01 Home
19 Copyright
25 Advertisers
31 FAQs
29 Abbreviations

Noopy's Lovey

by Lelah Olender

» photos: Brandy Fortune

Since having the pleasure of becoming a mother, I am always interested in things that will not only comfort my baby, but stimulate him. And when my son was learning to fall asleep by himself, I noticed he like to take something with a texture and rub it between
his little fingers.

I wanted to make something sweet for him to hold and help him drift off to dreamland. Made in a superwash yarn that has a good amount of cashmere and merino, this lovey is soft enough to rub on little cheeks, but textured enough to touch and feel comforted.

The two round blanket repeat makes for easy, mindless knitting that requires a minimal amount of memorization – perfect for a busy parent to knit.

Size

From top of head to bottom of blanket, 14½”

Finished Measurements

8 inches/20 cm tall

Materials

RYC Cashsoft DK by Rowan, [57% merino wool, 33% microfiber, 10% cashmere; 126 yards / 115 meters per 1.75 ounce / 50 gram ball];

#500 Cream; 4 balls

Recommended needle sizes

US #4/3.5 mm dpns (set of 4) and US #6/4 mm dpns (set of 4)

Notions

Tapestry needle
Stitch markers
Cable needle
DK weight waste yarn or stitch holder
Small amount DK weight yarn in a contrasting color for the eyes
Small amount polyester stuffing for the head
Scrap of fabric
Sewing needle
Sewing thread
Straight pins

Gauge

6 sts = 1" in St st on larger size needles. Gauge is not important in this project, although the smaller size needles are meant to knit a denser fabric for the lamb head, so the polyester stuffing will not escape.

Pattern Notes

MB:Knit in the [front, back, front, back] of the same stitch, turn work, p4, turn work, k4, then bind off all bobble stitches, leaving one left. (Note: If you find your bobble is facing inside out, you can flip the remaining stitch around to reverse the bobble and have it on the RS of the blanket.)

C4R: Sl 2 sts to cable needle and hold behind work, k2, k2 from cable needle.

Skills Required

Knitting in the round, increasing and decreasing, cabling and bobble making.

INSTRUCTIONS

Lamb Head

With waste yarn and smaller size dpns, cast on 12 sts onto one dpn. Cut waste yarn and join MC.
Row 1: Knit across.

Rnd 1: Spread sts over 3 needles, with 4 sts on each needle; join to work in the round, being careful not to twist sts.
Rnd 2: *(K1, m1) 3 times, k1; repeat from * 2 times more: 7 sts on each needle, 21 sts total.
Rnd 3: Knit around.
Rnd 4: *(K1, m1) 6 times, k1; repeat from * 2 times more: 13 sts on each needle. 39 sts total.
Rnd 5: Knit around.
Rnd 6: *K5, (m1, k1) 3 times, m1, k5; repeat from * 2 times more: 17 sts on each needle. 51 sts total.
Rnds 7-15: Knit around.
Begin decreases for muzzle.
Rnd 16: K4, pm, k2tog, knit around to last 6 sts, ssk, k4: 49 sts.
Rnds 17-32: Repeat Rnd 16, 16 times: 17 sts
Rnd 33: K2, k2tog twice, k1, k3tog, k1, ssk twice, k2: 11 sts.
Rnd 34: K2, k2tog twice, k5.
Carefully turn work inside out, and then arrange needles so that 4 sts are on one needle at the front of the face, and 5 sts are at a second needle at the back of the face. Use the three needle bind-off method to close head shut.

Eyes

Using photo as a placement guide, make two French knots in a contrasting color on each side of muzzle, above the decreases. (Note: A photo tutorial on how to make a French knot can be located here.)

Ears (Make 2)

Using photo as a placement guide, pick up six stitches with a DPN on either side of muzzle above eyes.
Row 1: Knit across.
Row 2: Purl across.
Row 3: K1, ssk, k2tog, k1: 4 sts.
Row 4: P1, p2tog, p1: 3 sts.
Row 5: K3tog; break yarn and pull through remaining st. Weave in all ends on inside of head.
Unpick waste yarn from 12 bottom edge sts, and pick up 12 live sts. Spread over three needles, with 4 stitches on each needle.

Neck

Rnd 1: Knit around.
Rnd 2: *(K1, m1) 3 times, k1; repeat from * 2 times more: 7 sts on each needle, 21 sts total.
Rnd 3: Knit around.
Rnd 4: *(K1, m1) 6 times, k1; repeat from * 2 times more: 13 sts on each needle, 39 sts total.

Blanket

Switch to larger size needles.
Rnd 1: place marker to indicate beginning of round, knit around.
Rnd 2: *K2, mb, k2, pm, k1, yo, ssk, k2, k2tog, yo, k1; repeat from * 2 times more.
Rnd 3: *Kfb, k3, kfb, slip marker, k2, C4R, k2; repeat from * 2 times more.
Rnd 4: *K1, mb, k2, mb, k2, sl marker, k1, yo, ssk, k2, k2tog, yo, k1; repeat from * 2 times more.
Rnd 5: *Kfb, knit across to within 1 st of marker, kfb, sl marker, k2, C4R, k2; repeat from * 2 times more.
Rnd 6: K1, mb, knit across to within 2 sts of marker, mb, k2, sl marker, k1, yo, ssk, k2, k2tog, yo, k1.
Repeat Rnds 5 and 6 until blanket measures 12 inches from base of neck.

Bottom Picot Edging

Rnds 1-5: Knit around.
Rnd 6: *(Yo, k2tog); repeat from * around.
Rnds 7-10: Knit around.
Rnd 11: Fold edging to wrong side, pick up one st from WS of Rnd 1, and with working yarn, knit together with next st (picked up st with next st on needle), *pick up next st from WS of Rnd 1 and knit together with next st. Pass second st on right needle over first st: repeat from * around.

FINISHING

Weave in ends. Fill head with polyester stuffing. To close neck hole so stuffing can not escape, cut a circle of fabric ¼” larger in diameter than the neck hole, snip into fabric ¼” all the way around circle (as shown in photo A), fold tabs under, pin to hole (photo B), and securely whipstitch fabric to blanket (photo C).

A

B

C

Lelah Olender has been knitting and designing patterns since the fall of 2002. She currently lives in New Jersey with her husband, toddler son, and newborn baby girl. On Saturdays, you can find her teaching beginner knitting lessons at Purl Jam Yarn Shop in Califon, NJ. The rest of the time, you can find her at her blog and on Ravelry as lelah.