Rebecca Danger

Magnus Ragnar the Victorious Viking {A Free Knitting Pattern with Cedar House Yarns}

Hey friends! Guess what....today is a very exciting day. I have a FREE, full-sized knitting pattern for you guys! Are you excited? I am. Wait, did I already say I was excited?

So, my friend Jen started a yarn company last year, Cedar House Yarns, and as soon as I found out, I knew we needed to do a project together. So she sent me a pile of yarn, and this is what I turned it into. I have written the whole pattern into this post, but you can also download it through the link at the bottom of this page. Just keep scrolling to find it.

Please be sure to go check out and buy some of her yarn, her colors are beautifully saturated and rich, and the bases are lovely to work with and feel great as they slide through you fingers. www.cedarhouseyarns.com The little viking was knit with her Sapling Sock Sprouts, which are only eight bucks a piece. I love it!

Here, we, go!

Magnus Ragnar the Victorious Viking Knitting Pattern

A Little Bit About Magnus Ragnar

Magnus Ragnar is named after Jen of Cedar House Yarns son. She and I have been friends for years and so when I found out she had started a yarn company, I knew we needed to collaborate. And when I thought collaborate, I immediately thought Viking since her son is Magnus Ragnar.

So, to celebrate yarn Magnus, here is a Viking poem (written by Magnus Ragnar's dad and Jen's husband, Eric the Red). In case you are not versed in Viking culture, to "go Viking" means to sail on a longship, a creation nearly synonymous with Viking culture.

Magnus has gone Viking

From wind and wave striking

His deeds sung in glory

His ancestors tell the story

Seafaring to victory

His name, sealed in history

Magnus has gone Viking

Materials

Yarn

80-110 yards of yarn for the shirt and pants (A)

50-75 yards of skin color yarn for face, nose, ears, hands, and thumbs (B)

75-100 yards of yarn for hat, boots, belt (C)

50-75 yards of yarn for tunic (D)

70-100 yards of yarn for beard and hair (E)

15-25 yards of scrap white or gray yarn for hat base and horn (F) Alternately I used the same color as the body.

Needles

40” circular needle (for Magic Loop Method) in a size about 2 sizes smaller than those recommended for your yarn (example: yarn says U.S. size 8, use a size 6, or maybe even 5 instead)

40” circular needle (for Magic Loop Method) 1 size larger than your main needle (for Tunic, creates a slightly looser fabric for a part where stuffing wont show through)

Gauge

One of the greatest things about knitting toys is gauge doesn’t matter! For those of you who detest gauging as much as me, this is the perfect project for you. Simply use smaller needles than those recommended for your yarn to create a tighter knit fabric so that the stuffing doesn’t show through. My rule of thumb is to go down 2 or 3 needle sizes from the smallest size recommended for your yarn. This also means this pattern can be worked in any size of yarn! Try sock yarn for little nugget gnome, or worsted for a medium gnome great for tucking places in your house, or bulky for a big gnome perfect for hugs.

Notions

Scissors, tapestry needle, safety eyes/buttons/scrap yarn for eyes, stuffing, 15 removable stitch markers, or 14 removable markers and one not removable (to mark beginning of round), yarn holders (optional), row counter (optional, but very helpful), pins for making up (optional), Celtic knit button (3) for belt (optional, determine size based on the finished size of your viking).

Notes

Make a Loop:

1. Knit the next stitch, hold the stitch on the needle LH needle and do not transfer it to the RH needle (as to finish the st). 
2. Bring the working yarn forward between the two needles.
3. Move your thumb to where the yarn comes between the needles. Wrap the working yarn around you thumb, and run it back between the two needles, setting yourself up to work the next stitch on your RH needle.
4. Knit the same stitch you knitted before looping, and transfer to the RH needle to complete the stitch

Note: This version of loop stitch will add an extra stitch every time you make a loop, which will be evened out with the rest of the stitch pattern.

If the making a loop part seems confusing you can check out the videos on youtube.com (Here’s one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGKlbG_tHjI). Just remember the version here is a modified version and only the loop making part is the same. 

Modified Loop Stitch

R1: (Make a loop, K2tog) around

R2: (K2tog, Make a Loop) around

Repeat these two rounds to create your stitch.

Directions

Knit the Body

The body is knit entirely in A.

Using A and Turkish Cast On, CO 36 sts (18 loops). PM to indicate beg of rnd and join to begin knitting the body in the round using Magic Loop Method:

R1: Knit all sts from Turkish Cast On (36 total Sts)

Stop and place removable stitch markers in center of CO row below 7th and 11th sts in CO row (this marks where legs will be picked up).

R2: (KFB, K16, KFB) twice (40 sts) 

R3: Knit all sts

R4: (KFB, K18, KFB) twice (44 sts) 

R5: Knit all sts

R6: (KFB, K20, KFB) twice (48 sts)

R7-R37: Knit all sts.

After R37, stop and place a removable stitch marker in 4th, 21st, 27th, and 46th sts of rnd 37. These markers will be where you pick up sts for arms.

R38 & R39: Knit all sts 

R40: (K1, SSK, K18, K2tog, K1) twice (44 sts)

R41: Knit all sts

R42: (K1, SSK, K16, K2tog, K1) twice (40 sts)

R43: Knit all sts. After R43, stop and place a removable stitch marker in 3rd, 18th, 23rd, and 38 sts of rnd 43. These markers will be where you pick up sts for the head.

placing markers for head

R44: (SSK, K16, K2tog) twice (36 sts)

Cut your yarn, leaving an 18” or longer tail. Stuff the body now. Once the body is stuffed, use the Kitchener Stitch to close up the top of the body. You will want to add your last bits of stuffing as you finish closing up the seam.

Knit The Head

The head is knit entirely in skin color.

To Knit Separately, CO 32 sts, then just knit all sts of R1 and work rest of pattern as written.

R1: Using B color and starting in marker from st #3 on R43, PU 16 sts, 1 per stitch to marker in st #18. Then, flip to other end of your needle tip, and heading opposite direction (toward first st picked up), PU same 16 sts starting in st #23 and working towards st #38. You will now have 32 sts on your needles. First st picked up is first st of rnd. PM to indicate beg of rnd and beg to work in rnd using Magic Loop Method:

R2-R20: Knit all sts. Place removable st markers as you work:

R9: PM in sts 1 & 17 to mark for ears

R10: PM in sts 7 & 10 to mark for nose

R12: PM in sts 7 & 10 to mark for nose

R17: PM in sts 16 & 32 to make for ears

R21: (K1, SSK, K10, K2tog, K1) twice (28 sts)

R22: Knit all sts

R23: (K1, SSK, K8, K2tog, K1) twice (24 sts)

R24: (K1, SSK, K6, K2tog, K1) twice (20 sts)

R25: (K1, SSK, K4, K2tog, K1) twice (16 sts)

Stuff the head now. Add eyes using the nose markers to help determine where they should go. Cut your yarn, leaving an 18” or longer tail and use the Kitchener Stitch to close up the top of the head. Alternately you can place the live sts on waste yarn and wait until you have knit the ears and nose before you attach the eyes. Once the eyes are in place, you can slip the sts back to your needles and close the head then. 

Knit the Nose

Nose is knit entirely in B.

To Knit Separately, CO 10 sts, then just knit all sts of R1 and work rest of pattern as written and whipstitch to the face once finished.

R1: Using B and starting with marked st 7 on R10 of the head, PU 4 sts, 1 stitch per stitch across the face. Next, PU 1 sts from R11 of the head, in line with the last stitch picked up from R10. Then, flip to other end of your needle tip, move up 1 round to marked st #10 from R12 of the head, and PU the same 4 sts 1 round up, toward first st picked up. Finally, PU 1 st from R11, in line with the last st picked up on R12. You will now have 10 sts on your needles. First st picked up is first st of rnd. PM to indicate beg of rnd and beg to work in rnd using Magic Loop Method:

R2:-R5: Knit all sts

R6: K2tog five times around (5 sts)

Lightly stuff the nose. Cut your yarn and using a tapestry needle, pull it through the remaining sts to close up the nose

Knit the Left Ear

Ears are knit entirely in B.

To Knit Separately, CO 18 sts, then just knit all sts of R1 and work rest of pattern as written.

R1: Using B and starting with marked st #1 on R9 of the head, PU 9 sts, 1 stitch per round towards the top of the head. Then, flip to other end of your needle tip, move over 1 stitch to marked st #32 from R17 of the head, and PU the same 9 sts 1 stitch over, heading toward first st picked up. You will now have 18 sts on your needles. First st picked up is first st of rnd. PM to indicate beg of rnd and beg to work in rnd using Magic Loop Method.

R2-R4: Knit all sts

R5: K2tog nine times around (9 sts)

Stuff ears as desired (samples are unstuffed). Cut your yarn and using a tapestry needle, pull it through the remaining sts to close up the ear.

Knit the Right Ear

Repeat above instructions starting in marked st #17 from R9 of the head and moving toward marked st #16 from R17 of the head to make the second ear.

Knit the Left Arm

To Knit Separately, CO 14 sts, then just knit all sts of R1 and work rest of pattern as written.

R1: Using A and starting with marked st #46 on R37 of the body, PU 7 sts, 1 stitch per stitch toward marked st #4. Then, flip to other end of your needle tip, move up 1 round and PU the same 7 sts 1 round up, toward first st picked up. You will now have 14 sts on your needles. Be sure the beg of the round is to the back of the body for correct thumb placement. First st picked up is first st of rnd. PM to indicate beg of rnd and beg to work in rnd using Magic Loop Method.

R2-R54: Using A, knit all sts

R55 & R56: Switch to B. Knit all sts. You will remain in B to the end of the arm.

R57: (KFB, K5, KFB) twice (18 sts)

R58: K8, PM, KFB, KFB, PM, K8 to end of round (20 sts)

R59: Knit to marker, SM, KFB, knit to 1 before marker, KFB, SM, knit to end of round (22 sts)

R60: Knit to marker, SM, KFB, knit to 1 before marker, KFB, SM, knit to end of round (24 sts)

R61: K8, remove marker, k1, place next 6 sts on waste yarn. Pulling yarn across gap, k1, remove marker, knit last 8 sts to the end of the round. 6 sts on waste yarn for thumb, 18 sts rem on needles.

R62-R71: Knit all sts. 

R72: (K1, SSK, K3, K2tog, K1) twice (14 sts)

Cut your yarn, leaving an 18” or longer tail. Stuff the hand now. Use the Kitchener Stitch to close the hand.

Knit the Thumb

Thumb is knit entirely in B.

To Knit Separately, CO 10 sts, then just knit all sts of R1 (don’t add any where you PU in R1) and work rest of pattern as written.

Place 6 sts from waste yarn onto needles. Starting on outside of thumb (away from palm), work in rnd using Magic Loop Method:

R1: K3, PU 2 from join between thumb and palm, slide sts to cable, PU 2 additional sts from same spot, K3 to end of rnd (10 sts)

R2-R7: Knit all sts

R8: K2tog five times (5 sts)

Lightly stuff the thumb. Cut your yarn and using a tapestry needle, pull it through the remaining sts to close up the thumb.

Knit the Right Arm

Repeat above instructions starting in marked st #27 and moving toward marked st #21 from R37 of the body to make the second arm. Be sure beginning of the round is to the back of the arm for correct thumb placement. Be sure to knit the second thumb as well.

Knit the Left Leg

To Knit Separately, CO 18 sts, then just knit all sts of R1 and work rest of pattern as written.

R1: Using A and starting in marked st #7 from the base of the body, PU 7 sts toward the outside edge of the body. Then, PU 2 more sts from the increase rounds up the side of the body (look for the “bar” from the KFB’s). Next, using the other end of your needle tip, begin at marked st #7 again, move towards the front of the body 1 stitch and PU the same 9 sts 1 stitch forward, toward first st picked up. You will now have 18 sts on your needles. First st picked up is first st of the round, beginning of round will be to the outside of the body. Be sure the beginning of the round is to the back of body for correct heel and foot placement. PM to indicate beg of rnd and beg to work in rnd using Magic Loop Method.

R2-R35: Using A, knit all sts

R36: Knit all sts in C. You will remain in C to the end of the foot.

R37-R42: Repeat R1 & R2 of Modified Loop Stitch (see notes)

R43-R62: Knit all sts

Begin the heel by working just the first 9 sts of the round, and holding the last 9 sts of the round on the cable of your needle.

Row 1: Sl1, knit to end. Turn.

Row 2: Sl1, purl to end. Turn.

Repeat Rows 1 & 2 three more times until 8 total rows have been worked. You will end with a purl row. 

R1 of foot: Knit across 9 heel sts once more. Using the same needle tip, PU 6 sts from the gusset edge. Flip to the other needle tip and knit the 9 held sts. Using the same needle tip, PU 6 sts from the gusset edge. You'll now have 30 total sts and a new beginning of round with the next st to be knitted, PM to indicate beginning of round.

R2: K9, K2tog twice, K13, SSK twice (26 sts)

R3: Knit all sts

R4: K9, K2tog twice, K9, SSK twice (22 sts)

R5-R20: Knit all sts

R21: (K1, K2tog five times) twice (12 sts)

Stuff the foot now. Cut your yarn and using a tapestry needle, pull it through the remaining sts to close up the foot.

Knit the Right Leg

Repeat these instructions starting in marked st #12 from the base of the body and moving toward the outside of the body, then moving forward and picking up the same 9 sts 1 st forward to make sure the beginning of the round is to the back of the body again to make the second leg. Beginning of the round will be to the inside of the leg. 

Knit the Tunic

Tunic is knit entirely in D.

Using D, CO 52 sts onto your larger needle. PM to indicate beg of rnd and join to begin knitting the tunic in the round using Magic Loop Method:

R1-R3: (K1, P1) around

R4-R43: Knit all sts

Divide for Top:

Row 1: K8, K2tog twice, K1. Turn (11 sts)

Row 2: P11. Turn

Row 3: K6, K2tog twice, K1. Turn (9 sts)

Row 4: P9. Turn

Row 5: K4, K2tog twice, K1. Turn (7 sts)

Row 6: P7. Turn

Row 7: K2, K2tog twice, K1. Turn (5 sts)

Row 8: P5. Turn

Row 9: K5. Turn

Row 10: P5. Turn

Cut your yarn leaving a long tail for Kitchener Stitch and place these 5 sts on waste yarn or a yarn holder.

Move to the next 13 sts: Start at the inside next edge (the next st to be worked before you turned after R43)

Row 1: K1, SSK twice, K8. Turn (11 sts)

Row 2: P11. Turn

Row 3: K1, SSK twice, K6. Turn (9 sts)

Row 4: P9. Turn

Row 5: K1, SSK twice, K4. Turn (7 sts)

Row 6: P7. Turn

Row 7: K1, SSK twice, K2. Turn (5 sts)

Row 8: P5. Turn

Row 9: K5. Turn

Row 10: P5. Turn

Cut your yarn leaving a long tail for Kitchener Stitch and place these 5 sts on waste yarn or a yarn holder.

Move to the remaining 26 sts from R43:

Row 1: K1, SSK, K20, K2tog, K1. Turn (24 sts)

Row 2: Purl all sts. Turn

Row 3-Row 8: Work all sts in Stockinette St.

Row 9: Knit all sts. Turn

Row 10: P1, P2tog tbl, P3, BO next 12 sts, P3, P2tog, P1. (5 sts per side remain, 12 sts bound off in center)

Place sts of shoulders onto one needle tip, with sts from back on the second needle tip. Cut your yarn and use kitchener st to attach each shoulder to the back of the tunic, using the ends you left when you did the front shoulders (you may have to slip your sts around on your needles or use a second needle to set this up to work correctly).

Knit the Hat

Using F, CO 36 sts. PM to indicate beg of rnd and join to begin knitting the hat in the round using Magic Loop Method:

R1: (K1, P1) around

R2: (P1, K1) around

R3 & R4: Repeat R1 & R2

R5: Repeat R1 once more

R6-R17: Switch to C and knit all sts. You will remain in C to the top of the hat. Stop and place removable markers as you work:

R7: PM in sts 1 & 19 to mark for horns.

R14: PM in sts 18 & 36 to mark for horns.

R18: (K2, K2tog) around (27 sts)

R19: Knit all sts

R20: (K1, K2tog) around (18 sts)

R21: Knit all sts

R22: K2tog around (9 sts)

Cut your yarn and pull it through the remaining sts to close the hat.

Knit the Left Horn

Horns are knit entirely in F.

To Knit Separately, CO 16 sts, then just knit all sts of R1 and work rest of pattern as written.

R1: Using F and starting with marked st #1 on R7 of the hat, PU 8 sts, 1 stitch per round towards the top of the hat. Then, flip to other end of your needle tip, move over 1 stitch to marked st #36 from R14 of the head, and PU the same 8 sts 1 stitch over, heading toward first st picked up. You will now have 16 sts on your needles. First st picked up is first st of rnd, be sure the beginning of the round is towards the bottom of the hat for correct horn shaping. PM to indicate beg of rnd and beg to work in rnd using Magic Loop Method.

R2 & R3: Knit all sts

R4: SSK, knit to last 2 sts, K2tog (14 sts)

R5: Knit all sts

R6: SSK, knit to last 2 sts, K2tog (12 sts)

R7: Knit all sts

R8: SSK, knit to last 2 sts, K2tog (10 sts)

R9: Knit all sts

R10: SSK, knit to last 2 sts, K2tog (8 sts)

R11: Knit all sts

R12: SSK, knit to last 2 sts, K2tog (6 sts)

R13: Knit all sts

R14: SSK, knit to last 2 sts, K2tog (4 sts)

R15: Knit all sts

You can stuff the horns as you wish, the small samples are unstuffed, the large samples are lightly stuffed. If you do wish to stuff the horns, begin stuffing around R9. Once stuffed, cut your yarn and using a tapestry needle, pull it through the remaining sts to close up the horn.

Knit the Right Horn

Repeat above instructions starting in marked st #19 from R7 of the hat and moving toward marked st #36 from R14 of the hat to make the second horn.

Knit the Belt

Using C and Provisional Cast On, CO 6 sts. Do not join. 

Row 1-Row 100: Knit all sts

Alternately you can not keep track of rows but just knit until the belt first snuggly around your viking’s waist.

Slip prov CO sts to the second needle. Use 3 needle bind off to attach prov cast on sts to the end sts and make the belt into a circle. Be sure to bind off on wrong side. Add buttons to the belt as desired.

Knit the Beard

Beard is knit entirely in E.

Using E and Turkish Cast On, CO 40 sts (20 loops). PM to indicate beg of rnd and join to begin knitting the body in the round using Magic Loop Method:

R1: Knit all sts from Turkish Cast On (40 total Sts)

R2: (KFB, K18, KFB) twice (44 sts)

R3-R12: Knit all sts

R13: (K1, SSK, K16, K2tog, K1) twice (40 sts)

R14: Knit all sts

R15: (K1, SSK, K14, K2tog, K1) twice (36 sts)

R16: Knit all sts

R17: (K1, SSK, K12, K2tog, K1) twice (32 sts)

R18: Knit all sts

R19: (K1, SSK, K10, K2tog, K1) twice (28 sts)

R20: Knit all sts

R21: (K1, SSK, K8, K2tog, K1) twice (24 sts)

R22: Knit all sts

R23: (K1, SSK, K6, K2tog, K1) twice (20 sts)

R24: Knit all sts

R25: (K1, SSK, SSK, K2tog, K2tog) twice (12 sts)

R26: K2tog six times around (6 sts)

Cut your yarn and using a tapestry needle, pull it through the remaining sts to close up the beard.

Knit the Mustache

Mustache is knit entirely in E.

Using E, CO 6 sts. PM to indicate beg of rnd and join to begin knitting the hat in the round using Magic Loop Method:

R1-R5: Knit all sts

R6: K2, KFB twice, K2 to end of round (8 sts)

R7: Knit all sts

R8: SSK, K1, KFB twice, K1, K2tog (8 sts)

R9: Knit all sts

R10: K3, KFB twice, K3l to end of round (10 sts)

R11: Knit all sts

R12: K3, K2tog, SSK, K3 to end of round (8 sts)

R13: Knit all sts

R14: (SSK, K2tog) twice (4 sts)

R15: Knit all sts

R16: KFB all sts (8 sts)

R17: Knit all sts

R18: K3, KFB twice, K3 to end of round (10 sts)

R19: Knit all sts

R20: K3, K2tog, SSK, K3 to end of round (8 sts)

R21: Knit all sts

R22: KFB, K1, K2tog, SSK, K1, KFB (8 sts)

R23: Knit all sts

R24: K2, K2tog, SSK, K2 to end of round (6 sts)

R25-R30: Knit all sts

Cut your yarn and using a tapestry needle, pull it through the remaining sts to close up the mustache. Don't stuff. The dip in center goes up to nose. 

Finish Your Viking

If Knit Separately: Whipstitch arms, legs, nose and ears to the body using removable stitch markers for placement reference.

If Knit In One Piece: Weave in any remaining ends.

For both: Add eyes now if you didn't earlier. Pin beard to the face so the top edge of the beards just about lines up with the bottom edge of the ears. Use a running stitch to sew across the top edge up the beard, across the face and to the other ear. Pin the mustache in place right under the nose and use a running stitch to tack it in place (I like it so the ends are not sewn down and give the stache a little more dimension. Slip the tunic over the viking’s head and the belt onto his waist. 

To make hair like on my samples, you will want to cut a bunch (read, a bunch) of pieces of hair. For my small viking the pieces were 6” long. For my bigger viking they were 12” long. The finished size is really going to depend on how long you want the hair. You can cut a couple sample pieces before you decide.

To attach each hair, and yes the hair is added one piece at a time, I put a piece of hair into my tapestry needle, run the tapestry needle under the 2 loops of a stitch, drop the needle, find the center of the piece of hair, and then tie the hair in a square knot, knotting twice to hold the hair in place. Then I move on to the next hair and the next stitch, and do the whole thing over again. And again. And again.

To determine my hairline shape, I used the decrease stitches at the top of the head as a guide, then I made a circle around the top of the head, along down behind the ear, across a straight line of what I felt would be the bottom of the hairline, and back up behind the other ear. It came out like a “D” on its side. Then, I ran two rows of hair down the center of the “D”, right next to each other, along where I wanted the part. Again I put a piece of hair into each and every stitch of these two lines. 

Lots of work I know, but I think totally worth it for the gorgeous head full of luscious locks. You can chose to leave your viking bald if you prefer!

If you need help with anything in this pattern, check out my Frequent Questions page:

http://rebeccadanger.typepad.com/rebecca_danger/frequent-questions.html

If your question is not listed, leave a comment here below and I will get back to it as soon as I am able. You can also check out the Danger Crafts group on Ravelry.

Terms Used In This Pattern Can Be Found On My Blog: http://rebeccadanger.typepad.com/rebecca_danger/2012/01/knitting-pattern-terms.html

Samples Shown In This Pattern

Small Viking:

Sapling Sock Sprouts from Cedar House Yarn in Oyster (A & F), Toasted Marshmallow (B), Smoked Porter (C), Moss (D), and Robin Red-Breast (E)

9 mm safety eyes

Us Size 0 Needles

Approx. 12” tall

Large Viking:

Old Growth Worsted from Cedar House Yarn in Oyster (A & F), Toasted Marshmallow (B), Ink (C), A Land Far Away (D), and Ginger (E)

9 mm safety eyes

Us Size 4 Needles

Approx. 17” tall

Download Danger Crafts Magnus Viking Knitting Pattern

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Happy knitting friends!

SALE!!!

Hey guys! Long time no blog, right? I know. Moving and book writing and event doing and teaching and Mama-ing and business running and blogging and life in general has been a bit much for me recently. I just couldn't do it all and blogging was the first thing that had to bend. Mr Danger has been working a ton too, but he was home for 4 days this last holiday weekend which meant I got 5 minutes to think and relax. I love thinking, it is so nice.

So anyway, after having a few minutes to think and having just finished my book I find myself putting a lot of things into perspective and planning the next chapter of my life. This kiddo is almost 19 months old and I find I still haven't figured this new life with a little one out yet. I am still trying to do as much as I did before he was born and I just have signifigantly less time to do those things now since I want to spend as much time with my munchkin as I can.

Long story short, it is time for me to stop selling yarn, eyes, and kits in my etsy shop. I have actually been out of eyes for a while now, but I still have a little bit of yarn and kits left. I have less space in our new house for my office and stock storage, and less time in general than I did, and I just have to put my sanity as my top priority. I have been selling just enough of these things to keep me selling them, but not enough to say hire help with shipping. So I am done.

Guess what that means for you.....I am selling the last of what I have got at 50% in my etsy shop. Yes, 50%, amazing deal, right?! Hop on over to the sale section now to see what is left!

In other news I have lots of fun things planned for you. Some free stuff, a giveaway (it is time right?!) and check ins with our new house and what I have been up to. The plan is to get back into blogging again, but it may take me a week or two to get back in it since I am out of the habit now.

Stay tuned though! And thanks for your continued business support and blow readership while I was away. You guys are the best.

Meet My Newest Pattern, Bob the Blue-Footed Booby!

Meet the second installment in my you-asked-for-it-you-got-it series of patterns! Bob the Blue-Footed Booby. Huzzah!

Don't you love those feet?

I know, right? Yes, just like Jerry the Monkey, you guys in the Danger Crafts Group on Ravelry asked for a Blue-Footed Booby named Bob, so here he is! And seriously, I had the BEST time knitting this. I kept telling Mr Danger, "Oh! Gotta go work on my Booby honey!" It does not get old. If anything, it gets funnier every time you say it. Hrmmm, could this be why you guys asked for a Booby?

But less on the Booby talk....I hope you guys love him like I do! I came up with this cool concept to hold 2 strands of yarn together throughout so that you could be sure to get that awesome mottled coloring that Booby's have on their head. I am really, truly pleased with how it came out, too.

AND, this pattern has the awesome new feature of being able to be knit in one piece! I hear all of you who hate sewing the limbs on, so on this pattern I wrote it so you can either knit everything separately, or you can pick up the beak, wings, and legs. Cool, huh? I think you will love it. But, because it is a bit tricky, I am going to do a KAL on here starting on Monday (8/27) to give you a little more in-depth look at how to do some of the techniques in this pattern.

There you go! Bob is on sale for $4 for the first month and is available on my website, etsy shop, or Ravelry. I also have a yarn bundle on my website and in my etsy shop if you want to make the amazingly huge, squishy, loveable, cuddleable, huggable, perfect giant Booby in Lorna's Laces shown in the pattern.

Go forth and create, Booby Knitters!

Get Signed Up For The Tempted Pin Up Yarn Club

Hey guys! I know, long blog silence, right?

I just wanted to get a quick post up to give you this link to sign up for the Tempted Yarn Club! I will be desiging one of the patterns this time (yeah!), along with some other amazing designers.

Hope you are having a weekend full of knitting! I am, even though it is in the 80's here.

A Wool Dispensary Giveaway!

Guess what.......Sam at the Wool Dispensary sent me FIVE beautiful skeins of yarn to giveaway to a lucky reader! Thanks Sam!

This yarn bundle includes 2 fingering weights skeins: Base Premise #1 in The Flying Fishers and Base Premise #2 in Briar Rose. It also includes 1 aran weight skein: Imperial Poison in Ogre Bogies (Ogre Bogies!!!). And it rounds out with 2 worsted wight skeins: Greater Poison in Georgia Building Castles, and my favorite Greater Poison in Danse Du Ventre. It is a lovely mix to play with and I know it will knit up into a couple great monsters, or other projects!

Not only are the names of the yarn lines based on poisons (yes, that would be so you can "pick your poison) but the color names are a hoot, too. Most are based on the circus. I love a good sense of humor in yarn. And themes. And the circus. So, what is there not to love here? 

Plus, these colors are fantastic, I am totally lusting over this yarn right now and so excited to get to send some to one of you! Though they are all just lovely, my favorite is the Greater Poison because it is so soft and fluffy. And the Danse Du Ventre is and AMAZING pink. And you all know I love my pinks! I am going to have to dig through my favorites on Ravelry and pick a sweater to knit with Greater Poison for sure. Maybe I will do that now instead of working......

Alright, so go check out The Wool Dispensary blog and shop, and come back here to my blog and leave a comment about knitting at the circus. If you have never knit at the circus, then leave a comment about the closest circus-like environment you have knitted through. And if you have never knitted in anything close to a circus environment, then leave me a comment somehow relating the cirucs and knitting. I will be picking a winner by random-number next Wednesday May 23rd, so be sure to get your comment in by then!

 

 

Basil KAL Day 1: Casting On and Picking Yarn

Ok, I have never done a KAL here before, so bear with me! One of the hardest things for me in teaching is to know how fast to go. I am a pretty quick knitter, so when in-person teaching, I always feel like I whiz through things to quick for some folks. So, for this KAL, I am going to take it pretty slow, since I don't know how much knitting time you get in a day, or how quick you all knit (although I already see a bunch of finished Basil's on Ravelry, speed demons!), and I want to keep my posts from being like 3 pages long.

I'm ready to go, here are my yarn and needles!

 

I am going with Lorna's laces Shepherd Sport on Us Size 3's, just like in the pattern sample. This time though I have picked Carol Green as my main color and Envy as my contrast color. It is going to be a greeny dino!

I had some of both yarns left over from something else, so I am starting with 32g of Envy and 66g of Carol Green. I think this will be enough, but I have extra yarn if I need it. I like to keep track of yardage by using a scale and weighing my yarn. I know some folks don't like that, but I have pretty good luck using this technique to keep track of yardages used (as long as I remember to weigh before I get started. Oh, and write that weight down). I use a simple kitchen scale, in pink to make it more fun. If you have never heard of this method before, you look on the yarn band where it will generally tell you something like "100g/220 yards." From that you can do the math and find that you will have 2.2 yards of yarn for every gram. Make sense?

Ok, so now that we got the weight deal cleared up, here's my criteria for picking yarn, in order of importance for me:

1) Colors! I look first for a yarn that has good bright, brilliant colors. 

2) Is it washable? I know many people like to work with pure wools, but when making toys, I think washable-ness is a huge factor. I have changed on my opinion on this too after having a baby. Now it MUST be washable, if it is destined for a munchkin, as this dino is going to be. Yup, The Peanut is getting a dino at the end of this KAL.

3) Softness? Since I knit A LOT (although a lot less now with a baby than I once did), I like to make sure whatever I knit with is going to be soft on my hands. I personally feel like the softer the yarn, the more enjoyable the project. Since knitting is suppose to fun, this is a big factor for me.

4) Price/do I have some? This is the last thing I think about.....luckily many of my favorite toy knits yarns are quite reasonable and my stash is quite large!

If that doesn't help, my two favorite toy yarns are anything from Lorna's Laces (especially the worsted), and any of the Berroco Comfort yarns. But, the nice thing about toys is really anything you have will work.

Ok, on to the needles. I get a lot of questions on how to pick the right needles for your project, so here's how I do it. 

First, I know that I am a very loose knitter. When I am working on a project with gauge, I generally have to knit on needles 1-2 sizes smaller than the pattern calls for. I always take this in to account with my toy knits.

The goal of your needles is to get a final fabric that is somewhat thicker than you would normally want for a garment. A garment you are going to want to focus on drape, a toy you are going to want to focus on the fabric not showing through the final fabric. So, you will want to check the yarn band for what the recommended size of needle is (mine is a US 4), take into account your personal knitting style (loose like me, or tighter, or...), and pick a needle. Remember, if your fabric looks to loose, you can always start over again with a smaller needle.  Or, if you are finding it hard to knit, you can always go up a needle. I know I am on too small a needle when it hurts my hands to knit. AND, the "right" needle size if up to your personal preference of what you like for the final look.

I don't mind some stuffing showing through, so even though I am a loose knitter and my yarn recommends a US 4, I went with US 3's because I like how it works up in the end. Not too tight when knitting to hurt my hands, but tight enough for the finished fabric most of the stuffing doesn't show through. As I am typing this, I think a lot of knowing the right needle size comes from practice! So, be comfortable trying different yarns and needle combinations, and learn from each monster you make. This will help you be able to see what you like and what you don't, and change your knitting from there.

Alrighty, I think that is a pretty good start for today. Now that I am done typing, I am going to go get cast on..... Make sure an leave me any questions in the comments below! And, I made a Rav project for this guy too.

 

And the Winner Is......

I wrote every one who donated's name on a slip of paper (over 40 people, wowza!) and drew a name today (with my eyes closed). Anna, if you could email me, I realized I don't have your email address. I will get your new monster friend in the mail to you as soon as I hear from you!

THANK YOU SO MUCH to every one who donated. I raised 500 dollars! Amazing!

And thank you, too, for such a fan-flipping-tabulous pattern release with Basil. Holy smokes, it is by far my best pattern release ever. It has sure kept me busy since yesterday!

Alrighty, I am off to finish up my current this weekend so I can get cast on for my Basil KAL next week! Make sure to stop in monday for lots of dino-knitting tips. I am going to use this yarn and this yarn for a lovely green dino.

 

Meet Basil The Boogie-Woogie Brontosaurus!

That's right, it is a dinosaur. How flipping cool is that?

I know you have always wanted a knitted brontosaurus, so here he is. And I am especially fond of his story, since he is a dancing dinosaur.

He is available in my etsy shop, my ravelry shop, and on my website. I am doing my $4 sale for the first month too, yeah! If you love the guy pictured above, he is made out of Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sport in Firefly and Charcoal. I carry both colors on my website and in my etsy shop. I have bundled it too, so you can buy the 2 colors together for 20 bucks (instead of $24).

I am also very excited because I am going to do a KAL for Basil all next week on the blog here. I am going to get cast on on Monday and go over all the little bits you might run into with questions. So, go get your yarn over the weekend and cast on with me on Monday! Come ask me your questions about the pattern in the comments on the blog here, and check out my in-depth tutorials. Sounds pretty awesome, right? I know, I do what I can!

So, remember I mentioned yesterday that this was the first in a series of three patterns? Can you guess what the other 2 patterns will be?! The next 2 will be out one each in May and June. Woo!

I will do my drawing tomorrow, so get those last minute donations in today! Read this post for all the det's. 

 

 

Thursday Knit Night: Yarn Sale!

Today is my birthday! Thank you so much for all of the wonderful birthday wishes in all of my inboxes, you guys are so sweet!

Guess what....in honor of my birthday, Valentine's Day, and my business anniversary (I started Danger Crafts 3 years ago this week), I am having a sale! All in-stock yarns are 20% off, and the prices are already marked down in my etsy shop and on my website. Sale starts February 9th and goes through February 29th. 

And....I just sent out my first newsletter! So if you are signed up, I finally, FINALLY got a newsletter out. Go me!

Ok, now get off the blog and go get some yarn!

Knitspiration: Leg Warmers

So, the leg warmers and I officially broken up. After the comment by Kate about frogging, I thought to myself: "Holy cupcakes! I have way too much time invested in this project to just frog it!" Then I found these:

Source: freepeople.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

 

...and came to my senses. I was using a handspun with that zig-zaggy lace pattern and it just wasn't working. At all. 

I realized I loved the yarn and I loved the pattern, just not together. But, I would love the yarn mixed with a simple black solid to make the above legwarmers. And I would love the pattern in a different yarn. I was right:

I have one done and I love it. I used Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted in Turtle Rodeo, and I think they look fab. If pulled up you can see the lace pattern through the almost stripes of the multi-color, and if slouched so you can't see the zig-zaggity bits, it is just a scrunch of yummy colors. And so soft! Definitely love. Enough that I think that I will actually wear these. Which is good, since I am apparently having a legwarmer moment. Now I have these going, and yarn on the way to make the ones I showed above, not to mention the fact that I was already planning to make these:

Source: lolalina.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

 

Yikes. Obssessed much? Oh well, there are worse things, right?