Little Chick Bath Puppet

Materials:

Worsted weight cotton yarn:

1 oz white or cream

small amount yellow

black embroidery floss (I used size 10 crochet cotton)

scraps of a smooth waste yarn in a contrasting colour

US size 7 DPN's (set of 5)

blunt end needle (for weaving in ends, and embroidery)

Gauge: approx 5sts to the inch, but not terribly important

Stitches/abbreviations used:

K- knit

STst- stockinette stitch (knit all stitches when in the round)

K2Tog- knit two stitches together

SSK- slip, slip, knit- individually slip two stitches knitwise, insert left needle into the front of these two slipped stitches and knit together

st(s)- stitch(es)

WY- waste yarn

rnd- round

3 needle Bind off- holding 2 needles with live stitches side by side use a 3rd needle to bind off as you normally would, except each time you would knit a stitch from the left needle you will knit the next stitch from both left needles together, and pass the previous stitch over, as in a 2 needle bind off.

Special Instructions: When WY is used in pattern, instructions will read (for example) WY K3. The 3 sts should be knit in the WY, leaving a tail of a few inches at both ends, and then those stitches should be slid back onto the left needle and knit again with the main yarn. If the WY sts cross over 2 needles be careful to return them to the correct needle after knitting them with the main yarn. These instructions will not be repeated in the pattern directions.

Directions:

Cast on 36 sts

divide between 4 needles, 9 sts to each

being careful not to twist, join stitches, placing a marker on the first needle (this will be needle 1, followed by needle 2, and so on)

knit in STst until piece measures 3" in length

next rnd) K5, WY K8, K to end (this creates the space for the lower beak)

Knit 5 rnds in STst

next rnd) K3, WY K12, K to end (this creates the space for the Upper beak)

Knit 8 rnds in STst

Begin Decrease:

rnd 1) needles 1 & 3: SSK, K to end needles 2 & 4: K to last 2sts, K2tog

rnd 2) K all

Repeat these 2 rnds until 16 sts remain (4 to each needle) ending with rnd two.

Using a scrap of waste yarn and a blunt end needle, thread yarn through all the sts and remove needle. Be careful to remember where the round started (stitch 1 of needle 1). Turn work inside out.

Pick up the live stitches onto two needles, 8sts to each. The sts from needles 1 & 2 should now be on one needle, and the sts from needles 3 & 4 on the other.

Bind off all sts using 3 needle bind off. Cut yarn, and secure.

Lower beak:

(using 4 needles)

Remove WY, slide bottom right 4 sts onto needle 1, slide bottom left 4 sts onto needle 2, slide top 8 sts onto needle 3

With needle 4 and yellow yarn:

pick up 2 sts from right side of opening and K across needle 1 (needle 1 6sts)

K across needle 2 and pick up 2 sts from left side of opening (needle 2 6sts)

K across needle 3 (needle 3 8sts)

K 4rnds

rnd 6) K4, SSK, K2tog, K8

rnd 7) K all

rnd 8) K3, SSK, K2tog, K to end

rnd 9) K all

rnd 10) K2, SSK, K2tog, K2, SSK, k4, K2tog

rnd 11) K all

rnd 12) K1, SSK, K2tog, K1, SSK, k2, K2tog

rnd 13) K all

rnd 14) [SSK, K2tog]2x

cut yarn, thread through remaining 4 sts, cinch tight and secure.

Top Beak:

remove WY

needle1: 6 sts from top left to top center

needle 2: next 6 sts

needle 3: 12 bottom sts

rnd 1) pick up 2 sts on left side of opening, K to end of needle 1 (needle 1 8sts) kto end of needle 2 and pick up 2 sts on right side of opening (needle 2 8sts) k to end (needle 3 still 12 sts)

rnds 2,3,4) K all

rnd 5 and 7) needle1- K to last 2 sts, K2tog needle2-K2tog, K to end needle3- K all

rnd 6 and 8) K all

rnd 9, 11, 13) needle1- K to last 2sts, SSK needle2-K2tog, K to end needle3-SSK, K to last 2 sts, K2tog

rnd 10, 12, 14) K all

cut yarn, thread through remaining sts, and cinch tight. Secure yarn, weave in all ends.

embroider on eyes.