This project was going to be a Big Brother gift for my
nephew, that was before I discovered he was more into Angry Birds (hat
collection will be completed for a forthcoming blog post). So this means that
my son gets to have yet another knitted toy.
The pattern came from Kate Kuckro .She has designed a very easy to follow pattern using
Short rows to give extra shape. For those who are scratching their heads you
will have seen short rows in knitted sock patterns to create the heel. They are
achieved by not knitting all the way to the end of the row then turning the
knitting to knit back over the stitches you have knitted. My friend likes to
describe it as “pretending you have finished the row, but leaving some stitches
behind.”
The Dragon is knitted in Stocking stitch, but the wrong
side becomes the right side so it looks like scales (does that make sense?) I
have found in the past that when I make toys for children in the past they
always tend to use the narrowest part of the toy to drag it about, with this in
mind I decided to strengthen the neck of the Dragon. Using 2 strands of wool
and larger needles makes for a sturdier, chunky toy, and means that it is
knitted quicker.
Before I fully sewed up the neck area I cut a piece of
plastic drinks bottle (2l cola) trimmed and smoothed all the edges and inserted
it between the knitting and the stuffing. The picture shows it on the outside
of the dragon. I made the plastic wider than needed so that it would overlap
inside the toy, and then when sewing up put some stitches through the centre of
the neck and body to prevent the plastic falling out of place. As the plastic
is very pliable it has not taken away from the cuddliness of the Dragon, I know
as I have had a few cuddles from him myself when I told my son I wasn’t feeling
well.
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