I wanted a Deer Wall Hanging but with Cables so inspired by http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/my-dear---a-deer-... I thought I would put my own spin on it.

This is my second cable project but I figure the best way to learn cables is to dive right in…

Started with a paper mache Deer Head and treated it as a jigsaw. Middle section of face and main horns all in one piece. Knitted needed to be fitted perfectly to show off cables so small sections knitted at a time and held up to measure.

Ears and sides of faces were traced with paper and random cables add to suit section sizes.

Over 50 hours knitting involved but worth it in the end. Hoping to raise lots of funds for the NICU.

Updated super basic notes/tips for anyone wanting to try one themselves

I used 8ply and 3mm needles but i think you could really use anything that was suitable for cables as it is not meant to be worn/played with it is more the visual than the feel unlike most knitted items.

Then think of the deer head as like a puzzle, I started with knitting a strip up the middle and once I had a few rows to establish the width I wanted I just picked a random cable and worked it to the base of the antlers.

Then by a bit of trial and error, I traced basic shapes onto paper and then knitted mirror images for either side of the faces, knitted the ears and then the antlers!

Antler tips - These are more a matter of patience then actual skill. I cast on stitches and then recast on (and again and again) until I had a nice tight fit around the base and working up, I centred the cables and increased/decreased all the way up the main branch. I then came back to the smaller branches and worked them like little tubes.

Then it is just a matter of sewing it all together.