Behold, the first "What's My WIP?" project has become a Finished Object!
I can't believe I already completed something from my procrastination pile. This Gosling project was sitting as a yarn bundle for over eight months, but in three weeks, it's become an adorable nickname plush for my best friend's niece.
For those of you curious about the final touches, read on. If you're only here for the photos, skip ahead to the reveal below :)
Final Touches
In my last post, I decided to duplicate-stitch the gosling markings instead of needle-felting them on.
My plan was to double-up mohair yarn and embroider the pattern onto the body. With this change, I no longer had the necessary colors on me, so my boyfriend and I took a trip up to my parent's side of the state to get some. Not to raid my yarn stash there (that shockingly had none), but to a local yarn store I knew had the dreamy, fluffy mohair I desired: SugarBush Drizzle Mohair.
Mm, yes, such squish. Such softness.
I only knew of this beauty of yarn after using it in a different Claire Garland pattern for a custom order. That pattern combined multiple colors at different stages of the plush to create a unique piece of speckled knit. No extra bulk, just an extra layer of color interest and texture. It was glorious.
With new yarn acquired, I tried my best to recreate Canada Gosling markings onto my knitting using a reference photo. I held Moss and Mudpie together and stitched for hours to get close enough to what I had to go by...
I think I did okay, but why don't you be the judge?
The Reveal
Final Thoughts
Pattern: I will definitely use the "Little Duckling" pattern by Claire again. I'll keep the slight modification I made to the legs since I prefer how it knits up, but other than than that, the rest of her pattern is well-made and comes together quickly.
Yarns: I'll no doubt add a white or light yellow mohair yarn (or both) along with the thicker body yarn color for a fuzzier appearance next time, too. The merino/angora blend that I had didn't brush out to have the same effect that the merino did on this gosling, but I still appreciate the extra depth it added to the yellow that's there.
Stuffing: This is personal preference, but I am someone who likes stuffed animals to have some weight to them. It gives the stuffies an added sense of life, and I think it also provides a calming element to the toy. For Goose's Gosling, I placed a small nylon beanbag inside, closer it its bottom to help it sit on its own.
Goose's gosling will be packed and sent her way in the next few days. Her mom is going to hold onto it until her birthday this year, so we'll have to wait a few more months to know how it was received. I will update y'all when I hear, though! :)
How are your WIPs coming along? Have any of them made it to the Finish Line, too? Show me by tagging me on Instagram or Facebook @eleventhmonthdesign
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