Knitted Owl
Terri Reinhart
I used worsted weight yarn with a bit of texture to it. I’m not sure what kind it is but it was a small ball of leftover yarn from another project. I tend to knit like I cook. I don’t often follow patterns and this is a good example. I was trying to knit a bat and ended up with an owl. As they say in school, if you make a mistake, turn it into something beautiful. Like an owl.
#3 or #4 needles
Body:
Cast on 14 stitches. Knit in Stockinette Stitch until the rectangle measures approximately 7 – 8 inches. Fold it over lengthwise and see if it looks proportionately like a little owl should. Don’t use a ruler unless you just can’t resist. Bind off.
Wings: (make two)
Cast on 6 stitches. Work in Garter stitch.
Row 1: Knit
Row 2: Knit 1, increase 1 in next stitch, knit till the end
Row 3: Knit
Row 4: Knit 1, increase 1 in next stitch, knit till the end
Rows 5 – 7: Knit
Row 8: Knit 1, knit 2 together, knit till end
Row 9: Knit
Repeat these two rows until there is only one stitch left. Cut yarn, leaving a 3” tail, pull yarn through last stitch.
Feet: (make two)
With contrasting color, cast on 5 stitches. Work in stockinette stitch for approximately 10 rows. End with a purl row.
(As with the measurement for the body, use your own judgment here. Some yarns knit up larger than others. Those owls might need longer feet.)
Picot row: Knit 1, yarn over, knit two together, yarn over, knit two together
Next row: Purl, making sure you purl the yarn over stitches, too. You still have 5 stitches on the needle.
Continue with stockinette stitch until you can fold it over lengthwise (see the lovely TOES that the picot stitch makes?) and it is meets the other edge. Bind off.
Beak:
Cast on 4 stitches. Work in Stockinette stitch for 4 rows.
Next row: Knit 2 together, knit 2 together.
Next row: Purl
Cut yarn, leaving a 3” tail, pull yarn through the two remaining stitches.
Fold body lengthwise in half and sew together, stuffing with wool. Pull out the top corners just a bit with your fingers to make the ears show. Sew wings on either side. Fold over feet and sew each one together and then sew them onto the bottom of the owl. I sewed the top of the beak onto the face of the owl then sewed the “point” down as well, making it stick out just a little. I used two buttons for eyes, but if this is for a younger child (younger than age 3), you should embroider the eyes on with black yarn.