Spiders Away!

When decorating for Halloween last year, I cut out a bunch of spiders out of construction paper to hang in the window. I got to thinking... what would happen if I knit a spider? I have been going through a phase of designing insect knitting patterns, but I think that with each one I make I see how I could reasonable construct another one.

Materials

• Knitting Needles: 4 dpn Size 1, (2.5 mm)
• Yarn: Remnants of KnitPicks Palette Yarn (Fingering weight) in Black
  
• Gauge: Not important for the completed project, but you want to knit tight enough that you will not see the polyester stuffing.
• Misc: Toy stuffing, yarn needle, Gardening Wire or pipe cleaners if you'd like to make the legs bendy.
  
  
  
• Finished Size: Approximately 2" x 3.5" with the legs bent. 4" wide with the legs straight.

Body Construction:
(Starting at the tip of the head.)
1. CO 6 sts in Black. Join to knit in the round and knit one row.
2. Kfb across - 12 sts
3. K across
4. Kfb across - 24 sts
5. K across
6. K across
7. *K6, K2tog* repeat 3 times - 21 sts
8. K across
9. K2, K2tog, K5, K2tog, K5, K2tog, K3 - 18 sts
10. K across
11. *K1, K2tog* across- 12 sts
12. K across
Now starting the body of the spider.
13. Kfb across - 24 sts
14. K across
15. K1, Kfb, K8, Kfb, K2, Kfb, K8, kfb, K1 - 28 sts
16. K across
17. K1, Kfb, K10, Kfb, K2, Kfb, K10, kfb, K1 - 32 sts
18. K across
19. K1, Kfb, K12, Kfb, K2, Kfb, K12, Kfb, K1 - 36 sts
Rows 20-21. K across
22. K1, K2tog, K12, K2tog, K2, K2tog, K12, K2tog, K1 - 32 sts
23. K across
24. K1, K2tog, K10, K2tog, K2, K2tog, K10, K2tog, K1 - 28 sts
25. K across
26. K1, K2tog, K8, K2tog, K2, K2tog, K8, K2tog, K1 - 24 sts
27. K across
28. *K2, K2tog* across, 18 sts
29. *K1, K2tog* across, 12 sts
Stuff the head and body with polyester stuffing.
30. K2tog across, 6 sts
Pull yarn through the remaining 6 sts, weave in loose ends.

Set of 4 legs (make 2):

• Cast on 24 sts
• Transfer 6 sts to another double pointed needle, and work in I-cord for 15 rows. Cut yarn, draw through remaining sts.
  
• Slip the next six stitches onto a separate needle. As before, work icord for 15 rows.
  
  
• Continue until you have 4 connected legs.
  
  

Finishing:

Cut 8 pieces of flower wire (or pipe cleaners or other kind of wire) that are approximately the size of your legs. If the ends are sharp, then I highly recommend bending the ends with pliers. Insert one piece of wire into each leg.

I designed each set of legs connected so it would be easier to sew them onto the body evenly. Using the loose ends, sew the legs onto the body. Weave in loose ends.

Laying out the spider before the pieces are sewn together.

The spider with straight legs (right) or bent (left and middle). With the legs bent the legs can support the weight of the arachnid.

I'm making this spider as a decoration more than a toy. Be careful with the wire you use (or leave it out) if you want to let younger children play with this.

I am proud to add this spider to my set of knitted stuffed toys. If the Spider and the Fly were going to fight... which one would win?

The Spider plushie created from this pattern, and the fly plushie that was the first of my insect series.

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Abbreviations Used in this pattern:
Kfb - increase by knitting into the front and back of a single stitch.
K - knit
P - purl
SSK - decrease by slipping two stitches then knitting them together. Alternatively, you could slip one stitch, knit one stitch and pass slipped stitch over.
K2tog - decrease by knitting two stitches together.


This this pattern was created by ChemKnits for your personal or charity use. This pattern is not to be replicated, sold or redistributed without permission from ChemKnits. © 2010 ChemKnits