Tuesday 8 October 2013

halloween pumpkin / jack o'lantern



worked on two needles 


worked with short rows 


any wool / any size needles (will just give different sizes)





i used 2 strands of dk wool on size 8 (4mm) needles 





simple design using short row shaping


good way to learn short rows








short row shaping 


the short row section is repeated (10 times here)


each section is like one of the coloured pieces of a beach-ball : fatter in the middle


rows are knitted only partway to the end and then the knitting is turned 


the wool is twisted round a stitch (otherwise holes appear) slip stitch onto right hand needle without knitting pass the wool round the stitch and then slip the stitch back onto the left hand needle : wool is now wrapped around the stitch. 


on the final row the twists are knitted together with the stitch








each row is either knit or purl 


each section is the same


each section begins and ends with a stitch change to give the pumpkin "slices"





PATTERN





using 2 strands of double knitting and no 7 needles 





cast on 31 stitches





the next 12 rows are the first pumpkin section



row 1
Slip 1 purlwise, K28, (till 2 stitches remain on needle)  wrap yarn around next stitch, turn (leaving 1 stitch unknitted )
row 2
Slip 1 (3rd st) purlwise, k26, (till 2 stitches remain on needle) wrap yarn around next stitch, turn (leaving 1 stitch unknitted )
row 3
Slip 1(3rd st) purlwise, p24,  (till 4 stitches remain) wrap yarn around next stitch, turn (leaving 3 stitches unknitted )
row 4
Slip 1 (5th st) purlwise, k22, (till 4 stitches remain) wrap yarn around next stitch, turn  (leaving 3 stitches unknitted )
row 5
Slip 1 (5th st) purlwise, p20, (till 6 stitches remain) wrap yarn around next stitch, turn   (leaving 5 stitches unknitted )
row 6
Slip 1 (7th st) purlwise, k18, (till 6 stitches remain) wrap & turn (leaving 5 stitches unknitted )
row 7
Slip 1  (7th st) purlwise, p16, (till 8 stitches remain) wrap & turn (leaving 7 stitches unknitted )
row 8
Slip 1 (9th st)purlwise, k14, (till 8 stitches remain) wrap & turn  (leaving 7 stitches unknitted )
row 9
Slip 1 (9th st)purlwise, p11, (11 stitches remain) wrap & turn (leaving 10 stitches unknitted )
row 10
Row 10: Sl1 (12th) purlwise, k8, wrap & turn  (leaving 10 stitches unknitted )
row 11
Row 11: Sl1 purlwise, p to end (19 sts), purling wraps with stitches.
row 12
Row 12: Sl1 purlwise, P to end (30 sts), purling all wraps with stitches.








repeat these 12 rows 9 times more





cast off 





stuff pumpkin and sew cast on edge to cast off edge


sew wool through ends and pull tight 





stalk


using green wool cast on 28 stitches 








k5 k2tog   repeat to end      ( 24 stitches )


p4 p2tog   repeat to end      ( 20 stitches )


k3 k2tog   repeat to end      ( 16 stitches )


p2 p2tog   repeat to end      ( 12 stitches )


k2tog   repeat to end      (6 stitches )





p to end


k to end





repeat last 2 rows until stalk measures about 3" 





sew sides together and attach to top of pumpkin 





cut face out of felt and sew into place