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...

Cockatiel knit kits!

Jarvis Cockatiel knit kits are here and ready to arrive on your doorstep with a cheery "hello!" from the postman. OK, I can't guarantee the last bit - but I can guarantee a box full of all the yarns, notions, stuffing and odds and ends that you need to knit a lovely cockatiel. And don't forget there's a clear knitting pattern and a fun cockatiel button badge too! Cockatiel knit kits are available from my Etsy shop and I'll be making and posting them all the way up the last Christmas posting date, unless I run out of badges first...

A Jeff is for life, not just for Christmas

There's lots of Jeff the Seagull knit kits going out in the post today to people who'll be finding Jeff in their Christmas stocking this year! And because his kit is only £10 plus postage, he makes a great Secret Santa gift, too. Just remember, Jeff is for life, not just for Christmas - along with all the yarn and notions you need to create a pair of gulls, you also receive a printed knitted pattern, so you can make as many Jeffs as you like, all year round!

Meet Noel the Partridge

Meet Noel the Partridge! He's a cute knitted partridge, who's ready to hop on your Christmas tree (or pear tree) and he'd make a great holiday season gift. He's 12cm tall, super friendly, and available as a knit kit or PDF pattern from Etsy, Ravelry and Love Knitting. The knit kit contains everything you need to knit Noel, apart from needles - and you also get a cute button badge of Noel and his much-loved pear.

Northern Cardinal knit kit

And the next knit kit is ready and waiting for your needles to work their magic! This is Bob, the Northern Cardinal. He's the perfect size to sit in your hand, and can't wait to come and live with you. He's easy to knit on a pair of 4mm knitting needles, and your knit kit will contain everything you need to make Bob, along with a cute Bob button badge. Grab your cardinal knit kit here in my Etsy shop, or download the pattern from Ravelry and Love Knitting!

Knitted budgies

Who's a pretty boy then? Sparky the budgie! He's easy to knit flat on 2 needles and can't wait to be your new best knitted friend. His knitting pattern is here in my Etsy shop, and also on Ravelry and Love Knitting. I've also put together a budgie knit kit, containing everything that you need to knit a Sparky, including yarn, notions, stuffing, the knitting pattern and a lovely handbag mirror - it would make a really cute gift for the budgie fan in your life.

Beneduck Cumberquack

Beneduck Cumberquack is a very smart mallard duck gentleman! You can knit him from my pattern, or treat yourself to a Beneduck Cumberquack knit kit, which contains everything you need to knit your own mallard duck, along with a lovely Beneduck button badge.

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.

Free blue tit knitting pattern

My Albie the Blue Tit knitting pattern is now available as a free PDF download from Let's Knit magazine. Hope you enjoy it!

Seagull knit kits!

Here's my first ever knit kit, Jeff the seagull! Each kit contains enough yarn, stuffing and notions to knit yourself 2 Jeffs, plus the knitting pattern, so you can make an inifinite number of Jeffs using your own DK once you've finished the kit. Each kit contains an exclusive Jeff button badge as well! Kits are £10 plus shipping, and they're available from my Etsy shop or from Venue 20 of Worthing Artists Open Houses, during the open house event in June/July.

Worthing Artists Open Houses

Come and say hello to me and the knitted birds at Venue 20, Worthing Artists Open Houses - the venue will be open 17th-18th June, 24th-25th June, and 1st-2nd July from 11-5pm. I'll be there from 3pm on the 17th, and from 1pm on the 25th and 1st. You'll be able to buy knitted birds, signed copies of my book, and my new seagull knit kit, along with prints, textiles, homeware, cards and gifts from 6 other talented local artists.

Free Guinea Pig knitting pattern

If you'd like to knit some guinea pigs of your very own, my knitting pattern is now available as a free download from Let's Knit magazine! You'll need a pair of 4mm knitting needles and the DK yarn of your choice - the guinea pigs are knitted flat. Hope you enjoy the knitting pattern!

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!

Knitted lutino cockatiel

I've knitted grey cockatiels before, but never a lutino one, so here he is!

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!

Tropical parrots

Hands up, who'd like to knit a cuddly, colourful parrot? I've just added the pattern for this cute pair to my Etsy shop and Ravelry. They are nice, easy knit, flat on a pair of 4mm knitting needles. I used Stylecraft Special DK but you can use the DK yarn of your choice - they are a very colourful way to do a bit of stash busting!

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).

Let's Knit knitted chickens!

My knitting pattern for these little knitted chickens are in the April issue of Let's Knit magazine! They are a super quick and easy knit and are a great way of using up any scraps of DK yarn that you have in your stash. They're the right size to hide a Creme Egg inside, so will make a really sweet little Easter gift for a special someone (or you can use them to hide your Creme Eggs so no-one else will pinch them!)

Long tailed tit

I've been working on knitting some long tailed tits over the weekend - hoping to get out this week and find some blossom for them to sit in so I can take some outdoors photos.

Seagull work in progress

Here's a work-in-progress photo of some little knitted gulls that are an adaptation of one of the first knitting patterns I ever did. I've simplified these by losing some of the felt details and changing the beak to a simple knitted shape - I quite like these new streamlined gulls.

A pair of kookaburras

A lovely pair of knitted kookaburras! I'm really happy with how these guys are turning out.

Cockatiels

Two knitted cockatiels, trying to put the world to rights.

I AM THE GOD OF HELL FIRE AND I BRING YOU...

To celebrate the start of the Chinese new year, the year of the Fire Rooster, my knitted chicken did a Crazy World of Arthur Brown cosplay.

Let's Knit guinea pigs!

Meet Neil and Stanley, the knitted guinea pigs! If you'd like to make them, my knitting pattern is in the February issue of Let's Knit magazine. They are nice and easy to make, they are knitted flat on 4mm needles and you can use your favourite DK yarn to make them.

Kookaburra

It's a new knitted bird! I've been working on this Kookaburra for the last week and am so pleased with how he turned out.

Knitted budgie

It's really good to have someone help you with the paperwork at this time of year!

Aladdin Sane

One more David Bowie finger puppet - this one is knitted with a felt lightning flash.

I'm currently knitting a series of David Bowie incarnations to commemorate what would have been his 70th birthday on the 8th January, and the first anniversary of his death on the 10th January. Here's my knitted version of the Hunky Dory LP cover, and the Thin White Duke.

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.

Knitted rats

Eek! The kitchen has been invaded by knitted rats! Don't worry, they are all very friendly. They are cuddly rats that you can knit up using oddments of DK yarn - and they are knitted flat on two needles so are a nice, easy knit. The pattern is in my Etsy shop, and also available as a Ravelry download.