Do you ever go on those *what if* journeys, where you start thinking about one thing, and that one thing leads to another and on and on and before you know it you have designed and made 5 different knitted creatures and you're not quite sure how you got there, especially since you didn't start out contemplating knitting or small creatures, but you just know the trip was fun? Nope? Just me then...ha!
These sweet little owlets are a result of one of those trips (well, one of the results, I'll share the others too if you'd like!) As I was knitting the first one (Brown Owl, I'm original like that!) I kept thinking of Hoot, the puppet owl presenter of a children's show here in Australia - he has a heart on his chest, and that inspired these hearts.
It then occurred to me that some of you might like your own wee owlet, so I knit Blowfish (the silver dude) to double check what I had done, and so I could write down a pattern of sorts, and here it is - enjoy!
(I have written the pattern assuming you have some knitting knowledge, but please let me know if you'd like more detail about something...or if I make no sense.)
A note about yarn, needle size and gauge: gauge doesn't matter. yay. Use any yarn along with a needle 3 sizes smaller than the yarn recommends (ie. if the yarn is sport weight and recommends using a 4mm/US6, then use 3mm/US3). Alternately, you can also use your yarn doubled, and the recommended size needle.This means that the size of your owlet will vary, but for reference, Brown owl is knitted with doubled light sportweight yarn alpaca and size 4mm needles, whilst Blowfish is made with a single strand of chunky yarn (also alpaca) and size 4mm needles as well - Brown Owl is 2.75" tall and 2.5" wide, and Blowfish is just a smidge more.
Knitted owlet:
Wings (make 2)
CO 3 sts.
Rows 1-2: k (the wings are worked in garter stitch)
3: k1, kfab, k1 (4 sts)
4: k1, kfab, k2 (5 sts)
5-7: k
leave live stitches on needle/move to a needle holder (a quilting sized safety pin works well here!)
Body
Cast on 12 stitches with dpns and join in the round.
Rounds 1 & 2: k
3: K2, kfab, k3, kfab, k3, kfab, k1 (15 sts)
4: k
(pop in a stitch marker around now to mark the beginning of the row to make things easy)
5: kfab, k4, kfab, k4, kfab, k4 (18 sts)
6-10: k
11: k2, knit 1st wing into body (see next line), k4, knit 2nd wing into body, k2
{To knit the wing into the body, hold the wing stitches in front of the body stitches in your left hand, and with your right needle go into both the first wing and body stitch, and knit them as one - think: 3 needle bindoff/knitted-in pockets etc. When you get to the end of the wing, just revert to ordinary knitting of the body. I like to knit in the the tail of the wing yarn for a few stitches to secure}
12-18: k
19: bo/leave on needles to kitchener after stuffing.
Glossary
BO - bind off
CO - cast on
k2tog - knit 2 stitches together
kfab - knit into front and back of this stitch
Turning the tube into an owlet:
1. Draw up the CO row of stitches and secure.
2. Stuff.
3. Close the top seam so that it is a long line (not a drawn up circle like the owlet's bottom) so that the edge starts and ends above the middle point of a wing (not fron to back as if there were a mohawk!) Now stitch that hole shut by you preferred method - either ladder stitch the BO edge, or kitchener it together. If you don't know what Kitchener stitch is, check it out here - it's a great trick!
4. Pinch a little of the *point* created at each end of the top seam, and make a small stitch that holds the pinched point about 1/3 of an inch either side - this makes the *ear* (though you can certainly leave this step off if your ears already look prominent!)
5. Add eyes, a beak, and maybe a little heart so nobody confuses him for the Tinman. Et voila!
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If you make one (or a parliament!), I'd love to see - you can add them to the Tropical Soup Flickr group (how terribly presumptuous of me!) Thanks, and enjoy! you can see more lovely creations over at Our Creative Space.
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A note about this pattern: it's my free gift to you. Free is free, the pattern belongs to me, but you're welcome to make owlets for yourself, for charity, to give away or sell. I only ask that you acknowledge the pattern is a Gawjus design by Tropical Soup. Thanks!
way,way adorable! i'll be knitting a few of these in the near future.
Posted by: kristin | January 28, 2012 at 08:01 AM
thanks - everybody needs more small woollen owls in their lives...then again, after seeing your blog I keep thinking of cervixes, ha!
Posted by: Jolie | January 28, 2012 at 09:08 AM
Soooooo cute, I need to knit owls. I am not sure why I need to knit owls, but I just feel I need to.
Posted by: jessyz | January 29, 2012 at 05:17 AM
glad you like them...clearly we have the same needs, ha!
Posted by: Jolie | January 29, 2012 at 07:40 AM
They are darling!!! I am a BRAND new knitter, but I sure would LOVE to try one of these...or two...or three:)!! Thank you for such a beautifully written tutorial!
Posted by: Michaelanneneal | January 31, 2012 at 09:17 AM
You should definitely try them - they are a little addicting though! If you have any worries during the process, please just yell, Im more than happy to help....hooray for bringing another crafter over to the dark side!
Posted by: Jolie | January 31, 2012 at 05:31 PM