This pattern is based on the crochet Hobbes pattern first developed by Sukigirl74 and Bill Waterson's lovable Hobbes. If you crochet check out her pattern! I did my best to adapt it to a knitting pattern for those of us who are dying to make Calvin's best friend but just don'tcrochet. http://sukigirl74.blogspot.com/ Search Ann Stiver-Balla or Sukigirl74 on ravelry.com
Skill Level:
Skilled Intermediate Tools and Materials: 1 set of No.6 DPNs Row marker Yarn in the following colors: Orange 1 skein Black %2 skein White 14 skein Black embroidery thread Black sewing thread Black Felt (A very small amount) Scissors Tapestry/Darning Needle Sewing needle Fiberfill stuffing Your preferred fasteners for finishing CO Cast On KKnit PPurl SSlip KFB/PFB Knit Front & Back / Purl Front & Back M1 Make One K2Tog / P2Tog Knit Two Together / Purl Two Together SSK Slip Slip Knit BO Bind Off St(s) Stitch(es) [@#\$%!]x6 Repeat everything between brackets the number of times indicated (Though I hope you don't find yourself repeating what's between these brackets while following this pattern) ;^)
Head:
Starting from top down. Place row marker after the first st on needle #1 to mark the beginning of your row. (1) In orange CO 6 st and divide between 3 needles. (2) Join in the round by KFB into every st (12 st) (3) [K1, KFB ]x6 (18 st) (4)[K2, KFB ] x6 (24 st) (5) [K3, KFB ] x6 (30 st) (6) [K4, KFB ] x6 (36 st) (7) [K5, KFB ] x6 (42 st) (8) [ K6, KFB ] x6 (48 st) (16 st each needle) (9) K48 around Row (12) begins the Intarsia in the round stripes. Take a deep breath, if you can do wrap and turns, you can do this! NOTE: When you come to a stitch with a wrap be sure to knit the wrap and stitch together to hide it! See the tips at the end (10) In orange, K16, switch to black,K32, W&T (11) Continuing in black, P32, wrap black yarn around orange, continue in orange,P16w&T (12) Continuing in orange, K16, wrap orange yarn around black, continue ir black, K32. DO NOT W&T! Continue to Knit on needle #1. (13-14) Switch to orange, K48 (15-19) Repeat rows (10-12) and (13-14)to create a second stripe (20-22) Repeat rows (10-12) to create a third stripe. You should have three black stripes interrupted by an orange block which is Hobbes' face. (23-30) Switch to orange, K48 (31) [K6, K2Tog] x6 (42 st) (32) K42 (33) [K5, K2Tog] x6 (36 st) (34) K36 (35) [K4, K2Tog] x6 (30 st) (36) K30 (37) [K3, K2Tog] x6 (24 st) (38) K24
Body:
Continuedfromheadwithoutbindingoff NOTE: You'll need to break the yarn and tie it together at the orange/black color change in row (7) and between rows (9) and (10) or there will be holes in the work. TIP: Make a gauging swatch and play with the tension of the wrap and turns until you get a satisfactory result. Too loose and they'll be floppy, too tight and they'll create a bunch down the side of Hobbes' belly. When in doubt err towards loose. Before you begin the body, K2 in orange and redistribute the stitches so those stitches fall at the end of needle #3. (This will help prevent Hobbes' body from twisting out of alignment of his head due to the neck decreases) Continue the pattern below. (1) Switch to white, K8, switch to orange, K16 W&T (2) P1,PFB,[P3,PFB]x3,P2,switch to white,P1,PFB,P6, PFB,P2 W&T (30 st) (3) Continuing in white, K10, wrap white yarn around orange, continue in orange, K20, W&T (30 st) (4) Switch to black,P2,PFB,[P4,PFB]x3,P2,switch to white, P1, PFB, P8, PFB, P1 W&T (36 st) (5) Continuing in white, K12, wrap white yarn around black, continue in black, K24, W&T (36 st) (6) Continuing in black, P3, PFB, [ P5, PFB ] x3, P2, switch to white,P1,PFB,P10,PFB,P1W&T (42 st) (7) Continuing in white, K14, switch to orange (break black and tie on orange), continue in orange, K28, W&T (8) Continuing in orange, P28, wrap orange yarn around white, continue inwhite,P14W&T (9) Continuing in white, K14, wrap white yarn around orange, continue inorange,K28,W&T (10) Switch to black (break orange and tie on black), P28, wrap black yarn around white, continue in white, P14 W&T (11) Continuing in white, K14, wrap white yarn around black, continue inblack,K28,W&T (12) Continuing in black, P28, wrap black yarn around white, continue inwhite,P14W&T Repeat rows (7-9) six times and (10-12) fives times for a total of six black stripes (including the one worked in rows (4-6)) and six orange stripes. The last row you work should be row (9). (40) Switch to black, P28, wrap black yarn around white, continueinwhite,P14W&T (41) Continuing in white, S1, K12, wrap white yarn around black, continue in black, K30 W&T (42) Continuing in black, P32, wrap black yarn around white, continue in white, P10, W&T (43) Continuing in white, S2, K6, switch to orange, continue in orange,K36w&T (44)P42W&T STOP! It's time to stuff Hobbes before the body decreases! Stuff to a squeezable feel,he's meant to be cuddled! (45) [K5, K2tog] x6 (36st) (46) [K4, K2tog] x6 (30 st) (47) [K3, K2tog] x6 (24 st) (48) [K2, K2tog] x6 (18 st) (49) [K1, K2tog] x6 (12 st) (50) [k2tog] every st (6 st) (51) BO and bury end of yarn into Hobbes' body with tapestry needle. Muzzle: (Worked flat) The muzzle uses actual W&T short rows (1) In white, CO 18st (2) K17, W&T, P to last st, W&T, K17 (18 st) (3) P1, M1, P to last 2 sts, M1, P1 (20 st) (4) K1, M1, K to last 2 sts, M1, K1 (22 st) (5)P22 (6) K1, M1, K to last 2 sts, M1, K1 (24st) (7)P24 (8) K1, M1, K to last 2 sts, M1, K1 (26 st) (9)P26 (10) K1, SSK, K to last 3 sts, K2Tog, K1 (24 st) (11)P24 (12) K1, SSK, SSK, K to last 5 sts, K2Tog, K2Tog, K1 (20 st) (13) P1,SSP,SSP,Pto last5 sts,P2Tog,P2Tog,P1(16 st) Repeat rows (12) and (13) until you have 8 sts BO leaving enough yarn to stitch to head. Ears: (Make 2) (1) In black C0 4 st and divide between 4 needle: (2)K4 (3) Join in the round by KFB into every st (8 st) (4)K8 (5) K1, M1, [K2, KFB ] x3, K1 (10 st) (6-7) K10 (8) BO using a three-needle bind off. Leaving enough yarn to stitch to head.
NOTE: Hobbes' ears are not stuffed, TIP: It is easier for me to first divide the 4 stitches first onto two needles and then add in the third and fourth as I knit.
Tail:
Starting from tail tip. Place row marker after the first st on needle one to mark the beginning of your row. (1) In Black CO 6 st and divide between 3 needles. (2) Join in the round by KFB into every st (12 st) (3-6) K (7-9) in Orange, K (10-12) In black, K Repeat rows (7-9) and (10-12) until you have 10 stripes of each color (or until you like the length). BO, leaving enough yarn to stitch tail to body.
Hobbes' Head and Face
Legs: (Make 4; Two of these will be used for the arms) Starting from bottom up. Place row marker after the first st on needle one to mark the beginning of your row. (1) In white CO 6 st and divide between 3 needles. (2) Join in the round by KFB into every st (12 st) (3) [K1, KFB ] x6 (18 st) (4) [ K2, KFB ] x6 (24 st) (5-7) K24 (8-10) In black, K24 (11-13) In orange, K24 Repeat rows (8-13) until you have 4 stripes of each color. BO, leaving enough yarn to stitch leg to body. Mark the centerline of the muzzle and the centerline of Hobbes face to help with alignment of the muzzle. Sew the bottom, top and one side of Hobbes' muzzle on using your tapestry needle. Through the un-sewn side, insert Fiberil stuffing and finish sewing on the muzzle. Make sure the muzzle reaches all the way down to the top of Hobbes' white belly so there isn't orange showing between the muzzle and belly. Sew on Hobbes' ears. Cut felt pieces for Hobbes eyes, nose and two long strips for his forehead stripes. The eyes should be ovals about four rows high and two stitches wide. The nose is a big-ish triangle. The felt stripes are rectangles with round corners. Arrange the felt pieces on Hobbes' face according to the image and sew in place using the black thread and needle. Check placement often and be sure you like where things are before you sew them! Use the embroidery thread to add the detail of Hobbes' mouth, a little upsidedownV underhis nose.
Final Assembly
stuff legs, arms and tail if you overstuff than they will be difficult to bend) and stitch all pieces y.
Helpful Techniques:
Knitting (or purling) a Wrapped Stitch
Because the wraps in this project are contrasting you don't want to just knit it with the stitch as you would a regular wrapped stitc due to the likelihood of the contrasting wrap still being visible. Instead, add this quick extra step to make sure that wrap is hidder when it is knitted (or purled). Search "Cat Bordhi” on youtube.com for a good video of this technique: "Wrapping & turning, concealing wraps" (The concealing wraps technique starts around minute 6:30, before that is how to do W&T short rows) 1. Insert the needle as if to knit (or purl) the wrap BUT DON'T. 2. Pick the wrap up and pass it over the top of the stitch it wrapped and place it on the needle. Now the wrap should bt sitting on your needle between the stitch it wrapped and the next stitch in line looking a lot like a contrasting yarn over. 3. NOW insert your needle into the first stitch AND THE WRAP and knit (or purl) them together.
Knitting Jogless Stripes in the Round
There are several techniques for knitting jogless stripes. If you have one you like use it for this project. The simplest I have found is outlined below but I have also had nice results with the technique on hookandneedles.com under the knitting tutorials. 1. Knit one full round in the stripe color. 2. At the start of the second round of the stripe color slip the first stitch. 3. Continue to knit as usual. See? Simple! Repeat this at every stripe to help hide the jog.
