Treehugger

Treehugger

Yarn:

MC: Moda Dea Metro (94% Acrylic, 6% NylonNet wt. 100g . 3.52 oz114m . 124 yds) Color: 9340 Chocolate, 1 skein (to be used single stranded)

CC: Caron Simply Soft (6 oz (170 grams) 330 yards 100% acrylic)

Color: 068070 Dark Sage, 1 skein (to be used double stranded)

Gauge: 13stitches/4 inches (not essential to get exact guage) on size 10.5 needles

Additional materials: Stitch marker

Size J (6 mm) crochet hook (or enough matching fabric to make a 3.5 inch circle if you don’t want to crochet)

Stuffing

Extra yarn in light color to embroider face

Size: approximately 13 inches tall and 9 inches wide (at widest point)

Trunk:

Cast on 32 stitches with MC

Place marker to indicate beginning of round

Join to work in the round and work in stockinette stitch (knit every round) until piece measures 1.5 inches from cast on

Next round: (k2tog, k14) twice (30 stitches remain)

Continue in Stockinette until piece measures 3 inches from cast on

Next round: (k2tog, k13) twice (28 stitches remain)

Continue in stockinette until piece measures 4.5 inches from cast on.

Cut yarn, place first 14 stitches on a spare piece of yarn

Front of top:

(Worked back and forth)

Join 2 strands of CC

First row: k1, kfb, k4 with CC, join MC and k3 with it, k7 with CC

Note: In every row, you will be working the middle stitches in stockinette stitch (knit every right side row, purl every wrong side row) with the MC. use the intarsia method of twisting the two colors at the first color change, but if you want, you can strand the CC across the back for the second color change to avoid using another ball.

The CC stitches on either side of the column of MC will be worked in loop stitch.

(so when I say “work to end” I mean work CC in loop stitch to color change, work 3 MC stitches in stockinette, work CC in loop stitch until specified)

Right Side Increase Row 2: k1, kfb, work to last 2 stitches, kfb, k1

Wrong Side Increase Row: p1, pfb, work to last 2 stitches, pfb, p1

Do an increase row every row 8 times (until there are 31 stitches on the needles)

Continue knitting straight in loop stitch for CC and stockinette for MC column for 9 rows

Right Side Decrease Row: k1, ssk, work to last 3 stitches, k2tog, k1

Wrong Side Decrease Row: p1, p2tog, work to last 3 stitches, ssp, p1

Do a decrease row every right side row twice (27 stitches remain)

Note: At this point, stop working the stockinette column of MC and work only in loop stitch with the CC

Do a decrease row every row 6 times (15 stitches remain)

Bind off all stitches

Back of Top:

put the 14 stitches that were earlier held on a piece of yarn on to a needle to work them back and forth (like the front)

If you want the toy to be reversible, work exactly the same as front of top

If not, work the same as front of top, except without the MC stockinette column (entire thing will be in loop stitch with CC)

Bottom of Trunk:

Using MC and a size J crochet hook, crochet a circle with a diameter of about 3.25 inches

Or cut out a piece of matching fabric into a circle with a diameter of 3.5 inches (with seam allowance)

Finishing:

Using MC, embroider Branches onto the front of the top as in the diagram

Using lightly colored yarn, embroider the face onto the trunk as in the diagram

Sew bottom of trunk onto cast on end of trunk

Fill trunk with stuffing

Using mattress stitch and one strand of CC, sew up one side of top and around to the other side, leaving an opening to stuff

Fill top with stuffing

Sew top together the rest of the way.

Hug your tree.

Loop Stitch:

│ knit on RS, purl on WS

Ω make loop (k1 but do not slip off of left needle, bring yarn to front, wrap around

thumb to make a loop, bringing yarn to the back, k the same stitch again, slip both stitches off of left needle onto right needle, pass first stitch over second stitch)

Abbreviations:
MC…..main color

CC…...contrast color

RS…..right side

WS…..wrong side

K…..knit

P…..purl

Kfb…..knit into the front and back of the same stitch

Pfb…..purl into the front and back of the same stitch

K2tog…..knit 2 together

Ssk…...slip one stitch knitwise, slip next stitch knitwise, return both to left needle and knit them together through the back loops

P2tog …..purl two stitches together

Ssp….. slip one stitch knitwise, slip next stitch knitwise, return both to left needle and purl them together through the back loops