VAL'S ORIGINAL YARNBALL PATTERN
A Knitlist gift from: Val is homework@aol.com
MATERIALS
4-ply knitting yarn, one or two colors (or more)
#4 needles
Polyester fiber filling or old nylon stockings or other stuffing
material
This ball comes out 4" to 4 1/2" in diameter, about the size of a
grapefruit. The needles are small for the size of the yarn. This
makes a dense fabric so the filling won't show through.
Cast on 28 stitches.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR ONE SECTION
Turn (pick up new color if you're going to change) and knit 28
stitches.
Turn and knit 20 sts, leaving 8 on needle.
Turn and knit 12 sts, leaving 8 on needle.
Turn and knit 14 sts, leaving 6 on needle.
Turn and knit 16 sts, leaving 6 on needle.
Turn and knit, leaving 2 stitches less each time until you have
28.
Knit back to starting end.
Make 10 sections, one after the other. Each section takes about 4
yards of yarn (Val says; I didn't check this.)
Each section starts at same end; I call this the "top". (Don't
cut off the old yarn; it will be there waiting for you when you
start the next section in that color.)
Bind off when you get to the end of the 10th section. Leave about
a 12" tail to use for sewing up. Notice that since this is garter
stitch, on one side there is a sharp boundary between the colors
of the adjacent wedges, and on the other side the adjoining
colors are interlinked. Decide which side you want to be the
outside.
With a tapestry needle, run the tail around through the end
stitches of the rows and pull tight. (To make it extra firm, run
the yarn around again.) Continue sewing up the open side about
2/3 of the way.
Stuff the ball as firmly as you like and sew up the rest of the
way. Run the yarn through the end stitches of the rows (twice if
you like) and pull tight. Make a knot and run the end of the yarn
into the ball and cut off.
A HINT: If you're going to use the "wrong" side as the side that
shows (that is, the side where the colors of adjoining segments
interlock), knit one last row in the color of the section you
will be stitching to, then cast off. This will give you the last
set of interlocking stitches, and let you sew together two edges
that match in color.
Now here's an attempt at charting how this pattern works. (To
get this to print or display properly, you may need to choose a
fixed width font like Courier.)
Cast on 28 stitches, then "-" and ">" mean knit stitches (the
arrowhead shows the direction of the row).
(This is the "top" end,
where the colors are changed.)
/
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >
< - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - >
< - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >
< - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >
< - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >
< - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >
< - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
And that takes you back to the top, where you can change colors
for the next wedge.
And now for a couple of variations.
JUDY'S 12-SECTION YARNBALL
The original yarnball is made of ten 12-row sections, each of
which is shaped like an orange wedge or a smile, that is,
straight on one edge and convex on the other. I wanted to see if
I could make the sections appear to twist or swirl around the
ball. I discovered that the pattern is very forgiving. That is,
no matter what you do it comes out looking the same. I never did
succeed in making it swirl, exactly. This is the closest I got.
But twelve is a better number, since it's divisible by more numbers,
so you can use three or four colors. This ball has twelve 10-row
sections.
Cast on 28 stitches
INSTRUCTIONS FOR ONE SECTION
Row 1: turn and knit 28 stitches
Row 2: turn and knit 20 stitches
Row 3: turn and knit 18 stitches
Rows 4, 6, 8, and 10: repeat row 2
Rows 5, 7, and 9: repeat row 3
I hope you understood the diagram above, since I'm about to do it
again. Cast on 28 stitches, and knit as follows:
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >
< - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >
< - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >
< - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >
< - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >
< - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Make 12 sections and bind off, leaving a long tail. Sew up and
stuff the ball as above.
A SMALL YARNBALL
This one is a lot smaller. Keeping to my citrus theme, it's about
the size of a tangerine (or a hackysack), 2 to 2 1/2 inches in
diameter.
Cast on 17 stitches
Make ten sections, as follows:
Row 1: turn and knit to the end
Row 2: turn and knit 12 sts, leaving 5 on the needle
row 3: turn and knit 7 sts, leaving 5 on the needle
Row 4: turn and knit 10 sts, leaving 2 on the needle
Row 5: turn and knit 13 sts, leaving 2 on the needle
row 6: turn and knit to the end
Row 7: turn and knit to the end
Row 8: turn and knit to the end (you're back at the top)
Bind off, sew and stuff.
Have fun! Now, if I only knew someone with a year-old baby who
needs a neat toy. No, eight people with year-old babies...
--Judy
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Judy Gibson Descanso, California
Botany Department, San Diego Natural History Museum
jgibson@cts.com http://www.forfood.com/~jgibson/
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