Happy Christmas!

I'm going to be shutting my Etsy shop tomorrow (19th December) and re-opening again on 26th December. I'd like to wish you all a happy Christmas and thank you all so much for your support over the last year. I hope you all have a happy holiday period, and I'll be back soon with new knitted birds!

If you'd like to download any knitting patterns over the festive period, they will still be available from Ravelry and Love Knitting because, you know, digital downloads don't need a holiday...

Free postage on my Knitted Birds book!

For a limited time, you can swoop down and pick up a copy of my book Knitted Birds from my Etsy shop, and enjoy free UK postage and packing - and if you're outside the UK, shipping is just £3 for airmail to anywhere in the world. Woo hoo!

Worthing Artists Open Houses 2017

Come and say hello to me and the knitted birds at Venue 20 of the Worthing Artists Open Houses trail! This fun and friendly house is open for its third year. Find art, illustration, textiles, and printmaking by 7 artists, and enjoy a cuppa and something to eat in the garden.

The Ashdown Road artists are Anna's Drawing Room, hello DODO, John Bond, Ellie Bond, Julie Ingham, Sarah Edmonds, and me!

Venue 20 is at 39 Ashdown Road, Worthing BN11 1DF, and it's open 11am-5pm 17th/18th June, 24th/25th June and 1st/2nd July. You can see (and buy!) my knitted birds, book and knit kits every weekend, and I'll be there on 17th June (in the afternoon, time TBC), 25th June 1pm-5pm and 1st July 1pm-5pm.

Knitted mallard duck

Here's another project that I've finished, a knitted mallard duck. The pattern for this duck is in my book Knitted Birds!

Let's Knit blue tits!

The knitting pattern for my blue tits is in issue 118 of Let's Knit magazine - if you've got your hands on a copy of my book Knitted Birds, you'll know that there's a blue tit pattern in there, too. Well, these are a little bit different to the original, like a blue tit 2.0! They have a different shape, and the markings are all made with intarsia knitting rather than embroidery. Hope you enjoy making them!

Knitted nest and eggs

Spring is in the air and it's the time of year that I love knitting little nests and eggs - they make lovely spring decorations for your home, or you can substitute the knitted eggs for chocolate ones, and you have the perfect Easter treat!

If you'd like to knit a nest and eggs, the pattern is in my book Knitted Birds, published by Search Press. There may also be a nest or two in my Etsy shop if they haven't flown off to a new home already (not that nests can fly, but you know what I mean).

Blackbird

This little knitted blackbirds is still one of my favourites to knit - the pattern is in my book Knitted Birds, if you fancy making one yourself. At this time of year the blackbirds in my garden seem more friendly than usual and come right up to my feet some days, when I go out to top up the bird feeders. I throw them a handful of suet pieces onto the grass and then have to wait for them to finish, otherwise the seagulls come and eat it.

Yarn Shop Day at Seeded!

Come along and meet me and the knitted birds at Seeded in Southsea, Hampshire, and celebrate Yarn Shop Day! Yarn Shop Day is organised each year by Let's Knit magazine and it's a chance to connect and enjoy your local yarn shop - if you're not near Southsea, check out Let's Knit magazine's listings of participating shops. There's lots of special events, giveaways, workshops and free patterns (and cake) going on in local yarn shops all over the country. Anyway - I will be at Seeded from 11am - 3pm with the knitted birds and I will be signing copies of my book. There'll be lots of other things going on at Seeded too - what better excuse to visit this fantastic, friendly yarn shop!

Knitted Birds for Christmas

There's still time to order a copy of my book Knitted Birds, if you're looking for the perfect Christmas present for the knitter in your life! It contains over 30 different bird knitting patterns, along with nests and eggs. Maybe if you give it as a Christmas present the lucky recipient might knit you a bird or two in the new year? 

It's available directly from my blog, or from my Etsy shop, or you can buy it in all good bookshops (although if you buy one from me, I can sign it for you, for an-extra special present idea). 

WWT Arundel Discover Birds weekend

I'm going to be at the WWT Arundel Wetlands Centre on 21st November, taking part in their brilliant Discover Birds day - I'll be there from 2-4pm on Saturday so come along and say hello and meet me and the knitted birds! I'll be knitting woolly wildfowl and signing copies of my book Knitted Birds, which is available in the WWT Arundel shop.

I'm so happy to be taking part in this event, as WWT Arundel was the inspiration for many of my knitted birds, including the kingfishers below.

There are going to be walks, talks, craft sessions and activities for all ages at Arundel WWT on 21st and 22nd November. Hope to see you there!

Knitted Birds book launch

I'm going to be at The Wool Bar, Worthing on Saturday 3rd October from 2-5pm, signing copies of Knitted Birds and dishing out tea and biscuits to celebrate the launch of my book.

Come along and meet me and the knitted birds, it would be lovely to see you!

Blackbird, Blackbird, Singing in a Tree

Nick Penny is a very talented songwriter, who has written a beautiful children's song called Blackbird, Blackbird, Sitting in a Tree. There's an equally beautiful little video that he made for the song, and it stars my knitted blackbird!

Meet Brian the blackbird - he was knitted by Eleanor Gibson, using my pattern from Knitted Birds. She did a wonderful job! Watch the video on YouTube - it's a lovely children's sing-a-long song, and you get to enjoy Brian hanging out at the Oundle Great Yarn yarnbomb, and all sorts of pretty locations around the town and countryside.

Thanks Nick! I'm so happy you made this video, it is absolutely charming.

Check out Nick's website www.nickpenny.com for more beautiful music, including Calling up the Dawn, a CD of harp, guitar, and birdsong.

The Lady

Thrilled with this wonderful feature on my Knitted Birds book in The Lady magazine! 

Knitted Birds book - it's here!

This is my book, Knitted Birds! It contains over 30 knitting patterns and instructions for all kinds of birds, along with information on the materials, tools and techniques you'll need.

Whether you want to make a robin to perch on your Christmas tree, an owl to overlook your breakfast nook, or a whole family of ducks to decorate your desk, these beautiful birds are fun to make and display, whether you are a beginner or a more experienced knitter.

All birds are knitted flat on a single pair of needles. There's no knitting in the round or using four needles!

Patterns include: a family of mallard ducks and ducklings, song thrush, blue tit, canada goose, blackbirds, mute swan and cygnets, a family of barn owls, avocet, lapwing, puffin, collared dove, magpie, oystercatcher, osprey, kingfishers, hoopoe, pheasant, snowy owls, woodpecker, robin, sparrow, seagull, raven and tufted duck. There's also patterns for nests and eggs! Some birds have wire legs, and detailed instructions are included on how to make these, along with templates for beaks.

I'm so happy with how the book turned out! Search Press did a wonderful job and created a large and beautiful, glossy paperback. It's 128 pages long, and full of stunning photography.

The Knitted Birds book is £12.99, and if you live in the UK, for a limited time, shipping is free! If you are in the USA, Canada, Europe, or anywhere else in the world, air mail shipping is just £5, making a total of £17.99.

If you'd like to own a copy of Knitted Birds, the PayPal button is below... Please use the drop-down box to choose your shipping option.

Knitted Birds book

UK free shipping £12.99 GBP Rest of the World shipping £17.99 GBP

If you'd like a signed copy, let me know when you place your order.

A peek at my Knitted Birds book

So excited, I've just received the advance copy of my book from Search Press - it looks amazing! And so cute...

Knitted mute swan is just checking to see whether he has been included (he has, don't worry).

The book will be available in August!

Knitted blackbird

Knitted blackbird out enjoying the sunshine today. This is one of the patterns from my Knitted Birds book!

Gosling and cygnet

Knitted gosling and cygnet - the knitting pattern for these little fluffy beauties is going to be in my Knitted Birds book, and the two below are currently looking for a new home (visit my Etsy shop for details and more photos).

Knitted blackbird

I've decided to make a limited number of knitted birds for sale on Etsy, in the run-up to my Knitted Birds book being published by Search Press in September. So here's the first one who is currently available for adoption on Etsy - a handsome male knitted blackbird.

He's approximately 20cm long from tip of the tail to tip of the felt beak. If you'd like to knit one of your own, he will be one of the patterns in my Knitted Birds book!

Kingfisher

It's been a really busy new year so far - I've been proofreading all the bird patterns for my new book and working on the final few birds who will make it into the pages. This little knitted kingfisher is one of them!