Monday 24 August 2015

Baba's Little Scarecrow



 Baba’s Little
Scarecrow
MATERIALS
30 g. knitting worsted, Denim color, or your choice of color; Color A
30 g. knitting worsted, red, or your choice of color; Color B
30 g. knitting worsted, tan; Color C
Small amounts of knitting worsted: yellow, black, blue for “hair” and facial features
Fibrefill stuffing
A small sachet bag and about 30 ml polystyrene beads
Circular needle, 4 mm, 80 cm long, to work in the round using the Magic Loop method; alternatively, use a set of four 4mm DPN’s.
4mm crochet hook

GAUGE is not important, as long as it is consistent throughout the project. The figure will be about 10-12 cm tall (4-5 inches).

*means to repeat the previous directions throughout the round.

BODY AND HEAD
With Color A, Cast On 6 sts and join to work in the round.
Rnd 1:  Knit every stitch
Rnd 2: Knit, increasing 1 stitch in each stitch  [12 sts]
Rnd 3: Knit
Rnd 4: Knit, increasing 1 stitch in each stitch  [24 sts]
Rnd 5: Knit
Rnd 6: (Knit 1, inc 1)* [36 sts]
Rnd 7-19: Knit
Rnd 20: (Knit 2 together)*  [18 sts]
Rnd 21: Knit
Rnd 22: Change to Color C; (inc 1, K2)*  [24 sts]
Rnd 23-31: Knit
Rnd 32: (Knit 2 together)* [12 sts]
Rnd 33:  Knit.  Place the polystyrene beads in the little sachet, tie tightly, and place it firmly in the bottom of the scarecrow. Stuff firmly with fibrefill, but not so tightly that the stuffing shows through the stitching.
Rnd 34: (Knit 2 together)*  [6]  Break thread leaving a long tail; thread the tail through the remaining stitches and pull tight. Tie.

ARMS (make 2)
With Color A, cast on 4. Knit 12 rows of I-Cord. Break thread leaving a long tail; thread the tail through the remaining stitches and pull tight. Tie. Sew to one side of Scarecrow’s Body at the neck. Repeat for other arm.

HAT
With Color B, Cast On 72 sts. Join to work in the round.
Rnd 1: Knit
Rnd 2: (Knit 1, Knit 2 together)* [48 sts]
Rnd 3: Knit
Rnd 4: (Knit 2 together)* [24 sts]
Rnd 5-18: Knit
Rnd 19: (Knit 2 together)*  [12 sts]
Rnd 20:  (Knit 2 together)*  [6sts]. Break thread leaving a long tail; thread the tail through the remaining stitches and pull tight. Tie.

EMBELLISHING
Using small amounts of yarn, embroider eyes, nose and mouth on the face. Embroider a patch on the “pants” using Color B. Cut several lengths of yellow yarn 5-8 cm long; fold each in half. Using the crochet hook, pull the fold through one stitch, then pull the two ends through the fold and tighten, to create “straw” at the end of the arms, on the head at the edge of the hat, and where the feet would be.

FINISHING
Weave in all ends.


ADAPTATIONS
If you are not comfortable with the Magic Loop or with knitting on double-pointed needles, or if you only have regular knitting needles, you can knit the Scarecrow flat and sew up the seam in the back. Working flat, one row is knitted and the next row is purled for Stocking Stitch. Sew a seam down the back of the Bunny, leaving about an inch and a half open at the bottom to stuff, then finish the seam.

If you prefer not to purl, or just to achieve a different look, you can work the Scarecrow flat in Garter Stitch, that is, knitting every row. Sew a seam down the back and stuff as instructed above. Finish as above.