I thought of designing a free knitting pattern and I chose, Beterix Potter's, Aunt pettitoes from the 'Tale of Piglingbland'.
Enjoy! Knitting your own Aunt Pettitoes. Please do not post this as your pattern.
Aunt pettitoes knitting pattern.
Materials:
Blue and white worsted yarn.
Small amount of black yarn to make the facial features.
A pair of Number 2 knitting needles.
Tapestry needle.
Stuffing
A piece a blue felt and cardboard.
Yellow permanent marker.
Method:
Skirt.
Begin at the bottom of the skirt and using blue cast on 66 sts.
1st row: knit one inc in the next st to end -99 sts.
Purl one row.
Break the blue yarn and join on white.
continue in st-st for 40 rows, (work in stripes. Change the color every two rows.)
Continue in stripes and shape the skirt.
K3, (k5, k2tog) to last 5 sts. K3, k2tog -85 sts.
Purl one row.
K1 (k4, k2tog) to end - 71 sts.
Purl one row.
K1 (k3, k2tog) to end - 57 sts.
Purl one row.
K1, (k2, k2tog) to end - 43 sts.
Cast off k wise.
To make up:
Cut a 3 1/4 diameter of circle from a thick cardboard to cover the base. If the cardboard is thin cut 2 or 3 cardboard pieces. Also cut a piece of felt 1/8th inch larger than the cardboard piece. Place the cardboard inside the base of the skirt. Now stuff the skirt firmly.
Once the skirt is stuffed, cover the cardboard piece with the felt, sewing it all around using the needle and the matching thread.
Bodice:
Beginning from the waist edge and using white cast on 40 sts.
**Next row k1, inc in the next st, till the end - 60 sts.
Purl one row.
Break of white and join on blue, continue working in stripes for every two rows and in st-st for 10 rows.
Next row: k2tog to end 30 sts.
Next row : p2tog to end 15 sts.**
Cast off k wise.
To make up:
Over sew the row ends together and turn right side out and stuff. Place the cast on edge near the waist and sew this in place. Now stuff some more all around the bodice. Leave the neck edge open.
Head:
(Head is worked from back to the front).
Begin at the lower end of the back and using pink cast on 36 sts.
Beginning with a knit row, St-st for 2 rows.
Next row: (k1, inc in the next st) to end : 54 sts.
Beginning with a purl row, st-st 13 rows.
Next row: k1, k2tog - 36 sts.
Purl one row.
K2tog twice, knit to last four sts, K2tog twice - 32 sts.
Purl one row.
Repeat last two rows one more time- 28 sts.
Beg with a knit row st-st 2 rows.
Next row: K1, K2tog to least st, K1- 19 sts.
Purl one row.
K2tog twice, k to last 4 sts, K2tog twice - 15 sts.
Purl one row.
Repeat last two rows once more - 11 sts.
K2tog to end, k1-6 sts.
Break the yarn and draw through the needle tightly.
To make up:
Over sew the row ends together. The center seam will be below the neck. Stuff the head firmly, but do not close the opening. Keep this aside for now.
Nose:
Begin at the lower edge and cast on 7 sts. (Note purl side is the right side)
Inc k wise into every st - 14 sts.
Beg with a purl row st-st for 7 rows.
K2tog to end -7 sts
Break the yarn and draw through the needle tightly.
To make up:
Gather around the sts and pull up loosely, stuff the nose but do not close the opening.
Using black yarn, make two small vertical lines on either side of the nose. Now close the opening at the back side and finish off.
Sew the nose to the pointed tip of the head. Using black yarn, make three small vertical sts for the eyes, eight rows above the nose. Make the other eye, 7 sts apart from the first eye.
For mouth, use a length of black yarn, and make broad 'U' shape three knitted rows below the nose, slightly to the side.
Stuff more inside the head if needed, gather around the sts, pull up tightly and finish off.
Now place the head above the neck, and sew in place, tilting the head slightly.
Hat:(main part)
(Note the purl side is the right side)
Beginning at the top of the hat and using white cast on 40 sts.
Now work as for bodice from (**to**), but instead of 10 rows of st-st work 20 rows, in stripes.
B&t tightly.
Over sew the row ends together, the center seam should go at the back of the hat.
Keep this aside for now.
Lower part of the hat:
(Note purl side is the right side)
Beg at the lower edge cast on 30 sts with white.
Working in stripes st-st for 4 rows.
Continue in st-st and working in stripes, dec 1st at the beginning of next 4 rows - 26 sts.
K2tog to end -13 sts.
Cast off purl wise.
Make up:
Sew the cast off edge of the lower part of the hat to the lower back of the main hat piece. Stuff the hat lightly. Place the hat 8 rows above the eyes and sew in place.
Ears:
Begin at the lower edge and cast on 16 sts.
Inc k wise into every st -32 sts.
Beg with a purl row st-st for 3 rows.
Dec 1 st at the beg of every row until there are 16 sts.
K2tog to end - 8 sts.
P2tog to end- 4 sts.
Break the yarn and draw through the needle tightly.
Apron:
Beginning at the bottom and using light blue cast on 66 sts.
Beginning with a knit row st-st for 38 rows.
Next row shape the waist: k1, k2tog to end- 44 sts.
Purl one row.
K2tog to end -22 sts.
Bind off k wise.
Making up:
Place the bind off edge of the apron near the waist and sew in place. Catch all the sides.
Use a yellow permanent marker and slightly mark the apron here and there.
Make a length of white twisted chord to go around the waist and tie a bow in the front and sew in place.
Hands: (make 2 alike)
Arms: ( make two )
Beginning at the lower edge and using pink, cast on 7 sts
Next row : purl
Inc k wise into every stitch - 14 sts
Continue in st-st and work 7 rows
Break off the skin color and join blue for the sleeves
St-st for 2 rows.
Next row: break off blue and join on white. k1, inc in the next st , ( k3,inc in the next st ) 3 times - 18 sts
Purl one row.
Continue in the st- st and work in stripes for 18 rows.
Next row : k2tog to end - 9 sts.
Purl one row.
Leave the stitches on the needle leaving a long tail, and then with a tapestry needle draw through the stitches and pull tightly and fasten off.
To makeup :
Join the row ends together leaving the bottom of the hand open. Stuff the hands firmly and then gather the stitches at the bottom and pull them tightly. Make sure the center seam is at the back of the hand.
Keep the hands aside for now.
Thumb: (make 2 alike)
Using pink cast on 6 sts.
Beginning with a knit row st-st for 4 rows.
K2tog to end- 3 sts.
Leave the stitches on the needle leaving a long tail, and then with a tapestry needle draw through the stitches and pull tightly and fasten off.
To make up:
Join the row ends together. Make sure the center seam is at the back. Stuff lightly and finish off.
Sew the thumb to the hand as shown in the illustration.
Now sew the hands to the body, one row below the neck.
