New Colorful Knit Dragon Joins the Menagerie at CreativeCritters

This colorful knit dragon is the latest addition to the menagerie of critters available from CreativeCritters.

I challenged myself to create a knitting pattern from scratch for a cute and brightly colored dragon.  I made it up as I went along, writing down what worked, and trying again when something didn't turn out quite as I wanted.  I learned how to follow a sewing pattern many years ago, and using that knowledge (and a lot of trial and error) I figured out how to make my own original patterns.  That's essentially how I made this guy.  I thought of the shapes I would need if I were to create a sewing pattern for a creature like this, then I figured out how to knit those shapes and sew them together.  It wasn't easy- that's for sure!  But I do enjoy a challenge, and I like testing and improving my artistic skills, so although it took a lot of time, I really had fun bringing this fantasy dragon to life,  I used bright purple (my favorite color) for his body, which I knit in a garter stitch.  I used a stockinette stitch and bright yellow yarn for the dragon's belly and the underside of his tail.

I gave him triangular spikes that were knit in bright red yarn.  I sewed all the various parts onto the dragon very securely and stuffed him with polyester fiberfill.  The wings were a bit of a challenge.  I considered creating knit wings, but really wanted them to be more lightweight.  I didn't want to have to use wires to help them hold their shape, as I've done with plush dragons in the past.  I wanted this to be a toy that kids could hugs and cuddle, without any sharp or hard parts.  So I decided to use red and purple felt (I just happened to have exactly the right colors in my fabric stash).  I drew out a wing pattern on paper and used that as my guide.  Then I sewed veins into the wings to give them more stability.

This cute stuffed animal measures about 15 inches long and 15 inches tall.  This guy's pretty special, and I hope when he sells he goes to a loving home.  Until then he can hang out here and make me smile =)  If you want to purchase this dragon, or read more details about him, just click on any of the pictures to be taken to the listing in my shop.
Thanks so much for stopping by!

~Michelle of CreativeCritters

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The Knit Dragon I Made for Morgan

My best friend's son, Morgan, just turned 9 and they'll be visiting this weekend.  I wanted to make something special for his birthday and decided to knit him a dragon.  Morgan loves dragons and I've made him several different types of dragons in the past (even a dragon trinket box).  I only had a vague idea of how I wanted this dragon to turn out when I first started knitting, and I made the pattern up as I went along.  This is definitely a one of a kind creation!  I used a combination of knitting looms in different sizes to create the body, head, and tail of the dragon. 

 

I held two strands of different shades of green and  one strand of blue yarn together as I knit the body. head and tail.  The underbelly was knit using knitting needles and yellow yarn and I just sewed it right to the belly.  At each step in the creation of this dragon I had to visual how I wanted a particular part to look, and then figure out the best method to use to achieve that look.  It was a bit like sculpting in polymer clay, actually.  I used a small knitting loom to create his haunches and knit his lower legs with needles, then sewed all the parts to the dragon, shaping as I attached them.

 

 

I needle sculpted his face to get the right shape and even knit a red tongue for him.  His oversized ears add to the whimsical look.  I want Morgan to smile every time he sees this dragon ;-)  I cut out green felt and attached the eyes through the felt.  This gives a little more definition to the eyes and also ensures that they won't pull out through the stitches in the yarn.

 

 

I knit yellow triangles for spike and for the tip of his tail.  I wanted to have a nice bright, cheerful color.  I know Morgan likes blue and green dragons (they're the good ones, according to him), and I think the yellow is a nice contrast to these colors.  

 

 

The only thing that isn't knit from yarn on the dragon are the wings.  I chose to sew them from green and blue fleece instead.  I sewed pipe cleaners between the layers of fleece to help support the wings and allow them to hold their shape.

 

 

I can attest to the fact that this dragon is a lot of fun to play with too ;-)  I can't wait to see my friend and her family, and get Morgan's reaction to his new friend!  I'm already thinking about making a knight to go with the dragon.  That might be a good gift for Christmas.  One of the many things I love about Morgan is that he really appreciated the gifts he's given, and he plays with them for years.  He still plays with the first toy I made for him!  

Thanks for joining me for another creative adventure into the land of fantasy! ;-)

 

 

~Michelle of CreativeCritters

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