Duckbill Platypus
This is my first pattern description and I hope it is clear enough to understand. Please don't hesitate to ask if something is missing or not obvious. I am sure it's not perfect. This was realised with the generous permission of the editors of the pattern ,Entchen Flusch in the german book title “StrickZoo", publ. in “Verlag fuir die Frau", 2006. Thank you very much indeed Mrs. Kokoschkar and Mrs. Roeder! You can use every yarn so the size varies with the corresponding needle size. Knit all parts in rounds.
Body:
CO 6 st. 1st rd knit. Now double each st. in every 2"d. rd. until you have 48 st (= 6 rds). Knit 24 more rds with these 48 sts. (head section) Now you increase in every 2"d rd. on each needle every 3rd and 10rd st. until one rd. Counts 80 st. Knit along relaxing 38 more rows ahead. Now each row decrease every 6"# st. (knit 6" and 7th together) until the rd. counts 33 st. Now you fill the body with the filling material (Depending on the amount of filling material the critter will be more or less high and bulky) Now decrease every 4"h st. until there are 12 st. left only. Cut the thread and pull it through the maintaining st. and sew the thread.
Bill:
30 st. to CO, knit 20 rds. Now decrease each rd. The 2"d and 3rd st. and the 13" and 14"h st. of each half rd. Similar to sock patterns. If you have 8 st. left in one rd. I use 2 safety pins and slip 4 st. on each pin. Turn inside out your work slip back the sts on two knitting needles and knit both rows/halfs together, so you would have 4 st. left. I prefer to cast off each st. after it is knitted together. But it is possible to make 2 steps out of it, first knit all together and then cast off.
Tail:
36 st. to CO, knit 34 rds. Decrease the same way like the bill each row until you have 12 st.left. Again put the 12 st. on 2 safety pins, 6 st. on each needle. Turn inside out your work, knit the rows together, cast off.
Feet (2x): 16 st. to CO. Now you have 2 halfs one upside and one bottomside of the foot. Every 2"d rd. increase the 1st st. of the 1st needle and the last but one st. of the 2"d needle. Do the same on the bottom side which is the 1". of the 3rd needle and the last but one of the 4th needle. Repeat until you have 44 st. in a rd. (=14 rds.) Then knit 4 rds more. Now increase in the middle of the foot and that is in each rd. the second last st. of the 1. needle, the 2"d st. of the 2"d needle and do the same to the bottom foot: the second last st. of the 3rd needle and the 2nd st. of the 4th needle. Repeat until you have 68 st. in a rd. (=12 rds) Knit the bottom and upside together, bind off.
Arms (2x):
16 st. to CO, knit 26 rds. Change colour. Now every 2"d. rd. work likewise the feet until one rd counts 28 st. ( 3 rds increase the 1st and second last st. of each side of the webbing) Go on directly to increase in each rd. in the middle of the webbing. That is the second last st. of the 1s needle and the 2"d st. of the 2"d. Needle. The second last st. on the 3rd needle and the 2"d st. on the 4"h needle until you have 52 M. in a rd. Knit the halves of the webbings together, bind off. Finally mark the 5 toes by sewing 4 division lines to the webbings.
Stuff the body firmly, the bill and the tail much less and the arms just a little bit. To make the bill stay more horizontal sew the edg of the oval opening to the head. In contrary you press the opening of the tail together to have only one straight seam when you sew it to the bottom to make it more flexible.
Sew some threads for the hair to the head and for the eyes sew black beads.
