My husband has just told me it is not the time for hot water bottles, but I have pointed out to him that we are only one little bit of the world. I am sure there are places where it is cold. In an effort to save on the heating bill I have frequently sat hugging a hot water bottle this winter.

Apart from the fox border the jumper pattern is really quite a simple knit. The pattern contains instructions for Ages 1-2, 2-3, 4-5 and 6-7 years. You will need 100g, 150g, 250g or 300g of the main shade.

A simple knitting pattern which can be made into a Halloween Garland. With this pattern you can make stuffed little pumpkins, with instructions in two sizes, which you could make into a garland or use for other decoration.

This pattern contains instructions to knit a baby set, which includes hat, shoes and mittens. The pattern comes in three sizes – 0-3 months, 3-6 months and 6-12 months.

Who doesn’t like a sailing boat. I have knitted my samples in all sorts of colours, and this beannie hat would suit both girl and boy babies.

This pattern is to knit a Morris Traveller car. Inspired to knit this because this was the car my husband’s family had as a child. I think all four children were often piled in the back. I knitted the first black version as a gift for my mother-in-law, who instantly knew it as her old car.

I wrote this little pattern when I was making some Christmas Robins to sell at some local craft fairs.

This pattern for a realistic cockle shell is a quick and easy make. I think shells would make a great decoration, perhaps with a ribbon you could hang them up. A great way to use up oddments of wool you might have left over from other projects, and once you start making them it is a bit addictive.

It’s been a long time since I’ve produced a sea creature pattern. I have had a seahorse in mind for a while, and as usual it is a documentary by David Attenborough that has inspired me.

This pattern for a wrap over baby cardigan will keep your baby really cosy, and looking cute.

I like to think that when I make a knitted animal I make it realistic. I don’t go for a cute version. So in this case all I can only say that baby penguins really are this cute. Actually I think they may be even cuter.

Arctic Hare the second of my arctic Christmas decorations. The first one was Polar Bear, and there should be a third one coming out soon, if all goes to plan.

Polar Bear is an easy to make Christmas decoration. I have tried to make him as realistic as possible, and the key is to find the right wool. White or slightly off-white, with a bit of fluffiness or bobbliness (is that even a word?) will really help.

Why not have some fun and make some bats for Halloween? They only take about 8g of wool, and are a great way to use up any oddments. I have knitted all these bats with doubleknit, and with 2.5mm needles this gives the bats quite a firm structure for their wings. You could make your bats into a bat bunting, or put them on thin elastic to make th...

I hunted to find the most mossy colour wool I could for these moss stitch baby boots. These boots are like some of my other baby shoes patterns, in that they are knitted in one piece, and the shape for the foot is created by turning mid-row. There is really very little sewing up, with just one seam.

The kangaroo family is very much in the style of some of my other knits, as they are not huge. Finished kangaroo is about 4 inches tall. So not a cuddly toy, more like a little model, that you could keep in your pocket or attach to a school bag.

Sloths seem to be everywhere at the moment. I wrote this idea with the idea of hanging them on the Christmas tree, but it doesn’t have to be a seasonal decoration, and I can imagine them pinned on a pencil cases or rucksacks, or keyrings.

I designed this pattern because I had a message from a fellow knitter, asking if I had a pattern for a knitted 2CV cushion. I didn’t, and a bit of searching around the internet, and I could not even find one to recommend. How could this have happened?

I have been thinking for a while of making a frog baby shoe, using a version of my cable frog motif. This pattern uses doubleknit wool (8ply) and you will only need approx 20g. It only comes in one size 0-3 months.

This baby shoe is a very simple knit. It is knitted on two needles, and in one-piece, with just one short seam to sew up. You can knit it in any doubleknit wool.

Having published my pattern for an ammonite recently, I now have a second fossil pattern - trilobite.

This pattern is for a fossil ammonite. If you follow the instructions and use 4ply wool and 2.5 mm needles, you will need approx 5g of wool to make your own ammonite.

This pattern is for a realistic tortoise. Aren’t they the most interesting creatures?

At Christmas I watched a brilliant documentary called “Hotel Armadillo”. While watching those cute armadillos (yes that is the correct plural) - the texture, the nine stripes, the joints - I found myself thinking “I could knit one of those”. I find myself thinking that quite a lot.

In The Netherlands at Christmas, children leave a shoe out by the fireplace or sometimes a windowsill. They also believe that if they leave some hay and carrots in their shoes for Sinterklass’s horse, they will be left some sweets or small presents. I am not Dutch, but this seems like such a lovely tradition that I thought I would make some ver...

I think Vespa scooters are iconic, and really, really cute and sexy. All those curves!

I was given a single ball of some beautiful alpaca wool, so the obvious thing that sprang to mind was “knit an alpaca”. I love alpaca, and my dream is to move to the country one day, and have some alpaca of my own.

I am hoping to start a new tradition - The Christmas Elephant. You can read about my idea if you follow the link to my blog.

The knitting for this vest is not terrible hard, but I think it makes a really cosy and pretty top. The main sections are knitted in rib, which make it very warm and stretchy. The neck is finished off with a length of icord. You could leave this off, put it is not hard to do, and I think gives it a neat looking finish.

These little frogs are knitted from my new pattern. They are made from small amounts of 4ply sock wool, and I think are a great way of making something cute from those little bits of leftover yarn. (Well I think they are cute, and hope you agree with me.)

After knitting my big teddy pattern, I had in mind that it might be fun to knit some much smaller teddy bears, using the same techniques.

This teddy is a classic vintage bear. He has all the features you would expect: a slight hump at the back, a muzzle, paw pads, a round tummy and a slightly serious expression.

I’ve been knitting some little bunny rabbits for Easter. They are a fairly quick make, and a great way to use up any tiny scraps of wool you have left over. (Each rabbit takes less than 4g of wool.)

So as promised some functional houses. … Although these houses are bookends, I think a single house would be very useful as a doorstop. They could also make a lovely toy. The pattern contains instructions for both style of house.

I am a frequent key loser. They always turn up in the end, but having them on a key fob makes it much easier to find them. These fun key rings could be used for your car, caravan, or perhaps your bus?? The pattern contains instructions to make all three.

This Dutch House pencil case was inspired the step gable houses I saw on my recent holiday. I have used mine to keep a bar of chocolate, but I think it would make a great pencil case, or even if it was made with an extra storey, a container for your needles.

My new pattern has taken quite a bit of thought. I love dresses with a yoke, and I also love moss stitch. So to combine the two took a bit of working out. I also love fair isle, but not the really tricky kind. The daisy pattern is fairly easy to do, and leaves only a few ends to run in.

I like nothing better than to pad around the house in a pair of hand knitted slippers. (And there is nothing worse than having cold feet!) I designed these slipper for myself, to be very similar in shape to my Tundra Baby Shoes.

I have got quite into my classic cars, and thought what could be more iconic that a vintage New York Cab. I have tried to be as accurate as possible using wool. There is shaping, icord knitting, colourcharts, and sewing up. But I think the final results are well worth it.

This baby shoe pattern comes in two sizes: 0-3 months (8cm long) and 3-6 months (9-10 cm). It uses a doubleknit wool, and if you chose something with a percentage of mohair or alpaca, they will have a fluffy almost felted look.

These baby shoes are a fairly easy knit. The beauty is in the shaping, which is achieved by using short rows, and the cute little overlap at each side.

This pattern is to knit a traditional London routemaster bus. This was the bus that you would have seen all over London a few years ago, but they have nearly all been replaced by the more modern version. Many of us Londoners miss them. I have tried really hard to knit a bus that accurately captures the spirit of the old London routemaster. Ther...

This pattern contains instructions for four miniature Australian animals: kangaroo, koala, wombat and kookaburra. The pattern was first published in Homespun - Australia’s Number One craft magazine in January 2015.

It was a visit to the North Devon County Show that inspired me to knit a vintage tractor. You can read about it hear. http://ginxcraft.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/devon-county-show... The rows of vintage tractors looked so cute, and much nicer than the modern ones.

This is a fairly simple knit, but as you will see from my photos you have lots of choices. Should you knit your bird in one, two or three colours? What about plain knit birds or Fair Isle? Should you make your sewing up stitches a feature of the design? Then you could embroider, or add beads or sequins? And finally you could make your bird into...

Just in case you don’t know what a mermaid’s purse is, it is not what mermaid’s carry their make up in, but the egg case that surrounds the fertilized eggs of some sharks, skates, and chimaeras. There is something rather delightful (and a bit magical) about finding a mermaid’s purse washed up on the beach, so why not knit one.

This cushion cover is a fairly quick and easy knit. It is knitted in Aran wool, with Size 6 mm. It fits a 50cm cushion pad, so is quite big.

Stanley the Spider is looking a bit glum. If you link to my blog you will find out why.

The Mini really is an classic and much loved car. I have tried to be as accurate in my design as possible. The wool I have used is Patons Diploma DK, although other doubleknit wools would work.

Sea Urchins are fascinating creatures. This Sea Urchin Shell, is knitted on two needles. It is worked in one piece, and has a single seam to sew up. The dots are embroidered on with french knots, and if you need extra help with this I refer you to my photo tutorial.

This vintage caravan pattern is a bit of a two in one. It contains instructions to make a 3D caravan that could be used as an ornament, a toy, or perhaps a pincushion.

This cute baby beanie hat is knitted in the round. I have used doublepoints, but it would work equally well with a circular needle and the magic loop method if you prefer.

When I met my husband he owned a 2CV called Henrietta, and it is this car I have based my design on. You can read a bit more about this on my blog at http://ginxcraft.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/henrietta-2cv.html

From this knitting pattern you can make yourself a Little Woollie House. The house is knitted on 5 doublepoint needles and with any doubleknit wool, and is robust enough to use as a toy, or keep as a beautiful ornament.

This pattern explains how to knit my cable frog motif. The frog can be knitted in any weight of wool (fine ply to chunky), and could be incorporated into many designs.

This pattern is for children’s fingerless mittens. The finished mitten is 6 inches long, and 3 inches wide (not including thumb section).

This basic cosy pattern will fit either an ipod touch, iphone, or a mobile phone that is approx 11cm by 6cm.

This lizard is knitted with a small amount of 4ply wool. Using a different shade for the underbelly gives a lovely realistic result. You will need less that 10g in all.

All the classes at the school where I work are named after mini-beasts, so I have been mulling over this project for almost a year. This was my end of year gift to the children of Cricket Class, which I hope they will take up with them as they progress through the school.

The Blueberry Clutch Bag is simply constructed. The beauty is in the wool, and the texture of the stitches.

This pattern I have called Baboon, although I think to be precise he is a Mandrill. Apart from his soulful eyes, I do hope you notice his prominent brow and his brilliant bright bottom.

This pattern comes with instructions for two sizes of daisy. So you can either knit a small ordinary daisy, or a slightly larger ox-eye daisy.

This is a two in one pattern. I first designed the little mermaid, but then thought it be rather fun to add the option of making a little fairy in a tiny dress.

This realistic spiral shell is knitted flat, in two pieces, with 2 double-pointed needles and short rows. The shaping makes the knitting fall into a natural spiral.

This cowl is knitted in one-piece, using both circular (for the neck piece) and two needles for the leaves. I used Debbie Bliss Blue Faced Leicester Aran, but other Aran (10ply) wools would work well. It takes approximately 140g of wool, so you would need 3 balls of the wool I have used. The neck section has a simple cable stitch.

This children’s cowl is knitted in one-piece, using both circular (for the neck piece) and two needles for the leaves. I used Debbie Bliss Blue Faced Leicester Aran, but other Aran (10ply) wools would work well. It takes approximately 125g of wool. The neck section has a simple cable stitch.

This baby shoe is a very simple knit. It is knitted on two needles, and in one-piece, with just one short seam to sew up. You can knit it in any doubleknit wool, and either in one or two shades.

These baby shoes are knitted on two needles, in one piece, with one short seam to sew up. They are knitted in plain stitch, with any doubleknit wool. I have recommended the wools that I used in knitting my samples, as these all worked well.

My son is mad about Minecraft, so I decided to design an iPhone cosy with him in mind. The cosy fits either an iPhone or mini smartphone.

In this new version of my monarch caterpillar pattern I have still tried to make the finished caterpillar as realistic as in the first version. Actually I think it is slightly more realistic, because knitted in plain it has the caterpillar’s distinctive ridges.

This is another of what I call my stash-busters. A little pattern for using up odds and ends of wool.

Conkers may be a bit confusing to those of you outside the UK. Please look at my blog article, if you want a bit of an explanation.

In my sample leaves I used for the green leaf Rowan Tweed SH589, as I thought the flecks of colour would give the leaf a nice natural look, and a sock wool called Strompegarn for the autumn leaf.

Sand dollars are really interesting creatures. They are related to sea urchins. I had not heard of them, until it was suggested that I add a sand dollar christmas decoration to my collection. I thought that was such a good idea, and they do have some religious symbolism which you can read about on my blog.

This Christmas Tree is what I would call a stash buster. It takes less than 20g of wool, and you can knit it in 4ply with 2.5mm needles, or DK with 3mm needles. It is a great way to use up any oddments of wool you have left over from other projects. It is very simple to knit: 2 needles and all knit stitches.

Derek Donkey is a cheery fellow. He just takes a tiny bit of 4ply wool. The pattern is very simple, and contains photos to help you with the making up, which is a bit fiddly, but I think he is worth it.

You can knit this pattern either with doubleknit wool and needles Size 2.5 mm, or four-ply wool and 2.0 mm needles.

Starfish come in many sizes and colours. I have knitted my pattern using doubleknit wool, and 3mm needles, or 4ply wool and 2.5mm needles. I don’t think there is a wrong size for a starfish.

You can knit a little minnow either using 4ply wool and 2.5mm needles, or doubleknit and 3.75mm needles. This pattern is worked flat on two needles.

My Slouchie Beret is knitted on two needles, and just has one seam to sew up. The enjoyable bit of knitting it is decreasing as you come to the top.

I have designed this pattern mainly for my own pleasure. My very first pattern on Ravelry was a monarch caterpillar, and since then I have had in mind to design a butterfly to accompany it. If you like knitting combined with a little bit of embroidery, this is the pattern for you.

I know there are a lot of ladybird patterns out there, but I thought I would have a go. My pattern is very simple, knitted on two needles, and flat. There is a little bit of simple embroidery to make the spots and line up the middle.

Finally I have finished my Daisy Pumps for Kids.

These daisy pumps are so easy to knit. They are knitted in one piece, with just one seam to sew up. The pattern is for one size (UK 4.5/5, USA 6.5/7, Europe 37), but please let me know if you would like me to work on other sizes.

I have spent all week trying to knit a realistic stag beetle: knitting tiny legs and horns, inserting craft wire, and then trying to attach them to a body. I am defeated, and although this is a bit of a cheat as the legs and horns are on a frame that you need to print, cut out, and then sew your knitted sections around, I think it is really eff...

This pattern is knitted on two needles, so is a little easier than

This pattern comes with two versions. You can either knit a flat butterfly, to use for applique, or knit a 3-dimensional butterfly, which would make a lovely toy or mobile. The pattern comes with instructions and colour charts for both versions. Again I have tried to make it as realistic as possible. There is a little bit of embroidery to do on...

This pattern is very quick to make, but not for a beginner. The wings are part of the pattern.