I am writing today from an incredibly icy Johannesburg. Our temperatures have plummeted below 0 C and it’s been freezing cold here over the last few days. I must tell you, I cannot wait for Spring! Today I was inspired to knit up a little owl pattern, I have been thinking of him ever since I made Beans the Cat so here he is…
I would like you to meet Seamus the Owl. He is quite similar to Beans the Cat, but I have changed the body by making him a little larger and adding a sweet little moss stitch to the front of his body to try and give him a slightly speckled / feathered chest.
Materials:
4mm circular needles
I used hand spun for Seamus but DK wool would be perfect
Sewing up needle
Black fleece and a felting needle to needle felt his eyes and beak
Fleece for stuffing
Abbreviations:
kfb: knit into the front and back of the stitch to increase
dpns: double pointed needles
knit 2 tog: knit 2 stitches together
You can knit this pattern with the magic loop or just use dpns for knitting him in the round.
Pattern:
Cast on 12 stitches and join for knitting in the round with the magic loop or on dpns
Round 1: Knit
Round 2: kfb into each stitch (24 stitches)
Round 3: kfb into each stitch (48 stitches)
Round 4: Knit
Round 5: Knit 12, (purl 1, knit 1) for 24 stitches, then knit to the end.
Round 6: Knit 12, (knit 1, purl 1) for 24 stitches, knit to the end.
Continue alternating rounds 5 and 6 of the moss stitch, finishing on round 18.
Round 19: (Knit 1, knit 2 tog) across the round (32 stitches)
Rounds 20-31: Knit
Cast off
Finishing Off:
Hold both edges together flat at the cast off edge and sew in and out, closing the top of your owl’s head.
Stuff Seamus, make sure the stuffing is nice and firm. Sew the opening closed at the base of his body.
Take a needle and wool, sew into the base of Seamus, secure the wool and push the needle up through his body and pull it out the top of his head, sew back down again and pull. This is going to make a nice big concave depression that will form his two ears.
Once you have sewn back down, pull the needle and wool out the base of the body, pull tight and sew the wool securely onto the knitting, ensuring the depression remains at the top of the head so that two ears appear on each side.
Wing Pattern: Knit 2
With 4mm needles knit your wings in garter stitch:
Cast on 5 stitches.
Knit first and second row.
Row 3: Cast on 2 stitches at the beginning of the row and 1 stitch at the end of the row.
Row 4: Knit.
Row 5: Cast on 1 stitch at the beginning and knit 2 together at the end of the row.
Row 6: Knit.
Row 7: Cast on 2 stitches at the beginning of the row, knit to the end of the row.
Row 8: Knit.
Cast off.
Sew the wings onto the sides of the body.
Sew a few strands of wool onto the points of the ears and then rub them with your fingers and pull apart the fibres to create the tufts on the owl’s pointed ears.
Eyes and Beak:
Needle felt on the eyes and beak with black fleece and a felting needle, two large circles for the eyes and a triangle for the nose.
Happy knitting.
Please do share you projects on Ravelry if you are a member, I have loved seeing all the different Beans the Cat projects there! I have a little Ravelry group called Mamma4earth where you can share your knitted treasures.
PS If you haven’t entered my giveaway you can enter here.
Have a lovely day,
Linda
Joining in with Ginny today for the Yarn Along.
Seamus Owl Pattern Copyright Linda Dawkins, Mamma4earth
