Pop Bottle Piggy Bank
Materials
1 skein of worsted weight yarn (approx. 75g) 1 small amount of black yarn for the hooves and eyes 5 size 3 US double-pointed needles or size required to obtain gauge Tapestry needle 1 2L PopBottle 1 large cork
Gauge
20 sts and 24 rows = 4" in Stockinette stitch
Pop Bottle
Remove the label from a washed pop bottle. With a knife, cut a 1.5 inch, vertical slit about half way up the side of the bottle. Cut the very top off the bottle, leaving a hole small enough for the cork to fill but large enough for the largest coin to pass through.
Body
CO 6 sts distributed over 3 needles. R1: Knit front and back of each stitch (12 sts) R2: Knit R3: (K1, K1f&b) to end (18 sts) R4:Knit R5-R10: Repeat rows 3 and 4 (60 sts) R11: (K6, K1f&b) to end (70 sts) R12: Knit Continue in stockinette until work is long enough to reach the bottom of the slit in the pop bottle. Next round: Turn work. Slip 1, purl to end. Next round: Turn work. Slip 1, knit to end. Continue these two rows for 1.5 inches, ending with a purl row. (These rows, knit back and forth rather than around and around, make the hole for the money to go in.) Next round: Turn work and resume with stockinette, knitting on the round until work is long enough to reach the bottom of the bottle neck.
Decrease rounds
R1: (K4, K2tog) to end Slip the pop bottle into the knitting. (It has to be done at the point or the bottle will not fit in.) The remaining rounds are knit around the bottle (which is a bit annoying). R2-R4: Knit R5: (K3, K2tog) to end R6-R10: Knit R11: (K3, K2tog) to end R12-R17: Knit R18: (K3, K2tog) to end R19-R24: Knit R25: Cast off all sts.
Ears
Arrange knitting so that the slit in the bottle and the slit in the body match up. With 1 needle, pick up 11 sts at the beginning of the decrease rounds. (l picked up seven on one row and then two from the next two rows on either end so that the ear will curvetowards the nose) X xxxxxxxxxxxxx XXxXxXXxXxXxxx X xxxxxxxxxXxxx X Xxxxxxxxxxxxx X xxxxxxxxxxxxx X = Centre line X = Picked up stitches Knit in garter stitch for 7 rows R8: K1, S1, K1, psso, K5, K2tog, K1 Odd rows: Knit R10: K1, S1, K1, psso, K3, K2tog, K1 R12: K1, S1, K1, psso, K1, K2tog, K1 R14: K1, S1, K2tog, psso, K1 R16: S1, K2tog, psso Bind off Repeat for other ear.
Feet
With 3 needles, pick up 17 sts in an approximate circle a few stitches from the centre line at the bottom of the pig. Knit 4 rounds in pink. Break off yarn R5: Using black knit all stitches Trotters (this is where the fifth needle comes in but you can also just use a stitch holder of some kind) Divide the foot down the middle, putting 8 sts on one needle (or stitch holder) and dividing the remaining 9 sts over 3 needles. Knit 3 rounds on the 9 sts R4: (K1, K2tog) X3 R5: Knit R6: Draw yarn through the stitches to bind off. Divide the remaining 8 stitches over 3 needles. Pick up 1 st from the inside of the 1st trotter (9 sts) Knit 3 rounds on the 9 sts R4: (K1, K2tog) X3 R5: Knit R6: Draw yarn through the stitches to bind off. Before pulling tight, stuff the trotter with batting. I then sewed the trotters together a little to prevent the batting from showing. Make four feet and trotters Tail CO 26 sts (l was lazy and used 2 double pointed needles but you can use regular ones of youprefer) Knit front and back of each stitch Cast off all stitches Leave a long tail to sew the pig tail onto its behind.
Eyes
Using some black yarn, embroider two eyes. Plug the nose hole with the cork and fill with cash!
