Wednesday, December 5, 2018

Sweet little Bug ( and a Butterfly ) - free pattern



 Hello, I got my stuffing a couple of days ago and here is the pattern for the bug (finally, after a long hiatus)

Bug and Butterfly
You need:

Dk yarn: I had Drops Muskat (colors pink, beige and lila for Bug, and three different shades of blue for butterfly and brown)
Safety eyes, stuffing, knitting needles size 3mm, needle for sewing (Felt for face, optional)

Head (make 1 with beige)
Cast on 16 sts. P1 row.
Next row: K1 [m1, K1] to end. P1 row.
Next row: K1 [m1, K5] to end. P1 row.
Next row: K1, [m1, K6]to end. P1 row.
Next row: K1, [m1, K7] to end. Beginning with P row st-st 11 rows.
Next row: [k2tog, k5] to end. P1 row.
Next row: [K2tog, k4] to end. P1 row.
Next row: [k2 tog, k3] to end. P1 row.
Next row: [k2tog, k2] to end. P1 row.
Next row: [k2 tog, k1] to end.
Next row: P2 tog to end. Cut of yarn, pull throug remaining stitches. Sew the seam behind the head and attach eyes, stuff. If you want to, you can make the face from felt by cutting a circle or oval from the felt, attaching eyes to that and the sewing it to the head. Embroider the nose and mouth securely.

Front body (make one with beige)
Cast on 7sts. P1 row.
Next row: k1 [m1, k2] to end. St-st 3 sts.
Next row: K1, m1, k to the last st, m1, k1 P1 row. Repeat these two rows 3 more times. Beginning with knit row st-st 12 rows.
Next row: K1, skpo, knit to last 3, k2tog, k1.P1 row. Repeat 1 more time. Cast off knitwise.

Back body (make 1 with pink)
Cast on 9 sts. P1 row.
Next row: Next row: k1 [m1, k2] to end. P1 row.
Next row: K1, m1, k to the last st, m1, k1. P1 row. Repeat these two rows 5 more times. Beginning with knit row st-st 6 rows.
Next row: K1, skpo, knit to last 3, k2tog, k1.P1 row. Repeat 4 more times. Cast off knitwise.

Attach frotn and back body together, front sides facing each other. Sew side seams (if you have knitted the arms, you can add them new and sew to side seams, but remember to stuff them 😊 )

Arms (make 4)
Cast on 10sts with pink.
Beg with P row st-st 23 rows. Change colour.
Next row: K1 [m1, k3] to end. Beginning with P row st-st 5 rows.
Next row: K1, K2tog to end. Cut yarn and pull through remaining stitches.
Sew the seam of the arm and stuff. (Attach to body.)

Legs (make 2)
Cast on 9 sts with beige.  P1 row
Next row: K1 [m1, K1] to end. P1 row.
Next row: K1 [m1, k4]. P1 row.
Next row: K8, skpo, k1, k2tog, k8.
Next row: P1, p2tog, p to last 3, p2tog, p1.
Next row: K6, cast off 1st, k2tog, pass 1 st over, cast of until 6 sts remain, k6
Change to pink and beg wtih p row st-st 25 rows
Cast off knitwise. Sew the leg and the small hole on the foot. Stuff and sew securely to the bottom of the body. Stuff the body and sew head to the body.

Antennas  (make two)
Cast on 8 sts. Beginning with P row, st-st 9 rows (11 rows for butterfly)
Next row: change color to pink, K1, [m1, K1] to end.
Beg with P row st-st 4 rows
Next row: P1, P2tog to end
Next row: K2tog to end. Cut yarn and pull through remaining stitches. Sew from top to bottom, first with pink, leave the yarn to the right side. Continue to sew with beige. Turn the piece around, right side facing. Stuff the smalla ”blob” on top and use the pink yarn ending to shape in to a more ball-like shape.
 
Wings (make 2)
Cast on 10sts with lila. P1 row
Next row: k1, m1, k1, m1, k6, m1, k1, m1, k1. P1 row.
Next row: k1, m1, k1, m1, k10, m1, k1, m1, k1. P1 row.
Next row: K1, m1, k to the last st, m1, k1. P1 row. Repeat these two rows 5 more times. St-st 2 rows
Next row: K1, skpo, knit to last 3, k2tog, k1.P1 row. Repeat 2 more times.
Next row: K1, skpo, knit to last 3, k2tog, k1.
Next row: P2tog, p to last 2, p2tog. Repeat these last 2 rows until 4 sts remain. Cut yarn and pull it through remainin stitches. Sew the side seam. Sew to the nec, to the seam of head and body.

 
Hat
Cast on 52 sts with lila.
Next row: [K1,P1] repeat to end. Beginning with P row st-st 3 rows
Next row: K3, [k2tog, k5] to end. P1 row
Next row: K3, [K2tog, k4] to end. P1 row.
Next row: K3, [k2 tog, k3] to end. P1 row.
Next row:
K3, k2tog, k2, k2tog, using the stich from k2tog start to cast off: cast off 2, k2tog and cast off, cast of 2sts (in total 4) , k2tog, k2, k2tog and cast off using previous k2tog as first cast off st, cast off 2 sts, k2tog and cast off 2 more (4 in total), k1, k2tog, k2. (15sts in total)
Next row: P5, cast on 4sts, p4, cast on 4sts, p6.
Next row: K1, K2tog, k1, k2tog, k 4, k2tog twice, k4, k2tog, k1, k2 tog. P1row.
Next row: k2tog to end.
Sew the seam behind. Attach antennas to the head so that the holes of the hat are in a good place.

Cut all the extra yarn ending and embroider a nose and a mouth.

Butterfly
I made also a butterfly: the  basic body is the same, but of course a butterfly needs a set of bigger wings.
By changing the yarn for the wings, you can knit different species of butterflys. Just check the row on which to change the color, by folding your wing when knitting.
Upper wings (make 2)
Cast on 12 sts. P1 row.
Next row: K1, m1, k to last st, m1, k1. P1 row.
Next row: K1, m1, knit to end. P1 row. Repeat these past 4 rows 5 more times in. St-st 2 rows.
Next row: K1, [yrn, k2tog] to last, k1. Beginning with P row st-st 3 rows.
Next row: K1, k2tog, knit to end. P1 row.
Next row: K1, k2tog, knit to last 3 sts, k2tog. P1 row. Repeat these past 4 rows 5 more times. Cast off knitwise. 
Fold in half and sew side seams, turn around and sew to the middle of back piece. The side where there is more "slope" is the upper and the straigther side is the lower side of the wing.

 
Lower wings (make 2)
Cast on 12 sts. P1 row.
Next row: K1, m1, knit to last. P1 row.
Next row: K1, m1, knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1. P1 row. Repeat these past 4 rows 4 more times. St-st 2 rows.
Next row: K2, [yrn, k2tog] to last st. K1. St-st 3 rows beginning with purl row.
Next row: K1, skpo, knit to last st, m1, k1. P1 row.
Next row: K1, skpo, knit to end. P1 row. Repeat these past 4 rows 4 more times, cast off. Fold in half and sew side seams, turn aroung and sew to the middle of back piece. In the lower wings the side that is straigther is the upper side :)

 

K=knit
P=purl
K2tog = knit 2 together / P2tog = purl 2 together
st= stitch
st st= stocknitte stich
skpo =skip one
m1 = make 1
yrn = yarn over needle

Sunday, December 2, 2018

Update (sort of...)

Hello,
it has been too long since my last post to this blog. I think that I've had a severe knitter's block (similar to writer's block) in doing everything. I started knitting again this past week and the progress is astonishingly slow, but my projects are getting down slowly.
Also I had all kinds of obstacles like with my new projects: my cable knitting needle was missing (found it exactly where it was supposed to be), run out of filling (can't finish my new pattern without it and also I've lost some notes from that pattern too, took me almost an hour to count all stitches and try to write pattern down again) and I borrowed my sewing machine to my lil sis, and it is still wtih her.
And I really need to buy new cotton yarn, I don't have enough bright colours (like that is actually boring, to go and buy new yarn). What I learnt is that: remeber to check your needle case when looking for a knitting needle and when writing down a patttern, hit the save-button often enough, so you won't lose all hard work.

I also found my projects from last spring stashed away, and I can't even remeber what size of pullovers I'm knitting.
But anyway, I still like knitting :) and so what if I have a few unfinished objects around? Sometimes life is just too hectic to knit, but hopefully I have inspiration to finish all UFOs. And I'm really looking forward to my next week off of work and I really need to visit a good yarn store.

This one here is a sneak peak of my bug pattern I'm doing ( I think I have to knit another just to make sure I counted all the stitches right, I'm trying to make a butterfly this time).
And of course I need new socks for this winter too! I bought this super nice glitter yarn, pity it doesn't really show in the picture. I just fell in love with that yarn first sight.

p.s. I got a new phone, so now the pictures are better (but this time of the year is the darkest in Finland, so its not that easy to take photots)