summer amigurumi: cicada, fish and octopus

Went away for two weeks beginning early July, and when I returned, the cicadas have appeared… "Creaking" cicadas signals the height of summer season in Japan. (Although the average daily temperature is 32^oC, currently it is 36^oC). Anyway, the male cicadas creak away in a 24 hour cycle. It seems that they do their most spirited singing during the cooler hours of the day, before mid-day and at sundown. From my record, they will continue on like this till late August.

close up of shell left behind after a cicada molts

cicada galore

Well, to make up for the missing weeks, here are three amigurumi patterns – a cicada (semi), a fish (sakana) and an octopus (tako) – the italicized words in parenthesis are the respective Japanese names. 

The pattern knit methods are inspired by Katie Startzman’s (duofiberworks.com) ‘Little Birds’. Some of the patterns also incorporate new stitches I fell in love with (in the last week). See the respective pattern for stitch reference.

… oh, and all the little animals are about the same size and proportion, so they make good company of each other! Have fun!

Materials

Needles: A set of four 3.3 mm DPNs, a pair of 2.1 mm DPNs, and a darning needle.

Yarn: 1 ball of Sakura (100% acrylic); 40g per ball. For one ball of yarn, I can get 6 animals, and still have a good few centimetres of yarn left. I used three colours (the adjectives in parenthesis are my own, as the specific colour of the yarns are not given, just the ‘dye lot’, i.e. 56, 30 and 36 respectively):

Colour A: (sakura) pink;

Colour B: (jade) green; and

Colour C: (emerald) blue.

Yarn (for the eyes): 1 ball of Acrylic Medium Thick Yarn Deodorant in Black (100% acrylic); 45g per ball. You will need only a few centimetres.

Stuffing: I used Polyester 100%.

Gauge: 26 sts in 10 cm, 20 rows in 5 cm in St st.

Little Bird by Katie Startzman (duofiberworks.com; 2010)

Finished measurements: 4 cm (width) x 7.5 cm (length) x 5.5 cm (height)

I substituted the eyes and beak, and simply left out the feet of this pattern, with a knit. For the eyes, I use a thick black yarn and sew two vertical dashes, one on each side of the head. For the beak, I knit a small flat triangle of the same yarn as the rest of the body, and use the longtail to attach it to position. Now, the little birdie is safe for kids and adults!

Cicada

Finished measurements: 4 cm (width) x 8.5 cm (length) x 3.5 cm (height)

Note: this pattern incorporates the Bamboo stitch (by Sarah E. White of About.com) on the body and wings of the cicada, knitted in the round.

Pattern (repeat Rounds 1 & 2 for pattern):

Round 1: *yo, k2, pass the yo over both sts; rep * to end.

Round 2: k.

Instructions

Body

With Colour A, co 6 sts, with larger dpn; divide the stitches evenly over 3 dpns.

1. *kfb,k; rep * to end [9 sts];
2. k;
3. *k, kfb, k; rep * to end [12 sts];
4. k;
5. *k, kfb, kfb, k; rep * to end [18 sts];
6. k;
7. *k, kfb, k2, kfb, k; rep * to end [24 sts];
8. k;
9. *k2, kfb, k2, kfb, k2; rep * to end [30 sts];
10. k;
11. knit pattern. (2 rounds); rep once more (4 rounds total);
12. *k, ssk, k4, k2tog, k; rep * to end [24 sts];
13. k;
14. *k, ssk, k2, k2tog, k; rep * to end [18 sts];
15. knit pattern. (2 rounds); rep once more (4 rounds total);
16. k; rep 4 rounds more (5 rounds total);
17. rep knit pattern (2 rounds);

Stuff body.

18. k; rep 3 rounds more (4 rounds total);
19. Seam off using the Kitchener Stitch. This end will be the front of the cicada’s head.

Wings

With Colour B, co 4 sts, with larger dpn.

Left wing p; k3, M1, k1 [5 sts]; p; yo, k2, pass the yo over both sts, yo, k, pass the yo over the st, yo, k2, pass the yo over both sts; p; k4, M1, k1 [6 sts]; p; *yo, k2, pass the yo over both sts; rep * to end; p; k3, M1, k2, M1, k1 [8 sts]; p; *yo, k2, pass the yo over both sts; rep * to end. p; k4, M1, k3, M1, k1 [10 sts]; p; k3, k2tog [8 sts]; p; k; p; k; p, (p2tog)3, p [5 sts]; yo, k2, pass the yo over both sts, yo, k, pass the yo over the st, yo, k2, pass the yo over both sts; p; bo [5 sts].

Right wing p; k1, M1, k3 [5 sts]; p; yo, k2, pass the yo over both sts, yo, k, pass the yo over the st, yo, k2, pass the yo over both sts; p; k1, M1, k4 [6 sts]; p; *yo, k2, pass the yo over both sts; rep * to end; p; k1, M1, k2, M1, k3 [8 sts]; p; *yo, k2, pass the yo over both sts; rep * to end. p; k1, M1, k3, M1, k4 [10 sts]; p; ssk, k3 [8 sts]; p; k; p; k; p, (p2tog)3, p [5 sts]; yo, k2, pass the yo over both sts, yo, k, pass the yo over the st, yo, k2, pass the yo over both sts; p; bo [5 sts].

The bind off end forms the base of the wing. Sew on wings into position.

Fore legs (Make 2 i-cords)

With Colour A, co 5 sts, with smaller dpn.

1. k 3 rows;
2. ssk, k, k2tog [3 sts];
3. k 1 row;
4. *k2, sl1; rep * for two rows;
5. ssk, 1;
6. bo.

Tip: use a crochet hook to aid knitting the ssk and k2tog.

The bind off end forms the tip of the leg. Sew on legs into position. Fold the legs backward at the narrow join (see pic.)

Sew on the eyes on opposite corners of the head.

 

Fish

Finished measurements: 4 cm (width) x 8.0 cm (length) x 3.5 cm (height)

Note: this pattern also incorporates the Bamboo stitch (see pattern for Cicada) on the body, giving the fish body a scaly texture. The (pectoral) fins incorporate the Slip stich (also by S.E. White), knitted flat.

Instructions

Body

With Colour B, co 6 sts, with larger dpn; divide the stitches evenly over 3 dpns.

1. *kfb; rep * to end [12 sts];
2. k;
3. *k, kfb, M1, kfb, k; rep * to end [21 sts];
4. k;
5. ssk, k5, k2tog, k2, ssk, k4, k2tog, k2 [17sts];
6. k;
7. ssk, k4, k2tog, k2, ssk, k2, k2tog, k1 [13sts];
8. k;
9. ssk, k2, k2tog, ssk, k1, k2tog, k2 [9sts];
10. k;
11. *k, kfb, k; rep * 3 more times, k [13 sts];

Re-arrange sts on needles like this: needle 1 and 3 – 4 sts, needle 2 – 5 sts.

12. k6, M1, k, M1, k6 [15 sts];
13. k;
14. (yo, k2, pass the yo over both sts) 4, yo, k, pass the yo over the st, (yo, k2, pass the yo over both sts) 3;
15. k;
16. k, kfb, k, kfb, k7, kfb, k, kfb, k [19 sts];
17. (yo, k2, pass the yo over both sts) 4, yo, k, pass the yo over the st, (yo, k2, pass the yo over both sts) 5;
18. k, kfb, k, kfb, k11, kfb, k, kfb, k [23 sts];
19. (yo, k2, pass the yo over both sts) 6, yo, k, pass the yo over the st, (yo, k2, pass the yo over both sts) 5;
20. k;
21. (yo, k2, pass the yo over both sts) 5, yo, k, pass the yo over the st, (yo, k2, pass the yo over both sts) 6;
22. k, kfb, k2, kfb, k13, kfb, k2, kfb, k [27 sts];
23. (yo, k2, pass the yo over both sts) 7, yo, k, pass the yo over the st, (yo, k2, pass the yo over both sts) 6;
24. k3, kfb, k3, kfb, k11, kfb, k3, kfb, k3 [31 sts];
25. (yo, k2, pass the yo over both sts) 7, yo, k, pass the yo over the st, (yo, k2, pass the yo over both sts) 8;
26. k;
27. (yo, k2, pass the yo over both sts) 8, yo, k, pass the yo over the st, (yo, k2, pass the yo over both sts) 7;
28. k, ssk, ssk, k4, k2tog, k9, ssk, k4, k2tog, k2tog, k [25 sts];
29. yo, k2, pass the yo over both sts, yo, k, pass the yo over the st, (yo, k2, pass the yo over both sts) 3, yo, k2, pass the yo over both sts, yo, k, pass the yo over the st, yo, k2, pass the yo over both sts, (yo, k2, pass the yo over both sts) 3, yo, k, pass the yo over the st, yo, k2, pass the yo over both sts;
30. k, ssk, k, ssk, k13, k2tog, k, k2tog, k [21 sts];
31. yo, k2, pass the yo over both sts, yo, k, pass the yo over the st, (yo, k2, pass the yo over both sts) 2, (yo, k2, pass the yo over both sts) 2, yo, k, pass the yo over the st, yo, k2, pass the yo over both sts, (yo, k2, pass the yo over both sts) 2, yo, k, pass the yo over the st, yo, k2, pass the yo over both sts;
32. k, ssk, k6, k3tog, k6, k2tog, k [17 sts];

Stuff body.

33. k2, (ssk) 3, k, (k2tog) 3, k2;
34. k4, k3tog, k4 [9 sts];
35. Seam off using the Kitchener Stitch. This end will be the front of the fish’s head.

Pectoral fins (Make 2)

With Colour B, co 9 sts, with smaller dpn.

1. p;
2. k, *sl1 wyif, k; rep * to end;
3. p, p2tog, p3, p2tog, p [7 sts];
4. k, *sl1 wyif, k; rep * to end;
5. p, p2tog, p, p2tog, p [5 sts];
6. k, *sl1 wyif, k; rep * to end;
7. p, p3tog, p [3 sts];
8. k, sl1 wyif, k;
9. bo purlwise.

The bind off end forms the base of the fin. Sew on fins into position.

Sew on the eyes on opposite sides of the head.

Octopus

Finished measurements: 4 cm (head width) x 7.5 cm (diameter of base {across unstretched arms} x 5 cm (height)

Instructions

Body (Head)

With Colour B, co 6 sts, with larger dpn; divide the stitches evenly over 3 dpns.

1. *kfb; rep * to end [12 sts];
2. (k, kfb, kfb, k) 3 [18 sts];
3. (k, kfb, k2, kfb, k) 3 [24 sts];

4.      k;

5. (k2, kfb, k2, kfb, k2) 3 [30 sts];
6. k;

Next, make eyelet row.

7. k2, yo, k2tog, (k, yo, k2tog) 9;
8. k;
9. k;
10. (k, ssk, k4, k2tog, k) 3 [24 sts];
11. k;
12. k;
13. (k, ssk, k2, k2tog, k) 3 [18 sts];
14. k;
15. k;

At this stage, make a ‘hachimaki’ (stylized headband) as a three-strand braid, with Colour C; the length is twice the head diameter. Tie a knot at both ends of the braid, leaving about 2 cm of the unbraided strands hanging. Weave through eyelets, and fasten.

Stuff body.

16. (k2, k2tog, k2) 3 [15 sts];
17. k;
18. k;
19. (ssk, k, k2tog) 3 [9 sts];
20. (ssk, k) 3 [6 sts];
21. *kfb; rpt * to end [12 sts]
22. (k, kfb, kfb, k) 3 [18 sts];
23. (k, kfb, k2, kfb, k) 3 [24 sts];
24. Transfer first two stitches and the last stitch of the last round onto a smaller dpn. This will form the base of the first arm.

Arms (Make 8)

Continuing from the 3 sts in Step 24 above, make a 3-st i-cord using Colour C.

1. knit 8 rows;
2. k2, sl1 purlwise;
3. ssk, k [2sts];
4. k2;
5. bo.

Repeat for the remaining arms.

Weave in all loose ends.

Twist the arms to form a left curve.

Sew on the eyes in position.

~Enjoy!~