Friday 30 May 2014

Small Scale Mail Dragon Pattern

£6.00
  

This intermediate pattern allows you to knit your own scaly baby dragons in chunky yarn with poseable wings, which can sit up, lie down, and generally lie around being tiny and fierce.

The pattern includes comprehensive written knitting instructions for all parts, plus charts for adding the scales visually in one or two colours. The assembly of the dragon is described in detail and includes photos of important stages so it's as easy as possible to make up your dragon!

The photo tutorials for both knitting and purling with scales techniques are also included in the pattern for scale-knitting beginners, however this pattern is more suited to those with some experience knitting with scales.

What Do I Get?

PDF Pattern
- Step by step tutorial for adding scales as required for the pattern, including images shown on the tutorial page
- Full material and equipment list
- Charts of the scaled sections of the dragon to accompany the written pattern showing each individual stitch and scale
- Simple colour and symbol code in both chart and pattern allowing for easy arrangement of scales to form a bi-coloured dragon, with one colour for the top and wing bars, and another colour for the tummy and between the bars on the wings (code designed with colour-blind users in mind)

You can also have a free preview of the first page!

Click to enlarge!

How Is The Pattern Delivered?
This pattern is available as an instant download via Ravelry - if you have any trouble with this please contact me at sfarfort@yahoo.co.uk, preferably forwarding your receipt so I can sort things out as quickly as possible!

What Do I Need?
You will need 148 scales total for one baby dragon; if you wish to make your baby dragon in two colours you will require 87 of the main body colour (for the back and the wing bars) and 61 of the secondary colour (for the tummy and between the wing bars). See the bottom of DIY Scale Mail for suggested scale suppliers!
Chunky yarn in body colour (less than 100g), DK yarn for horns and claws, yarn for eyes, stuffing material, and optionally two pipe cleaners/chenille sticks matching body colour.
You need double pointed needles in 3.5mm and 2.5mm (required for knitting in the round) and some other basic knitting gear. See the preview for a detailed list of materials and equipment (right click the image and open in new tab if it's too small to read in the gallery)

How Difficult Is It?
This is an intermediate scale knitting pattern with involved assembly after all the parts have been knitted, and it is recommended you become familiar with all techniques (including knitting and purling scales into knitting) before starting to knit the dragon. The body, from tail to head, is knit in one piece, and contains narrow sections covered in scales which can be difficult to fix if you do not notice an error quickly, so it is recommended to double check your work against the chart frequently. The dragon is somewhat of a combination between the knitted scale pouch pattern and the mini palm sized dragon pattern, so if you would like to work up to this you may want to try some of those patterns first. If you are not as experienced with scale knitting, it is recommended that you knit the right wing and then left wing (which are knit flat) before you begin the body section (in the round)
The making up section is comprehensively described, and includes diagrams and photos of key stages to help you assemble your dragon as simply as possible.
The dragon is quite a quick pattern and an experienced knitter who has used scales before could complete a dragon in a matter of hours.

What Do I Not Get?
You do not get permission to sell this pattern as it is or in an adapted form, or give it away for free.
You do not get permission to make and sell items made by this pattern, although the technique of knitting with scales itself is allowed - you can design your own items that include scales using the technique described in the free tutorial whether you buy the pattern or not. Only the pattern itself is protected.

What Can I Make?
Little scaly dragon friends!
Click an image to enter full size gallery







Friday 23 May 2014

New Pattern Store

Behind the scenes things have changed quite a lot, but here's a summary of what you might notice using the updated pattern purchase system;

Pros Cons 
- Can add several patterns to cart and view cart from any page
- Cart opens on top of your current page so you don't lose your place
- Can now pay for multiple patterns in one transaction
- Instant download access to pattern files
- Capable of processing coupon codes allowing for discounts and offers in the future
- Patterns all available to browse on one page
- Still doesn't require a login or account to use
- If you do have a Ravelry account you can interact with the patterns in all the usual Ravelry ways
- Sometimes takes 0.2 seconds longer to load the checkout

So as you can see, even without going into the higher efficiencies in the management of the system there's a lot of new and improved features!

If you'd like to see the patterns on Ravelry itself, they're all right here.

Wednesday 21 May 2014

Baby Dragon Palm Pal Knit+Crochet Pattern

Note: This pattern uses both knit and crochet, and cannot be completed in only knit or only crochet!

£4.00
  

Make your own baby dragon to sit in the palm of your hand! Two inches tall, and five from nose to tail, this miniature beast probably won't be terrorising anything more than some dust bunnies.

The pattern was designed to combine a realistic style of dragon usually only available in much larger patterns, with tiny proportions able to sit on the palm of your hand.

Being so small, they're great for stash busting leftover DK yarns!

What Do I Get?

PDF Pattern
- Basic instructions for all techniques used in the pattern (suggest looking up comprehensive guides online for any you are not familiar with)
- Comprehensive knit/crochet instructions for every body part (2 pages)
- Step by step tutorial for assembling your dragon parts, including photos of every step (4 pages)
- Full material and equipment list

You can also have a free preview of the introduction!
Click to enlarge!
(right click and open in new tab if it's still too small)

How Is The Pattern Delivered?
This pattern is offered as an instant download via Ravelry - if you have any trouble with this please contact me at sfarfort@yahoo.co.uk, preferably forwarding your receipt so I can sort things out as quickly as possible!

What Do I Need?

  • a set of 2.5mm DPNS (for i-cord and knitting in the round)
  • 3.5mm crochet hook (for crocheting in the round)
  • body colour DK yarn
  • eye colour DK scrap
  • eye hilight embroidery thread scrap
  • 1 inch square piece of felt for claws
  • sewing thread to match the body colour
  • small quantity of toy stuffing
  • yarn needle, thread needle, scissors for assembly

How Difficult Is It?
It's certainly not a beginners pattern (although includes enough detail that a determined beginner should have plenty to work with) as it includes knitting and crochet in the round, with increases and decreases, plus i-cord and french knots. All these techniques are fairly simple to master, but are probably best practised before undertaking on such a tiny (and therefore occasionally fiddly!) item.
There is more knitting than crochet; only the main body/tail section is crochet as a basic amigurumi style item, so this pattern will be more accessible to knitters with some crochet experience than crocheters with some knitting experience.
A moderately experienced crafter who is familiar with the techniques already should be able to complete the dragon in a matter of hours.

What Do I Not Get?
Legal stuff:
You do not get permission to sell this pattern as it is or in an adapted form, or give it away for free.
You do not get permission to make and sell items made by this pattern, although the technique of knitting with scales itself is allowed - you can design your own items that include scales using the technique described in the free tutorial whether you buy the pattern or not. Only the pattern itself is protected.

What Can I Make?
Hoards of baby dragon friends!


Tuesday 20 May 2014

Migrating Pattern Purchase Links

Currently all patterns are available for sale on this site with direct link to paypal for purchase. Although this works pretty well for the few patterns I have, as I add more patterns it gets more complex to manage manually sending patterns out to people who've bought them this way! Etsy is a great alternative allowing for instant download, but you have to be a member so I don't want it to be the only option.
I didn't want to spread my effort over too many sites too early, but I'm now also adding Ravelry to the mix - as oppose to having three options of where to buy the pattern clogging up the pages, the Ravelry shopping cart and paypal checkout will be replacing the links currently around this blog, which will make it much easier for people who want to buy more than one pattern!
This change doesn't have any major effects, you still won't need any accounts if you will be purchasing patterns directly on this blog (even Paypal will let you go through checkout with just a card, no login required) but it will look a bit different once you click on a "buy it now" or the incoming "add to cart" buttons.

These links are all over the place, on the DIY Scale Mail page, on each pattern's individual page, and a few odd links in other places as well. I'll be replacing all the major ones as soon as each pattern goes up on Ravelry (over the course of the next few days all of them will be migrated) and eventually it will be possible to add any and all patterns to a cart and purchase through paypal with a card or paypal account.
The gloves and neck piece are already available on Ravelry itself, and soon to be re-directed at various links on this blog.