Sunday, March 18, 2018

Lizzie Lizard (free pattern)

Here is the lizard pattern as promised, I try to add a pdf to my Ravelry store (you can find me, with the username Minttusuklaa)
 
Lizard



You will need:
DK yarn, two colours: 50g of MC 1 (main color 1) and a little bit of MC2 (main color 2)
Filling
3mm needles and DPNs
Safety eyes (size of choice, I used approximately 18mm/20mm)

Abbreviations:
MC1= main color 1
MC2 =main color 2
K = knit
P = purl
M1 = make one
kfb = knit front and back of the st knitwise
Kwise = knitwise
Pwise = purlwise
CO = cast on
st = stitch
st -st = stocknitte stitch
k2tog = knit 2 together
k3tog = knit 3 together
p2tog = purl 2 together
skpo= slip 1 knit 1, pass slipped stitch over
psso= pass slipped stitch over
yrn =yarn round needle

Head (upper part, make 1):
Cast on 13 sts with MC1. P1 row
Next row: K1, [m1, K3], repeat [_] to end. P1 row
Next row: K1, [m1, K4], repeat [_] to end. P1 row
Next row: K1, [m1, K5], repeat [_] to end. P1 row
Next row: K4, m1, K1, m1, K15, m1, K1, m1, K4. St-st 5 rows
Next row: K6, m1, k1, m1, k1, m1, k13, m1, k1, m1, k1, m1, k6. P1 row
Next row: K6, k2tog 3 times, k11, k2tog 3 times. P1 row
Next row: K6, slip one, k2tog, psso, k11, slip1, k2tog, psso, k6. St-st 3 rows
Next row: K2, k2tog, k2, k2tog, k9, k2tog, k2, k2tog, k2. P1 row
Next row: K2tog, k1, k2tog, k1, k2tog, k5, k2tog, k1, k2tog, k1, k2tog. st-st 7 rows
Next row: K2tog, k11, k2tog. P1 row
Next row: K2tog, k9, k2tog. P1 row
Next row: K2tog, k7, k2tog.
Next row: p2tog, p5, p2tog
Next row: k2tog, k3, k2tog
Next row: p2tog, p1, p2tog 
Cut yarn and pull it thorugh remaining stitches.
Lower head ("Chin", make 1):
CO 9 sts with MC1. P1 row
Next row: K1, [m1, K2], repeat [_] to end. P1 row
Next row: K1, [m1, K3], repeat [_] to end. St-st 3 rows
Next row: K1, [m1, K4], repeat [_] to end.  
Change to MC2. St-st 13 rows
Next row: k2tog, k17, k2 tog. P1 row
Next row: k2 tog, k1, k2tog, k9, k2tog, k1, k2tog. P1 row
Next row: K2tog, k1, k2tog, k5, k2tog, k1, k2tog. P1 row
Next row: k2tog, knit to last 2 sts, k2tog. St-st 7rows
Next row: K2tog, k5, k2tog. P1 rows
Next row: K2tog, k3, k2tog
Next row: p2tog, p1, p2tog
Cut yarn and pull it through remaining stitches

Sew both the head piece and the chin piece together rigth sides facing each other. Begin from the end of the cast on edge and then sew all around the head. Leave the cast on edge open. Turn rigth side facing outside. 
Insert safety eyes to the place of your choice (where the eyes look the best to you), I used the decreases as a mark for eyes. Stuff the head firmly. And sew the cast on seam as well.


Body:
Beginning from the neck and then continueing towards the bottom.
Cast on 9sts with MC1. Beginning with P row, st-st 5 rows.
Next row: K1, m1, k7, m1, k1. P1 row
Next row: K1, m1, k1, m1, k7, m1, k1, m1, k1. P1 row
Next row: K1, m1, k13, m1, k1.
Next row: P1, m1 pwise, p15, m1 pwise, P1.
Next row: K1, m1, k17, m1, k17. St-st 3rows
Next row: K1, m1, k19, m1, k1. St-st 7rows.
Next row: K1, skpo, knit to last 3 sts, K2tog. P1 rows. Repeat these two rows 3 times
Next row: Cast off 5sts knitwise, knit to end.
Next row: Cast off 5sts pwise. P to end.
Place remaining stitche on holder, these will form the tail
Stomach:
Cast on 9sts with MC2. Beginning with P row, st-st 5 rows.
Next row: K1, m1, k7, m1, k1. P1 row
Next row: K1, m1, k1, m1, k7, m1, k1, m1, k1. P1 row
Next row: K1, m1, k13, m1, k1.
Next row: P1, m1 pwise, p15, m1 pwise, P1.
Next row: K1, m1, k17, m1, k17 
Beginning with p row st-st 13 rows
Next row: K3, skpo, k1, k2tog, k5, skpo, k1, k2tog, k3. P1 row.
Next row: K3, skpo, k7, k2tog, k3. P1 row.
Next row: Cast off 5sts knitwise, knit to the end of the row.
Next row: Cast off 5sts pwise. P to end.

Tail (worked in round with DPNs):
Move sts on holder (from the body and the stomach) to dpns:
First row: 
knit from the body piece with MC1 to 2 dpns: K2, m1, k3, m1, k2, cast on 1 kwise (5 sts now on 2 needles), knit from stomach piece on 1 dpn: k2tog, k1, k2tog, cast on 1 st kwise (4sts).
Next row:k3, m1, k4, k3, k2tog x2. 
Arrange tail sts on dpns  so that you have 5-5-4 sts on DPNs and the beginning of the next row is the center of the body piece (so back of lizard’s body)
Knit 5 rows
Next row: k2tog from needles with 5sts (12 sts in total)
knit 9 rows
Next row: k2tog at the beg of each needle
Knit 9 rows
Next row: k2tog at the beginning of each needle
Knit 7 rows
Next row: k2tog x3. Cut yarn and pull it through remaining stitches. Stuff the tail at this point.

Legs: (make 2)
Cast on 14 sts.
Beginning with P row, st-st 11 rows
Next row: K4, m1, k 6, m1, k4. St-st 3rows.
Next row: k3, slip 1, k2tog, psso, k4, k3tog, k3
St-st 9 rows. Cast off. Sew the back seam of legs and turn them right side out.

I found it easier to attach legs to the body at this point: 
Stuff the tail and the turn the body piece, so that right sides are facing each other. 
Then insert the legs inside the body piece and sew to the cast of edges to the body. Attach legs a little bit in front of the tail. this way the tail will then turn to the backside of the lizard and look more natural. Sew the legs to body. 
Sew also the side seams firmly at this point. Pay close attention to neck part while sewing, so that there are no holes. Stuff the legs firmly.

 
Bobble stitch for fingers and toes

Finger ”stitch”: knit front and back of the stitch twice (4sts in total). Turn and p4. Turn and then slip 1, k1, pass slipped stitch over, [k1, slip stitch over the knitted sts], repeat [_] until 1 st remains.

Toe ”stitch”: Knit front and back of the stitch twice, knit once to the front of the sitch (5sts in total), turn and p5.  Turn, slip 1, k1, pass slipped stitch over, [k1, slip stitch over the knitted sts], repeat [_] until 1 st remains.

Feet (make 2) 
With MC1
Cast on 6sts. Beginning with P row st-st 3 rows.
Next row: K1, [m1,k1], repeat to end. st-st 3 rows.
Next row: k,1 make one finger stitch, knit to end. 
(For the other foot on this row: knit to last 2 sts, then a finger stitch and k1). P1 row.
Next row: K1, [toe stich, yrn, knit2tog], repeat 3times, k1.
Beginning with P row st-st 3 rows.
Next row: K1, k2 tog to end. St-st 3 rows.
Cast off kwise.

Fold right sides facing each other, sew one side seam. Turn the right side out. There are small holes between toes now, from the yrn. Close them by sewing  and shape the toes at this point (with small stitches) and sew them in place. Turn right sides facing each other again and sew the other side seam. Turn the foot and stuff firmly, sew the cast on edeges together. Sew feet to the legs, so that the legs are preferably located nearer to the cast off/on edge of the foot.
 
Okay arms are bit tricky, because I was just too lazy to make separate hands. So this requires some handsewing skills in the end to shape the hand.

Arms (make two with MC1)
Cast on 12 sts. Beginning with P row st-st 11 rows.
Next row: K3, m1, k6, m1, k3. P1 row.
Next row: K2, slip 1 st, k2tog, psso, k4, k3tog, k2. St-st 11 rows.
Next row: K1, [k2tog, k1] to end. (7sts). P1 row
Next row: [kfb, k1] twice, kfb, k1, kfb. (11sts in total). P1 row.
Next row: K1, make one finger st, knit to end 
(The other other arm: knit to last 2 sts, finger st, k1). P1 row.
Next row:K1, [finger st, yrn, k2tog] repeat 3 times, k1. St-st 3rows.
Next row: k1, k2 tog to end. P1 row.
Cast off kwise.

Finishing of arm and hand:
 
Fold the hand right sides facing each other, sew the other hand seam. Turn around. Finish fingers like descirbed with toes, turn the hand piece so that it is facing rigth sides facing each other and sew the other hand seam. Turn around. Fold arm in half and sew the hand cast off edge to arm back seam so that you can stuff the arm. Sew the back seam of arm, with wrong sides facing each other. Stuff and attach arms firmly to the body. Place them below the neck to the side seams.

Eyelids (optional)
Cast on 5sts, with MC1
P1 row.
Next row: K1, m1, K3, m1, K1.
Cast of knitwise.
Sew to the top of the eyes, so that about 1/3 of the eye is covered with the eyelid.

Okay done!
-          Minttusuklaa

Monday, March 12, 2018

Old ideas

Hello,

I've graduated from university and started working, and I already miss lectures (even the boring ones) and I've just realised how much I still have to learn and keep on learning.
It has been a task to find time to knit, going to work at 8 a.m and being back home at 16.30 and then cooking, household tasks and so on... It is quite a change in life.

This past month had a very cold weather and I had to dig up from the bottom of my parents' closet my knitted socks and I got an inspiration to pick up knitting needles after a while.

I've had an idea to knit  a lizard for about 10 years now and I thought that it would be challenging enough for this week. I didn't have a plan for on how to make the hands (or the 15 yr old me couldn't figure it out). My first sketch was green, but I didn't have that colour. So after a quick google search I decided on orange.



I had to reknit hands at least 6 times and thumbs are still missing (I figured out how to do that while knitting feet...) I made a mistake in the head, should have used orange more instead of yellow and the tail is tooooo short (well this lizard got scared and dropped it). And the neck is a bit floppy, should have sewn it better and with more stuffing.
I'll try to get the pattern published but at the moment it is just a mess in my sketch book...

And I just wanted to share this pic of my new little bunny :)