Ravelry Update

Just a quick update to let all you Ravellers out there that all of the Jelly Bum Patterns are available for instant download on Ravelry. At the moment it is only available for single pattern purchases or multiple pattern without the pattern deals added. I have tried adding promotions to allow a discount once more than one pattern is purchased however the checkout is not able to override the other deal promotions.

Just before I go I wanted to post a picture which was uploaded to the Facebook page from a lovely knitter called Catherine. Isn't this little mobile adorable. I love how creative you guys are with the patterns and this is why I love seeing pictures of finished toys.
Keep tuned later in the week for an update on a  new pattern schedule.
Raynor x

Sew sketchy

Those of you who are fans on Facebook will see that yesterday I posted about receiving my new sewing machine yesterday. I haven't sewn for a long time since I haven't really had the space to keep a sewing machine, however I really wanted to start making some sewing patterns so I decided just to go ahead and buy one. I'm sure my husband wont mind giving up some wardrobe room for fabrics or listening to the humming of the machine whilst watching his favourite programmes!  I'm currently waiting on a delivery of fabric for creating prototypes so in the meantime I'm sketching franticly as you can see from the rubbish picture above (apologies as it was taken on my phone). Today I'll mostly be working with little cloth scraps and making draft prototypes before I get my hands on some 'proper' fabric. Oh I'm so excited I really can't wait to get some pattern available, I feel like this has jump started the inspiration station in my brain again.
Watch this space.....
Raynor

Pattern mashup = Dragon

Hey all,
I've been meaning to write this post for a while as the original photo was posted on Ravelry way back in January. I want to introduce you to Martin.

© flyingpigknits on Ravelry

© flyingpigknits on Ravelry

© flyingpigknits on Ravelry

I practically sqweed (I'm not actually too sure how to spell the particular noise I made but you get the picture!) when i seen this little guy. So thanks to Dagny (flyingpigknits on Ravelry) who made this little guy, for giving me permission to pass on her fab idea to you all. Martin is made from the latest Jelly Bums crocodile pattern with the spike from the free Jelly Bum dino suit added to his back, making him into an adorable little dragon. This is why i love seeing what other people make from my patterns as you guys add your own twists and mods so that you can come up with a whole new look to a toy and make some really unique little toys. So please if you knit one of these little guys post some photos to the Facebook page, Ravelry or Flickr, I'd love to see your very own little dragons.

Also just to keep you up to date with how things are going with patterns, i'm currently working on one, have got a bit through it but still trowing ideas at it to see what looks best without making the pattern too fiddly or complicated for beginners or those wanting a quick knit.

I also wanted to ask you guys opinion on a new line of Jelly Bum sewing patterns? I haven't sewn in a long time and in fact don't even own a sewing machine. Recently I've been thinking about getting one to teach my girls how to sew as I feel its one of the skills a lot of children have lost in recent years. This got me thinking about a new range of patterns, and I'd love to hear your opinion even if it's just to say that you would dust off that old singer and get back into sewing yourself.

Raynor x

For Auld Land Syne

Well today is the very last day of 2011 or as us Scots like to call it Hogmanay.

Our 2011 has been a bit up and down with the loss of my grandmother in January but the complete high of the birth of our son Flynn in August. Our family has also been adjusting to my father becoming severely disabled after a road accident from the terrible weather of winter 2010 as well as my husband being made redundant from his job of 12 years in November.
However for some reason I feel I'm seeing this year out with a high and the realisation that I am blessed with  my wonderful family and my own health and happiness and I should never take that for granted.

I look forward to the new year ahead mainly new ventures of returning to uni, my husband getting a new job, and my eldest child beginning school ( how the heck did that happen so quickly!). Tonight I will be celebrating with an early night mainly due to the fact that my husband is holed up in bed with food poisoning. So for all you guys out there who have taken the time to read this I hope you all have a fantastic start to the year of 2012, celebrate with he ones you love and you all look forward to the wonderful things that will come your way. So for new year tradition I'm going to sign out with the most famous new year song of all time:

"Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot and auld lang syne
For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne,
We'll take a cup o kindness yet, for auld lang syne."

All the best

Love Raynor x

Jelly Bum Crocodile

 
Well hello there, long time no see! Ok so I've been very lax with the upkeep of the blog for the past while now. Its due to a huge combination of things such as juggling studying, work placements, family life, pregnancy etc etc etc. However I also wanted to confess that I've just been stuck in a bit of creative rut or somewhat of a 'designers block' for some time now. Perhaps it's just because I have a million other things to deal with in the day and then when it comes the time to get a half hour here or there to knit my brain is just frazzled. I've been finding it hard to get inspiration to pick up the needles and create, and then when I do I just end up frogging it because the finished item isn't turning out how I want it to, oh the joys of being a Virgo perfectionist eh? Anyhoo last week I got a little light bulb moment and took the bull by the horns and started to knit. Out of nowhere popped this little guy, a cheeky little crocodile. He will be the 30th Jelly Bum animal to join the crew. Can you believe it there are 30 animal patterns, it seems crazy to have that many available now. As usual he is available from my website and etsy store. By the way if you were wondering what the difference between a crocodile and an alligator, apparently alligators are only found in south USA and whereas crocs are found worldwide, plus a crocs teeth will always show when its mouth is closed whereas an alligators teeth are hidden.You learn something new everyday huh? (Can you tell I googled it? haha).

A little Jelly Bean!

My apologies for my distinct lack of blogging for the last few months. Everything is a bit up in the air at the moment the biggest news being that we're having another baby!

This is our newest little addition due to arrive 30th August 2011!

We also found out at out 20 week scan that we are expecting a little boy this time. Eek, what do I do with one of those! Haha only joking it, just hope he likes being doused in pink which seems radiate from every corner of our house as our girls grow older and get decisively more girly everyday!

The news also means that I will be on maternity leave from 18th July and so am hoping to use it to try and get more patterns on the go (once it all settles down).

This is also my perfect excuse to start knitting some baby clothes, which is completely alien to me, but I'm loving the gorgeous little shawl collar cardigan on Ravelry. I have a feeling my baby may be in some wonky shaped cardigans for the first few months of his life.

Raynor x

Jelly Bum Panda

Why hello there!

I've popped on to let you all know about the new Jelly Bum panda pattern, it's he adorable! As usually he is available from my website or from my etsy shop.

My apologies to everyone who has been in contact asking when I was be releasing a new pattern. My fingers have been itching for months to try and get more patterns out, I've just been so busy with work/uni which are definitely pattern stoppers, much to my disappointment.

I've been off on holiday this week for the first time in 3 months so I've had a chance to catch up with things, the the new pattern out and even get started on a new pattern. I am catching the bull by the horns this time as I won't get another break until Christmas time. Once I get the new pattern out I'll try and get some new dress up patterns available too.

I hope your all doing well and enjoying your knitting, I love the change in the seasons when it feels good to be knitting cosy stuff again, makes you feel all warm and fuzzy.

I'll be back soon with updates on the latest pattern under construction.

Raynor x

Favors and Facebook

Hey everyone,
It's been ages since my last post, so thought I would pop back for a wee update. Whenever I send out my pattern I always ask people to send me pictures or upload them somewhere like ravelry or the flickr group, because I really do love to see what people make with the patterns. I also love the little stories that accompany each little animal that has been made and you guys always seem to personalise them so well. I little while back I recieved an email from a lovely lady called Christine, she had sent me a photo of 80 Jelly Bum finger puppets she had created as favors for her daughters wedding guests. I thought that was such a fantastic idea, very personalised and unique. Here is a photos of them altogether, also note the adorable little bride and groom at the front.

I was also informed that some of these little guys even have there own facebook profile! So it got me thinking that Jelly Bums needed its own facebook group, and at long last I have eventually set one up, so please feel free to join and ask questions and photos etc. Also if anyone has one of these little finger puppets as a facebook friend then add them i'd love to see there profile.

To join the Jelly Bums Facebook group click here

Raynor x

Jelly Bum Kangaroo

Ok I'm just going to slip quietly through the door here, since I should be ashamed at myself for neglecting this little blog!

My apologies for disappearing, it seems my knitting life is back on track after my little stint on work placement for uni. It seems to be hotting up here in Scotland (Read as: the temperatures are now just above freezing!) but all I want to do is knit, knit, knit. Seems that it's the perfect way to procrastinate when I should really be writing that 3000 word essay.

Over the last while I've been mulling away with this pattern until I had perfected it, so I'm proud to introduce to you the Jelly Bum Kangaroo. I've been informed by the lovely Australian Faye that the toys should be referred to as 'she' as male kangaroos do not have pouches (ashamedly showing my ignorance by calling it a 'he') which would make sense since they are for the little Joeys after all.

As usual available from all the usual etsy and website locations. I hope you all like him and want to knit them up for your little joeys.

For the next few pattern I'm going to concentrate on a few more clothing patterns for the toys so I'll be doing a boy theme and a girl theme still deciding what I'll go with for them though but have a few sketches down. So keep an eye out for them.

Love, hugs and thanks for your patience

Raynor x

Jelly Bum Squirrel

First of all I want to thank you all for being so patient with me during my huge absence from posting. I have been around juts lurking in the background really as I've not had much time over the last few months only to send patterns and answer my emails. I hadn't lost the knitting bug just that i barely had any time to dedicate to my family etc with all my uni stuff going on and so something had to give. I came of on holiday juts before Christmas and picked up my needles as soon as. It felt like being reacquainted with a long lost friend!

So now that i have a little time to myself I've been creating again and this time I get to announce the arrival of the Jelly Bum Squirrel. Naturally with me being a redhead he had to be a red squirrel. Adorable as ever I really enjoyed knitting him up since he was my first project in as many months. So if you want to knit him up as always he is available from my Etsy shop and website.

In other knitting news I have went and purchased a little drop spindle, and some nice Shetland tops. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, then I'm planning to start hand spinning some yarn for myself. The whole reason behind this was that I'm starting up a new little venture called Little Hobos. These will be little toys knit by myself in my own hand spun wool. You never know I might even give dyeing the wool a bash as well. So if you would like to keep updated with that new venture you can follow my progress at http://www.littlehobos.blogspot.com/.

OK I'm off for now, I'm still knitting away so please check back for any updates and I'll see you all on the other side in 2010!

Happy new year all

Raynor x