Well, I can tell you that I've given up on trying to find one in the shops and instead got out my knitting needles and some odd balls. With just less than a 50g ball of Rowan all seasons cotton, less than 20g of Debbie Bliss Amalfi, a pair each of 4cm and 3.75cm needles I managed to rustle up a 28 cm long, 12 cm high, 9 cm wide steggie =)
I knitted mine in the round using circular needles, but have written the pattern for straight needles so as to not scare anyone off! You don't need any fancy techniques, but sewing on the feet can be a little fiddly. If you'd like a go at knitting the body and feet in the round, just knit every round and knock a knit stitch off the beginning and end of each row.
You will need:
- Yarn and appropriate needles. I like to use needles smaller than the ball band recommends when knitting toys to give a tighter finish that the stuffing won't show through
- Stuffing
- Safety eyes, buttons or felt circles
- Yarn needle
Techniques used:
- Cast on, cast off
- Knit
- Purl
- Garter stitch (knit every row)
- Stocking stitch ( knit a row, purl a row)
- k2tog: knit two stitches together for a right-slanting decrease
- k2tog tbl: knit two stitches together through the back of the loops for a left-slanting decrease
- m1: make a stitch by picking up the horizontal strand between stitches and knitting into the back of it
- kfb: increase by knitting into the front of a stitch, then into the back of it before slipping it from the left needle
- pfb: increase by purling into the front of a stitch, then into the back of it before slipping it from the left needle
Body:
Starting at the head, work the head, body and tail in one piece as follows.
Cast on 8, leaving a 60 cm tail for seaming.
Row 1: k2, m1, k1, m1, k2 , m1, k1, m1, k2 [12]
Row 2 and all even rows: purl
Row 3: k2, m1, k1, m1, k2, m1, k2, m1, k2, m1, k1, m1, k2 [18]
Row 5: (k2, m1, k1, m1, k4, m1, k1, m1) x2, k2 [26]
Row 7: (k2, m1, k10, m1) x2, k2 [30]
Rows 8-12: Work in stocking stitch without shaping for 5 rows
Row 13: (k2, ssk, k8, k2tog) x2, k2 [26]
Row 15: (k2, ssk, k2tog) x4, k2 [18]
Row 17: k6, ssk, k2, k2tog, k6 [16]
Start increasing for body.
Row 19: (k2, m1, k5, m1) x2, k2 [20]
Row 21: k3, m1, k6, m1, k2, m1, k6, m1, k3 [24]
Row 23: k4, m1, k7, m1, k2, m1, k7, m1, k4 [28]
Row 25: k5, m1, k8, m1, k2, m1, k8, m1, k5 [32]
Row 27: k6, m1, k9, m1, k2, m1, k9, m1, k6 [36]
Row 29: k7, m1, k10, m1, k2, m1, k10, m1, k7 [40]
Row 31: k8, m1, k11, m1, k2, m1, k11, m1, k8 [44]
Row 33: k9, m1, k12, m1, k2, m1, k12, m1, k9 [48]
Row 35: k10, m1, k28, m1, k10 [50]
Row 37: k11, m1, m13, m1, k2, m1, m13, m1, k11 [54]
Row 39: k12, m1, k30, m1, k12 [56]
Row 41: k13, m1, k30, m1, k13 [58]
Row 43: k28, m1, k2, m1, k28 [60]
Rows 44-48: work in stocking stitch without shaping for 5 rows
Row 49: k28, k2tog, ssk, k28 [58]
Row 51: k13, k2tog, k28, ssk, k13 [56]
Row 53: k12, k2tog, k28, ssk, k12 [54]
Row 55: k11, k2tog, k12, k2tog, ssk, k12, ssk, k11 [50]
Row 57: k10, k2tog, k26, ssk, k10 [48]
Row 59: k9, k2tog, k11, k2tog, ssk, k11, ssk, k9 [44]
Row 61: k8, k2tog, k10, k2tog, ssk, k10, ssk, k8 [40]
Row 63: k7, k2tog, k9, k2tog, ssk, k9, ssk, k7 [36]
Row 65: k6, k2tog, k8, k2tog, ssk, k8, ssk, k6 [32]
Row 67: k5, k2tog, k7, k2tog, ssk, k7, ssk, k5 [28]
Row 69: k4, k2tog, k6, k2tog, ssk, k6, ssk, k4 [24]
Row 71: k3, k2tog, k5, k2tog, ssk, k5, ssk, k3[20]
Rows 72-74: Knit 3 rows
Row 75: k2, k2tog, k4, k2tog, ssk, k4, ssk, k2 [16]
Rows 76-78: work in stocking stitch without shaping for 3 rows
Row 79: k1, k2tog, k3, k2tog, ssk, k3, ssk, k1 [12]
Rows 80-82: work in stocking stitch without shaping for 3 rows
Row 83: k2tog, k2, k2tog, ssk, k2, ssk [8]
Rows 84-86: work in stocking stitch without shaping for 3 rows
Row 87: k2, k2tog, ssk, k2 [6]
Rows 88-90: work in stocking stitch without shaping for 3 rows
Row 91: k1, k2tog, ssk, k1 [4]
Rows 92-94: work in stocking stitch without shaping for 3 rows
Row 95: k2tog, ssk [2]
Cut yarn and pull through two remaining loops. Weave the tail yarn at the nose for a neat finish, pull tightly then use invisible stitch to join the tummy along the two sides of the work, stuffing as you close the seam. If you are using safety eyes, remember to attached them before you completely close the seam! Hide ends inside the work.
Spine:
I originally worked the spine as a single layered zig-zag. After sewing it on however, I found that it kept curling and wouldn't stay upright. I ended up cutting the whole thing off and making the spine from scratch, but this time as a double-thickness zig-zag worked in one long garter stitch strip (bear with me - you will quickly see it take form).
There are three sizes of spike and I have broken them down as such. DO not break yarn between spikes; work them as a continuous strip. At the beginning of each spike there will be 4 stitches.
Work a strip of 1 small spike, 2 medium spikes, 3 large spikes, 2 medium spikes, 2 small spikes.
Cast on 4 leaving a 60 cm yarn tail for attaching spine to back.
Small spike:
[4]
Row 1: k1, kfb x2, k1 [6]
Row 2 and all even rows: knit
Row 3: k1, kfb x4, k1 [10]
Row 5: k1, k2tog x2, ssk x2, k1 [6]
Row 7: k1, k2tog, ssk, k1 [4]
Row 8: knit
Medium spike:
[4]
Row 1: k1, kfb x2, k1 [6]
Row 3: k1, kfb x4, k1 [10]
Row 5: k3, kfb x4, k3 [14]
Row 7: k3, k2tog x2, ssk x2, k3 [10]
Row 9: k1, k2tog x2, ssk x2, k1 [6]
Row 11: k1, k2tog, ssk, k1 [4]
Row 12: knit
Large spike:
[4]
Row 1: k1, kfb x2, k1 [6]
Row 3: k1, kfb x4, k1 [10]
Row 5: k3, kfb x4, k3 [14]
Row 7: k5, kfb x4, k5 [18]
Row 9: k5, k2tog x2, ssk x2, k5 [14]
Row 11: k3, k2tog x2, ssk x2, k3 [10]
Row 13: k1, k2tog x2, ssk x2, k1 [6]
Row 15: k1, k2tog, ssk, k1 [4]
Row 16: knit
Final row: K2tog, ssk [2]
Cut yarn and draw end through final 2 loops.
Feet, make 4
Cast on 8, leaving a 30 cm tail for seaming and attaching to body
Row 1: k1, kfb x6, k1 [14]
Row 2: p1, (p1, pfb) x6, p1 [20]
Rows 3-10: work in stocking stitch without shaping for 8 rows
Cast off, seam, stuff and attach to body
All that's left is to sew on eyes if you haven't already attached saftey eyes. I am unashamedly cheap and always cut the buttons off clothes before I cut them off and I used ones from one of the boy's old shirts =)
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