Saturday 25 January 2014

Architecture

I had such a positive response to my Our House, that I decided to have a go at designing a house pattern.  So my new interest is architecture. You may see me wandering around my local neighbourhood, gazing upwards at the angle of a roof, or pondering the shape of a window. Or perhaps peering down the side of your house to see what interesting objects you have stored there.


I have come up with the Little Woollie House Pattern. I was keen to have chimneys, and a dormer window, but have made the pattern fairly flexible. You can vary the number of storeys, and whether you have one, two or no dormer windows.

The main walls of Little Woollie House are knitted in the round on five doublepoints. For the roof and gable ends you knit on two needles. There is very little sewing up, which I hope will please some people.

Compared to my Our House, I have taken more care with the doors and windows, and the pattern contains a chart to help you with their size and position, although again you may not want to stick to this. The pattern also includes knitting instructions on how to make a little bird for the roof.


I think the fun with making a Little Woollie House is adding the details. These are embroidered on once the basic house is completed, and use nothing more complicated than backstitch, stem stitch, french knots, and blanket stitch. You can find permanent phototutorials for these stitches on my blog in the righthand sidebar. The pattern does not contain detailed instructions for everything I have added to my houses, but I hope that the photos will give people a good starting point. I have a few mores ideas, and particularly like mixing the traditional and modern. Perhaps a knocked over dustbin at the side of the house, with a fox looking guilty!

I have gone a bit to town (pun intended) on my samples houses.

The single storey Croft has slightly smaller windows and a sheep grazing round the back, and a satellite dish for those long Scottish evenings.


On my two storey Town Houses I have experimented with the windows: window boxes below, or brickwork above. One house has is a bicycle parked at the side, a ladder, and a little white cat. The other one has large tree at the side, a dove on the roof, and a little black cat.







The wool I used for these two houses and the croft are both James C. Brett - Marble. I found this wool in a small hardware shop, in a rack between various buckets and brushes. I have not seen it for sale in other shops, but I really love how the colour changes to give a natural weathered look, and with a bit of research you can find this wool online. Although any doubleknit wool will work.


And finally what I call the Grand House has a blackbird on the roof, and large tree with squirrel and swing at the back. Hubby, ever practical, says that it worries him as the tree is much too close to the foundations.





I have enjoyed making these house so much, and hope that anyone who has a go at making a house from my pattern will link their project back to the pattern or me, as I would love to see them. My sample houses are off to Etsy, and the Little Woollie House pattern is available on ravelry and Etsy.

68 comments:

  1. You are so clever with your knitting! Love the houses!

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  2. Love your woollie houses and their fabulous details, the bike, the ladder, beautiful doors to welcome you in to the woollie dream world inside : -)

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  3. Wow! You have been busy. These are adorable.

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  4. It's official - you are a knitting genius!
    I love them - well done :-)

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  5. What amazing work you do. I love that back view of the last house- just gorgeous. Well done with the pattern making.

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  6. I want one such house!

    Thanks for sharing!

    Here is my snapshot post.

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  7. This is a work of art! The details are amazing, it's like a fairy tale house! Chrissie x

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  8. Hi I just love all the houses that you have knitted up and you are so creative and talented. I too have an interest in knitting and maybe you would like to visit my blog at Julie's Lifestyle julieslifestyle.blogspot.com I saw this at the submarine sunday party.
    Julie

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  9. I just love these house! You need to take a photo of them all together and give them a street name.

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  10. Super cute! Thanks for sharing those lovely and original houses!
    Have a wonderful week!
    Hugs from Portugal,

    Ana Love Craft
    www.lovecraft2012.blogspot.com

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  11. You are so clever with your knitting patterns. I do like all the details you have added and the birdies on the roof.

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  12. These are so fun, cute and heart-warming. I love the one with the orange roof!

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  13. Wow, your little knitted homes are wonderful, love all the details that add such character and charm to them.......
    I imagine it must be rather addictive making all the different styles......

    CLaire :)

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  14. They are so lovely. You are very gifted to work all that out!

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  15. These are all sooo pretty. Love the details especially the white dove on the roof and the tree plus swing. x

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  16. My goodness how have you completed all these amazing creations in such a short time! They really are works of art, full of character and fun. I think my fav has to be the little crofters cottage - i adore the sheep! x

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  17. Wow, that is a lot of work and super creative!!

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  18. these look great, and you are talented to be able to design them :D
    http://croftcrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/creative-friday-link-party-4.html

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  19. They are soooo lovely - your work is gorgeous. Hope you have a good week.

    Jill, Christmas Pie Crafts

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  20. OMG! Those are too cute. I don't usually go for stuffed items, but I think I MUST knit a few of these!

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  21. I don't know how you manage to knit so quickly! These look great and would make any staircase look fab (town on a hil) as you get to see more of the detail that way!

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  22. absolutely amazing work here- love the birds on them! just perfect detail (the cat in the tree is my fav) well done!

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  23. These houses are super cute! I really like the trees on the side of the houses, especially the one with the swing. Thanks for sharing at Submarine Sunday!

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  24. These houses are really lovely and the embroidered details give them so much life. Many congratulations!
    Best wishes
    Ellie

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  25. First visit to your blog via Chrissie and fell in love with your work. I have a giveaway on my blog if you pop over and scroll down to the weekend, i would love for you to join in. Jo x

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  26. These are fantastic - love the colours you have chosen and all the detail, that's what makes them special. You are a really clever knitter! Jo x

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  27. You must have a whole woolly village by now! They are great and make good things to knit as presents for children's games!

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  28. I love these, I'm a big fan of little houses and often take a quick sketch of one or two when I'm out and about, I've even been known to take photo's. Sometimes I have a look on google maps and 'walk' down the street looking at the properties. :) I'm sure all crafters have a little bit of crazyness in them.... I know I have (and my husband agrees with me)

    Jan x

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  29. These are great. What a good idea. They would make good presents foe the occupants of these houses.
    S xx

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  30. You are so talented, the houses look adorable.

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  31. Wow !!!! They are amazing. What's next, Buckingham Palace.... xx

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  32. Oh my word. I am speechless. And smiling. Now I want to PLAY!

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  33. the sheep on the croft…..just tooooo cute!!!

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  34. Your houses are so much fun! Smiles all over ... :-) Lena

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  35. It can't get better than this, can it? The houses and all the details are perfect, I love the bike, the bird, the tree, the sheep and.... Wow!

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  36. I love how each house has it's own personality! Clever :)

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  37. Amazing. Those are just adorable!

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  38. So beautiful, one of the best things I have seen EVER. Not even joking. Thank you.

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  39. Oh my, I nearly fainted when I saw the houses!! They are wonderful. I have bought your fairies and your mermaids, now I must buy some houses to go with them. You are amazing!! Love it all!!!!!!

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  40. Darling little pillows! I have made house shaped purses for the little girls in our family. Adding the details gives each one a distinctive personality. Very nice work on yours.
    :)

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  41. These are amazing! You're so clever!

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  42. They are so adorable! I really want one! I love love seeing your creations - always so much detail :)

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  43. Those are too irresistable! I knew you must live in England, if your neighborhood houses look like that! :D Lovely!

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  44. Completely charming! They would be such a lovely housewarming or anniversary present.

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  45. Oh my goodness--awesome! Your houses are amazing, I love them!

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  46. I love these houses! Just want to move right in!

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  47. These are just super. The added details of the bike, the trees and the birds really make them special. I'd be tempted to stuff them with foam blocks just to square them up. I can imagine creating whole play villages with them!

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  48. These look fantastic. I love all the extra details you've added. Pretty soon you'll have an entire town on your hands!

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  49. Super cute houses! I want them on purses and sweaters and all things wool. :-)

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  50. These are so cute and talentfully executed - instant love!

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  51. These are absolutely adorable. I love all of the details in your add-on to the houses.

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  52. Looks really great! Regards, Stéphanie (handwerkjuffie.nl)

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  53. Hi I need you to message me with your address so that I can get your giveaway card to you before valentines day. I will look out for your message at joeveryday19@gmail.com Jo x

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  54. Hello! I featured your lovely houses at Submarine Sunday!

    Navy Wifey Peters @ Submarine Sunday Link Party

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  55. Fantastic! Craft schooling Sunday linky party is back, hope to see you there!

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