La Mandragola
Kristina Sutherland
Pattern copyright $\copyright$ Kristina Sutherland 2009. Photography copyright $\copyright$ Jodi Baldwin 2009. This little guy was crocheted fast for a swap! With a hook and a dream, you can make your own just as fast. His leaves are knit with a worsted weight yarn, but you could also improvise your own crocheted or knit leaves in any size!
MATERIALS:
1 skein Knit Picks Merino Style, in Cinnamon, Nutmeg, or Fedora. Shown in Cinnamon. Scraps: Knit Picks Merino Style, in Coal. Caron Simply Soft Brites, in Limelight Socks done with scraps of Knit Picks Merino, Coal and Daffodil (discontinued color) Or you can substitute any brown, black, and green yarns in any weight, as long as you use the recommended crochet hook size for the yarn! Using worsted will get you a bigger mandrake; using fingering weight will get you a smaller one. I would recommend sport/dk weight or thicker yarns. DK weight produces a mandrake that's easy to hold in your hand - not smaller than your hand, but not big enough to drag around by the arm like a teddy bear. Remember that the leaves as written are knitted in worsted weight, while the body as written is crocheted in DK weight. $3.75\;\mathrm{mm}$ (US F) crochet hook OR a crochet hook the same size as the knitting needles recommended for your brown yarn of choice $4.0\;\mathrm{mm}$ (US 6) double pointed needles (circulars are a little long for this, and regular straights will not work) OR double pointed needles in the size of your choice for use with your green yarn (note that the recommended size for the Caron Simply Soft Brites, an aran weight yarn, is US 8) Removable stitch marker (for making the body and socks) Tapestry needle Stuffing materials (polyfil, or the stuffing of your choice) GAUGE: Tight. Actual gauge is not as important as not having the stuffing fall out. PATTERN NOTES: You can find a tutorial on the magic adjustable circle at http://www.allfreecrafts.com/crochet/magic-circle.shtml. You can find information and video on sc2tog at http://www.nexstitch.com/v_single_crochet_dec.html. You can find video on how to make i-cord at http://www.knitinghelp.com/videos/knitting-tips. You can find video on m1 increases at htp://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/increases. You can find video on ssk and k2tog decreases at http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/decreases. The mandrake pattern starts at the head and works to the toes, in a spiral manner. You will just keep crocheting in one direction (spiraling instead of working back and forth). BUVY Create magic adjustable circle using the Knit Picks Merino Style in brown. Chain one (to start making stitches into the magic circle). Sc 8 stitches into the circle. Pull the circle closed. Insert the removable stitch marker into the last stitch - this stitch will be the end of the row. When you work into the stitch holding the stitch marker, always put it into the last stitch worked on that row. 1: Work 2 sc stitches in each stitch. (16 stitches) 2: Sc 1, sc 2 stitches in the next stitch. Repeat until end of row. (24 stitches) 3: Sc 2, sc 2 stitches in the third stitch. Repeat until end of row. (32 stitches) 4: Sc 3, sc 2 stitches in the fourth stitch. Repeat until end of row. (40 stitches) Sc each stitch (no increases) for the next ten rounds. 15: Sc 8, sc2tog. Repeat until end of row. (36 stitches) 16: Sc each stitch. 17: Sc 7, sc2tog. Repeat until end of row. (32 stitches) 18: Sc each stitch. 19: Sc 6, sc2tog. Repeat until end of row. (28 stitches) 20: Sc each stitch. 21: Sc 5, sc2tog. Repeat until end of row. (24 stitches) 22: Sc each stitch. 23: Sc 4, sc2tog. Repeat until end of row. (20 stitches). 24: Sc each stitch. Row 25 starts the first leg, so you will not work all 20 stitches anymore; only the first 10.
FIRST LEG
25: Sc 10 stitches. Remove stitch marker. 26: Starting in first stitch, sc 10 stitches. Place stitch marker in last stitch. This now marks the end of the row for this leg. Sc each stitch for six rounds. 33: Sc 3, sc2tog. Repeat to end. (8 stitches) Sc each stitch for four rounds. 38: Sc2tog four times. (4 stitches) Cut a tail, and pull the yarn through your last stitch. Weave in the end. Stuffthe head and the first leg.
SECOND LEG
Starting at the bifurcation (next to the first leg, not on the outside of the body), repeat first leg. Leave enough yarn at the beginning to sew up the bifurcation - I recommend finishing the leg before doing this. Before decreasing to four stitches, stuff the second leg.
ARMS
Make two: Create the magic adjustable circle. Chain 1, then sc 8 stitches into the loop. Pullthe circle closed. Sc each stitch for four rounds. 5: Sc 3, sc 2 stitches into the next stitch. Repeat to end. (10 stitches) Sc each stitch for six rounds. Cut yarn with along enough tail to use for attaching it to the body, then pull the yarn through the last stitch. Stuff the arms, then attach them to the body. Arm placement is up to you. The mandrake in the photograph is not symmetrical; you might like yours more symmetrical or more lopsided. Weave in any loose ends. When done with the body, use the black yarn to create a face. Your mandrake might be nice and calm, or he might be a screamer. He's yours, and you know him best! LEAVES Make three to five, your preference: Using the double-pointed needes, cast on 3 stitches uing the Caron Simply Soft Brites, laving a tail for ataching to the mandrake. 1: Knit three stitches. 2: Using the i-cord technique to create a stem, move the stitches towards the left point of the needle. Knit three stitches. 3: Knit three stitches. Starting with row 4, work the leaf back and forth. 4: P1, ml, pl, m1, p1. (5 stitches) 5: Knit all stitches. 6: P1, ml, p3, m1, p1. (7 stitches) 7: K1, ssk, k1, k2tog, k1. (5 stitches) 8: Purl all stitches. 9: k1, cdd, k1. Cut the yarn with a small tal. Weave in this end carefully (pulling too much will make your leaf lopsided, so make sure the shape is your desired shape). When you have all of your leaves, you can attach them to the head by using the loose tails at the leaf stem. I did it by pulling a leaf's end through the head, then through a leaf - using a different leaf from the last every time - until I felt it was secure enough. So, through the head, through a leaf. Through the head, through another leaf. Through the head, through a different leaf. You can even pull the end through the original leaf while making the rounds. Do this for each leaf. Hide any ends, or cut them close to the leaves, and your mandrake is done! If you'd like to keep him warm and quiet, you can make him socks!
SOCKS Make two: Create a magic adjustable circle with scrap yarn. Create the magic adjustable circle. Chain 1, then sc 8 stitches into the loop. Pull the circle closed. 1: Sc into each stitch. Mark the last stitch; this willbe the end of your round. Sc into each stitch for four rows. Cut yarn, and pull through the last stitch. Weave in the ends on the inside of the socks. For the argyle pattern shown in the photograph, switch yarn colors at the beginning of each round. The pattern contained in this document is the property of Kristina Sutherland. The photographs contained in this document are the property of Jodi Baldwin. This pattern is available for personal use only. No unauthorized reproduction, in whole or in part, or distribution of this pattern, the photographs, or the pattern content is allowed. Patterncopyright $\circledcirc$ Kristina Sutherland 2009. Photography copyright $\circledcirc$ JodiBaldwin2009.
