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Giveaway: Faux Taxidermy Knits

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faux taxidermy knits giveaway

Patricia is the winner.

I recently shared a story about Louise Walker, a British knitter who has turned knitting faux taxidermy animals into a booming business, and it just happens that I found my copy of her book, Faux Taxidermy Knits, in my donate pile so I thought it was the right time to do a giveaway.

The book is a lot of fun, with both wearable projects and home decor inspired by animals. Check out all the projects on Raverly.

I have a friend who covets the wolf headdress, and I have to say it is pretty amazing.

If you’d like a chance to win this book, leave a comment on this post before the end of the day Sunday, Sept. 11. I’d love to know what your favorite wild animal is, if you can narrow it down to just one (I’ve always been partial to cheetahs, but I’m not sure I’d want to knit cheetah print!).

Thanks for visiting, commenting and sharing, and good luck!

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Comments

  1. I would have to say my favorite wild animal is a leopard. That should be easier then a Cheetah. LOL

  2. With my grandchildren in the south (read that as hot climate) my usual gifts of hats, scarfs and mittens are no longer wanted or needed. Your book of Fayx Taxiderny Knits could give me a way to still gift with knitted items.

  3. I’ve already made an anatomically correct shark hat as well as an anaconda hat scarf in crochet. Guess I’m obsessed with animal weirdness and also new to knitting. please help me move beyond scarves and dishcloths (yawn).

  4. My favorite wild animal is a deer. But I have to say I want to make that fox it’s so cool and winter is right around the corner.

  8. I just love those hedgehog slippers!!! They look so happy that I think I would smile every time I looked at my feet.

  9. I wonder if my husband would notice if I knit something from this book and hung it up with his other deer heads in the house??

  12. Love to knit unique unusual projects. Smile thinking of how
    delighted a child would be to receive an animal themed item.
    The Panda Bear would be one of my favorite wild animal.

  14. the theme for our county fair next year is “party with the animals” this would be perfect!

  17. How cute!!! the fox scarf would make a wonderful gift for my grandchildren. I feel just positive my husband would tell them some outrageous story about how he found a fox skin. they would then want to find more!!!!

  20. I love this book… My favorite local wild animals are deer, squirrels & rabbits (all wild in my yard). Favorites that I don’t see in my yard have to be elephants & tigers.

  22. I’m partial to the whole cat family, but leopards are my most favorite. I’ve already knit leopard print and it’s not so bad! Cheetah should be easier 😛

  29. I have I have a collection of hippos but that badger is pretty fun too! You’re right, lots of great projects in this book

  36. We have many critters in our woods. I would have to choose between the little fox I see from time to time or the white tail deer or the cute little black squirrels or the wild turkeys or the family of rabbits that live here too! Tough choice but I would have to go with the little black squirrels.

  37. My favorite wild critters are Squirrels and Crows. I feed them both in my backyard, but haven’t thought of knitting their likeness before!

Have you read?

Textured Hat Knitting Patterns

There are all sorts of knitting techniques you can use on hats, but some of my favorites are textured stitch patterns or cabled hats worked in a single color. Check out these great textured hat knitting patterns and find your next fall favorite. 

The K?pekapeka hat from The Practice of Fibre was the one that got me started thinking about textured hat knitting patterns. This one has a simple zig-zag pattern worked with purls. This hat uses centered double decreases for shaping to help keep the pattern going as you finish the top of the hat. It uses worked weight yarn. 

Little Totz Designs has this simple knit hat that uses worsted weight yarn and an allover knit-purl stitch pattern that’s easy to memorize. This one would be a great first hat in the round pattern if that’s something you haven’t tried before. 

The Fia Beanie from Honey and Grace Fiber Co is another simple stitch pattern that’s full of texture. It calls for bulky yarn so it should stitch up in no time in this great textured diamond design. 

Kalurah Hudson’s Cindersmoke hat is an interesting stitch design that uses double moss stitch and bands of slipped stitches throughout the pattern, which is where the decreases are worked, keeping the rest of the pattern as established. It uses bulky yarn and is sized for adults, and you can find it on Ravelry.

Benjamin Matthews has such pretty designs that often turn out to be simpler to knit than they look. The Snow Carved Beanie (find it on Ravelry) for example only uses knits, purls and slipped stitches, but it has a design that looks almost like cables. The pattern uses worsted weight yarn and has a foldover brim for extra warmth. 

While I wanted to keep the focus in this roundup on simple stitch patterns, basic cables are not that much more difficult than regular knitting, and the lattice pattern on this CrissCross Hat form the Purling Princess is so charming I couldn’t resist sharing. This hat comes in three sizes (baby, child and adult) and uses worsted weight yarn. It would be a great gift to knit if you’re thinking about that.