Penny's Cupcake @Penny Peberdy, May 2012
Dkyarn 3.50 or 3mm DPNs (3mm will make a realistic-sized cupcake, 3.5 mm will make a larger cupcake suitable for use as a pincushion. 3.5 mm crochet hook Cardboard or plastic for insertion in base (optional) Large-eyed blunt needle for sewing up and attaching flower
Abbreviations
St(S) stitch(es) K1fb Knit into the front and back of next (one) stitch (1 stitch increased) Kknit Ppurl slst slipstitch ch chain htr half treble tr treble prev previous dec 1 decrease 1 st by working 1htr over 2 previous sts - do this by pulling up a loop in each of the sts and then pulling the yarn through all 4 loops (inc one on hook) at once.
Method
Case
Using long tail method and desired DPNs, cast on 12sts and divide evenly between 4 needles Round 1 Knit Round 2 K1fb (24sts) Rounds 3 & 4 Knit 2 rounds Round 5 \*K1, K1fb, Rep from \* to end (36sts) Round 6 Knit Round 7 As round 5 (54sts) Round 8 Knit Round 9 Knit, increasing 1st at the end of the 2nd and 4th needles (56sts) Round 10 Purl (this round marks the edge of the base of the cupcake) Before you start the sides of the cake case, thread the cast-on end of yarn into the needle, thread through the cast-on edge of the starting sts and pull up firmly. Sew in the yarn neatly, making sure it will not unravel.
Commence sides of cake case
Work in K1, P1 rib for 10 rounds Round 22 Knit (this round marks where you will pick up the sts for thecake) Rounds 23 & 24 K1, P1 rib Cast off N.B. If you are inserting a base in your cupcake, remember to insert it before the cake gets too narrow. Measure the base of the cupcake up to the purl round to get the correct size.
Cake
Round 1 Pick up and knit 56sts from the 'bumps' on the back of round 22. (14sts on each of your 4 needles) Knit 4 rounds Round 6 \*K2, K2tog, rep from \* to end of round (42sts) Knit 2 rounds Round 9 K1, K2tog, rep from \* to end of round (28sts) Knit 2 rounds Round 12 As round 6 (21sts) Knit 2 rounds Round 15 As round 9 (14sts) Pause here to insert the stuffing for the cake or pincushion. Round 16 K2 tog all round (7sts) Break off yarn, leaving a long tail. Thread the yarn tail through the remaining sts and pull up tightly. Sew in the yarn end firmly and cut off the excess.
Flower and leaf decoration
Flower
Using the crochet hook, make a 'magic ring' and work 12 htr into it. Slst to join.
There are lots of instructions, both written tutorials and videos on YouTube for this (http://www.youtube.com), but if you don't have access to these, simply make 4ch, slipstitch into a ring and work your 12htr into this. Round 2 Work 1dc into first st, \*3ch, miss one st, 1dc into next st. Rep from \* to end, ending with slst into first dc. (6 chain loops made) Round 3 Work a petal into each loop as follows, 1dc, 1htr, 1tr, 1htr, 1dc. Round 3 Working from the back of the flower round the dc before each prev. ch loop, make 1dc, 4ch. Rep from \* to end, ending with a slst into first dc. Round 4 Work petals as on round 3, but work 3tr in the middle of each petal instead of just one Break off the yarn, leaving a long end for sewing on the flower. Sew the flower on top of the cupcake.
Leaves (make 2)
Row1 Using green, make 5ch.Turn Row 2 In the 2nd ch from hook make 1dc, dc to end, turn. Row3 Make 2ch for height (does NOT count as a st.) and work 1htr into each dc of prev row. Row 4 Work 1 htr into first st, dec 1, 1htr into last st (3sts) Row 5 Work 1htr over all 3 sts of prev row, thus decreasing to one st and making the point of the leaf. Row 6 Cut off the yarn, leaving a long end for sewing on the leaf. Weave the yarn down the side of the leaf until you reach the base. Sew the leaves under the flower so that only the pointed tip is peeping out. Either one leaf either side of the flower, or both leaves together.
Piping Shells
With the same colour yarn as the cake icing, make 1ch and work a dc into it. Make 3ch, then, as if you were making a series of treble stitches, pull the yarn through the dc 3 times, forming 7 loops; hold the loops carefully and pull the yarn through all of them together to form an icing shell. Make 3ch and then a second shell into the top of the first one (it will actually be alongside) and repeat this until the work is long enough to go round the cupcake. Fasten off the yarn, leaving enough to sew the shell icing on with. Sew the shell piping around the cupcake just where the cake case meets the cake itself, as shown in the picture.
