They call me Mister Pig

Guinea Pig that is!

I love the way his eyes look in this one – he’s a piggie with ‘tude!

Rhys’ cousin has three wonderful girls and we’ve been invited for a 4th birthday party for the middle girl. Who’s apparently mad on Guinea Pigs at the moment. I don’t blame her – piggies are awesome.

This was an incredibly simple knit – - a Debi Birkin Pattern ; I’ve knitted her Nip and Nora rat patterns a few times and knew before I’d even started that this was a pattern worth paying for. The body is plain stocking stitch and afterwards you take a slicker brush with wire teeth and brush the living hell out of it. I used an acrylic boucle which worked pretty well. The success is dependant on being able to pull out loose fibres from the yarn and she recommends Mohair for this which I think would work fantastically. This is a toy for a child though; and I’m on a yarn diet so it had to do.

The only modification I made to the pattern was to make the front feet proportionally smaller. Guinea Pigs – like rats have long back feet and little tiny front paws that look more like hands. The back ones are 11 rows long, and the front only 5.

Tomorrow is the big party day so we get to see if she likes it – I hope so because I’m going to have trouble giving this sweetie away.

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Corwin

I was hoping I wouldn’t have to write this post for a while. I’d hoped at least not this side of Christmas; but he had other plans. Last Thursday Rhys came home from work to find him laid up in the cage, dehydrated and not interested in moving. Rhys tried tempting him with Peanut butter and he turned his nose up a it. Corwin… not accepting food meant it was a bad sign. A few weeks ago he’d started to loose movement in his hind quarters – as can happen in old rats. He was still moving around reasonably well; eating, drinking and snuggling and we agreed to take each day as it came. We took him to the vets that evening, and all agreed that the best thing to do for him was to let him go easily, peacefully and quietly in his sleep. Corwin came to us from SPA Vets in Gloucester. This was our vets before we moved to Newport and one I would heartily recommend to anyone in the area. He’d wandered in through someone’s cat flap and realising (thank goodness!) that he was...

Thinking about 2017 goals!

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Crafty Little Rat - Episode 19

Show Notes FO Frenzy Advent Calendar Shawl Rosie’s Moments Advent Calendar kit – A Shawl for Jos – Rosemary Davis – 3.5mm needle Lights Camera Action Socks Plain Sock, 64 stitch. V shaped Heel. Cascade Yarns Heritage Prints – 26 Holidays 2.26mm needles Tiger Socks Plain Sock, 64 Stitch, V shaped Heel. Easyknits.co.uk Dusted Dreams – Firestorm. 2.25mm needles Fox Point – Laura Aylor Knoll Yarns Kilcarra Tweed – Raphoe, Muff and Gara. 4,5mm needle Brioche Practice Piece 4.5 mm needle – Gara and Raphoe – Very Pink Knits tutorial New Year New Socks Stylecraft Head over heels – 3101 Fuji . 2.25mm needles, 64 stitch sock, Rounder Heel. Waiting for Rainbows Syliva McFadden Owl about Yarn – Sparkle Owl, Aberavon Harbour 175g 4.0mm needle You're Still working on that Hermionie’s Every Day Socks – Erica Lueder Rico Design Superba ...

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