These guys are wicked simple, and make good last minute gifts, either as ornaments or in addition to a card or note. All you’ll need is some double pointed needles, scraps of yarn, and something to stuff with. If you wanted, you could knit these on straight needles and sew them up after.
materials.
- size 4 DPNS
- scraps of worsted weight yarn
- stuffing
- tapestry needle
instructions.
CO 9 sts
Round 1: knit
Round 2: KFB into each stitch (18 sts)
Rounds 3 & 4: Knit
Round 5: Purl
Knit straight for 13 rounds, alternating colors as desired.
Round 19: (K1, k2tog) around (12 sts)
Rounds 20 & 21: Knit
Round 22: (K2tog) around (6 sts)
Cut yarn and thread through remaining sts. Stuff buoy, then pull yarn tight and weave in end.
Pick up 3 sts around the hole in the top of the buoy and place on one needle. Work icord for 5 rows.
Row 6: K2tog, K1
Row 7: K2tog
Cut yarn and pull tight through remaining st. Weave in all ends.
note: Knitting only one round (instead of two) after increasing the top will create a noticeably smaller buoy, if you desire.
Knit them in team colors, school colors, Christmas colors… They can hang alone, or tied together in a little bunch. You can hang them from the top or the bottom, it’s up to you.
Love your lobster and buoys – wicked cool. Have to say that although we know what color lobsters are – the toy looks better in red! Thanks for sharing. Jan H (MA)
felixsisknits on Ravelry
I’m not a Mainer and I know the color isn’t red when they’re alive LOL! Where the heck are these tourists coming from? They’ve never seen a lobster tank in a grocery store or restaurant? Talk about a sheltered life LOL! Ah well – makes me grin …and your lobster is just as cute as he can be – then I wandered over to the knitted buoys – and I think they’re just as cute…I hope you keep on going with your nautical theme – I LOVE it! :O) Thank you so much!
Thanks for sharing your patterns. Our Yahoo and Ravelry group, The Lobstah Sistahhood is delighted with the lobster.
My daughter and I plan on making two, one cooked and one fresh.
I also plan on making lots of little buoys in fingering or laceweight to decorated a tabletop tree for my living room. (I knew I was saving those teeny bits of yarn for something.)
I think you should create a bunch of Maine inspired patterns and publish a book. (How about Moose antlers on a headband, for instance?) I would buy it. I may live in Texas now, but I have the heart of a Down Easter.
will see you on ravelry!
Hahaha, so perfect, I’m a Bluenoser myself (Nova Scotia for those who don’t know) and have had many a lobster at my table. Fantastic design on both the Lobster and the buoys. Thanks for sharing!
wow, very cool patterns. just wanted to say hi, and keep up the cool work! just subscribed to your feed :).
Thank you so much for sharing your lobster directions! I saw a completed one and fell in love with it; now I can’t wait to start one of my own!
You’re a gem! — Briar, Fellow Knitter in Montana
I AM a Mainer and live in Finland. These are so cool! I have wooden buoy as one of my treasures and can’t wait to knit up a few of these and the lobster, too of course. What’s next, a hermit crab?
BTW the lobster should have been red in the picture because it was on a plate, wasn’t it?
That’s Manana! My brother is on Monhegan, and I think you made one of his bouys (orange and white).
Awesome!