scarf of flower squares? Perhaps a decorative border of some sort? Or maybe, just maybe, stretch them out into a baby blanket, letting the flowers scatter randomly across it? And then there’s the big question: what colors should I use, and how should I arrange them? I honestly have no idea.

So I’m turning to you—what would you do? Suggestions, ideas, or even wild, whimsical plans are all more than welcome!

Happy New Year

So here we are – it’s 2013! And what can I say? Thank you for stopping by the häkelmonster from time to time, thank you for leaving comments on my posts, for your encouragement, and – probably most important of all – thank you for welcoming me so warmly into the world of crafts and blogs.

Your company, your support, and your kind words have made this journey not only easier, but also a truly joyful one. I’m deeply grateful for every visit, every note, and every little bit of encouragement along the way.

May the New Year be good to you, may all resolutions be kept (…), and may we see or read or write each other soon.

Happy New Year!

happy new year haekelmonster