Perky Turkey

Stuff a different sort of turkey this Thanksgiving season.  This friendly little bird will add a bit of fun to your holiday.

Knitting Loom: KB Sock Loom 2

Yarn: Worsted weight acrylic yarn in various colors.  Sample used Vanna’s Choice by Lion Brand in Taupe for main color.  Coordinating colors were Cranberry, Colonial Blue, Terracotta, Radiant Yellow, and Fern.

Notions: knitting tool, tapestry needle with large eye, scissors, 7 mm wiggly eyes (2), fiberfill for stuffing, glue gun and hot glue, pins.

Size: About 3” tall (seated)

Gauge: Not essential for this project.

Techniques

Drawstring Cast-On:  Step 1: Pass the working yarn in front of peg 1.  Pass the working yarn behind peg 2.  Pass the working yarn in front of peg 3.  Pass the working yarn behind peg 4.  Continue weaving the working yarn in front of and behind the pegs until the working yarn reaches peg 1 again.

Step 2:  Lay the working yarn against peg 1, above the wrap from step 1.  Knit the lower wrap over the top wrap.  Pass the working yarn in front of peg 2.  Lay the working yarn against peg 3, above the wrap from step 1.  Knit the lower wrap over the top wrap.  Pass the working yarn in front of peg 4.  Continue working in this manner until the working yarn reaches peg 1 again.  Cast on is now complete.  Continue on as directed in the pattern.

Double E-wrap Cast-On:  Wrap the first peg twice.  With the knitting tool, pull the lower wrap past the upper wrap and over the top of the peg.  Repeat this process for each of the remaining pegs.  Cast on is now complete.  Continue on as directed in the pattern.

U-wrap Knit Stitch:  Bring the working yarn in front of the peg to be worked, above the existing stitch on the peg.  Bend the working yarn around the peg, creating a u shaped wrap. Knit the lower stitch over the u wrap.

Slip:  For the purposes of this project, slip simply means to skip the peg.

K2tog:  Decrease- worked over two pegs.  Move the stitch from the first peg over to the second peg.  Knit both stitches on the second peg together as one.

Basic Bind Off:  Knit the first two pegs.  Move the stitch from the second peg over to the first peg.  Knit the lower stitch over the upper stitch.  One stitch has now been bound off. Move the stitch from peg 1 to the empty peg.  This is now peg 1.  Knit the next stitch.  Move the stitch that was just knit over to the first peg.  Knit the lower stitch over the upper stitch.  Continue working in this manner until there is one stitch left. Cut the working yarn, leaving a yarn tail that is at least 4” long.  Wrap the yarn tail around the last peg.  Knit the last stitch over the yarn tail and pull the yarn tail out through the stitch.  Bind off is now complete.

Gathered Bind Off:  Loosely wrap the working yarn in a circle around all of the pegs that have stitches – two times.  This will ensure that the yarn tail is long enough to complete the bind off.  Cut the working yarn, then unwrap the long yarn tail from around the pegs.  Lay the yarn tail below the stitch on peg 1.  Using the knitting tool, pull the yarn tail up through the stitch.  *Lay the yarn tail below the next stitch.  Using the knitting tool, pull the yarn tail up through the stitch.  Repeat from * for all stitches on the loom.  Once all stitches have been bound, remove the knitting from the loom.  Pull on the yarn tail to cinch the opening closed (unless otherwise directed by the pattern being worked).  Bind off is now complete.

Instructions

Body 

With the taupe yarn, cast on 22 stitches using the drawstring cast on method.

Rounds 1-20: U-wrap knit to the end of the round.

Round 21:  K2tog, K3, K2tog, K4, K2tog, K3, K2tog, K4.  Move stitches around as needed so that there are no empty pegs.  Slide the adjustable peg rail in so that it lines up with the rest of the knitting.  There should now be a total of 18 stitches in the round.

Round 22:  U-wrap knit to the end of the round.

Round 23:  K2tog, K2, K2tog, K3, K2tog, K2, K2tog, K3.  Move stitches around as needed so that there are no empty pegs.  Slide the adjustable peg rail in so that it lines up with the rest of the knitting.  There should now be a total of 14 stitches in the round.

Round 24:  U-wrap knit to the end of the round.

Round 25:  K2tog, K2, K2tog, K2, K2tog, K2, K2tog.  Move stitches around as needed so that there are no empty pegs.  Slide the adjustable peg rail in so that it lines up with the rest of the knitting.  There should now be a total of 10 stitches in the round (5 stitches on the adjustable peg rail and 5 stitches directly across from them at the end of the loom.  There will be no stitches on the side rails of the loom).

Rounds 26-30:  U-wrap knit to the end of the round.

Bind off with the gathered bind off method.  After cinching the bind off end closed, turn body inside out, then firmly stuff body with fiberfill.  Pull the yarn end from the drawstring cast on to cinch the bottom of the body closed.  Weave in the yarn end and set the body aside.

Wings (make 2)

With the taupe yarn, leave a 6” yarn tail and cast on 6 stitches using the double e-wrap cast on method.

Rows 1, 3 & 5:  Sl 1, K5.

Rows 2, 4 & 6:  Sl 1, P4, K1

Row 7:  Sl 1, K3, K2tog.

Row 8:  Sl 1, P2, K2tog.

Row 9:  Sl 1, K1, K2tog.

Row 10:  Sl 1, K2tog.

Row 11:  K2tog.

Bind off the last stitch.  Weave in the yarn tail at the top of the wing.  Set aside.

Legs (make 2)

With the taupe yarn, leave a 6” yarn tail and cast on 4 stitches using the double e-wrap cast on method.  Working yarn will be at peg 4.  *Pass the working yarn behind pegs 3, 2, and 1.  Knit pegs 1-4.  Repeat from * eleven times.  Switch to the terracotta yarn.  Repeat from * twice more.

Pass the working yarn behind pegs 3, 2, and 1.  ^Knit peg 1 three times.  Move the stitch from peg 1 to peg 2.  Knit the lower stitch on peg 2 over the upper stitch.  Repeat from ^ two times.

Bind off the last stitch.  Gently pull on the knitted piece to elongate the leg and set the stitches in place.  Weave in each of the yarn ends near the foot, but leave the yarn tail at the top of the leg for seaming later.  Set aside.

Feathers (make 5)

With one of the coordinating colors of yarn, leave a 6” yarn tail and cast on 4 stitches using the double e-wrap cast on method.

Odd Rows:  Sl 1, K3.

Even Rows:  Sl 1, P2, K1.

Work the above two rows until 20 rows have been knit.

Row 21:  Sl 1, K1, K2tog.

Row 22:  Sl 1, K2tog.

Row 23:  K2tog.

Bind off the last stitch.  Weave in the yarn tail at the top of the feather.  Set aside.

Beak

With the radiant yellow yarn, leave a 6” yarn tail and cast on 3 stitches using the double e-wrap cast on method.

Rows 1 & 3:  Sl 1, K2.

Rows 2 & 4:  Sl 1, P1, K1

Row 5:  Sl 1, K2tog.

Row 6:  K2tog.

Bind off the last stitch.  Weave in the yarn tail at the top of the beak.  Set aside.

Snood

With the cranberry yarn, cast on 2 stitches using the double e-wrap cast on method.  Working yarn will be at peg 2.  *Pass the working yarn behind peg 1.  Knit peg 1.  Pass the working yarn behind peg 2.  Knit peg 2.  Repeat from * nine times.  Move the stitch from peg 1 over to peg 2.  Knit the lower stitch on peg 2 over the upper stitch.  Bind off the last stitch.  Gently pull on the knitted piece to elongate the snood and set the stitches in place.  Weave in the yarn ends at each end of the snood.  Set aside.

Assembly

Bend the snood into a rainbow shape and pin it to the turkey body, approximately ½ “from the top of the body.

Using the 6” yarn end from the beak, sew the beak to the body, sewing the snood in place at the same time as the beak.  Remove pin.  Weave in the yarn end from the beak.

Glue the 7 mm wiggly eyes to the body right above the beak and snood.

Using the 6” yarn end from one of the wings, sew a wing to the side of the body, approximately 1.5” from the top of the body.  Weave in the yarn end.  Repeat this process with the other wing.

Using the 6” yarn end from one of the legs, sew a leg to the bottom of the body, near the front.  Weave in the yarn end.  Repeat this process with the other leg.

Pin the feathers to the turkey’s back, overlapping them slightly.  Once the desired placement is achieved, use the 6” yarn end from each feather to sew each feather in place.  Remove the pins and weave in all remaining yarn ends.

Happy Thanksgiving!