Beluga Whale Amigurumi

After seeing "Finding Dory", I really, really wanted a beluga whale. As much as I thought Bailey was a bit silly, I liked him a lot! So of course, I had to crochet one.

Clip of Bailey and Destiny from "Finding Dory" (C) Disney

A brief look on the Internets told me that there was NARY A FREE PATTERN IN SIGHT.

Clearly, we need ourselves some beluga whale!

Oh also, here is a fantastic clip of Alan Davies voicing over an image of a beluga whale on QI:

On to the pattern... we haven't got a name for him yet but here it is! (I took the photos with a sepia filter because the white balance on my phone was not behaving and kept turning yellow.)

He has a pleasantly tubby profile, a lovely little dorsal ridge, and a very silly smile.

So fat... so pleasing...

The physical features turned out in a bit of a spiral because of the way crochet works... but it doesn't look too bad so I'm leaving it.

 You will need:

White DK yarn of your choice - I recommend cotton because I like the texture.*
Crochet hook 3.5mm - I used Japanese size 5/0 because it's my favourite double sided hook, the closest size is 3.5mm)

Black or navy embroidery floss (single strand) - sewing thread will do if you double it up.

1 stitch marker

Tapestry needle and sewing needle for finishing

Polyester fibre

Completed size: 15cm

Difficulty: Easy to Intermediate

*The blue coloured whale in the photo (right) was made from cotton and the white one was from some unbranded acrylic because I didn't have white cotton (boo). You can see that they were slightly different sizes when complete and I think it is partly because of the different material. It's okay, they are still pals.

He is worked circularly in one piece because nobody likes joining a hundred fiddly bits. As a result, he has a bit of a twist to his body (below right) which gives him a little bit of attitude.

Abbrieviations (US):

sl st - slip stitch

sc - single crochet

hdc - half double crochet

dc - double crochet

tr - triple crochet

sc2tog - single crochet 2 st together (decrease)

2sc into next st - 2 sc in the next stitch (increase)

sc 2x - number of times you do a single crochet (in this case, 2)

( ) 3x - bracket indicates a repeat section and how many times to repeat

The number at the end of each instruction indicates the number of stitches in each row.

Don't forget to mark the start of each row!

Pattern:

6 sc into magic ring, work circularly.

2sc into each st - 12st

sc all - 12st

(sc, 2sc into next st) 6x - 18 st

sc 12x, [hdc, dc] into the next st, dc 4x, [dc, hdc] into next st - 20 st

(sc 2x, 2sc into next st) 4x, hdc, 6 dc, hdc - 24st

sc all - 24st

sc 18 st, (sc2tog) twice, 2sc - 22st

sc 16st, sc2tog, sc 2x, sc2tog - 20st

sc 16, 2sc into next st, sc 2x, 2sc into next st - 22st

sc, (sc 2x, 2 sc into next st, sc 2x) 3x, sc, (sc 2x, 2 sc into next st, sc 2x) - 26 st

sc all - 26 st

sc all - 26 st

sc, then follow directions for left fin, then continue as follows: Sc 16x. Follow directions for right fin. sc 7x. - 26 st

Left fin:

sc into front loop of next st, turn

(You leave the back loop empty since you will work this on the next row.)

ch 1, 3 sc into next st (as normal), turn

ch 1, 2sc into next st, sc 2x, turn

ch 1, sc 2, sc2tog, turn

ch 1, sc, sc2tog, turn,

ch 1, sc2tog turn,

ch 1, sl st 5x along upper edge of fin.

sl st into the front loop of the sc that you started the fin on (it’s the same front loop you did at the start!). It will be helpful to mark the back loop with a marker or safety pin.

Right fin:

sc into front loop of next st, turn

ch 1, 3sc into next st, turn

ch 1, sc 2x, 2sc into next st, turn

ch 1, sc2tog, sc 2x, turn

ch 1, sc2tog, sc, turn

ch 1, sc 2tog, turn

ch 1, sl st 5x along upper edge of fin to match the sl st on left fin (if you are feeling adventurous, try to make the sl st row face the same side as the left…which means the reverse side than is ‘natural’ for the direction you’re crocheting in. but if you aren’t up to this you can just sl st as is comfortable for you). If you make the sl st on the reverse, you will need to go BEHIND the fin for the next step, which is to sl st loosely using an elongated sl st into the front loop of the sc you started the fin with. If the fin twists and you don’t want that… your sl st is not long enough. You can include this stitch when you mark the back loop and work them as 1 st in the next row. If that still doesn’t work (it didn’t really work for me, but I was lazy) you can try sewing the fin in place when you’re finishing your whale. If you didn't make the sl st row to match, just sl st into the front loop of the st as you did for left fin.

Next row:

sc all - don’t forget to work into the back loops of those stitches that you worked the fins into. - 26 st

sc all for 4 more rows.

(2sc into next st, sc 5x) 2x, (sc 5x, 2sc into next st) 2x, sc 2x - 30 st

sc all - 30 st

sc 10x, sc2tog, (2sc into next st) 2x, sc2tog, sc 14x - 30 st

Repeat previous row 2x - 30st

From this point, it is advisable to stuff as you go because it’ll get more fiddly as the body gets longer. Don’t stuff the head too much so the mouth still has some definition.

sc2tog, sc 8x, sc2tog, (2sc into next st) 2x, sc2tog, sc 8x, sc2tog, sc 4x. - 28st

sc 9, sc2tog 3x, sc 13x - 25st

sc, sc2tog, sc 5x, sc2tog, sc, sc2tog, sc 5x, sc2tog, sc 5x - 21st

sc all - 21st

(sc2tog, sc 5x) 3x - 18 st

sc all - 18 st

sc, sc2tog, sc 4x, sc2tog, sc 4x, sc2tog, sc 3x - 15 st

sc, sc2tog, sc 3x, sc2tog, sc 3x, sc2tog, sc 2x - 12 st

sc, sc2tog, sc 2x, sc2tog, sc 2x, sc2tog, sc - 9st

sc, sc2tog, sc, sc2tog, sc, sc2tog - 6st

The piece is worked flat from this point.

sc 2x, then flatten the end of the tail so you can see 2 rows of 3 stitches. You will need to work the edges together to close the body later - treat this as 3 stitches.

*ch 5, sc into 2nd ch from hook, hdc, dc, tr*, work next 3 st into both edges of the tail end: dc, “sc”, {sl st}. (Take note of the stitches, you may want to mark them with different coloured markers.)

Repeat directions between * *, followed by a dc into the sl st that was marked by curly brackets { }, and then sl st into the sc marked by “ ”.

Tie off and weave in yarn end. If you have gaps in the tail, you can use the yarn end to sew these up.

Embroider a nice face and blowhole as shown, and you’re done!

Embroidery and finishing tips: If you used sewing thread like I did, chain stitch the mouth and do french knots for the eyes. If you're using embroidery floss, you can probably get away with back stitch for the mouth, but chain stitch is much neater in my opinion. I suggest to do the mouth first and eyes second, it makes it a bit easier to make the face symmetrical and position the eyes.

You can pinch the dorsal ridge to give it a bit more definition. The tail might curl a bit, if you want you can use a larger hook or block it. I was lazy and just tugged it with my fingers.

Enjoy your beluga whale!

"HELLO!!! I'm a Beluga Whale, you know!"

---

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Need Ideas

I was thinking it would be nice to come up with another pattern. But I don't really know what to make next. Some kind of interesting animal? A quirky object? An abstract concept?

If you have stumbled across this blog looking for Reuben the unicorn, maybe you could take the time to share some wild idea for crochet (or knitting, but I find I work better making 3D projects with crochet), and I will see if there is anything that I could make!

Thanks for stopping by (:

Please enjoy these pictures of a livid cow and his sweet-eyed friend that I took when I visited Surrey Docks Farm in London:

Natallya's hat

Just a small post for now... little crafty update (: Unfortunately this project is full of unknowns!

Finished this hat as a very very late birthday present for my friend Natallya. She requested "something pretty for her hair" or maybe a hat, so I made a hat...

I don't know what this yarn is made of. My aunt bought it for me at a sale, and the seller claimed it was cashmere. There was no ball band but it came in a plastic bag of 10. I'm not so sure about it being cashmere because it was too cheap, but it's still nice and soft! I did a burn test and I think it's a natural/ synthetic blend - the annoying thing about burn tests is that they are not very reliable.

This hat is part knit and part crochet... the knitted body gives elasticity, fit and drape, while the crocheted brim is firmer and sturdier. I haven't got a pattern for this as I made it up as I went along and was in a bit of a hurry to finish it - I don't even remember the size of the needle I used. Oh well.

Hopefully this hat is not too warm to be worn in the Singapore climate!

Sorry the work-in-progress shots are not well-taken and the lighting is a bit rubbish...

More Unicorns...

Check this out! Another Singaporean unicorn:

http://littleyarnfriends.tumblr.com/post/24411665124/crochet-pattern-lil-baby-unicorn

The person who writes that blog also has a Maltese, there're some adorable pictures of her dog in a Mickey Mouse outfit:

http://littleyarnfriends.tumblr.com/post/20171862556/mickey-hoodie-for-my-little-dog

So cute!

PIGGY THANKS YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

The response to Reuben the Pink Fluffy Unicorn has been really positive! Okay, relatively small, but positive all the same.

Also, it's listed on Crochet Pattern Central! How cool is that? (: Thanks guys! I'm sooo chuffed.

(EDIT: Welcome friends from Crochet Pattern Central! Sorry there aren't more patterns :p)

I'd tell you that Reuben is over the moon, but because I gave the original away, I can't show you his happy pose... have a happy Piggy, instead (:

Oops! Piggy was unhappy with this 'naked' picture of him... so here is a new picture of him in all his nice clothes :D And with his best friend, Cow. Piggy is/ was an ongoing project. I made him before I left for uni, and every summer I'd add to his wardrobe. The first time, it was the trousers. Then I got obsessed with ties (he has a small silk necktie - hell to iron). And finally his little vest. The Rambo-ribbon on his head was intended as a bow tie, but since he already had a necktie he decided it would look good elsewhere... Cow is a hot water bottle cover that I received for Christmas.

They get along famously.

Midnight Munchies (ii): FUN WITH YAN YAN

Because life isn't bizarre enough already, I present to you the childhood magic of yan yan...

Lace Collar for Sylvia

Long time no post, but been working on a few things (: Due to the recent crochet binge, a friend at church noticed my lace work and asked for a lace collar. At first, I'd made a straight strip of lace, emulating the style from my Japanese book. I adapted the pattern a little to widen it.

She liked it, but she decided that she'd use it as edging for a blouse, as she preferred a round collar. So I lent her some books, and she asked for any edging from "Knitted Lace of Estonia".

I chose this one, because it looks quite smart and not too fussy, plus the pattern was quite easy to do:

See the progress after the jump!

Midnight Munchies (i)

I'm sure I'm not the only one who does this: Brush teeth, get into bed, get on the internet, and settle in to read recipes... which inevitably leads to an attack of the Midnight Munchies.

Great.

So in an attempt to fend off the attack, and in the interest of recording these ideas to follow up on later, I thought I'd share it with... the internets... from my little soap box... yeah.

Today's minor obsession is PANCAKES.

Now I love a good American pancake. Forget the flimsy European pan-crepes. Wait! Those are good, don't get me wrong, but there's nothing better than a light fluffy pancake. That's more 'cake' than 'crepe', if you ask me... and far more substantial, because they're good at soaking up syrup (oh boy syrup).

This is an interesting article comparing different recipes, but the recipe at the end is, in itself a little odd to me. Also the pictures are quite... I mean the bacon looks great, but those are definitely not my idea of a good pancake.

Here's another recipe, but this time for SCOTCH pancakes. There is a special place in my heart for this pancake cousin. The let on my student house ran out early July, so I spent the last few weeks of my life in the UK like a hobo, living in a few different places before I finally flew home. I stayed with a friend of mine for about a week leading up to my graduation, so while I had access to a kitchen, it didn't seem much point to buy 'proper' breakfast food like toast or eggs or bacon or cereal. I happened to find a packet of these palm-sized babies going for £1 at the nearby co-op, so I basically survived the morning meal with these and a little Nutella (which I'd kept after moving out). Granted, they weren't exactly fresh coming out of a packet like that, but they were so, so good. Quite indulgent for a student diet! They are not quite so fluffy as the American ones, and not quite as big, but sweeter and more cake-like than the English pancake-equivalent. (Is it so bad that I miss English food?)

Got to try making those some time. Pity I don't have any nice pictures to post, but this kitchen we have at the moment isn't very conducive so I don't like to go in there to cook. Ah well!

Till the next wave of midnight munchies...

Reuben the Pink Fluffy Unicorn Dancing on a Rainbow

 

(Edit: welcome visitors from the crochet pattern central, greatamigurumi blog and ravelry! (: And everywhere else, of course (: )

I'm horrified to note that, while I have made up a lot of the stuff that I knit, there is only ONE (measly) pattern on this blog. Therefore, I present to you Reuben the pink fluffy unicorn dancing on a rainbow. Netizens may recognise this theme from this video:

Yes. The strange asian guy with a big mouth and triangular eyebrows. (Somebody make a muppet of this guy already!)

To cut a long story short, due to a fortunate (or for some, unfortunate) string of events, pink unicorns became a 'thing' of a friend of mine. It soon became obvious that I had to make him a pink unicorn with an accompanying rainbow. And naturally, it had to be an amigurumi unicorn. With articulated legs. And prancing action.

Take a moment to admire his flowing mane.

Biscuits, Crochet and a Disapproving Dog

Okay, so I'm writing a post to try and motivate myself to be better at tracking what I've made. I'm considering doing 'archival' posts to track the best of the projects I've made in the past (or the worst, it depends!) It also helps that I've recently invested in a point and shoot camera; it's so much easier to download pictures from that than my DSLR, and the file sizes are small.

So I've been working for a while as a psych intern, and it's been roughly two months since I've graduated. The UK (and sweet, sweet online shopping) seems miles away. Instead of iPlayer, Anime Ultima. Instead of a bike, bus 105. And instead of shortbread, a sorry excuse for what should otherwise be an exquisite butter biscuit (I made green tea ones). Hmm. That's what you get with 30 degree weather, I suppose. And another thing: what to do with my luxury yarns when I can't very well wear them in this heat. HMM.

As an alternative, I've picked up embroidery, basing it off a close-up of a 19th century Gujarati coverlet that was featured on a postcard I picked up at the V&A. It's a chain stitch elephant, which is surprisingly pleasant to complete despite the repetitiveness of the stitch. Hopefully I can finish it and turn it into a purse.

I've also returned to crochet and my favourite crochet book so far: Crochet Lace (ISBN 9784529048194).

Milk, Eggs and Sugar

I told myself that this would be a blog strictly for needlework, but when my obsession with such a magical combination was unleashed, it could not be stopped.

The British call it custard, but this delicate yet versatile ingredient trio appears under several other names and forms: creme anglaise, creme caramel, creme brulee, zuppa inglese (Italian), kogel mogel (Polish), 鲜奶炖蛋 (steamed egg pudding sometimes served with ginger, Chinese), iles flotants (French)... A most simple dish, so often associated with comfort, warmth and childhood, that can be so fiendishly tricky to prepare. (Of course, depending on which form you choose to make!) The difficulty lies in pouring the hot milk mixture into the egg and beating it in such a way that a silky consistency is achieved, without curdling the eggs by applying the heat too fast. On the other hand, there is also the more stalwart kogel mogel: often constituted of raw egg, milk and sugar, beat till light and fluffy, then consumed over fresh strawberries or similar fruit.

Of course, one could argue on the side of shop bought custard or the powdered variety (a tip of the hat to Mr. Bird), but if you have the time and, like me, absolutely adore the challenge of a custard with such a rewarding end, there seems to be no end of delectable adventures in the kitchen. That being said, I do love custard... so whether presented with shop-bought, home-made or Mr Bird's, I find no sides to take.

I am not British, neither did I grow up in Britain (though I was brought up on Enid Blyton). My love for custard began with my grandaunt's creme caramel... sitting at her glass table slowly savouring every spoonful, ensuring optimum levels of caramel sauce and creme before I could put it in my mouth. It's funny how things stay with you like that. Now at university I have the freedom of my own kitchen, the luxury of time, and 6 housemates eager to eat whatever I cook.

My journey begins with this:

aaaand we're back!

Sooo. It's been a long time since I've last done any form of blogging or recording or something. (Blame Facebook, it's so easy to post things straight there!)

HOWEVER. I've spent so much time doing crafty things over the summer that it simply won't do to not have some sort of bloggery about it. So I will probably be sharing some interesting posts that I have found over the interwebs and some that have been shared with me and general evidence of my ability to while away the seconds of my life. To start...

>>MUST-SEE EVENTS (UK)

First of all, WOOLFEST (June 2012). Said by some to be the yarny equivalent of Woodstock (pfft what nonsense), this looks like something any self-respecting knitter within the area ought to check out. This one (I have not been) appears to be a rather holistic celebration of yarn, including live animals (oh come on, ALPACAS! ALPACAS! - You know, alpaca is the poor man's cashmere), spinning and dyeing demonstrations and oh so much else that I simply have to go and see it for myself.

Another great festival of yarn that is probably better known: The Knit and Stitch Show (October 2011), which I have been to... so you get pictures!

PACKED with interesting stalls of every kind to thrill the neurons of any discerning crafter, you're sure to find at least a hundred things you like here: yarns of the luxury, novelty, classic, and just-plain-bargain breeds, embroidery things, quilting things, scores of notions and accessories, many nautical miles of ribbons, buttons and - well, your kind of candy store, as Burdastyle would say. There is even a gallery of gorgeous art to help keep your mind off your swiftly emptying pockets.

Casting off into the unknown!

If you see something you like that is a bargain, buy it quick: in the maze of this dazzling Aladdin's cave, you'll be unlikely to find it again. If I remembered the prices of things I'd post about it, but unfortunately I don't. But here's a tip if you are hard pressed to make a decision: Anything with a crapload of silk, cashmere, alpaca (or the baby variety, my favourite)... anything with a luxury yarn blend in it going for cheap... hand-dyed, hand-spun... IS A BARGAIN. Manos del Uruguay 2 for 1? YES (even if you have NO idea what to do with it. Take it from the queen of hoarding). Skip the novelty yarns and stuff with a large percentage of synthetic fibres unless you really really really really want it AND the quality is excellent. Not just good, Excellent! e.g. stuff by this lady. And I mean really in the sense that you already know what you will do with it. Skip buying notions and accessories unless you know the price is really good or it's hard to get elsewhere. Anything fair trade or in aid of other communities is definitely a bonus!

Do you begin to understand the problem?

Obviously, you do have to know a little bit about yarn... how much it costs generally, how easy it is to find it cheaply, which luxury yarn you'd choose to take on a desert island... and so on. You don't want to get saddled with a pile of yarn that "was cheap at the time but now I realise that I hate acrylic and synthetics" <- true story. Of my life. Go for the good stuff, with projects in mind. This is the time for your inner Yarn Snob to SHINE, in order to make the best of your trip (and your budget!). But hey, live and learn right? Even the softest of loosely spun alpaca yarn, the most tempting, the most deliciously deceiving... let's just say that particular yarn quickly lost favour as fast as it was shedding...

Set yourself a reasonable budget and stick to it! (I think £100-£150 is reasonable: trust me, you could spend that in 20 minutes. If you don't buy yarn throughout the year, it's worth putting the money aside for it.) Collect everyone's cards and brochures so if you're not sure, you can always buy them later. So, my conclusion? Don't eat for a month. You'll need to save up for this mega event! Oh and bring sandwiches, and visit the loo before attending the event*. You are probably going to be there all day. No, seriously.

*This is an event largely attended by females. A lot of them over a particular age. Consider the number of toilets and take your chances.

Ok except maybe for this guy.

Lace Knitting

Okay, so I've decided to try my hand at lace knitting. It certainly looks a great deal more challenging than mere shaping, and for larger objects such as shawls and stoles, you have the issue of BLOCKING. Hooray! Well, it is not as if I have never attempted lace knitting per se; I suppose it should be: I have never attempted lace knitting on such a large scale with such fine yarn. With the arrival of 3 skeins of green laceweight from England and other such goodies (not to mention the Rowan tweedy yarn in a brown colourway and the forest green!), I can hardly wait! Back to blocking: After reading 3 articles regarding blocking, I am reminded again that my little world of knitting is but the tip of the iceberg. What I know about knitting toys, bags, dabbling (a little!) in design...what information I have gained in this one year of intense knitting learning, whether it is from the internet or my small collection of books.

Here are the links to the (very useful) articles:

http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/archives/2005/08/23/walk_around_the_block.html

http://www.eunnyjang.com/knit/2006/12/how_to_be_happy.html

http://www.eunnyjang.com/knit/2006/05/block_me_amadeus_1.html

Not to mention the sheer size of the project itself (although it is true that one does not require a lot of yarn). My head is swimming with the mere thought of lace knitting! Small items, such as lace panels on bags, or little knitted angels (by Gerdine Strong) are not so bad, at their very largest, they are 20+ rows and voila, you're done!

Another thing: CHARTS. I admit I am not a very good chart reader. I will probably forget what half the symbols mean. On top of that I WILL not remember to read odd rows from right to left and even from left to right...or however it is, I'm sure you know what I means when it comes to reading charts. *sigh* HOWEVER! There is yarn begging to be knitted! And all the other more adventurous projects for a knitter who prefers smaller items, even toys and the like, that can be knitted up in a few evenings, with small amounts of yarn. (Obviously I can't afford a lot of yarn, so 2-3 50g skeins is already plenty!)

Well, all in good time. To be honest, all I need right now is to not get so excited about yarn, get some work done, go home, and sleep. Then I suppose my brain will be better suited to dream of knitting nirvana...

On the needle, off the needle

On:

-Violet's Sunflower Dress
-Simplified Kusha Kusha Scarf

Off:

-Candy
-Hallie's Rainbow Shoes

Itching:

-Entangled
-Rasta Hat
-Swallowtail
-Tai Shan Hoodie

I AM FED UP

I don't like this stupid feeling I get when I look at other people's craft blogs: inadequacy, envy, and the feeling that I can't really afford something like that, in terms of time AND money.

WHICH. MEANS. I am being really silly because I know I'm worth my salt. I'm just too busy to maintain a blog right now PLUS I need to fix my consarned CD drive so I can download my photos PLUS I need to move my old files from my old com AND DO A WHOLE LOT OF STUFF OMG I AM ANN IDIOT.

Ok back to knitting. And hopefully getting my life in order and my head so I can stop the green eyes from growing.

SO. I too will do interesting stuff! I need to break out of this stupid shell, really...

Knitlist 2/08/08

1. Secret Crochet Project
2. Scarf for Charmaine H in Shetland Shells design
3. Candy bag

The Secret Crochet Project

YES! I have been away from this blog for too long. Started with the intention of sharing my own designs (because I get bored very often) I think it'd be a good place to update my adoring public (*cricket noises*) about my knitting endeavours. I think that can now be extended to include crochet, so that should be: CRAFTY endeavours. (: Now, on to the Secret Crochet Project.

I have discovered a new kind of LYS (well, non-conventional anyway, which is a HUGE hint!) which is very exciting to me, though I expect it is possible that others have done the same thing as well...In any case, I am trying out a very basic pattern with crochet, it is nothing special really. What is so special about the project is the yarn used and the whole concept about it, and I am getting more and more excited and pleased with myself at the thought of it! ;p Well, since I am so lazy to update things (except Ravelry) it will take some time for photos and such to find their way here. But that is all I have to say about this project now. I am so happy to have learned a new skill! (:

Other updates: Still working on quite a few things WIP-wise, which are all in my Ravelry projects. Umm. And hoping to improve the layout of this blog to be more interesting and original at least! Yes, definitely. And splurging on yarn. Yarn sales...ooh my head is exploding with all the prospects!

Many apologies to the hobbies that have taken a back seat due to this explosive one which is busy consuming my mind...A nod to: photography (always my baby, don't worry!), writing (ah, expression!) and reading (the Internet will NEVER take your place!), mostly. To be honest I only have time for one hobby right now...I would LOVE to go on photowalks, to spend my days trying to be intellectual and interesting (oh but I don't want to worry about that too much), but reality, life, moods, emotions, work...it all gets in the way, as usual. Darn! Seriously. A girl can never have too much yarn or time. (Or a source of funding for yarn. :D)

Anywho, here's hoping things will get better! And maybe there will be an adoring public one day. ;)

Matcha/ Ichigo

An ideal project for using up leftover yarn and toy stuffing, this will make a good toy for babies and small children as there are no small parts.

You will need:
Any soft DK/ worsted/ baby weight yarn (I used Patons FeatherSoft 4 ply)
4 mm needles (or if you wish to use a different yarn, any appropriate size to suit)
Row counter
Stitch markers
Remnant of black yarn for facial features
Darning needle
Washable toy stuffing material (a large handful will do)

Gauge is not too important here, but if you want the specifics, the approximate gauge I used was 2x2 cm = 4 st x 6 rows.

1. CO 20 st
2. Beginning with a K row, st st 9 rows. At the end of the 9th row, CO 5 st with the cable cast-on method.
3. Knit the next row (10th row). At the end of this row, CO 5 st as you did on the 9th row.
4. You should have 30 st now. St st for 24 rows. Cast off 5 st on both sides of the last row, leaving 20 st in the middle.
5. St st 10 rows. Place stitch markers on both ends of the last row (this marks where you sew the side flaps up to).
6. Continue to st st 24 more rows and then cast off.
7. Sew up all seams, leaving a gap through which to stuff the toy.
8. Stuff as desired, and close the seam.
9. Pinch the top left and top right corners into triangles as shown, and sew to form little ears.
10. Using black yarn, embroider the facial features any way you like.

Remember, if you are giving this to a child, secure facial features so they cannot be picked out easily.