GRANDMA & GRANDPA’S COTTAGE
Note Unless otherwise specified, use the longtail cast-on for all pieces.
COTTAGE
GABLE ENDS (MAKE 4)
Make 2 in Yarn A and 2 in Yarn C.
Start at the bottom edge.
Cast on 30 sts using 3mm needles.
Row 1 (WS) K2, P26, K2.
Row 2 Knit.
Rows 3 to 30 Rep Rows 1 and 2 fourteen more times.
Row 31 K2, P26, K2.
Row 32 K1, ssk, K to last 3 sts, k2tog, K1. [2 sts dec’d]
Row 33 K2, P to last 2 sts, K2.
Rows 34 to 51 Rep Rows 32 and 33 nine more times. [10 sts]
Cast off.
FRONT/BACK (MAKE 4)
Make 2 in Yarn A and 2 in Yarn C.
Start at the bottom edge.
Cast on 40 sts using 3mm needles.
Row 1 (WS) K2, P36, K2.
Row 2 Knit.
Rows 3 to 30 Rep Rows 1 and 2 fourteen more times.
Row 31 K2, P36, K2.
Cast off.
BASE (MAKE 2)
Make 1 in Yarn A and 1 in Yarn C.
Cast on 40 sts using 3mm needles.
Row 1 (WS) K2, P36, K2.
Row 2 Knit.
Rows 3 to 40 Rep Rows 1 and 2 nineteen more times.
Row 41 K2, P36, K2.
Cast off.
OUTER ROOF SLOPE (MAKE 2)
Cast on 46 sts using 3mm needles and Yarn B.
Row 1 (RS) P2, *K1, P3; rep from * to end.
Row 2 *K3, P1; rep from * to last 2 sts, K2.
Rows 3 to 30 Rep Rows 1 and 2 fourteen more times.
Row 31 P2, *K1, P3; rep from * to end.
Cast off.
INNER ROOF SLOPE (MAKE 2)
Cast on 46 sts using 3mm needles and Yarn B.
Rows 1 to 31 Starting on a RS purl row work in rev st st. Cast off.
OUTER ROOF RIDGE
Cast on 46 sts using 3mm needles and Yarn B.
Row 1 (RS) P2, *K1, P3; rep from * to end.
Row 2 *K3, P1; rep from * to last 2 sts, K2.
Rows 3 to 12 Rep Rows 1 and 2 five more times.
Cast off.
INNER ROOF RIDGE
Cast on 46 sts using 3mm needles and Yarn B.
Rows 1 to 12 Starting on a RS purl row work in rev st st. Cast off.
MAKING UP
DECORATION
1 Block all pieces and decorate the outer walls before assembly. Start the embroidery on the 3rd row up from cast-on edge of each piece to allow room for seaming. Use Swiss darning (see page 94) to add the door and windows on the front wall (see Chart).
2 Using the same window design, add the windows on the gable ends: the top of the window on each Gable End is 13 rows down from the top edge. On the back wall the windows start 5 sts over from the garter stitch edge and on the 9th row up from the bottom edge.
3 For the window sills and doorstep, use Yarn F to embroider a horizontal line in running backstitch below each window and door using photographs as a guide.
4 Use Yarn H to embroider another line in running backstitch below those, and also under the door lintel.
5 With Yarn B, embroider the door handle in four small horizontal stitches. Use Yarn G to embroider vertical stitches for patches of grass near the bottom edge of each wall.
LINING PANELS
Cut plastic canvas or cardboard lining panels to place inside each wall/roof. (Plastic canvas sheets are plastic grids used for embroidery/tapestry, and are available from most good craft stores.)
You will need to cut the following panels:
1 front and 1 back rectangle measuring 15cm wide x 8cm tall 2 base rectangle measuring 15cm wide x 11cm tall
2 roof slope rectangles measuring 19cm wide x 8cm tall
1 roof ridge rectangle measuring 19cm wide x 3cm tall
2 gable end panels as shown in the diagram
If your plastic canvas or cardboard is thin, double up so there are two pieces for each wall/roof piece to give it extra strength.
MAKING THE COTTAGE
1 To construct your walls, take one Yarn C inner Gable End piece and one Yarn A outer Gable End piece and place together, WS facing each other, and oversew the side edges together. Slide the corresponding plastic canvas inside the knitting. Then oversew together the cast-on/off edges.
2 Make up each of the other wall and roof pieces in the same way so that you have 8 separate pieces in total.
3 Assemble the Gable Ends, Back wall and Base to make the cottage shape, making sure all the exterior pieces face outwards, and pin them together. Then using Yarn A, oversew the pieces together along each edge.
4 For the Front wall, oversew the bottom edge of the Front wall onto the Base to make a hinged flap.
5 On the inside of the Front wall sew the stud half of a snap fastener onto each top corner. 6 Fold up the Front wall flap so that it meets the Gable End, mark the position of the snap on the Gable End with a pin, and sew the socket half of the snap fastener onto the edge of the Gable End where marked.
7 Make up the Roof by sewing the cast-on/off edges of the Ridge to the cast-on/off edges of the Roof Slopes.
8 Place the Roof over the finished cottage (note that the Roof overlaps the cottage at each end), pin in position, and use Yarn A to sew the back Slope and the top Ridge onto Gable Ends of the Cottage, catching a stitch on the inner roof to a stitch on the edge of the Gable End.
GRANDPA
Cast on 12 sts using 2.75mm needles and Yarn H.
LEFT LEG
Rows 1 to 4 Starting on a WS purl row work in st st.
Break Yarn H and join Yarn E.
Rows 5 to 7 Purl.
Rows 8 to 13 Starting on a RS knit row work in st st. Break Yarn E and leave these sts on a holder.
RIGHT LEG
Cast on 12 sts using 2.75mm needles and Yarn H.
Rows 1 to 13 Work as given for Left Leg.
Break Yarn E.
With RS facing, transfer the held 12 sts onto the same needle that is holding the Right Leg sts. [24 sts]
BODY
Rejoin Yarn E and commence working across all sts to join the Legs together.
Rows 14 to 21 Starting on a RS knit row work in st st.
Break Yarn E and join Yarn C.
Rows 22 to 29 Starting on a RS knit row work in st st.
Row 30 K1, (k2tog, K1) 7 times, K2. [17 sts]
Row 31 Purl.
Row 32 K1, (k2tog) 7 times, K2. [10 sts]
HEAD
Break Yarn C and join Yarn F.
Rows 33 to 35 Starting on a WS purl row work in st st.
Row 36 K1, (kfb) 8 times, K1. [18 sts]
Row 37 Purl.
Row 38 K1, *(kfb) 3 times, K1; rep from * to last st, K1. [30 sts]
Rows 39 to 49 Starting on a WS purl row work in st st.
Row 50 K1, (k2tog, K1) 9 times, K2. [21 sts]
Row 51 Purl.
Row 52 K1, (k2tog) 10 times. [11 sts]
Break yarn leaving a 30cm tail and thread through rem sts. Pull tight to fasten.
COLLAR
Start at the top edge.
Cast on 12 sts using 2.75mm needles and Yarn C.
Row 1 (WS) Purl.
Row 2 K1, (kfb, K2) 3 times, kfb, K1. [16 sts]
Cast off purlwise.
ARMS (MAKE 2)
Start at the top edge.
Cast on 7 sts using 2.75mm needles and Yarn C.
Rows 1 to 8 Starting on a WS purl row work in st st.
Row 9 Knit.
Row 10 Purl.
Break Yarn C and join Yarn F.
Rows 11 to 16 Starting on a WS purl row work in st st. Break yarn leaving a 30cm tail and thread through rem sts.
Pull tight to fasten.
GRANDMA
Cast on 12 sts using 2.75mm needles and Yarn D.
LEFT LEG
Rows 1 to 4 Starting on a WS purl row work in st st. Break Yarn D and join Yarn F.
Rows 5 to 13 Starting on a WS purl row work in st st. Break Yarn E and leave these sts on a holder.
RIGHT LEG
Cast on 12 sts using 2.75mm needles and Yarn D.
Rows 1 to 13 Work as given for Left Leg.
Break Yarn D.
With RS facing, transfer the held 12 sts onto the same needle that is holding the Right Leg sts. [24 sts]
BODY
Rejoin Yarn D and commence working across all sts to join the legs together.
Rows 14 to 29 Starting on a RS knit row work in st st.
Row 30 K1, (k2tog, K1) 7 times, K2. [17 sts]
Row 31 Purl.
Row 32 K1, (k2tog) 7 times, K2. [10 sts]
Row 33 (Collar) Knit.
HEAD
Break Yarn D and join Yarn F.
Rows 34 and 35 Starting on a RS knit row work in st st.
Rows 36 to 52 Work as given for Grandpa. [11 sts]
Break yarn leaving a 30cm tail and thread through rem sts. Pull tight to fasten.
ARMS
Work as given for Grandpa’s arms using Yarn D instead of Yarn C.
SKIRT
Cast on 46 sts using 2.75mm needles and Yarn D.
Rows 1 to 14 Starting on a WS purl row work in st st. Row 15 P1, [p2tog] 22 times, P1. [24 sts]
Cast off.
SHAWL
Cast on 36 sts using 2.75mm needles and Yarn C.
Row 1 (WS) K2, P to last 2 sts, K2.
Row 2 K1, ssk, K to last 3 sts, k2tog, K1. [2 sts dec’d]
Rows 3 to 10 Rep Rows 1 and 2 four more times. [26 sts]
Cast off in patt.
HAIR
Cast on 32 sts using 2.75mm needles and Yarn A.
Rows 1 to 14 Knit.
Row 15 (K2tog, K2) 8 times. [24 sts]
Rows 16 to 18 Knit.
Row 19 (K2tog, K1) 8 times. [16 sts]
Row 20 Knit.
Row 21 (K2tog) 8 times. [8 sts]
Break yarn leaving a 30cm tail and thread through rem sts. Pull tight to fasten.
BUN
Cast on 7 sts using 2.75mm needles and Yarn A.
Row 1 (WS) Knit.
Row 2 K1, (kfb) 5 times, K1. [12 sts]
Row 3 Knit.
Row 4 K1, (kfb, K1) 5 times, K1. [17 sts]
Row 5 Knit.
Row 6 K1, (k2tog, K1) 5 times, K1. [12 sts]
Row 7 Knit.
Row 8 (K2tog) 6 times. [6 sts]
Break yarn leaving a 30cm tail and thread through rem sts. Pull tight to fasten.
MAKING UP
Dolls Insert the toy safety eyes – count up 10 rows from the neck and insert on the centre front with 3 sts between each eye. Gather the cast-on sts at the foot, then sew the side edges of each leg together from the cast-on up to the crotch (Row 14). Stuff the Legs. Sew the side edges of the Body and Head together ending at the cast-off sts at the top of the Head, stuffing as you sew. Note that the seam runs down the centre back of the doll. Sew closed any hole at the crotch. Embroider the ears on each side of the head in line with the eyes using Yarn F and several small vertical stitches.
Arms Sew the side edges together to make a small tube shape.
Note that the Arms are not stuffed. Sew the cast-on edge of each arm to the side of the Body, with the top of the Arm sewn onto the 2nd row below the neck.
Finishing Grandpa Wrap the Collar’s cast-on edge around the neck and use a running back stitch to sew the cast-on edge onto the neck. Embroider the hair using Yarn A in vertical stitches around the back of the Head. Embroider the eyebrows using Yarn A with two slanting stitches over each eye.
Finishing Grandma Sew the Skirt side edges together, place over the Body and sew the cast-off edge over the 10th Yarn D row on the Body, with the seamed edge at the back. On the Shawl, sew the button over one corner of the cast-on edge. Wrap the Shawl around the Body with the cast-on edge at the top, and poke the button through the other corner of the cast-on edge to keep in position (with such a small button, a buttonhole is best made by stretching a stitch as a knitted buttonhole would be too big). Sew the side edges of Grandma’s hair together, place over the Head with the seam at the back, and sew onto the Head using a running back stitch around the cast-on edge and Yarn A. For the hair Bun sew the side edges together, add a little stuffing, and sew the cast-on edge over the cast-off sts of the hair.
Spectacles Cut a 30cm length of wire. Wrap the middle of the wire around a pencil to make a circle shape for the first spectacle lens, leave a gap of 1cm of wire to make the bridge, and then wrap the wire around the pencil again to make the 2nd lens. Bend the ends of the wire round to make the spectacle arms, and trim them so the arms are 4cm long. Place over the Head and poke the wire ends into the Head above each ear to keep them in place. Repeat for second doll. (Note The spectacle ends are sharp and not suitable for babies or young children).