zondag 11 januari 2009

Waffle look-a-like




The 4needles had to watch TV a lot these days. Mrs. T wanted to check out the looks of Waffle. He’s one of the cats in the comic series CatScratch. Waffle is a cute guy with very big eyes and enormously long ears. This inspired Mrs. T into turning Waffle’s head into a hat!

Shape
“Waffle has a large upper lip. That’s why I designed a hat with a brim. On top I knitted two ‘liripipes’ for ears. For his eyes the bumps on the Katamari (Damacy) Hat would do great.” says Mrs. T.

Not so happy
The hat turned out quite funny, but mrs. T isn’t totally happy with it. “I don’t really like the way the teeth turned out. I used a double thread of yarn but this makes them look bulky. A single thread would have been better. Or I might have cut the teeth out of felt,” she said. “I also should have made the brim smaller, so you can see the teeth better. But I'm not in the mood to knit another Waffle now. Maybe some other knitter will make an attempt to knit a better Waffle look-a-like”



So here's the pattern:

Cat Scratch Waffle Hat

Size
Large child/small adult

Materials
Grey yarn (about 70 gr);
Some blue yarn (striping on liripipe);
Some white yarn (eyes and teeth);
Bit of black yarn for embroidering eyepupils;
Teeth may also be cut out of white felt;

1 set US 7 /4,5 mm double-point needles
1 set US 6 /4 mm straight needles
1 set US 6/4 mm short sock needles
stitch markers
tapestry needle for embroidering eyepupils

Gauge
18 sts/23 rows = 4" in stockinette stitch,
using needlesize 4,5/US#7

Pattern:
Waffle's head (Hat with hemmed brim)
Cast on 80 sts with grey yarn, divide them over 3 dpkn and join for knitting in the round being careful not to twist.
Knit 2,5 cm (1 inch) in stocking stitch.
Next purl 1 row (this is where you fold the hem)
Knit 2,5 cm (1 inch) in stocking stitch again.
Fold the hem over the purl row with the wrong sides facing each other. Connect the pieces by picking up one stitch from the c.o. and knitting it together with the first stitch on the working needle. Continue like this for one round.
Work in stocking stitch until work measures 19 cm (7,5 inch).



Waffle's Ears (Liripipes)
Put 40 stitches on hold on an stitch holder.
Divide the other 40 stitches over 3 dpkn’s and join for knitting in the round. Work around, knitting an decrease row every 5 cm/2 inch.
Decrease row: decrease 1 sts in each needle ( = -3);
Work like this until 6 sts remain. Break off yarn, thread yarn through stitches, draw tight and weave in yarn end.

Knit the second liripipe in the same way, but make blue stripes and blue point. Change to blue yarn after 12,5 cm (5 inch) for first blue stripe.
- Knit with blue for 5 cm/2 inch.
- Knit with grey yarn for 5 cm/2 inch
- Knit with blue yarn for 5 cm/2 inch
- Knit with grey yarn for 5 cm/2 inch
- Knit with blue yarn till end

Waffle's Lips (brim)
Using grey yarn and straight needles, pick up 18 sts along the center front of the hat. Work back and forth from now.
Row 1: purl across.
Row 2: k2, m1r, place marker, k14, place marker, m1l, k2, pick up and knit 2 sts from the edge of the hat;
Row 3: p to end, pick up and knit 2 sts from hat edge;
Row 4: k to marker, m1r, (marker), knit 10 (marker), m1l, k to end, pick up and knit 2 sts from hat edge;
Repeat row 3 and 4 until there are 50 sts on the needle.
Next row: (WS facing) purl across;
Backside of brim:
Row1: BO 2 sts, purl to end;
Row 2: BO 2 sts, knit to 2 sts before marker, ssk, (slip marker) k14 (slip marker) knit to end.
Repeat these two rows until 18 sts remain. Fold brim (RS facing) and stitch open edge to bottom of brim.

Waffle's Teeth:
With straight needles and white yarn, pick up 37 needles at the edge of the hat and brim. Knit 1 row;

First tooth:
Row 1: knit 11, turn;
Row 2: SSK, knit 7, k2tog (9 sts)
Row 3: knit
Row 4: SSK, knit 5, K2tog (7 sts)
Row 5: knit
Row 6: SSK, knit 3, K2tog (5 sts)
Row 7: knit
Row 8: SSK, knit 1, K2tog (3 sts)
Row 9: cast of, break yarn

Second and third tooth:
Row 1: connect yarn, CO 2, knit 11, turn
Row 2: SSK, knit 7, k2tog (9 sts)
Row 3: knit
Row 4: SSK, knit 5, K2tog (7 sts)
Row 5: knit
Row 6: SSK, knit 3, K2tog (5 sts)
Row 7: knit
Row 8: SSK, knit 1, K2tog (3 sts)
Row 9: cast of, break yarn
Weave in ends.

Waffle's Eyes:
Waffle’s eyes are knit top down. In fact you knit very small hats, using the top down method. It’s best to use short sock needles.
CO 6 sts with waste yarn. Knit 2 rows.
Divide sts over 3 dpns and join. (Be careful not to twist). Work with white yarn from here. Leave a small yarn tail, to close up the top of the eye later.
Row 1: knit
Row 2: KF&B, 12 sts
Row 3: KF&B, K1, 18 sts
Row 4: KF&B, K2, 24 sts
Row 5: KF&B, K3, 30 sts
Row 6: knit
Row 7 KF&B, K4
Row 8, 9, 10 Knit
BO all sts. Leave a long yarn tail you can use to sew the eye on later;
Frog the waste yarn, close the top of the eye. Weave in the ends.
Knit the second eye.

Cut the stryrofoam ball in two halves. Cover each half in thin batting (Mrs. T used unspun wool) and place the ball in the knitted eye. Sew the eyes to the waffle hat. Embroider two oblong pupils on them.

Waffle is alive!

1 opmerking:

  1. Long live Waffle, it is extraordinary lively and funny. I Love it ! Bravo !!!

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