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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?

Learn a Flower Bobble Technique to Knit a Fun Shawl

Generally I like knitting patterns where I feel like you can use whatever yarn you have (because my stash is big enough and I want to use it, thanks) and make a successful project. This is one of those times when a special yarn makes the process that much easier. 

The Floral Bouquet Shawl from Xandy Peters uses a specific extended color pooling yarn from Feisty Fibers, which allows you to place the bobble flowers with increasing frequency as you knit the project. 

It starts with a solid color yarn, then the two color yarn is added in, and you make a bobble whenever you encounter the color pops. This would be hard to replicate with other yarn that doesn’t have the extended color pooling built in.

The background of the shawl is ribbed, making the project reversible. 

The shawl uses fingering/sock yarn and comes out to be an asymmetrical triangle that’s 54 inches/137 cm long and 36 inches/ 90 cm deep and 60 inches/150 cm across the top edge. 

Xandy says the pattern is for intermediate to advanced knitters. Knowing how to work traditional bobbles would probably help, but there’s a great video tutorial for how to work the floral bobbles so you can practice on other yarn or even incorporate the bobbles into other projects. 

The bobbles are five-petaled flowers but they also kind of look like starfish to me, which could be fun on a child’s cardigan or other pattern. They’d also be fun on the leg of a sock or around the brim of a hat for extra whimsy. 

The pattern includes photo and video tutorials, and written and charted instructions. It also includes tips on what to look for if you choose to use different yarn for the project, and instructions on how to dye your own yarn to use in the project. 

If you want to give it a try, you can find the pattern on Ravelry. 

[Photo: Xandy Peters]