Knitted Toy: Seamless Baby Dragon

I have been waiting to post about this creation since April, when I submitted the pattern to Knitty.com for their Fall 2008 issue. I received word yesterday from the publisher of Knitty that my pattern was not one that was accepted for publication, so I will share it with the world here.

When my dear friend, Cathy, told me that she was soon going to be a grandma for the first time and that her son / her grandson’s dad, Matthew, was a huge fan of dragons, I went looking for a baby-sized dragon pattern to knit. I found a few patterns, but mostly in crochet, and ones that required a lot of piecing together and hand stitching. Not my cup of tea. So I picked up some colors that I thought would be appropriate for a baby boy’s first little dragon and tuned in to my knitting muse. My goal was to avoid piecework and hand stitching as if my life depended on it. I can live with small amounts of finishing work, like Kitchener stitching and embroidery, but I was determined that this project was not going to involve piecing things together. If I can make toe-up socks and Nordic mittens, I can do this too, I thought to myself.

Size: One size (toy)

Materials:
Main Color (MC) – for body: Patons Grace [100% mercerized cotton; 136 yd/125 m per 1.75 oz/50 g skein]; Color: Azure #60104; 1 skein
Contrasting Color 1 (CC1) – for belly, snout and paws: Patons Grace [100% mercerized cotton; 136 yd/125 m per 1.75 oz/50 g skein]; Color: Viola #61322; 1 skein
Contrasting Color 2 (CC2) – for dragon spines: Patons Grace [100% mercerized cotton; 136 yd/125 m per 1.75 oz/50 g skein]; Color: Lavendar #60903; 1 skein
Contrasting Color 3 (CC3) – for wings: Patons Grace [100% mercerized cotton; 136 yd/125 m per 1.75 oz/50 g skein]; Color: Snow #60005; 1 skein
Waste yarn in an easy-to-see color (I used white) for provisional cast on and afterthought openings.

Needles:

• One set of five 2.5 mm (US 0) double pointed needles (dpns) (I like to have the set of five dpns and work with the number of needles that feels best in my fingers while I work; your mileage may vary.)
• One 2.5 mm (US 0) circular needle, 80 cm (32 inches); for working in the round and also to do double duty as a stitch holder
• One 2.5 mm crochet hook

Notions required:

• Darning needles (2)
• Embroidery needle
• Embroidery floss in white and black (for eyes, nostrils and mouth)
• Polyester fiberfill for stuffing

Gauge:
28 stitches/40 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch

Pattern notes:
The following techniques will be used:

• Provisional Cast On
• Afterthought Openings (for legs and opening for stuffing)
• Short Row Wraps (for belly and head)
• Jogless join (for snout, paws and tail)
• Popcorn Stitch (for ears) as follows: In active stitch, pull up a loop as if to K, (bring yarn forward, pull up a loop as if to P, bring yarn back, pull up a loop as if to K) 3 times; there should be a total of 7 loops in active stitch. Load all 7 loops onto crochet hook and pull a single loop through all 7 loops; then load crocheted loop securely onto the right hand needle.
• Kitchener Stitch

Crochet stitches used for spines and wings:

• Chain stitch (ch)
• Slip stitch (sl st)
• Single crochet (sc)
• Half double crochet (hdc)
• Double crochet (dc)

Embroidery stitches for facial features:

• Satin stitch for white part of eyes
• French knot for pupils and nostrils
• Back stitch for mouth
• Stem stitch for eyebrows

Body
Provisionally cast on 48 stitches onto circular needle using a strand of waste yarn and MC.
Row 1: Purl.
Row 2: Knit.
Row 3: Purl.
Row 4 (Afterthought Openings): K4, then *with short length of waste yarn, K10. Slip last 10 st back on left needle and K over top of these 10 st in MC.* K20. Repeat * to *. K4. You have made two Afterthought Openings for lower legs.

Begin Row 5: Work in stockinette st until body measures 2.5 inches (6.5 cm), right side of work facing for next row.

To make shoulder darts / wing placement:
K17, SSK, K10, K2tog, K17 (46 st). Turn work and P next row.
K17, SSK, K8, K2tog, K17 (44 st). Turn work and P next row.
K17, SSK, K6, K2tog, K17 (42 st). Turn work and P next row.
With right side facing, K4, then *with small length of waste yarn, K10. Slip last 10 st back on left needle and K over top of these 10 st in MC.* K3, SSK, K4, K2tog, K3. Repeat * to *. K4. You have made two Afterthought Openings for upper legs. (40 st).
Turn work and P next row.

Decrease for neck opening
(K1, SSK) 5 times. K10. (K2tog, K1) 5 times. (30 st). Turn work and P next row.
K1. SSK 5 times. K8. K2tog 5 times. K1. (20 st). Turn work and P next row.
Hold these stitches on the flexible part of your circular needle.

Belly
(garter st)
With right side facing, and using CC1, pick up 17 stitches knitwise along left edge of work.
Begin working short rows with wraps on last stitch of row as follows:
Row 1: K16, bring yarn forward, sl next st onto right needle, bring yarn back, turn work.
Row 2: Sl 1, K15, bring yarn forward, sl next st onto right needle, bring yarn back, turn work.
Row 3: Sl 1, K14, bring yarn forward, sl next st onto right needle, bring yarn back, turn work.
Row 4: Sl 1, K13, bring yarn forward, sl next st onto right needle, bring yarn back, turn work.
Row 5: Sl 1, K12, bring yarn forward, sl next st onto right needle, bring yarn back, turn work.
Row 6: Sl 1, K11, bring yarn forward, sl next st onto right needle, bring yarn back, turn work.
Row 7: Sl 1, K10, bring yarn forward, sl next st onto right needle, bring yarn back, turn work.
Row 8: Sl 1, K9, bring yarn forward, sl next st onto right needle, bring yarn back, turn work.
Row 9: Sl 1, K8, bring yarn forward, sl next st onto right needle, bring yarn back, turn work.
Row 10: Sl 1, K7, bring yarn forward, sl next st onto right needle, bring yarn back, turn work.

You should now have 5 wrapped st on each end of the needle and 7 unwrapped stitches in the middle.

Row 11: K to first wrapped st. Sl wrapped st onto right needle, then lift wrap over slipped st and K both loops together. Bring yarn forward, sl next st onto right needle, bring yarn back, turn work. (Wrapped stitch will have two wraps on it.)
Row 12: K to first wrapped st. Sl wrapped st onto right needle, then lift wrap over slipped st and K both loops together. Bring yarn forward, sl next st onto right needle, bring yarn back, turn work. (Wrapped stitch will have two wraps on it.)
Row 13: K to first wrapped st. Sl wrapped st onto right needle, then lift wraps over slipped st and K all three loops together. Bring yarn forward, sl next st onto right needle, bring yarn back, turn work.
Row 14 onward: Continue working as for Row 13 until all wrapped stitches are back in use.

Join to opposite side of original piece:
With purl side facing, pick up and knit stitches along right edge of original piece corresponding with active stitches on edge of belly. Bind off stitches as you work. When all stitches are bound off, cut yarn, secure and weave in end. Turn work right side out.

Neck & Head
Transfer the 20 stitches from circular needle to three dpns. Starting at left edge of belly as it faces you, needles should be loaded as follows: #1: 5 st; #2: 10 st; #3: 5 st.
Knit in the round for 1.5 inches (3.75 cm).
Knit stitches on needle #1.

Turn for Head
Working in stockinette stitch over the 10 sts on needle #2, work 9 rows to begin neck gusset.
With wrong side of work facing, P9, yarn back, slip last stitch onto right needle, turn.
Slip wrapped stitch onto right needle. K8, yarn forward, slip last stitch onto right needle, turn.
Slip wrapped stitch onto right needle. P7, yarn back, slip next stitch onto right needle, turn.
Slip wrapped stitch onto right needle. K6, yarn forward, slip next stitch onto right needle, turn.
Slip wrapped stitch onto right needle. P5, yarn back, slip next stitch onto right needle, turn.
Slip wrapped stitch onto right needle. K4, yarn forward, slip next stitch onto right needle, turn.
Slip wrapped stitch onto right needle. P3, turn without wrapping any more stitches.
Slip first stitch on right needle purlwise onto left needle. (3 wrapped stitches on each end with 4 active stitches in the middle).

To make ears
With right side facing, make one Popcorn Stitch. K2. Make second Popcorn Stitch.
Without turning work, slip first wrapped stitch onto right needle, lift wrap onto needle and K both loops together. Bring yarn forward and wrap next wrapped stitch (it will have 2 wraps on it). Turn work.

To form head
Slip wrapped stitch onto right needle. P3. Place a marker (a piece of waste yarn will work nicely) to indicate where your dragon’s spines will start. P2. Slip wrapped stitch onto right needle, lift wrap onto needle, and P all loops from wrapped stitch together. Bring yarn back, slip next stitch onto right needle to wrap. Turn.
Slip wrapped stitch onto right needle. K6. Sl next wrapped stitch to right needle and lift both wraps onto right needle, K all 3 loops from wrapped stitch together. Bring yarn forward and wrap next wrapped stitch. Turn.
Slip wrapped stitch to right needle. P7. Slip next wrapped stitch onto right needle, lift wraps onto right needle, and P all loops from wrapped stitch together. Bring yarn back, slip next stitch onto right needle to wrap. Turn.
Slip wrapped stitch onto right needle. K8. Sl next wrapped stitch to right needle and lift both wraps onto right needle, K all 3 loops from wrapped stitch together. Bring yarn forward and wrap next wrapped stitch. Turn.
Slip first stitch onto right needle. P8. Sl final wrapped stitch to right needle and lift both wraps onto right needle, P all 3 loops from wrapped stitch together. Turn work so that right side is facing.

To finish face gusset
With right side of work facing, pick up 6 stitches along the right edge of neck gusset.
K across picked up stitches and 10 head stitches.
Pick up 6 stitches along left edge of face gusset. Pass first stitch on needle #1 over 6th picked up stitch to join round. Slip stitch back onto left hand needle.
Needle arrangement should be as follows: #1 – 10 stitches along base of neck; #2 – 10 stitches to top of head; #3 – 10 stitches from top of head to base of neck.
Working with these three needles, slip first stitch (already worked) to right needle. K8. Pick up a loop from stitch below first st from needle #2 and K tog this loop with last st on needle #1 (this helps to prevent gaps). Continue on needle #2: K4, K2tog, K4. Needle #3: K4, SSK, K4. K 1 round.
K across all 10 st of needle #1. #2 – K3, K2tog, K4. #3 – K4, SSK, K3. K 1 round.
K across all 10 st of needle #1. #2 – K2, K2tog, K4. #3 – K4, SSK, K2. K 1 round.
K across all 10 st of needle #1. #2 – K1, K2tog, K4. #3 – K4, SSK, K1. K 1 round.
K across all 10 st of needle #1. #2 – K2tog, K4. #3 – K4, K2tog. K 1 round.
Clip yarn and join CC1 to begin snout.

Snout
(method will be repeated for paws)
Working over established needle configuration (#1 – 10 st, #2 – 5 st; #3 – 5 st), K 2 rows in the round, and, if desired, use a Jogless Join technique of your choice to camouflage the origin of the join.
Having worked the two rows in the round, begin decreases as follows:
#1 – SSK, K6, K2tog; #2 – SSK, K3; #3 – K3, K2tog. K 1 round.
#1 – SSK, K4, K2tog; #2 – SSK, K2; #3 – K2, K2tog. K 1 round.
#1 – SSK, K2, K2tog; #2 – SSK, K1; #3 – K1, K2tog.
Break yarn, leaving a long tail. Load yarn onto darning needle and thread yarn knitwise through all stitches. Join by threading yarn through first stitch again, pull yarn to close opening and then pass needle and thread through the center opening to the wrong side of work. Turn inside out, secure yarn, weave in end and cut yarn. Turn work right side out.

Upper legs
Carefully open one Afterthought Opening for upper leg and load stitches onto three dpns as follows:
#1 – 10 stitches from lower edge of opening; #2 & 3 – 5 stitches on each needle from upper edge of opening.
Join MC at first st on needle #1 and K10. Pick up st along edge and place loop on needle #2, K loop together with first st on needle #2, K9. Pick up st along edge and place loop on needle #1, K loop together with first st on needle K1. Continue by knitting in complete rounds until leg measures 1 inch (2.5 cm).
Clip yarn and join CC1 to begin paw. Instructions for upper leg paws are same as for snout, above.
Repeat for second upper leg.

Lower legs
Carefully open one Afterthought Opening for lower leg and load stitches onto three dpns as follows:
#1 – 12 stitches from lower edge of opening; #2 & 3 – 6 stitches on each needle from upper edge of opening.
Join MC at first st on #1 and K12. Pick up st along edge and place loop on needle #2, K loop together with first st on needle #2, K11. Pick up st along edge and place loop on needle #1, K loop together with first st on needle K1. Continue by knitting in complete rounds until leg measures 1 inch (2.5 cm).
Clip yarn and join CC1 to begin paw. Instructions for lower leg paws are same as for snout, above, however one more row of decreases must be inserted when beginning decreases, as follows:
#1 – SSK, K8, K2tog; #2 – SSK, K4; #3 – K4, K2tog. K 1 round.
Carry on as per snout instructions.
Repeat for second lower leg.

Tail section
With wrong (purl) side of work facing, undo all 48 stitches of provisional cast on one stitch at a time and load onto 3 dpns as follows: #1 – 12 st; #2 – 24 st; #3 – 12 st. Keep the waste yarn to make one more Afterthought Opening.
With right side of work facing, starting below left hind leg, begin as follows:

Pick up 1 st from left edge of belly and K together with first stitch on needle #1. K around to last stitch and pick up one st from right edge of belly and SSK with last stitch on needle #3. This step will prevent a gap from forming at the lower aspect of the belly.

Pick up 1 st from “point” of belly and K together with first stitch. K4, SSK, K3, K2tog (at base of hind leg to begin dart to shape the dragon’s bum); K3, SSK, K14, K2tog, K3; SSK, K3, K2tog. 1 stitch remains on needle #3: Sl this st onto needle #1, K tog with first st on needle #1.

K 1 round.

K1, SSK, K2, SSK, K1, K2tog; K3, SSK, K3, SSK, K2, K2tog, K3, K2tog, K3, SSK, K1, K2tog, K2, K2tog.

Afterthought opening: K1. Using waste yarn, K6 then slip these last 6 st onto left hand needle and re-work in MC. Secure the ends of waste yarn and leave the “tails” exposed on the outside of the body. [This Afterthought Opening will be opened when it is time to do finishing work and insert stuffing and then re-closed using Kitchener stitches.] Finish round in K (31 stitches total).

K1, SSK, K2tog, K4, SSK, K2, SSK, K2tog, K2, K2tog, K4, K2tog, K1, K2tog, K1, Sl 1, K1, PSSO (23 stitches total).

Sl first st of needle #1 onto needle #3, K1, PSSO. Finish round in K. (22 stitches total).

Knit one round.

SSK, K18, K2tog (20 stitches.)

K in the round until tail, measured from Afterthought Opening, is 1.5 inches (3.5 cm).

Clip yarn and join CC1 to begin the end of the tail.

Tail decreases
K 2 full rounds in CC1, using Jogless Join technique of your preference when beginning second round.

(K3, K2tog) 4 times. (16 stitches)
K 3 rounds.
(K2, K2tog) 4 times. (12 stitches)
K 2 rounds.
(K1, K2tog) 4 times. (8 stitches)
K 1 round.
K2tog 4 times. (4 stitches)
Cut yarn and, using a darning needle, thread end knitwise through remaining 4 stitches; pull to close end.

Secure Afterthought Opening
Using a long piece of waste yarn as a stitch holder, both ends of waste yarn threaded separately onto two darning needles, work as if loading stitches onto knitting needles. Carefully undo Afterthought Opening and thread waste yarn through each stitch as it is opened. (6 stitches on top and 6 stitches on bottom.) Tie off waste yarn securely and leaving lots of slack – this opening is going to be well used.

Finish tail
Turn tail inside out through opening just made. Thread cut end through opening at tip of tail and secure, weave in end. Weave in ends of MC and CC1. Clip loose ends. Turn tail right side out.

Congratulations! The knitting part of the project is complete.

Spines (crochet)
Start at position of marked spot between ears.

Make a loop at end of CC2 and bring through marked place. Insert your middle finger into secured Afterthought Opening to hold work. Make a row of sl st chains along back midline of the dragon’s neck, body and tail. I had the best results by making the sl st at every other row of knitwork and ended up with 47 “spines”. Ch2, turn.

Work only in the top “loops” of chain stitches: Sl st in first ch st to make picot.

Make Small Shells along tail: sc, hdc, sc in next ch, sl st (my dragon had 5 of these on the tail).

Make Medium Shells from bum to mid-back: hdc, dc, hdc, in next chain, sl st (3 times on my dragon).

Make Large Shells from mid-back to base of neck: hdc, 3dc, hdc, sl st (4 times on my dragon).

Make Medium Shells along neck (2 times on my dragon).

Make Small Shells to top of head (3 times on my dragon).

End with ch2, sl st in last chain to make final picot at top of head.

Fasten off and pull yarn through to wrong side. Secure and weave in ends.

Wings (crochet)
Working as for spines and starting at shoulder level make sl st chain along dart line for 7 chains. Ch2 and turn.
In first loop: 3dc, hdc, sc
In next loop: Large Shell; sc; Large Shell; (sc, hdc, dc, hdc); sl st to finish. Fasten off and pull threads through to wrong side; secure and weave in ends.

Repeat for second wing.

Finishing
Before inserting stuffing, check work to make sure there are no large gaps at Afterthought Opening edges. If any gaps are present, close them with matching yarn.

Insert stuffing to desired amount.

Close Afterthought Opening with Kitchener Stitching (I found it helpful to load stitches onto knitting needles first).

Embroider facial features as desired.

© KCS, 2008. FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY. PLEASE DO NOT MAKE THIS ITEM TO SELL. I WILL REPORT EVERY COPYRIGHT VIOLATION.

For fun: Name your dragon at the Dragon Name Generator.