Seal with ball
This sweet design by Amanda Berry certainly gets our seal of approval! Knit up a circus treat little ones are sure to love
Note
SEAL WITH BALL
Use the cable cast-on for all pieces, and mattress stitch to join the seams.
HEAD
Start at the back.
Cast on 10 sts using 3mm needles and Yarn A. Row 1 (RS) Knit.
Row 2 and all foll WS rows Purl.
Row 3 K1, (kfb) 8 times, K1. [18 sts]
Row 5 K1, (kfb, K1) 8 times, K1. [26 sts]
Row 7 K1, (kfb, K2) 8 times, K1. [34 sts]
Row 9 K1, (kfb, K3) 8 times, K1. [42 sts]
Rows 10 to 20 Starting on a WS purl row, work in st st.
Row 21 K7, (K2, ssk) 3 times, K4, (k2tog, K2) 3 times, K7. [36 sts] Row 23 K7, (K1, ssk) 3 times, K4, (k2tog, K1) 3 times, K7. [30 sts] Row 24 Purl. Cast off.
MUZZLE
With RS of head facing, using 3mm needles and Yarn A, pick up and knit 30 sts along cast-off edge.
Rows 1 to 7 Starting on a WS purl row, work in st st.
Row 8 K1, (k2tog, K2) 7 times, K1. [23 sts]
Row 9 Purl.
Row 10 K1, (k2tog, K1) 7 times, K1. [16 sts]
Row 11 Purl.
Row 12 (K2tog) 8 times. [8 sts]
Break yarn and thread through rem sts. Pull tight to fasten.
BODY
Start at the neck.
18 sts using 3mm needles and Yarn A. (RS) Knit.
Purl.
K1, (kfb, K1) 8 times, K1. [26 sts] Purl.
K1, (kfb, K2) 8 times, K1. [34 sts]
K1, (kfb, K7) 4 times, K1. [38 sts]
Cast on Row 1 Row 2 Row 3 Rows 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 Row 5 Row 7
Row 9 K1, (kfb, K8) 4 times, K1. [42 sts]
Row 11 K1, (kfb, K9) 4 times, K1. [46 sts]
Row 13 (Short rows) K41 w&t, P36 w&t, K35 w&t, P34 w&t, K33 w&t, P32 w&t, K31 w&t, P30 w&t, K29 w&t, P28 w&t, knit to end picking up wraps and working them tog with wrapped st. Row 14 Purl to end picking up wraps and working them tog with wrapped st.
Rows 15 to 20 Starting on a RS knit row work in st st. Row 21 K9, ssk, K7, ssk, K6, k2tog, K7, k2tog, K9. [42 sts] Rows 22 to 28 Starting on a WS purl row work in st st. Row 29 K8, ssk, K6, ssk, K6, k2tog, K6, k2tog, K8. [38 sts] Rows 30 to 34 Starting on a WS purl row work in st st. Row 35 K8, ssk, K5, ssk, K4, k2tog, K5, k2tog, K8. [34 sts] Rows 36 to 38 Starting on a WS purl row work in st st. Row 39 K7, ssk, K4, ssk, K4, k2tog, K4, k2tog, K7. [30 sts] Rows 40 to 42 Starting on a WS purl row work in st st. Row 43 K7, ssk, K3, ssk, K2, k2tog, K3, k2tog, K7. [26 sts] Rows 44 to 46 Starting on a WS purl row work in st st. Row 47 K6, ssk, K2, ssk, K2, k2tog, K2, k2tog, K6. [22 sts] Rows 48, 50, 52 and 54 Purl.
Row 49 K5, ssk, K1, ssk, K2, k2tog, K1, k2tog, K5. [18 sts] Row 51 (K3, kfb, K1, kfb, K3) twice. [22 sts] Row 53 (K4, kfb, K1, kfb, K4) twice. [26 sts]
Row 55 (K5, kfb, K1, kfb, K5) twice. [30 sts]
Row 56 P15, transfer rem 15 sts onto a stitch holder. [15 sts]
TAIL FLIPPER
Row 57 K6, kfb, K1, kfb, K6. [17 sts]
Row 58 and all foll WS rows Purl.
Row 59 K7, kfb, K1, kfb, K7. [19 sts]
Row 61 K8, kfb, K1, kfb, K8. [21 sts]
Row 63 K9, kfb, K1, kfb, K9. [23 sts]
Row 65 (K1, k2tog, K6, ssk) twice, K1. [19 sts]
Row 67 (K1, k2tog, K4, ssk) twice, K1. [15 sts]
Row 69 (K1, k2tog, K2, ssk) twice, K1. [11 sts]
Break yarn and thread through rem sts. Pull tight to fasten.
With WS facing and 3mm needles, rejoin Yarn A to held 15 sts for second tail flipper.
Next row (WS) Purl. [15 sts]
Work as given for Rows 57 to 69 of first tail flipper. [11 sts] Break yarn and thread through rem sts. Pull tight to fasten.
FRONT FLIPPERS (MAKE 2)
Start at the top.
Cast on 19 sts using 3mm needles and Yarn A. Row 1 (RS) K1, kfb, K5, ssk, K1, k2tog, K5, kfb, K1. Row 2 Purl.
Rows 3 to 14 Rep Rows 1 and 2 six more times. Rows 15 to 18 Starting on a RS knit row work in st st. Row 19 (K1, k2tog, K4, ssk) twice, K1. [15 sts] Row 20 Purl.
Row 21 (K1, k2tog, K2, ssk) twice, K1. [11 sts] Row 22 Purl.
Row 23 (K1, k2tog, ssk) twice, K1. [7 sts]
Break yarn and thread through rem sts. Pull tight to fasten.
COLLAR
Start at the outer edge.
Cast on 72 sts using 3mm needles and Yarn B. Row 1 Knit.
Break Yarn B and join Yarn D.
Rows 2 and 3 Knit.
Break Yarn D and join Yarn B.
Rows 4 and 5 Knit.
The last 4 rows set garter st and stripe sequence. Work 6 more rows as set.
Break Yarn D and join Yarn B.
Row 12 Knit.
Row 13 (Sk2po) 24 times. [24 sts]
Cast off.
HAT
Start at the brim.
Cast on 25 sts using 3mm needles and Yarn B. Rows 1 to 3 Starting on a WS knit row work in rev st st. Break Yarn B and join Yarn C.
Rows 4 and 5 Starting on a RS knit row work in st st. Row 6 K1, (k2tog, K4) 4 times. [21 sts]
Break Yarn C and join Yarn D.
Row 7 Purl.
Break Yarn D and join Yarn C.
Rows 8 and 9 Starting on a RS knit row work in st st. Row 10 K1, (k2tog, K3) 4 times. [17 sts]
Break Yarn C and join Yarn D.
Row 11 Purl.
Break Yarn D and join Yarn C.
Rows 12 and 13 Starting on a RS knit row work in st st. Row 14 K1, (k2tog, K2) 4 times. [13 sts]
Break Yarn C and join Yarn D.
Row 15 Purl.
Break Yarn D and join Yarn C.
Rows 16 and 17 Starting on a RS knit row work in st st. Row 18 K1, (k2tog, K1) 4 times. [9 sts]
Break Yarn C and join Yarn D.
Row 19 Purl.
Break Yarn D and join Yarn C.
Rows 20 and 21 Starting on a RS knit row work in st st. Row 22 K1, (k2tog) 4 times. [5 sts]
Break yarn and thread through rem sts. Pull tight to fasten.
BALL
Work in Yarns C and B, alternating colours as directed.
Cast on 25 sts using 3mm needles and Yarn C.
Row 1 (Short rows) K23 w&t, P21 w&t, K19 w&t, P17 w&t, K15 w&t, P13 w&t, K11 w&t, P9 w&t, K7 w&t, P5 w&t, knit to end picking up wraps and working them tog with wrapped sts.
Change to colour for next segment.
Row 2 Purl to end picking up wraps and working them tog with wrapped sts.
Rows 3 to 14 Rep Rows 1 and 2, 6 more times.
Row 15 Rep Row 1. Cast off purlwise with working yarn, picking up wraps and working them tog with wrapped sts.
MAKING UP
Head and Muzzle Sew side edges tog, stuffing as you sew, and gather cast-on sts tog at back of head. Note the seam runs down underside of head. Attach buttons for eyes on the head just above muzzle and approx 3cm apart. Use dark grey and black embroidery thread to add nose and eyebrows. The nose is in dark grey using several horizontal long stitches to make a truncated triangle shape on top of muzzle, the eyebrows are black slanting stitches above each eye, the nose is outlined in black thread, there is a vertical line beneath the nose, and there are three slanting stitches for whiskers on each side of muzzle.
Body Sew side edges tog from cast on as far as Row 69 at the end of the tail. Note the seam runs down Seal’s back. Sew side edges of each tail flipper tog. Add stuffing through opening at cast-on end. Sew underside of head to cast-on edge of body.
Flippers Sew side edges tog. Note the seam runs down back. Add a little stuffing to end of each flipper. Sew cast-on edge onto underside of body with top of flipper 3cm below neck and 6cm apart.
Collar Wrap around seal’s neck and sew side edges tog. Hat Sew side edges tog, add stuffing, and sew onto top of seal’s head. Attach pompom to top of hat.
Ball Sew cast-on and cast-off edges tog, stuffing as you sew. Gather side edges tog at top and bottom of ball.