Cupcakes!

The Amigurumi fun of crochet is almost enough to make me pick up a hook.

However, my first love for fiber manipulation is knitting… And I am nothing if not loyal.

I got my inspiration to make these (for some upcoming birthdays) from the super cool FO (A freeform scrumble of a cannibal meat pie from Sweeney Todd! Complete with Rats, Roaches & severed fingers!! SQUEEE!!!) made by a girl who knits at my LYS.

I know there are patterns out there for cupcakes & cake slices galore. I just have a stubborn streak in me that likes to make up my own… Even if I might just be “reinventing the wheel.”

The principle is basic.
The product is fun.

Be warned: knitting cupcakes are addictive.
There is ALWAYS someone you love who needs one!

***(Seamless Disclaimer: the icing embellishments are sewn on for ease & individuation of each little cupcake. However, this is fun sewing (embroidery) not tedious seaming, so I think that doesn’t really count.)

Baker X’s Cupcakes

Yarn: Cheapo Dishcloth cotton (Pigsah’s Peaches & Cream, here) in appropriate colors
(I used yellow, white & assorted ombres)

Needles: US Size #5 dpns

Other Materials:
Poly-Fill
Yarn Needle
Cardboard or cut-able plastic for base
(Optional:beads & other embellishments)

Base of Cupcake:
With yellow yarn,
Row 1: Long Tail CO 8 sts
Row 2: Sl1, Purl
Row 3: Sl1, M1, K6,M1, K1=10 sts
Row 4: Sl1, Purl
Row 5: Sl1, M1, K8, M1, K1=12 sts
Row 6: Sl1, Purl
Row 7: Sl1, M1, K10, M1, K1=14 sts
Row 8: Sl1, Purl
Row 9: Sl1, Knit
Row 10: Sl1, Purl
Row 11: Sl1, Knit
Row 12: Sl1, Purl
Row 13: Sl1, Knit
Row 14: Sl1, Purl
Row 15: Sl1, K2tog, K8, PSSO, K1=12 sts
Row 16: Sl1, Purl
Row 17: Sl1, K2tog, K6, PSSO, K1=10 sts
Row 18: Sl1, Purl
Row 19: Sl1, K2tog, K4, PSSO, K1=8 sts
Row 20: Sl1, Purl
Row 21: Sl1, Knit

While keeping the live sts on one dpn, Pick up 22 sts in slipped edge stitches for a total of 30 sts.

Place marker ar beginning of round.

Work in the round using a K2, P1 rib until wrapper, or sides of cupcake please you.

Cut cardboard or plastic into a ~2” circle to create/reinforce base. Press into place, add a little stuffing to hold in place

Break Yarn. Switch to white & knit 2 rows.

Break Yarn & switch to Ombre or color of choice.

Knit one round.

Increase round: (K3, M1)* = 40 sts

Knit 4 rounds.

Begin Decreases:

Row 1: (K3, K2tog)* =32 sts
Row 2: Knit
Row 3: (K2, K2tog)* =24 sts
Row 4: Knit
Row 5: (K1, K2tog)* =16 sts
Row 6: Knit
(At this Point, stuff your cupcake!)
Row 7: (K2tog)* =8 sts
Row 8: Purl
Row 9: (P2tog)* =4 sts

Candle:

Break Yarn. Switch to White Yarn.
Work as 4-stitch i-cord for 2”. Bind Off. Seal closed & tie in end.

Flame:

~With yellow yarn, pick up one stitch & knit into it with one stitch.
~Knit into that one stitch front & back.
~Knit those two stitches.
~K1, M1, K1
~K1, K2 tog
~PSSO
Tie in end. I made my flame stand up by using my yarn needle to half-hitch knot the wick into stability.

EMBELLISH AT WILL!!!!

I used a two foot length of i-cord (stitched into a spiral over my icing) to imply piping on the cup cakes shown, but really the possibilities are endless.

*** Note the blue-ish cup cake shown has double the increases... so I guess I know how to make a mushroom now, as well!

Not Knitting Related! However...

I found this on my friend Sonya's blog & I thought it a very cool thing to think about:


The Big Read is an NEA program designed to encourage community reading initiatives and of their top 100 books, they estimate the average adult has read only six.
*Look at the list and bold those we have read.
*Italicize those we intend to read.
*Underline the books we LOVE .
That is just too much work, I will put a star by those I love...
Share this list in your blog, too, if you like.

1 *Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2 *The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3 *Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4 *Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
5 *To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6 The Bible
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 *Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare
(I've read MOST of them... just not ALL of them...)
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 *Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 *Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34 *Emma - Jane Austen
35 *Persuasion - Jane Austen
36 *The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40 *Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41 *Animal Farm - George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
51 *Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52 *Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 *Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 *The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
(...though I didn't really understand EVERYTHING...)
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 *Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt
81 *A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 *Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 *Charlotte's Web - EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 *The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 *Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 ***A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 *Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99 *Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

Well, I used to read a lot. I love to read, but it seems I never have the time or waking energy.
It seems I've got the "average" American beat...
I could say something catty about how I spend all the time I saved NOT watching NASCAR to become fairly well-read... But, I don't think that's our issue.

I wonder how many Americans would double or triple their stats on this survey if they could answer that they had seen the movies made from the books. I can almost hear my students asking if that would count.

What's more important? The act of reading the book or having the story in your psyche & taking your place at the table of the collective consciousness of Western Culture?

Books-on-Tape while knitting & tending a pre-verbal Sprout most definitely DOES count as reading to me!

Anyway, I still have far more to read... Far more to Learn... Far more to Know... Far more to Dream.

Test Knitters II: The Lion Edition...

Lafcadio The-Lion-Who-Shot-Back By Ruth H. Bennett

Yarn: Pisgah Yarn & Dyeing Co., Inc Peaches & Creme Ombres

1 skein Safari for Mane (110 yda.)

Pisgah Yarn & Dyeing Co., Inc Peaches & Creme Solids
2 skeins Yellow (110 yds ea.)

Needles: US 5 / 3.75 mm DPN

Gauge: Not important, but 4.5 sts & 6 rows = 1”

Supplies:
~Black Embroidery Floss or Crewel Cotton for eyes & claws
~Yarn Needle
~Poly Fiber-Fil
~Scissors

Why is it that tweaking one pattern leads you design another? Well, Elefante is super cute, but I had to change a lot before I could knit it the way I liked. In doing so, I had an inspiration to design a pattern (using the basic 2 Balls/4Tubes) for a Lion. Right now I’m making i-cord for the mane…
But, the next time I make this, I might use curlicue ruffles instead. Or, a chain stitch crochet mane would be easily made, but even more easily unravelled & destroyed. I’m thinking that a child might put too big a balding punishment on it in the process of play. Oh well, I’ll see what I think when I follow this design idea to the end…
The rest of the Quills Group is knitting Elefante as our Summer KAL.
This pattern I am designing is loosely based on what I have learned from making 3 of those, plus all the rewriting I had to do to make sense of the LouLou UGH.

I hope Lafcadio doesn’t end up on a shelf just for show. Stuffies are made to be loved.
Hug him while reading the Shel Silverstein book!!!

FEET: (Make 4)
Pads of Feet (can be done in a contrasting color!)
Row 1: Long Tail CO 6 sts
Row 2: Sl 1, Purl
Row 3: Sl1, M1, K4, M1, K1 = 8 sts
Row 4: Sl1, Purl
Row 5: Sl1, M1, K6, M1, K1 = 10 sts
Rows 6-12: Sl 1st st Stockinette
Row 13: Sl1, K2tog, K4, PSSO, K1 = 8 sts
Row 14: Sl1, Purl
Row 15: Sl1, K2tog, K2, PSSO, K1 = 6 sts
Row 16: Sl1, Purl
Row 17: Sl1, K6, While keeping live sts on one dpn, Pick Up 20 sts along slipped edge of Foot Pad for Foot (use main color) = 26 sts
Rows 18-23: Place marker at beginning of round & knit in the round

Toe Decreases:
Row 23: K5, (PSSO, K2tog) four times, K5 = 18 sts
Rows 25-31: Knit in round
Row 32: BO in Knit (Leave long tail for finishing (tail will sew on feet!))

MANE:
Make as many 6” long 3-stitch I-cords as you think you’ll need for the mane you had in mind...
Leave tails for stitching on later when you are assembling & embellishing. (I made 48)

EARS:
Row 1: Longtail CO 6 sts
Row 2: Sl1 Purl
Row 3: Sl1, M1, K4, M1, K1 = 8 sts
Row 4: Sl1, Purl
Row 5: Sl1, M1, K6, M1, K1 = 10 sts
Row 6: Sl1, Purl
Row 7: Sl1, Knit
Row 8: Sl1, Purl
Row 9: Sl1, Knit
Row 10: Sl1, Purl
Row 11: Sl1, K8, P1
Row 12: Sl1 K wise, K8, P1
Row 13: Sl1, Knit
Row 14: Sl1, Purl
Row 15: Sl1, Knit
Row 16: Sl1, Purl
Row 17: Sl1, Knit
Row 18: Sl1, Purl
Row 19: Sl1, Knit
Row 20: Sl1, Purl
Row 21: Sl1, K2tog, K4, PSSO, K1 = 8 sts
Row 22: Sl1, Purl
Row 23: Sl1, K2tog, K2, PSSO, K1 = 6 sts
Row 24: Sl1, Purl
Row 25: BO in Knit

~Fold at Middle RS out
~Single crochet together using slipped stitches as guide. Leave long tail for finishing (tail will sew on ear!)

BODY: Just a Ball!
Row 1: Lontail CO 9 sts, distrubute 3 sts per DPN
Row 2: KFB each stitch = 18 sts, 6 on each DPN
Row 3: Knit
Row 4: (K2, M1)* = 27 sts, 9 each DPN
Row 5: Knit
Row 6: (K3, M1)* = 36 sts, 12 each DPN
Row 7: Knit
Row 8: (K4, M1)* = 45 sts, 15 each DPN
Row 9: Knit
Row 10: (K5, M1)* = 54 sts, 16 each DPN
Row 11: Knit
Row 12: (K6, M1)* = 63 sts, 21 each DPN

Knit in the round for 4” ( about 24 rows)

Begin Decreases:
Row 1: (K5, K2tog)* = 54 sts, 16 each DPN
Row 2: Knit
Row 3: (K4, K2tog)* = 45 sts, 15 each DPN
Row 4: Knit
Row 5: (K3, K2tog)* = 36 sts, 12 each DPN
Row 6: Knit
Row 7: (K2, K2tog)* = 27 sts, 9 each DPN
Row 8: Knit (At this point, stuff the body with fiber-fil & continue to knit to close...)
Row 9: (K1, K2tog)* = 18 sts, 6 each DPN
Row 10: Knit
Row 11: (K2tog)* = 9 sts
~Pull yarn through knit loops to close & weave in ends.
HEAD:
Row 1: Long Tail CO 6 sts
Row 2: Sl1, Purl
Row 3: Sl1, M1, K4,M1, K1=8 sts
Row 4: Sl1, Purl
Row 5: Sl1, M1, K6, M1, K1=10 sts
Row 6: Sl1, Purl
Row 7: Sl1, M1, K8, M1, K1=12 sts
Row 8: Sl1, Purl
Row 9: Sl1, Knit
Row 10: Sl1, Purl
Row 11: Sl1, Knit
Row 12: Sl1, Purl
Row 13: Sl1, Knit
Row 14: Sl1, Purl
Row 15: Sl1, K2tog, K6, PSSO, K1=10 sts
Row 16: Sl1, Purl
Row 17: Sl1, K2tog, K4, PSSO, K1=8 sts
Row 18: Sl1, Purl
Row 19: Sl1, K2tog, K2, PSSO, K1=6 sts

While keeping the live sts on one dpn, Pick up 22 sts in slipped edge stitches for a total of 28 sts.
I distributed mine in a 6/8/8/6 proportion over 4 needles (it will make sense later...).
Row 20-1: Place marker at the beginning of row & knit 2 rows

Muzzle Increases:
Row 22:
dpn 1: K1, M1, K4, M1, K1=8 sts
dpn 2: K1, M1, K2, M1, K2, M1, K2, M1, K1=12 sts
dpn 3: K1, M1, K2, M1, K2, M1, K2, M1, K1=12 sts
dpn 4: K1, M1, K4, M1, K1=8 sts (Total of 40 sts)
Row 23: Knit
Row 24:
dpn 1: K1, M1, K6, M1, K1=10 sts
dpn 2: K1, M1, K4, M1, K2, M1, K4, M1, K1=16 sts
dpn 3: K1, M1, K4, M1, K2, M1, K4, M1, K1=16 sts
dpn 4: K1, M1, K6, M1, K1=10 sts (Total of 52 sts)
Row 25: Knit
Row 26:
dpn 1: K10 sts
dpn 2: K1, M1, K6, M1, K2, M1, K6, M1, K1=20 sts
dpn 3: K1, M1, K6, M1, K2, M1, K6, M1, K1=20 sts
dpn 4: K10 sts (Total of 60 sts)
Row 27-44: Knit (Optional: Switch to Safari on Row 35 for back of head)

Head Decreases:
Row 45: (K4, K2tog)* =50 sts
Row 46: Knit
Row 47: (K3, K2tog)* =40 sts
Row 48: Knit
Row 49: (K2, K2tog)* =30 sts
Row 50: Knit (At this point, stuff the body with fiber-fil & continue to knit to close...)
Row 51: (K1, K2tog)* =20 sts
Row 52: Knit
Row 53: (K2tog)* =10 sts
~Pull yarn through knit loops to close & weave in ends.

Tail:
Work a 3-stitch i-cord for 6 inches. Leave a long tail for later sewing.
Bind off & weave in end.
Use scraps of Safari to create a fringe on the tip of tail.

Finishing:

Stuff feet with Poly Pellets or just Poly-Fill stuffing (Or any other washable stuffing of your choice...)
Use tail of cast on to whip stitch onto bottom of body (use finished image or your own taste for a guide).

Sew head onto body using whip stitch (use finished image or your own taste for a guide).
Be sure to do this well... double stitch it, if necessary.

Use crochet edge tail to whip stitch ears onto top of head (use finished image or your own taste for a guide).
Sew on tail using cast on end.

Use tails of i-cord to firmly knot each end into scalp of head to create a mane
(use finished image or your own taste for a guide).
Sew on tail.

Embroider eyes & mouth using your favorite stitches. I used back stitch for mouth & satin stitch for nose. I used a combination of satin stitch (pupils), button hole stitch (whites), & back stitch for outlines.
Be Creative! If you are making this for an older child, apply snap on saftey eyes before stuffing. Or blanket stitch on felt eyes... Or, embroider on a wink... That’s what I’m gonna do for my next one!

I’d love to see your finished Stuffie! Please send comments & pictures here to my blog!!!

Copyright Pending!!!
This test pattern is intended for personal use.
Please do not take this & claim it for your own or sell.
Knitting Geeks make up a small community. You will be found out!

Test Knitters Wanted!!!

Clement Dragon Gauntlets by Ruth H. Bennett

These gauntlets were designed for a swap on ravelry. I had been knitting the Clementine Shawlette (Interweave Knits, Spring 2007) & had a brain pop for how to adapt the basics of that lovely lace pattern to a simple, yet elegant, gauntlet. Depending on your color & fiber choice, they could have either a Victorian or Fantasy look to them. These could be super glam with an addition of beads in the Purls of the single stitch garter column between the YOs (ala Eunny Jang method)
... Of course, the cuffs may be knitted longer or shorter to modify the look as well.

Yarn: Patons Grace, 100% cotton (136 yds per skein. Pattern uses about 200 yds)
Needles: Size 4 Dpns, or size needed to obtain gauge
Size: Ladies Medium (I would use size 5 or 6 Dpns with same counts to make a Large or size 2 or 3 Dpns to make a Small)
Gauge: For Medium, 24 sts & 32 rows in lace pattern= 4” after blocking

Basic Lace Pattern: (These are knit in the round! If you are knitting flat for a gauge swatch, reverse Purls for Knits on even rows. As with any swatch, adding garter borders helps, too! Please refer to the pattern for the Clement Lace Scarf from my July 2008 posts if you want a stitch by stitch for knitting a flat version of this lace for a swatch.)

Row 1 & 3: (K1, YO, K2, P2SSO, K2, YO)*,K1 [repeat ( ) 5X= 41 sts]
Row 2: (P1, K7)*, P1 [repeat ( ) 5X= 41 sts]
Row 4: (P1, K1, P5, K1)*, P1 [repeat ( ) 5X= 41 sts]


Gauntlets: (make 2)

Row 1: Longtail CO 41 sts
join yarn, place marker, & work in round
Row 2: Purl all sts
Row 3: Knit all sts
Row 4: Purl all sts
Row 5- 32: Work in lace pattern *(P2SSO = pass 2 Kwise slipped sts over 1 knit stitch)

Begin Thumb Gusset: (CAUTION! This part may yet be buggy & in need of correction!)

Row 33: Kfb 1st & last stitch of patt.= 43 sts
Row 34: P1, (P1, K7)*, P2 [repeat ( ) 5X= 43 sts]
Row 35: K1, M1, (K1, YO, K2, P2SSO, K2, YO)*, M1,K1
[repeat ( ) 5X= 45 sts]
Row 36: P2, (P1, K1, P5, K1)*, P3 [repeat ( ) 5X= 45 sts]
Row 37: K1, M1, K1, (K1, YO, K2, P2SSO, K2, YO)*, K2, M1,K1
[repeat ( ) 5X= 47 sts]
Row 38: P3, (P1, K7)*, P4 [repeat ( ) 5X= 47 sts]
Row 39: K1, M1, K2, (K1, YO, K2, P2SSO, K2, YO)*, K3, M1,K1
[repeat ( ) 5X= 49 sts]
Row 40: P4, (P1, K1, P5, K1)*, P5 [repeat ( ) 5X= 49 sts]
Row 41: K1, M1, K3, (K1, YO, K2, P2SSO, K2, YO)*, K4, M1,K1
[repeat ( ) 5X= 51 sts]
Row 42: P5, (P1, K7)*, P6 [repeat ( ) 5X= 51 sts]
Row 43: K1, M1, K4, (K1, YO, K2, P2SSO, K2, YO)*, K5, M1,K1
[repeat ( ) 5X= 53 sts]
Row 44: P6, (P1, K1, P5, K1)*, P7 [repeat ( ) 5X= 53 sts]
Row 45: K1, M1, K5, (K1, YO, K2, P2SSO, K2, YO)*, K6, M1,K1
[repeat ( ) 5X= 55 sts]
Row 46: P7, (P1, K1, P5, K1)*, P8 [repeat ( ) 5X= 55 sts]
Row 47: K1, M1, K6, (K1, YO, K2, P2SSO, K2, YO)*, K7, M1,K1
[repeat ( ) 5X= 57 sts]
Row 48: P8, (P1, K1, P5, K1)*, P9 [repeat ( ) 5X= 57 sts]
Move 8 sts each end of work to waste yarn & tie or place on another Dpn to be made into the thumb later....
Row 49-68: Work in lace pattern.
Row 69-71: Work palm edge in garter. After last knit row, BO* in knit.

Thumb:

Distribute the 16 reserved sts onto 3 Dpns. Pick up 2 sts to close thumb/palm gap = 18 sts. Leave a long tail to sew up gap, Knit 4 rows in garter stitch. After last knit row, BO* in knit. Weave in all loose ends & Voila`!
*(To avoid the common problem of a super tight cotton bound edge, I followed this technique:
(BO4, M1, BO) until all sts are bound off. It is not necessary, but it does make it more comfortable.
*** Big Thanks to DragonKnits for test knitting this pattern & pointing out some GLARING MATH ERRATA in my transcribing!!! Don’t worry. It’s been fixed... mostly....

*** Thanks to Tonya, aka "The Shizknit", for modeling these gauntlets! Fabulous!!!

So, anyone want to do some test knitting? I'd love to hear the feedback!
Please feel free to share any & all corrections & suggestions so I can write the best pattern possible.

There is one specific "design feature" of which I am NOT fond: as the thumb & gusset of these are worked in garter stitch (which I do feel looks best as it matches the cuffs...) there is 1/2 a row of knit stitches which doubles on opposing sides of each thumb.
It is a minor thing. Barely noticeable to anyone who doesn't knit... But, it bugs the bejeebees out of me! Any suggestions?
I know. It would never show if the thumb & gusset were done in stockinette as is routine...

Finger Fun!

Dueling Dragon Finger Puppets

By Ruth H. Bennett

A pattern for daring intermediate or patient experienced knitters

These cuties were designed for a Swap on Ravelry. My “spoilee” is a young lady who loves dragons & Amigurumi.... So, here’s the fruit of my inspiration!
I had picked up a little ‘Kanga& Roo’ finger puppet for Sam at the Reggae Festival here in Louisville at the Water Tower. (It was more than worth the two dollars I paid for it! Sometimes I have to go “Un”Fair Trade... darn the Bad Karma... But, those 3rd World Knitters Rule!) I saw that this ingenious little piece was basically a mini-sock (NOT a ‘finger’) with clever embellishments & strategic stuffing. Once I had reverse engineered that, I now see the possibilities are endless. I’m sure that once you knit this up, your own mind will have already worked out how you would make your own favorite beastie puppet!

WARNING: Fudge Factor here is HIGH! I wrote exactly what I did for these puppets. You might have to go off book & ad lib what works for you in the gauge & yarn you choose. Don’t feel bound by what is written here. Just keep the concept of mini-sock & the power of picked-up stitch i-cord in mind & you will find this pretty easy & fun to make. If you have a favorite mini-sock pattern use that for the basis of the puppet. You might find it easier to follow what you know to be familiar rather than my crazy train...

Yarn: Patons Grace 100% cotton 136 yds per skein (1 skein each Viola & Black, pattern uses far less than a whole skein. Any sport/fingering weight stash will do. This is a fine sock yarn stash buster!)

Needles: US Size 3 Double Pointed Needles ( 5 “sock pin” style dpns are nice for this project)

Other Supplies:
~Yarn needle
~Stuffing fluff or extra roving
~Beads, etc. for eyes (optional)
~A Fun-Loving Imagination!

Gauge: Not very important, but I have sts & 6 rows = 1” in stockinette

Size: One Size Fits All...

Dragon Body: (use main color)

~CO 20 sts& distribute 6/8/6 on 3 dpns (I leave a tail to serve as my beg. of row marker...)
~Join & knit in the round for 3 rounds
~Begin garter ridges for belly ‘scales’: Alternate 1Knit row with 1 rowK6, P8, K6
Repeat those 2 rows until you have 10 garter bumps for the belly
~Then, “shape” neck by making K7, P6, K7 on next chance for the 11th garter bump.
~Knit 1 round
~K8, P4, K8

Back of Head: (This is really a heel flap!)
~Separate 1st & last 5 sts of round to work flat =10 sts (leave front 10 sts for later pickup)
~The Beg. of round should be in the middle of these 10 sts... just like a basic sock.
~Work in sl 1st stitch stockinette for 1 1/4” (8 rows) ending on a purl row.

Warning: The short rows for the “Heel Turn” are not standard here, but it works!
~P5, P2tog, Turn, Then start sequence:
1: sl1, K to 1 st before gap, K2 tog, Turn
2: sl 1, P to 1 st before gap. P2tog, Turn
~Repeat 1 & 2 until only 2 sts remain.
(This makes a sort of ‘saggital crest’ instead of a ‘heel cup’... So leave sockish thoughts aside here.)

Cheek Gusset: (Distribute on dpns as you see best... But, this will help you mark your place!)

Needle 1: K1, Pick up 6 sts along slipped stitch edge of “heel flap”.
Needle 2: K5 of your set aside sts
Needle 3: K5 of your set aside sts
Needle 4: Pick up 6 sts along other slipped stitch edge of “heel flap”, K1.
~Knit 1 round (be sure to maintain garter bumps on bottom of “chin” as you go...)=24 sts
~K5, PSSO, K10, K2tog, K5= 22
~K 1 round
~K4, PSSO, K10, K2tog, K4= 20
~K3 rounds
~Shape forehead: K2tog 3 times, K 8, PSSO 3 times= 14 sts
Knit 1 round
~Begin mouth decreases (very much like to decreases...)
K2, PSSO, K2 tog, K2, PSSO, K2tog, K2 = 10 sts
~K 1 round
~K1, PSSO, K2 tog, K1, PSSO, K2tog, K1 = 6 sts
~K 1 round
~Pull yarn through knit loops to close & weave in ends.

Dragon Ears: Make 2 (use main color, reverse shaping for 2nd ear)

~Pick up 4 sts along “heel” edge on top/side of head
~Do slip 1st stitch stockinette for 7 rows.
~Then decrease: sl1, P2tog, P1. Turn, sl1, K2 tog Turn, BO.
~Weave in ends.

Dragon Tail: (use main color)

Pick up 8 sts on either side of bottom/back= 16 sts
~Divide onto 3 dpns with 4 sts on the bottom to be your garter ‘scales’
~K 2 rounds
~Begin garter ridges on bottom 4 sts & K 8 more rounds
~Begin Decreases by alternating a PSSO & K2tog on either side of the top of the tail with a plain relief row.
~Continue until 4 sts remain.
~Pull yarn through knit loops to close & weave in ends.

Arms: Make 2 (Use main color)

~Pick up 5 sts on side of body (I used ridge 10 from the belly ‘scales as my guide for top of arm.)
~Knit as i-cord for 7 rows
~Pull yarn through knit loops to close & weave in ends.


Back Ridge: (use contrast color)

~Pick up 54 sts (Fudge Factor here is HIGH! Just PU a multiple of 4 + 2 extra...) Along spine, top of head to tip of tail.
~BO 1 stitch, Knit back along PU sts = 53
(From here on out, the concept is “Garterlac” triangles. If you are more comfortable with crochet, I’m sure you’ve already started doing a basic picot edge instead of this...)
~BO 1 st, K1
(Turn, K1, Turn, K2, Turn, K2, Turn, K3, Turn, K3, Turn BO5 sts)*
~Use last st to begin sequence. Repeat until all sts are used up & BO!
~Weave in ends.


Finishing:
Stuff the head lightly & use main color yarn to sew neck closed.

Use whatever you’ve got around to embellish at will!
Bead up the eyes! Bling up the scales & claws! En Garde!
(You have some littles? Worry (k)not! Embroidery basics like Bullion stitch & French Knots stand in nicely if you want to make these safe for young children.)
These are photos of the original finger puppet upon which I modeled these dragons...

If you make any of your own, I'd love to see them!