Christmas Knitting Shop
Enjoy this lovely little rocket pattern. It can be made with any odds and ends that you have left. Make a rocket and three thrusters using the instructions below.
Materials : Oddments of blue and yellow double knitting. Small amount of cardboard. A little toy stuffing. 3mm single pointed needles.
Yarn and needles can be substituted for similar alternatives if these items aren’t available.
Abbreviations : k = knit, p = purl, tog = together, sts = stitches, inc = increase by knitting into the front and back of the stitch
Rocket – Make 1
With blue, cast on 8 sts
Purl 1 row
Next: increase into every stitch (16 sts)
Purl 1 row
Next: (k1, inc1) to end (24 sts)
Purl 1 row
Next: (k2, inc1) to end (32 sts)
Purl 3 rows
Sides of rocket, starting with a knit row, st
-st 9 rows
Change to yellow, st-st 4 rows
Change to blue, st-st 3 rows
Next: (k2, k2tog) to end (24 sts)
St-st 5 rows
Next: (k1, k2tog) to end (16 sts)
St-st 3 rows
Next: k2tog to end (8 sts)
Draw thread through the remaining stitches and pull tight
Sew down the row ends of the rocket.
Add toy stuffing and seal up.
Thrusters – Make 3
With blue, cast on 4 sts
Purl 1 row
Inc1, knit to last st, inc1
Complete the last 2 rows until there are 18 sts
Purl 1 row
Next: k7, (k2tog) twice, k7 (16 sts)
Purl 1 row
Next: k6, (k2tog) twice, k6 (14 sts)
Purl 1 row
Next: k5, (k2tog) twice, k5 (12 sts)
Purl 1 row
Next: k4, (k2tog) twice, k4 (10 sts)
Purl 1 row
Next: k3, (k2tog) twice, k3 (8 sts)
Purl 1 row
Cast off
Fold the thrusters in half. Take a little cardboard and trace around the shape. Insert the card inside and sew the edges together. Attach the thrusters to the outside of the rocket at one third intervals and so the bottom of the rocket is slightly above the ground. (see pic)
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This is probably the cutest alien that you will ever see! In orange, he is another easy knitting pattern from Knitting by Post.
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Squishy dinosaur, not scary really. He is a lovely one colour knit. He is deliberately left plain so you can add ribbon, a bow tie, spikes or any other dinosaur customisation that you can think of.
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Teddy Bear overload with Crumble Bear.
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A traditional style knitted dolly pattern. She has dress and cardigan as well as hair in a ponytail.
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So you want to start a business knitting toys and selling them? It can be tricky knowing where to start. For a really small outlay it is possible to get going from your kitchen table. Knitting by Post started this way so we have experience of this.
There is so much to do and think about such as getting pricing right, deciding on the right toys to make, postage, sellers fees etc. This guide will hopefully help you to approach your new venture with a logical and ordered way.
- Product
So first things first. What toys do you want to knit and sell? It might sound like an obvious thing to ask and you may well already know but getting a product wrong can stop a small business in it’s tracks.
If you have an idea, look around on the internet and see what others are selling that is similar. If nobody else is doing it, then ask why not. It could be because there isn’t a market for it but more importantly it could be that you have stumbled on a good idea. The opposite is also true. If there are hundreds of people selling an item then it may be that there is too much competition for your knitted items and you will get lost among all the others.
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£6.99Attention all Christmas knitters! Here is a Nutcracker Soldier knitting pattern A5 Booklet.
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£10.00Four Favourite Easy Candy Toy Knitting Patterns in One Booklet.
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£6.99Burly baby is everything you could want in a toy knitting pattern. He is a little cutie in his nappy, complete with pin. He has mittens, hat and bootees too.
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£4.99 LeafletKnitting pattern instructions to knit a mouse pyjama case
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This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page - Point of difference
It may sound tricky, especially if you aren’t used to selling yourself or your knitting. What makes you different to the others that you have been looking at already? It could be that you offer a personal service or it could be that you want to use the best materials. Think carefully and then sing it from the tree tops when you get going. If you know what makes you different then you have an advantage over your competition but don’t forget to tell everyone!
- Pricing
It is easy when selling knitted items to under value your work. Don’t do it! You could easily be out of pocket if you sell yourself short. You will also devalue what you are making. The opposite is to charge so much that you don’t sell anything. It is a tricky thing to do.
There are lots of things to consider when selling your goods and the last thing you want is to be out of pocket. Get a piece of paper and write down exactly what each of the following is going to cost you.
Materials
Your raw materials per item. This could be yarn, toy stuffing, safety eyes.
Your time
Pay yourself the living wage. If something takes you 2 hours to make then add this to the price
Costs of selling
If you sell on a selling platform such as Etsy or Ebay then look carefully at their charges. They often charge a price to list an item and then a percentage of the selling cost on top too. Don’t forget to factor this in, it could wipe out your profit.
Marketing and Advertising
Don’t think that this is free. You may decide to sell using social media such as Facebook which is great but it takes up time that you could be knitting with. It is a trade off between advertising and social media marketing. You could put 0 in your budget to start with but you might find that this isn’t enough after a while.
Shipping
Include the price of boxes, wrapping, tape, labels as well as postage.
Handling costs
Do you go in the car to the post office? You need to price for this too
Then there’s all the other boring stuff
You need to factor in electricity while you are working. Wear and tear on your computer, internet access, liability insurance, any travel expenses such as picking up your raw materials. The list can go on.
Get yourself a business plan. Even if you can’t fill it all in to start with, it is a written statement of what you want to do and what it is going to cost. Review it every week until you get going properly.
https://www.gov.uk/write-business-planNew
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This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page - Get the legal bits right
There are three legal considerations if you are in the UK.
You have 3 months to register with HMRC as a business after you begin trading. As you don’t have to do this straight away, it might be worth delaying until you have to register so you can try your ideas out and see if it works. Don’t forget to do it though!
Liability insurance is an other must. If you plan to sell on craft stalls, you could get market traders insurance which is cheaper. Liability insurance in the UK is about £10 per month in 2019.
Lastly there is CE testing. If you plan to sell knitted toys – and some novelty items then CE testing is a must. You can read the UK government guidance using the link below. Certification can be done at no financial cost and is self regulating. - Start small
Do you research, make one knitted piece, put it up for sale and see what happens. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Be patient, it will build over time.
After all that, don’t be put off by how much there is to do. Many successful businesses start this way. It takes hard work and many hours to start with without pay. You need to be prepared for that, nobody will give you something for nothing. If you get it right though it can lead to a successful small business and financial freedom for you.
Other information that you may find useful
Link to GOV.UK website for registering a business
https://www.gov.uk/set-up-business
CE Marking
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/ce-marking
Health and Safety Executive advice on CE Marking
http://www.hse.gov.uk/work-equipment-machinery/ce-mark-summary.htm
The house is made with double knitting yarn, 3mm single pointed needles and small amount of toy stuffing. Although any yarn and needles will work. It is about 5cm tall when finished.
Abbreviations : k – knit. p – purl. st – stitch. tog-together. st-st – Stocking Stitch (k1row, p1row). inc— increase. Knit into the front and the back of the stitch
House—Make 1
With white, cast on 8 sts
Purl 1 row
Next: increase into every stitch (16 sts)
Purl 1 row
Next: (k1, inc1) to end (24 sts)
Starting with a purl row, st-st 9 rows
Next: k2tog to end (12 sts)
Starting with a purl row, st-st 9 rows
Next: k2tog to end (6 sts)
Draw thread through the remaining
stitches and pull tight
Sew down the row ends, add stuffing and seal up.
Door—Make 1
With pink, cast on 8 sts
Purl 1 row
Next: increase into every stitch (16 sts)
Purl 3 rows
Next: k2tog to end (8 sts)
Draw thread through the remaining stitches and pull tight
Sew down the row ends and seal up.
Fold flat so the bound off stitches are in the centre of the piece and it is circular. Sew to the front of the house.
Roof—Make 1
With pink, cast on 24 sts
Starting with a purl row, st-st 3 rows
Next: k1, k2tog, knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1
Complete the last 4 rows until 4 sts remain on the needle. Add a stitch marker at each end of row 14
Draw thread through the remaining stitches and pull tight
Sew down the row ends to the stitch markers. Leave the bottom open. Insert the narrow end of the house into the opening. Allow the lower rows to curl outward. Fold the pointed end of the roof over on to itself and secure with a stitch.
© Copyright 2019 Knitting by Post Ltd
Magical Fairies
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Knitting pattern instructions to knit a My Fairy Lady soft toy. Made using double knitting yarn, she is another cute and easy to make dolly knitting pattern.
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Donkey is happily sat here quietly waiting for you. He needs to be knitted so he can give you lots of love.
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All Bunny One is an extra large knitted bunny. Standing at 48cm tall, he is a really big knit to get those needles clicking.
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Mr Dumpty is our take on a nursery rhyme classic. He is just big enough to sit on a nursery shelf. Watch him though as he might break if he falls!
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Here is a two needle Christmas stocking. It is a free pattern for you to use.
The stocking was made with 3mm single pointed needles and double knitting yarn. The pattern will scale so you can use chunky or aran yarn as you prefer to make a bigger version.
Abbreviations : k – knit. p – purl. st – stitch. tog-together. st-st – Stocking Stitch (k1row, p1row). inc— increase. Knit into the front and the back of the stitch
Stocking—Make 1
With white, cast on 32 sts
Next: (k1, p1) to end
Complete the last row 14 times in total
Change to main colour
Starting with a purl row, st-st 15 rows
Cast off 16 sts, knit to end (16 sts)
Top of foot
Starting with a purl row, st-st 15 rows
Shape toe
Change to white
Next: k2tog, knit to last 2 sts, k2tog
Purl 1 row
Complete the last 2 rows until 6 sts remain on the needle
Next: inc1, knit to the last stitch, inc1
Purl 1 row
Complete the last 2 rows until there are 16 sts on the needle
Sole of foot
Change to main colour
Starting with a knit row, st-st 16 rows
Shape ankle
Change to white
Next: k2tog, knit to last 2 sts, k2tog
Purl 1 row
Complete the last 2 rows until 6 sts remain on the needle
Next: inc1, knit to the last stitch, inc1
Purl 1 rowComplete the last 2 rows until there are 16 sts on the needle
Cast off
Assemble the stocking using the diagram for help.
- Lay the stocking on a table with the right side down on the table.
- Fold the widest part (with the rib) in half along the length so you can see the right side of the top of the stocking.
- Fold the cast off edge (white) down to the partially cast off part (Contrast colour) and sew them together.
- Then, take the white toe and ankle and sew the seams together. (see diagram)
- You should be able to see the shape of the stocking now. Sew the rest of the seams together to complete the shape.
Here are some suggestions to customise your stocking …..
Make a knitted hanging loop
With your chosen colour, cast on 20 sts
Starting with a purl row, st-st 3 rows
Cast off.
Fold in half and attach both ends at the top of the stocking in a loop.
Make a twisted cord hanging loop
A twisted cord is made by taking three pieces of yarn approx. half a metre long and fastening one end to a static object for example a door handle. Take the other end of the yarn and twist several times. Then allow the yarn to fold in half upon itself and it will twist. Knot each end to stop the twist from unravelling. Cut to the length desired and attachto the top of the stocking in a loop.
Ribbon Loop
If you don’t want to knit a loop, use a small piece of ribbon to create a hanging loop.
Extra Decorations
It is possible to add other decorative items to the front of the stocking. Here are some suggestions…
Mittens – Make 2
With white, cast on 16 sts
Knit 2 rows
Change to your contrast colour
Next: k7, inc1, inc1, k7 (18 sts)
Purl 1 row
Next: k8, inc1, inc1, k8 (20 sts)
Purl 1 row
Next: k7, cast off 6 sts, k7 (14 sts)
Starting with a purl row, st-st 3 rows
Next: k2tog to end (7 sts)
Draw thread through the remaining stitches and pull tight
Sew down the row ends of each hand and across the thumb. Take the piece of ribbon and insert it into the glove at the side closest to the thumb and secure with a stitch.
Snowballs
With white, cast on 8 sts
Next: (k1, p1) to end
Next: increase into every stitch (16 sts)
Next: (k1, p1) to end
Knit 1 row
Complete the last 2 rows 2 times (4 rows)
Next: (k1, p1) to end
Next: k2tog to end (8 sts)
Draw thread through the remaining stitch-es and pull tight.
Sew down the row ends, add a little stuffing and seal up.
Attach the snowballs to the end of a twisted cord or ribbon as above and attach so it dangles from the front centre of the stocking.
Holly Leaves – Make 2
With green, cast on 2 sts
knit 1 row
*Next: inc1, inc1 (4 sts)
Next: inc1, k2, inc1 (6 sts)
Next: inc1, k4, inc1 (8 sts)
Next: k2tog, k4, k2tog (6 sts)
Next: k2tog, k2, k2tog (4 sts)
Next: k2tog, k2tog (2 sts)
Repeat all rows once more from *
Knit 1 row
Bind off both stitches
A Completed Project by Alison Shuttleworth
“Bedtime Gnome.“
Made Using this Knitting Pattern
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Bed time gnome is a sleepy twist on Gnorma and Gnorman.
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“ Early l know.“
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Here is another knitting pattern that you can really get those needles going with. She is a tall rabbit with dress and shrug. She is finished in cream and chocolate colour clothes and ready for Easter.
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This unusual design will hold a small chocolate egg or sweet treat.
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“ Early start for winter, love making these “
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“Just finished my handy owl”
Made Using this Knitting Pattern
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This page is intended for anyone making Suki the Unicorn, to assist with assembling the head.
The head is knit in one piece. When it is complete it looks a bit like three rectangles attached together. The centre piece is the widest part (this is the top and sides of the head) and the row ends here are sewn together length ways, this forms almost a tube shape. The smaller rectangles on each end then fill the end of the tube shape. The cast on stitches are the bottom back of the neck and the cast off stitches are the chin of the unicorn.
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