Nemo

Hey guys!

So… this is my first blog post about a current/just completed project! I don’t know how I’ll format these posts just yet so they might change around a little bit the more I post so any suggestions are more than welcome!

I started this Finding Nemo-inspired knit after having been asked by the Wool Woman (I think that yes I will call her that from now on, like Wonder Woman but better *finger guns in awkward anxiety*) if I would be able to make a couple of animals to go in her display window (theme: Under the Sea, guys the window looks so so cool I’ll ask her if I can post a photo on here or on my Instagram so stay tuned!)

Nemo is the third piece I have produced for this display, the other two are a Seagull (called Eric) and a turtle (named Mario) – posts on them and possibly the display as a whole later.

It took me I think two days to complete – it was a whole lot of fun as well because knitting myself a Nemo meant that I had a totally valid excuse to watch a whole load of Pixar films over the weekend (side note: forgot how wholesome Up is, kinda wanna knit a Doug now…)

The pattern was created by the fantastic Nixknittingsticks on Etsy, I’ll link the actual pattern here, and you can check out her Instagram here as well as her YouTube channel here! She’s got a load of other patterns too, though I will admit I was immediately drawn to the Finding Nemo collection (though, to be fair, I think that that’s to be expected). The pattern was really easy to follow and gave clear instructions and also introduced me to a new type of stitch that I hadn’t tried before: The German Short Stitch, which gave the Nemo a really cool effect that I really like and kind of want to try experimenting with as I begin to write my own patterns.

I actually got so excited by her collection of Finding Nemo/Dory inspired patterns and I loved how they looked so much that I bought the bulk patterns (including Nemo, Dory (both adult and baby), Squirt, Hank and Mr Ray) as well as the Bruce pattern, so I’m sure you’ll see some photos of them in the upcoming months!

I stuck with my old faithful wool brand when it comes to toys – Sirdar. While I usually prefer the Snuggly DK Replay (less fluffy but softer to the touch, that sounds incredibly contradictory but just trust me that’s the best way to describe it) but I couldn’t find a bright orange of that kind, so I instead went with the just regular Snuggly for all three wool colours used.

I’m really glad I did, though! Nemo came out incredibly soft and fluffy and cuddly (much to my dog’s delight – she very much enjoys my knitting as she likes to just curl up with toys, at least when she’s not trying to play tug of war with them) and as it turned out, Norbert very much appreciated that. I had been having a kind of rough few days dealing with him and it was so soothing to feel how soft the wool was as I was knitting. 10/10 would recommend using soft as anything wool if you’re having an anxious few days.

I also used my favourite needles – I save my wooden needles for special projects because they’re more expensive and also have started to fall apart so I can’t use them all the time anymore. If you are looking to buy needles, I would definitely recommend wooden or bamboo needles over metal ones – it’s a far more pleasant texture, though they are more expensive and more susceptible to breaking if your younger brother sits on them.

The only issue that I had was with the eyes – but that’s no fault of the pattern itself. I was in a rush to try to finish it in time for Wool Woman to start setting up her display (I failed, unfortunately. Nemo will be joining Mario and Eric tomorrow instead) so I made the mistake of skipping the step to sew in eye sockets – I would very definitely recommend doing that just so Nemo’s face looks a little less awkward than mine does. I also cut corners by using toy eyes rather than sewing as instructed. Again, if I was more confident in my sewing abilities I would have probably sewn the pupils because the ones designed in the pattern are very natural and sweet looking.

While knitting I watched “Finding Nemo” and “Up”, and also a whole lot of Love Island, having forgotten that it was starting. I also watched a couple of Twitch streams and episodes of Friends (I’ve been binging it again since watching the reunion, I can’t help it I’m sorry!) and listened to the Taskmaster podcast and the Chuckle Sandwich – all of which I’d recommend if you want some background noise while you knit, or if you’re doing anything to try to take your mind off of worries.

Overall, I am really, really pleased with how Nemo turned out and I would 100% recommend the pattern I used – I can’t wait to give her other patterns a try as well! I think that Wool Woman will love him too and I’ll keep you updated on that front!

Thank you so much for reading! Let me know what you think of both Nemo and how I set out this post, I’ll be adding more and more project posts and blog posts and other self-care/mental health coping strategies and maybe even some knitting tips for anyone who wants to start out or just wants some recommendations every day or every few days. You can also follow me on Instagram @knitting_with_norbert I think I’m going to keep that more updated with how my new long-term project (a blanket I’m designing the squares of myself) is going!

Any feedback or pattern recommendations or wool/needle recommendations are so very welcomed and encouraged! I hope that anyone who reads this has a fantastic day! Thank you for stumbling across this website and for reading my post, I really appreciate it!

Freddie 🐸