Fox Scarf - a faux fox fur for fun!
2011 Rian Anderson
Requirements 8 ply / DK yarn:
· orange x 60 gms . black x 20 gms for feet and ears . white x 10 gms for chin and tail Fluffy eyelash yarn (eg Moda Vera "Jazz" 50 gms = 60 m) or feathers type yarn (eg Moda Vera "Flurry" 50 gms = 45 m, or Paton's "Feathers"): · orange mix x 100 gms Jazz or 130 gms Flurry . white x 5 gms (same yarns) . 1 pr 4.5 mm (US 7) needles · 1 pr 6.5 mm (US 10.5) needles . tapestry needle for sewing, a few safety pins · pair of 18 mm red"glass"toy eyes with safety backs . 30 mm black dog nose with safety back. · optional: small amount of dacron toy flling To make an arctic fox - use white yarn for everything: 75 gms white 8 ply/DK and 100/130 gms white furry yarn. A little furry knitted fox to wrap around your neck - the ethical alternative to the fox fur wrap. No foxes were harmed in the making of this scarf!
Measurements
Approx 100 cm long from nose to tail, 16 cms wide at middle of body.
Tension/gauge
18 sts, 36 rows on 4.5 mm needles in garter stitch (knit every row) and 8 ply/DK yarn = 10 cm square. 12 sts, 16 rows on 6.5 mm needles in stocking stitch using eyelash /fur yarn and 8 ply/DK yarn (1 strand of each) together = 10 cm square. Check your tension when you have knitted enough of the pattern to measure 10 cms accurately - with so few sts, there is no point working a separate tension square.
Abbreviations - read before starting work
cast on, cable method = place right needle between last 2 sts to make next st (instead of into the stitch as if to knit) k = knit, p = purl, st = stitch st st = stocking stitch: knit first row, purl second row kfb = knit into the front and the back of the stitch before taking it off the left needle: increases 1 stitch M1 = pick up the strand from the row below between the next st and the st just knitted, and work into the back of it: increases a stitch k2tog = knit 2 sts together: decreases a st ssk = slip 1 st knitwise, slip 1 st knitwise, place left needle purlwise into slipped sts in front of right needle, knit both sts together. p3tog = purl 3 sts together: decreases 2 sts s2ko = slip 2 sts together, k1, pass both slipped sts over the knitted st pick up and knit = place right needle into the edge of the work and pull a loop through as if knitting a stitch, continue till required number of stitches are on right needle. (k2tog, k1) x 3 (eg) = instructions inside ( ) brackets to be repeated the number of times after x, therefore this example = k2tog, k1, k2tog, k1, k2tog, k1 rpt = repeat
Fox Scarf
Head With 4.5 mm needles and 8 ply/DK white yarn,cast on 6 sts, using the cable method, leaving 50 cms yarn for sewing later. Knit 4 rows then start increasing: Row 5. kfb (see abbrevs),knit to last 2sts,kfb, k1 Knit 7 more rows Repeat the last 8 rows once more = 10 sts, 20 rows Mark the ends of the last row with a safety pin or scrap of contrast yarn. Row 21. kfb, knit to last 2 sts, kfb, k1 Row 22. knit Repeat the last 2 rows 4 times more = 20 sts, 30 rows Row 31. kfb, knit to last 2 sts, kfb, k1 Knit 7 more rows Row 39. kfb, knit to last 2 sts, kfb, k1 Knit 13 more rows = 24 sts, 52 rows. Break off white yarn and join in orange 8 ply/ DK to continue: Knit 16 rows on theses 24 sts. Now start decreasing: Row 69. k1, k2tog, knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1 Knit 7 more rows Row 77.k1, k2tog,knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1 Row 78. knit Repeat the last 2 rows 4 times more = 12 sts, 86 rows. Mark the ends of the last row as for row 20. Row 87.1,k2tog, knit to last3 sts,k2tog,k1 Knit 7 more rows Repeat the last 8 rows once more = 8 sts, 102 rows Row 103.k1, k2tog, k2, k2tog, k1 Knit 4 more rows on these 6 sts. Cast off on the wrong side, leaving 50 cms of yarn for sewing, when you break off. The first 2 rows in orange are the back of the head - fold the piece in halfalong this place with the wrong sides out. Sew together the narrow ends of the piece (foxs snout) - orange to white - from the pin markers at one side around to the other.
Turn right side out. This makes a place for the tail to thread through the mouth, so fox can bite his own tail!
Body
Now head is folded in half, along the first 2 rows in orange. This folded edge is where you start the body. Hold the head with the orange side nearest to you and hanging down, while you pick up the stitches. Using 1 strand of orange 8 ply/DK and 1 strand of furry orange eyelash yarn together and 6.5 mm (US 10.5) needles, pick up and knit (see abbrevs) 15 sts through at least 2 loops/strands of the folded edge, spacing the 15 sts evenly along the fold. This pick up row counts as row 1 and is the right side ( note that the body is to be worked in stocking stitch with knit rows as right side).
Fox Scarf
Row 2. purl Row 3. k1, ssk (see abbrevs), knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1 Row 4. purl Repeat the last 2 rows once more = 11 sts, 6 rows Row 7. k1, M1 (see abbrevs), knit to last st, M1, k1 Row 8. purl Repeat the last 2 rows once more = 15 sts, 10 rows Row 11. k1, M1, knit to last st, M1, k1 Work 3 more rows in st st, beginning with a purl row. Repeat the last 4 rows once more = 19 sts, 18 rows Row 19. k1, M1, knit to last st, M1, k1 = 21 sts Work 79 more rows in st st, beginning with a purl row. (Note: marking row 18 with a pin will help in counting rows). Row 99. k1, ssk, knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1 Row 4. purl Repeat the last 2 rows 6 times more = 7 sts, 112 rows of body (note: last row is a purl row). Now begin the tail using the same yarns and needles, but reversing the stocking stitch sides, so that purl now becomes the right side.
Tail
Row 1. purl 7 Row 2. (kfb) x 6, k1 = 13 sts Row 3. purl Row 4. (kfb) x 12, k1 = 25 sts Work 29 rows more in st st, beginning with a purl row. Row 34. (k2, k2tog) x6, k1 = 19 sts Row 35. purl Break off orange yarns and join in 1 strand white 8 ply/DK and 1 strand white eyelash yarn. Row 36. purl 19 (note: this would normally have been a knit row but is changed to disguise the colour changeover). Row 37. purl Row 38. (k2, k2tog) x4, k3 = 15 sts Row 39. purl Row 40. (k1, k2tog) x 5 = 10 sts Row 41. purl Row 42. (k2tog) x 5 = 5 sts Row 43. purl Break off yarn leaving 40 cm end. Thread end of yarn through last 5 sts using a tapestry needle. Pull tight to gather and secure with a knot. Using just the DK yarn, sew the sides of the white rows together on the knit side, knotting off where the orange yarns begin. Continue seam using orange DK down nearly all the length of the tail, leaving enough room to turn right (purl ) side out. Finish sewing seam on right side ending where body and tail meet. Body is left flat, but tail is now a hollow tube.
Legs and feet (make 4 the same)
With 4.5 mm needles and 8 ply/DK black yarn, cast on 7 sts, using the cable method. Knit 20 rows Row 21. k1, k2tog, k1, k2tog, k1 = 5 sts Knit 11 more rows. Row 33. k2tog, k1, k2tog Row 34. p3tog. Fox Scarf Break off yarn and pull through last st to finish off. Sew the top cast-on edge and approx 3 cms of one side of the leg, to the body, where the decreases begin towards the tail, and to the start of the widest point at the front of the body. Legs should all point forward at approx 450 angle - see pic.
Ears (make 2 the same)
With 4.5 mm needles and 8 ply/DK black yarn, cast on 15 sts, using the cable method, leaving 50 cms for sewing later. Work 4 rows st st beginning with a knit row. Row 5. k6, s2ko (see abbrevs), k6 = 13 sts Row 6. purl Row 7. k5, s2ko, k5 = 11 sts Row 8. purl Row 9. k4, s2ko, k4 = 9 sts Row 10. purl Row 11. k3, s2ko, k3 = 7 sts Row 12. purl Row 13. ssk, s2ko, k2tog = 3 sts Row 14. p3tog Break off yarn and pull through last st to finish off. Sew half the cast-on edge along the last row of the plain orange head section, beginning at the side of the head. Sew the other half of the ear's cast-on facing forwards at an angle pointing to the end of the nose - see pic.
Finishing
Fix toy nose to end of snout just on the centre of the seam. Alternatively you can embroider the nose in doubled black yarn using a satin st (see white fox's nose). Try the eyes in a few different places before you fix them with the safety backs - Samples here are approx halfway between nose and back of the head, with about 4 cms between the centres of the eyes. Optional: sew a small piece of dacron over the backs of the eyes and down the last part of the snout to pad the safety backs.
Arctic fox is made here using Moda Vera Flurry yarn for the body (65 gms), and Moda Vera Jazz for the tail (30 gms). He has glass toy eyes and an embroidered nose.
Fox Scarf
