Monday, January 31, 2011

Grapefruit and Broccoli



They're so good for you! My kid loves playing with fruit and vegetable toys. I don't know why; we all just enjoy fruit and vegetable play around here. Here are my pattern notes for the grapefruit and broccoli. And they are really more notes than a pattern. Let me know if you find errors, and I'll fix them. (Like any homemade toy, use common sense and child development to determine if it is appropriate for someone's age and stage.)

Knitted Grapefruit Toy.

3 colors of worsted yarn: the outer skin (Red Heart Eco Ways in chamois), the inner fruit (I used pink- I wish I'd found a more orangey-pink to match grapefruit), and the white (Vanna's Choice in beige).
lots of dpns US 7 (or whatever size gives you a firm enough fabric to stuff)
a long circular needle would be nice, too, and you could even use any size, as long as it isn't bigger.
foam half-sphere, the size of a grapefruit (if you want a soft grapefruit, you could sew one from fabric to use as stuffing)

Using color for outer skin, CO 6 sts, join.
Kfb six times
K round.
*k1, kfb. Repeat from * around.
K round.
*K2, kfb. Repeat from * around.
K round.

Continue in this fashion, increasing 6 sts every other round, until you reach K 10, kfb around (72 sts). Make sure your grapefruit fits all the way up the sides of your grapefruit form.
K round.
P round.

Join beige, cut chamois/outer skin.
*K7, k2tog. Repeat from * around. (64 sts)
k round.
*K6, k2tog. Repeat from * around, and AT THE SAME TIME join pink and k3 in pink, k1 beige to make this round.
*K3 pink, k1 beige. Repeat from * around.
Switch to your long circular needle (if you don't have a circ, you can use waste yarn). Tie off and weave in ends. Stuff your grapefruit with the grapefruit form. From here on out, the knitting is fiddly. I tried using 2 circs, I tried using one long circ (mine wasn't quite long enough), but what worked best for me was using 6 dpns.

Cut beige and tie off. Continue in grapefruit pink.
*K5, k2tog. Repeat from * around.
K round.
*K4, k2tog. Repeat from * around.
K round.
*K3, k2tog. Repeat from * around.
K round.
*K2, k2tog. Repeat from * around.
K round.
*K1, k2tog. Repeat from * around.
K round.
Join beige, cut and tie off grapefruit pink: *K2tog. Repeat from * around.
*K2tog. Repeat from * around.
Cut yarn, thread through stitches and pull tight. Tie off and weave in end.

Taking a long strand of beige, use a whip stitch to create the walls between the grapefruit segments. They will appear as dashed lines. Weave in remaining ends. Yum.


Here's a cast of kitchen characters. The broccoli and grapefruit are my own patterns, but the apple, orange, tomato, and zucchini/cucumber are variations on Mrs. Saucy Apple by Peachcake Knits.

Knitted Broccoli Toy.

Worsted dark green
US 7
fiberfill stuffing or dark yarn scraps

Notes:
kfb: Knit into the front and back of the stitch
kfbf: Knit into the front, back, then front again of the same stitch
M1: Make 1. I used the thumb loop, but do whatever makes you happy.

CO 6. Join.
Kfb around.
P round.
*K3 tog, M1, kpk into 1 sts, kfb. Repeat from * around.
P round.
*Kfbf, k3tog, kfbf, kfb. Repeat from * around.
P round.
*M1, k3tog, kfbf, k3tog, kfbf, kfb. Repeat from * around.
P round.
*M1, kfbf, k3tog, kfbf, k3tog, kfbf, p1, kfb. Repeat from * around.
P round.
*M1, kfbf, k3tog, kfbf, k3tog, kfbf, k3tog, kfbf, p1, kfb. Repeat from * around.
P round.
*M1, kfbf, k3tog, kfbf, k3tog, kfbf, k3tog, kfbf, k3tog, kfbf, k3tog, p1, kfb. Repeat from * around.
P round.
*K2tog, k2tog, k2tog, p2tog, p2tog. Repeat from * around until 9 sts remain, then k2tog, k2tog, k1, p2tog, p2tog to finish round.
*K2tog, k1, p1. Repeat from * around.
*K2tog, p2tog. Repeat from * around.
*K1, p1. Repeat from * around for four rounds.
Tie off and weave in ends. Stuff, plump, shape.
*K2tog, k2. Repeat from * around until 2 sts remain, k2tog to finish round. (9 sts)
K in the round until stalk is desired length, perhaps 3". Stuff stalk.
P round.
*K2tog. Repeat from * around until 1 st remains, k1 to finish round.
Cut yarn, drawn through sts and pull tight. Tie off and weave in end.

Such delicious and nutritious broccoli fun awaits you!
(C) 2011 Badger Unraveled. Some rights reserved. Ok to use for non-commercial, not for profit use.