A little project has been brewing in my mind for weeks. During my time alone (well Seth was with me) on Mother’s Day I got started by dyeing a skein of yarn.
I saw shades of green, blue, and gray in my mind, and the yarn sort of turned out how I hoped. My plan was to knit a little gift for my baby with the finished product. (I used this book for guidance.)
Once the yarn was dyed, dried, and wound, I handed it to Silas for his approval.
He almost immediately reached inside and pulled the end of the yarn out like he’d done it a million times before. (I promptly took it from his hands!)
And over the next few days, I knit a little whale! (photo by Larkspur!!)
This thing is so cute. It even has a spout on top of its head.
I gave it to Silas, not really expecting him to care about it nearly as much as I do. Because let’s face it, he’s kind of busy in general. What’s he going to do with a whale?
I’ll tell you what he did with it….
He carried it with him on a little mission.
He knew exactly where he wanted to go, and he didn’t hesitate.
And as soon as he arrived, poor little whale was dropped to the ground (I was there to swoop it up!)
Silas clearly doesn’t share the same fear of chickens that baby Beatrix suffered from.
He opened the door by himself and headed right inside the coop.
But, he was also barefoot, so daddy ruined his fun.
And as far as the whale goes, with a little encouragement from me Silas has been carrying it around the house, usually by one fin.
I am thinking I should knit him a hat with the leftover yarn.
(My Ravelry notes are HERE. I bought the pattern from Linda’s shop.)
Mary says
your photos are absolutely adorable! I love how determined he looks as he goes on his adventure!
And the whale is great! So cool that you went from idea to reality with the colors and pattern 🙂
Kristen says
Your knit creations are always so beautiful. I began knitting this past October when I walked into a knit store and asked where to do I start. I have been knitting dishcloths since October, but I wanted to begin something new. I got yarn to knit a potato chip scarf, but I don’t have the correct size needles. I was wondering if you suggest anywhere or any particular needles. Is there a good place to purchase them? I also began teaching my kids how to knit via your advice with Larkspur and your wonderful dear friend Elizabeth. Thank you for chronically your life both the fun moments but also the daily struggles for others to walk alongside of you.
Sarah says
Love the “almost in!” followed by “stopped in the act by daddy” photo sequence.
Jen says
So very sweet. I love his little smile!
Hugs to all of you.
kris says
that is so cute!
Sarah says
So sweet! Your yarn colour is beautiful!
miss says
they are both so very sweet. my youngest is about his age and it melts me to see them toddling about on their “missions.” a perfect description!
Missy says
I’ve had my eye on this whale pattern for a while – Linda has such great ones!
PS: I’ve got a giveaway going on over at my blog.
Christine says
I loved this post. Love the cute blue whale and that baby boy in the chicken coop …just so dern cute!
Erica S. says
“My favorite colors are the colors of the sea, blue and gray and green, depending on the weather.” ~Sarah, Plain and Tall
The yarn looks beautiful, and the whale is so cute.
Silas is adorable!
Thanks for making me smile today. 🙂
Kelly says
Oh, my!! I adore that little blue/grey/green whale! And Silas grows more and more cutie-licious every day. Amazing how that works. 😉
Jan says
HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY TO SILAS!
Gae says
Dear Ginny,
That is so cute, I think I will make one for our Trahaearn too. I haven’t knitted him a special toy yet so this looks like fun
Thanks
Blessings
Gae
melanie jennifer says
Oh Ginny, this is so adorable! I love that it turned out so well and that Silas seems to love it also. Now I’m inspired to knit something just as sweet for Connor. Thank you! Much love.
Mama Ash Grove says
Oh my word. Every single thing about this post is utterly adorable. That baby- his eyes. . . oh heavens!
My 8 year old son was wanting that very same whale, when I was looking at Linda’s shop. 🙂
Gretchen R says
I love every single thing about this post! So cute! The yarn turned out amazing. Those are my favorite colors, and dyed so well! What sort of dye did you use? Silas is such a cutie.
Ginny says
Thank you! I used Greener Shades!
steph says
The whale turned out adorable (to match its little owner!) I just got Linda’s elephant pattern (another ellie for the “herd”!); hope my ellie turns out as cute as your whale!
Allison says
Ohhhh I love the whale! I wish I knew how to knit more than just the basics! Seriously, if you want to make one and sell it, I’d be a buyer! 😉
Erin @ Wild Whispers says
What a fun project! Keep encouraging him… that’s how we helped Kate attach to a lovey.
Hege says
What a lovely post!
Love the whale and Silas’ little adventure 🙂
eidolons says
Ginny! Your yarn turned out beautifully! And the whale! Oh my! I adore Linda’s patterns (our current favorite is the horse/unicorn).
Ginny says
my girls want the unicorn!
Elizabeth says
I love every bit of this post. The pictures are so precious and I must say that I love love love the whale.
Lisa G. says
Isn’t that the cutest thing! And it came out so beautifully, with the striping in the cool colors. Good job dyeing it.!
swanski says
What a great series of photos 🙂 Silas looks like such a sweet boy and a joy to have around. The whale is an adorable toy!!
Ellen says
Remember the princess story that you had printed for your girls? This one has a great little storyline to it and would be perfect for a printed copy. So cute. Love the excited expression on his face! Funny.
on a different note – what dyes did you use for your yarn?
Ginny says
I bought this kit of Greener Shades dye from Knit Picks: http://www.knitpicks.com/cfaccessories/accessory_display.cfm?ID=80875
Sharron says
Oh my! They are both, baby and whale, just too cute!! This would make a great gift for my nephew who will turn one soon.
Jessica says
Adorable: boy, whale, yarn, photos. Larkspur’s photo looks great!
Alma says
I love Linda’s pattern. The whale came out great and perfect for little hands and great adventures. Lovely story!
Nadja says
The whale is cute, and Silas is beyond cute. But the color of the yarn? I love it! It turned out great!
annita says
The whale is precious, but it’s that baby boy that melts my heart! Happy weekend! +JMJ+
Heather says
I recognized Linda’s pattern immediately. What a cute gift for you both. And those chickens – oh my!
Kathleen says
That is just cutest little boy… and I love the whale. How adorable..perhaps the whale will be his favorite companion. The pattern has such nice detail. It really looks like a whale with all the curves. The color is beautiful..I really love blue. 🙂
Joy says
That whale is so cute! I love how your yarn turned out. Simply beautiful! Definitely, Silas needs a hat with that yarn!
Tracey says
My favorite photo is when Silas is in the coop smiling at the chickens, it priceless!
Micha says
The little whale is so cute and Silas too – love it!
Jeni says
Love it! Especially the photo of Jonny pulling Silas out of the chicken coop. We’re constantly ruining Piper Anne’s fun that way…although it usually has to do with dog food instead of chickens.
Linda says
Your whale knitted up beautifully Ginny, what a lovely post. I love the yarn you knitted him with.
Thank you for linking to my Whale Pattern.
It’s Creative Friday on my blog today if you would like to link your post:)
http://naturalsuburbia.blogspot.com/2012/05/creative-friday_25.html
Have a lovely weekend
Warm regards
Linda
Jeni says
I’m so glad Ginny shared this – I just went over to your shop and bought the sheep pattern! I can’t wait to get it – You have a lovely shop.
Linda says
Jeni, thanks so much!
Happy knitting 🙂
sherri says
Adorable!! I love that babies have no fear… he looks like he loves those chickens! Wonderful pictures too.
Tori says
Oh that whale is so cute! and the wool is beautiful – lucky Silas. I attempted knitting a toy squirrrel this week though it went wrong 4 times so gave up (for now!)
xx
sue says
Oh Silas looks like such a sweetheart. The whale is just the perfect size for him too. My son (who is now 18 yrs old) loves chickens too. Everytime we went to an animal petting zoo he would always hold the chickens. He must take after his grandfather who used to have a few chooks as pets.
heathermama says
oh, i love that little whale. 🙂 so sweet. and he was having so much fun getting into the coop. 🙂
Sunshine Mama says
I love this post! The pictures, your son, the whale, it’s all too cute for words!!
~ joey ~ says
This post is too too too adorable! The whale, Silas and the story!
xoxo
~ joey ~
abby says
cutest story ever, and the cutest little whale I ever saw! : )
Wendy says
This whole post oozes with cuteness. My 3 year old said, “You should make one of those whales for me.”
Charlotte says
The whale is so cute! I’ll have to make a handful for all of my friends’ little ones. Your pictures turned out great as well!
Meryl says
It’s a lovely whale! (And I suspect Silas and my Knox would share views about being interrupted while barefoot in the chicken pen!)
Taryn Kae Wilson @ Wooly Moss Roots says
So incredibly cute!
Love the color of the yarn and it looks so good with Silas’ eyes. 🙂
Renee Anne says
I love that he immediately stuck his hand into the yarn cake and pulled out the end. It’s almost as if he was saying, “Mommy, start knitting now please.”
I’m also jealous of your whale. I haven’t finished any of the toys I’ve started (yet). I’ll get there 🙂
Kim says
Love the whale and this post…awesome!