It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Sheldon!

Many beginners don't realize that with a little research, it is easy to find awesome free patterns online.  You don't need to pay any money to find cute things to make.  You can always check out the links that we recommend, or a simple Google search will do.  One website that I absolutely adore is KnitPicks.  Not only do they offer a wide variety on beautiful yarns, but they also have a section devoted to free patterns.  This is where I came across Sheldon the Turtle for the first time, and ever since I have been dying to make him.  Once I realized that my best friend's birthday was coming up, who also happens to love turtles, I decided it was fate and I had to make Sheldon.

The great thing about Sheldon is that he is actually part of a collection.  He started as your average turtle, but his body is removable from his shell so he can wear a different outfit everyday.  Depending on his mood, he could be a superhero, policeman, bee, and so much more.  Keeping this in mind, you only have to knit the actual body part once and then for each new outfit, you only need to knit a new shell.

One problem I encountered when knitting Sheldon was that one part of making the shell includes crocheting.  Although learning to crochet is on my to do list, I haven't gotten to it yet, and it presented a challenge.  However, with the help of my brand new crochet book The Complete Photo Guide to Crochet, it wasn't too difficult.  The pattern also calls for some specific stitching, such as the mattress stitch, when completing the superhero tights.  I wasn't familiar with this stitch but after a quick search I found a great website with video tutorials.

The only toy I have made prior to Sheldon was Nemo the Elefante.  I say this to encourage knitters to take chances and challenge themselves to projects they wouldn't imagine trying.  For me, Sheldon always seemed like a project that I wouldn't be able to tackle for a while because it seemed too complex, but I surprised myself.  I decided to just go out, buy the yarn I need, and jump right in.  It's easy to become discouraged when you need to learn a new technique, but it is just as easy to find a helpful video or tutorial online.  Once you finish a challenging project like Sheldon, you will have greater confidence in your skills and you will be itching to try something even more ambitious!

(click images to enlarge)