Catching up post #1: The Puffin
The first of, well, a few posts to show off my FOs so far. This was my first one - I knitted it for my boyfriend's birthday last month. It's a puffin. The Amazing Flightless Puffin of the Farne Islands, in fact, hence the short wings.
The story behind it is that when we went to Northumberland we took a trip on one of those bird watching boats that go round the Farne Islands so you can see lots of sea birds that live on the cliffs (and also some seals, which really are much cooler). Being a city girl I know next to nothing about wildlife, but Saul is a countryside ranger, so you'd expect him to. Now, we're standing at the front of the boat with lots of birdwatchers who are glued to their binoculars and/or digital cameras.
Me: I want to see a puffin! (pointing to random bird flying across) Is that a puffin?
Saul: Don't be stupid, puffins can't fly!
. . . to be proven wrong, of course, by the man on the tannoy who points out the birds. He was very embarrassed and I teased him about it all weekend (still do, in fact).
So, as part of his birthday present he had to get a puffin. I wasn't going to knit him anything at all (the sweater curse and all that) but then I saw the pattern for the penguin on Knitty and something just said "puffin" to me . . .
The rest of his birthday presents were lots of food items I made - spiced apple chutney, red onion marmalade, fudge, shortbread, pickled roast peppers, carrot and walnut loaf, sunflower and linseed bread, chili vodka, gingerbread people, elderflower cordial from handpicked elderflowers and a chocolate mud cake with filling and icing that completely melted because his birthday was the hottest day of the year and there was no air conditioning in my train. (Anyone else think I'm subconsciously suggesting to him what an excellent housewife and mother I would make?) I had to carry all of this half way across Edinburgh too so I could buy some soft toy stuffing from John Lewis. The things I do for that man! (I did say, though, if we split up and it was his fault I was getting the puffin back.)
The story behind it is that when we went to Northumberland we took a trip on one of those bird watching boats that go round the Farne Islands so you can see lots of sea birds that live on the cliffs (and also some seals, which really are much cooler). Being a city girl I know next to nothing about wildlife, but Saul is a countryside ranger, so you'd expect him to. Now, we're standing at the front of the boat with lots of birdwatchers who are glued to their binoculars and/or digital cameras.
Me: I want to see a puffin! (pointing to random bird flying across) Is that a puffin?
Saul: Don't be stupid, puffins can't fly!
. . . to be proven wrong, of course, by the man on the tannoy who points out the birds. He was very embarrassed and I teased him about it all weekend (still do, in fact).
So, as part of his birthday present he had to get a puffin. I wasn't going to knit him anything at all (the sweater curse and all that) but then I saw the pattern for the penguin on Knitty and something just said "puffin" to me . . .
The rest of his birthday presents were lots of food items I made - spiced apple chutney, red onion marmalade, fudge, shortbread, pickled roast peppers, carrot and walnut loaf, sunflower and linseed bread, chili vodka, gingerbread people, elderflower cordial from handpicked elderflowers and a chocolate mud cake with filling and icing that completely melted because his birthday was the hottest day of the year and there was no air conditioning in my train. (Anyone else think I'm subconsciously suggesting to him what an excellent housewife and mother I would make?) I had to carry all of this half way across Edinburgh too so I could buy some soft toy stuffing from John Lewis. The things I do for that man! (I did say, though, if we split up and it was his fault I was getting the puffin back.)
Here (finally!) are the pics:
The puffin in all its glory, although you can't see the wings very well. The beak is slightly on the large side, but it was quite difficult to work out how to change the pattern. The legs and feet came out quite well though. Thanks to Chris for checking for me what they looked like so I could get on with my knitting while I was stuck on a bus!
"To fly or not to fly . . . "
posted by Kat at 08:15
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