Chickie-Dee! -by Jenny Stark
A couple of well-loved spring chicks nest in one of our toy boxes. I've always wanted to sit down with a ball of fluff and try to recreate their adorable charm. I finally took some time to try. This sweet softie toy is the happy result.
Materials
Knitting Loom: Large gauge round loom with 24 pegs. The 24 peg Knifty Knitter round loom was used for the sample. Yarn: 120 yards of a fluffy novelty yarn in a bulky weight. Bernat Pipsqueak (in Candy Girl) was used in the sample. 3.5 oz. of a worsted weight yarn. Sayelle (in Cotton Candy) was used in the sample. Notions: Tapestry Needle, Knitting tool, Fiberfill 14" button eyes, Ribbon.
Gauge:
Not essential for this project. Abbreviations: Dec = decrease; Inc = Increase; K = Knit; K2tog = Knit 2 together; W&T = Wrap and Turn Pattern Notes: Techniques used include drawstring cast on, gathered removal method, short row shaping, increasing, decreasing, and some basic sewing. Finished Size: Chickie-Dee measures approximately 12" from head to toe and about 6 inches from side to side (excluding the wings)
Instructions Head:
Work with one strand of the worsted weight yarn and one strand of the fluffy, bulky weight yarn, held together as if they are one strand. Cast on 24 pegs using the drawstring cast on method: 1. Make a slip knot and place it on the anchor peg on the front of the loom. 2. Lay the working yarn flat against the pegs and wrap it all the way
Chickie-Dee! -by Jenny Stark
around the outside of the loom one time. 3. Now place the working yarn above the wrapped strands on the first peg and flat knit this peg by lifting the bottom strands over the working yarn. 4. On the next peg, hold the working yarn off to the side (toward the last peg worked) and hook the lower strands of yarn. Lift the lower strands over the peg and into the center of the loom. This peg will now be empty. Pass the working yarn across the front of this peg and move to the next peg. 5. On peg 3 (and all remaining odd pegs) repeat step 3. 6. On peg 4 (and all remaining even pegs) repeat step 4. Follow these steps for all pegs. This will complete the drawstring cast on. Now you can take the slip knot from the pegs at the lower end of the loom and continue on to the first round of your project. Rounds 1-20: K all pegs. Add a gathering thread: Cut a 30" length of the worsted weight yarn and thread it onto the tapestry needle. Push the tapestry needle up under the stitch on peg one. Pull the length of yarn through the stitch. Stop when only 2-3 inches of the yarn remains at the bottom of the stitch. Move to the next peg and pull the tapestry needle up under the stitch. Pull the length of yarn until all of the slack is gone between the two pegs. Continue this process all the way around the loom, pulling the gathering line up under each stitch. When the gathering line has been pulled up under the last stitch in the round, remove the tapestry needle and leave the gathering line in place. It will be used later to shape Chickie's neck. Continue on to create the body.
Body:
Rounds 21-45: Knit all pegs
Tail:
Short Row Shaping:
Knit pegs 1-11. Lift the stitch on peg 12, take the working yarn behind the peg and back around to the front (W&T), then replace the stitch above the wrap. Knit pegs 11-2. Lift the stitch on peg 1, W&T, then replace the stitch above the wrap. Knit pegs 2-10. Lift the stitch on peg 11, W&T, then replace the stitch above the wrap. Knit pegs 10-3. Lift the stitch on peg 2, W&T, then replace the stitch above the wrap.
Chickie-Dee! -by Jenny Stark
Knit pegs 3-9. Lift the stitch on peg 10, W&T, then replace the stitch above the wrap. Knit pegs 9-4. Lift the stitch on peg 3, W&T, then replace the stitch above the wrap. Knit pegs 4-8. Lift the stitch on peg 9, W&T, then replace the stitch above the wrap. Knit pegs 8-5. Lift the stitch on peg 4, W&T, then replace the stitch above the wrap. Knit pegs 5-7. Lift the stitch on peg 8, W&T, then replace the stitch above the wrap. Knit pegs 7 & 6. Lift the stitch on peg 5, W&T, then replace the stitch above the wrap. Continue on to the Reverse Short Row Shaping section.
Reverse Short Row Shaping:
Knit pegs 6-8 (on peg 8, knit the stitch and the wrap on the peg over as if they are one stitch). Take the working yarn behind peg 9 and back around to the front (W&T). Note: You will not be lifting any stitches from the peg this time. During the reverse short row shaping, the wraps will be above the loops already on the peg. Knit pegs 8-5 (on peg 5, knit the stitch and the wrap on the peg over as if they are one stitch). W&T at peg 4. Knit pegs 5-9 (on peg 9, knit the stitch and both wraps on the peg over as if they were one stitch). W&T at peg 10. Knit pegs 9-4, treating all loops on peg 4 as if they are one. W&T at peg 3. Knit pegs 4-10, treating all loops on peg 10 as if they are one. W&T at peg 11. Knit pegs 10-3, treating all loops on peg 3 as if they are one. W&T at peg 2. Knit pegs 3-11, treating all loops on peg 11 as if they are one. W&T at peg 12. Knit pegs 11-2, treating all loops on peg 2 as if they are one. W&T at peg 1. Knit pegs 2-24, treating all loops on peg 12 as if they are one. Working in the round, knit each peg, treating all loops on peg 1 as if they are One. Knit pegs 1-24 four more times, then remove the Chickie from the loom using the gather bind off method, but do not gather yet. Gather the top of the head closed. This fluffy yarn will not gather as smoothly as some yarns, so carefully work any puckers around the drawstrings, being careful not to pull too hard. When the opening has been cinched closed, use the tapestry needle to weave in the drawstrings securely.
Chickie-Dee! -by Jenny Stark
Firmly stuff Chickie's head with fiberfill. Use the gathering line added earlier to cinch in Chickie's neck. Tie the ends to secure them, then weave the yarn tails in. Firmly stuff Chickie's body with fiberfill, making sure to fill in the tail section well. Pull the strings from the gathered bind off to cinch the bottom of the body closed. Weave in the yarn tails and set Chickie aside for now.
Wings: (make 2)
Work with two strands of the fluffy, bulky yarn, held together as if they are One. Cast on 7 pegs. Row 1: Skip first peg, knit to end of the row. Row 2: Skip first peg, purl to last peg, knit last peg. Repeat rows 1 and 2 until you've worked a total of 10 rows. Row 11: Decrease by moving the stitch on peg 2 and placing it above the stitch on peg 3. Move the stitch on peg 1 over to peg 2 to fill in the gap. Skip the first peg, knit both stitches on the next peg together as if they were one, then knit to the end of the row. Row 12: Decrease by moving the stitch on peg 2 over to peg 3. Move the stitch on peg I over to fill in the gap. Skip the first peg, purl both stitches on the next peg together as if they are one, purl to the last peg, then knit the last peg. Repeat row 11. Next row: Decrease by moving the stitch on peg 2 over to peg 3. Move the stitch on peg 1 over to fill in the gap. Skip the first peg, purl both stitches on the next peg together as if they are one, then knit the last peg. Bind off using the basic bind off method. Sew a wing to each side of Chickie. Weave in all yarn tails.
Legs/Feet: (make 2)
Work with two strands of worsted weight yarn, held together as if they are one strand. Leave the yarn tails long so they can be used for seaming later. ast nn x npns Leg Section: Knit 14 rows. Foot Section: Increase by casting on 2 more stitches. Knit to the end of the row. Increase again by another 2 stitches. Knit an additional 20 rows.
Bind off using the basic bind off method, leaving the yarn tails long so they can be used in seaming. This is what the piece will look like after binding off: Finishing the foot: Fold the wider foot section in half (up toward the leg section) and use the yarn tails to seam one side of the foot closed.
uChickie-Dee! -by Jenny Stark
Note: In the sample project, the knit side of the fabric is turned to the inside. Use the same yarn tails to shape the bottom of the foot. To do this, run the tapestry needle inside the fabric of the foot and bring it out at the fold line (very bottom of the foot), about an inch from the side you just seamed. Make a tack stitch by inserting the tapestry needle about 6 rows up (count the purl 'bumps) from your exit point and pushing it through to the other side of the foot. Pull the yarn to cinch up the fabric and create a 'toe'. Make 2 more tack stitches in the same spot to reinforce the shaping. Now, run the tapestry needle inside the fabric of the foot again and bring it out at the fold line, about an inch from the other side of the foot (the side you haven't seamed yet) and make another tack stitch to create two more 'toes'.
Reinforce the tack stitch twice (exactly like you did for the other 'toe' shaping), then run the tapestry needle inside the fabric of the foot and bring it out at the bottom of the foot on the side that hasn't been seamed yet. Seam the other side of the foot closed. Fold one side of the leg section toward the other side and seam it closed, making sure to seam the foot section to the leg section as you work.
Tip: You'll need to gather the top edge of the foot a little bit as you join it to the leg section. You can easily do this by catching a couple of stitches at a time as you work across the center top section of the foot. Sew the legs to the bottom of Chickie (with the seam turned to the back), placing them nearer to the front of the body. Weave in all yarn tails.
Chickie-Dee! -by Jenny Stark
Beak:
Work with two strands of worsted weight yarn, held together as if they are one strand. Leave the yarn tails long so they can be used for seaming later. Cast on 6 peas. Rows 7-9: K1, Dec (move the stitch on peg 2 over to peg 3 & move the stitch on peg one in to close the gap. K2tog on the peg with 2 stitches), K to end of the row. Lightly stuff the beak, then sew it to the front of Chickie's head. Weave in all yarn tails. Row 10: Kl, Dec. Rows 11 & 12: K2.
Next row: K1, Inc (move the stitch on peg 1 over to create an empty peg. Pull up the ladder/connecting line between stitches and place it on the empty peg to create a new stitch), K to end of row. Repeat this row until there are 6 stitches on the loom again. Knit 6 more rows, then bind off using the basic bind off method (leave yarn tails long to use while seaming). This is what the piece will look like after binding off →→
Fold beak in half and use the long yarn tails to whipstitch the sides together.
Finishing Touches:
If desired, you can use some of the worsted weight yarn to add a fluffy tuft to the top of Chickie's head. To do this, take short lengths of yarn (about 4 inches long) and tie them into the knitting at the very top of the head. Keep adding strands until you are happy with the look. Untwist the plies of the yarn, then rub all of the strands between your hands to fluff them up. If needed, clip the tuft to the length you like. Sew the button eyes to the Chickie, just above the beak. Safety Tip: If making this toy for a younger child, embroider the eyes on or use safety eyes. Tie a bit of ribbon around Chickie's neck and peep-peep, she's done!
