Giant Olive
These giant olives were inspired by the knit olives at the blog Mary Jane, Midge & Mink. While Mary Jane's olives are to scale (and adorablel) and I continue to knit them for The Olive Plan 2008, I needed to do some stash busting, hence the gigantor size of these olives. Materials Size US 10.5 set of double pointed needles Size US 10.5 straight needles Lion Wool-Ease Thick & Quick in color Grass Caron Simply Soft in color Autumn Red Stitch marker Material for stuffing (yarn scraps, batting, plastic grocery bags, etc.) Yarn needle, for weaving in ends Olive Pattern Cast on 6 stitches Round 1: knit as for l-cord. Equally divide stitches among 3 dpns to begin knitting in the round. Place marker at beginning of round Round 2: \*k1, kfb to increase; repeat from \* (9sts) Round 3: knit Round $4!^{\star}\mathsf{k}1$ , kfb to increase, k1; repeat from \* (12sts) Round 5: knit Round 6: $\mathrm{}^{\star}\mathsf{k}\,\mathsf{1}$ , kfb to increase, k2; repeat from \* (15sts) Round 7: knit Round 8: $^{\star}\mathsf{k}_{2}$ kfb to increase, k2; repeat from \* (18sts) Round 9: knit Round $10:{}^{\star}\mathsf{k}2$ , kfb to increase, k3; repeat from \* (21sts) Round 11: knit Round 12: $^{\star}\mathsf{k}3$ , kfb to increase, k3; repeat from \* (24sts) Round 13: knit Round 14: $^{\star}\mathsf{k}_{2}$ , kfb to increase, k2, kfb to increase, k2; repeat from \* (30sts) Rounds 15-23: knit Round 24: $\star_{\mathsf{k4}}$ , k2tog, k4; repeat from \* (27sts) Round 25: knit Round 26: \*k2, k2tog, k1, k2tog, k2; repeat from \* (21sts) Round 27: bind off Cut yarn leaving a 6-inch tail. Weave in ends, just enough to secure (leave excess ends - they can become part of the stuffing). Stuff olive with yarn scraps, batting, plastic grocery bags or whatever you like. Push, prod and mold stuffing to create an olive-y shape.
Pimento Pattern
Using straight needles, cast on 20 sts. Knit in flat stockinette for four inches; bind off. Tuck the flat swatch into the opening of the olive so that it covers the stuffing. Mold and shape olive again. Have a martini and admire your handiwork. \*\*\*\*\* Giant Olive measures approximately 5.5-inches long and 12-inches in circumference at its widest part. One skein of the Thick & Quick (170grams/108 yards) should yield five olives. You don't need much of the red yarn for the pimento, just enough to make a 4x4-inch swatch for each olive.
