Last week I mentioned how fun and inspiring it was to teach a toy design master class at the Lion Brand Yarn Studio in October. Because I was just about to move to Chicago, we couldn’t schedule a follow-up class to see everyone’s progress with their designs, but I asked the participants to send me updates by email. A few have come through, including Jessica, with this adorable oyster that she designed and made!
In the class we had talked about how Jessica would make the top and bottom pieces hinge together, and how she might make the wavy “lips” of the oyster. For the lips especially, it seemed like there would be a simple solution, but it would require a little trial and error just to see how it would turn out. She opted to try making a separate I-cord and stitching it in place, and I think it worked out brilliantly!
If you’re interested in designing your own toy, my biggest advice is to just start knitting! It’s easy to get caught up in Planning Mode, thinking that you have to have everything figured out before you begin. Toys are a great place to start with designing because you can incorporate lots of fun knitting techniques and you don’t have the pressure of making sure that it will fit someone in the end. If you’ve had a toy in mind that you’d like to design, just go for it!
I’ll be leading a short workshop on toy design at Vogue Knitting LIVE in NYC in January, so I hope you’ll plan to join me if you’ll be there.
And if any of the other Lion Brand Studio class participants are reading this, I’d love to see more of your finished projects!
Oh man, I wish I could take one of your classes! That oyster is all kinds of cute! I picture a video of a row of them singing a silly song and when they open their mouths the pearls hit the high notes.
Designing knitted toys is such a challenge for me. I have about 20 prototypes of a pugbird that I finally gave up on because it just wasn’t happening. But I do have a list of toys I’d love to design. Here’s hoping you come to SF to teach one of these days!