Phillip Tophead’s modelling career began a month or two ago:

I put him within sight of my tv-watching armchair, with sketchbook and oil pastels close by. Not quite the perfect substitute for knitting as I can really only listen to the tv at the same time, but now and then Paul will be watching something I’ve seen before, aren’t so interested in, or wants to read instead.

As my teacher says, you don’t get good at something doing it once a week. I wasn’t feeling the love for drawing in pencil, and charcoal or pastel creates too much dust and mess. It was actually research I was doing for my current book that sparked the idea of trying oil pastels. No dust, and it’s closer to what I’m doing in class.

But drawing a skull over and over could get a bit tedious, so I’ve swapped Phil for a head I bought to pose knitted hats on. Hmm. I should name her, too. Maybe Ms Anna Quin?