Zebra Toy by Helena Keighley

Zebra Toy

Knitting
May 2019
DK (11 wpi) ?
24 stitches and 32 rows = 4 inches
US 2½ - 3.0 mm
150 - 170 yards (137 - 155 m)
13cm [5in] tall
English
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This is a fun piece. It’s satisfying to see it developing on the needles as you knit. We’ll be using a particular technique which will keep the stripes fluid and natural.

Difficulty: Medium. The patterning involves some concentration and patience, and you will need to be able to work a pfb stitch. To make things easier, I have designed the zebra so that many of the purl rows are the same, meaning that you can look away from the pattern for a few minutes.

Stitches used: kfb, pfb, k2tog, p2tog

Skills required: Patterning with two different colours of yarn. Ideally, near the end of the pattern, you will know how to trap the spare yarn along the back of the work as you go. (It’s easy to find free video tutorials online which will teach you this technique quickly. Alternatively you can cut the yarns when you change colour and secure the loose ends when you’ve finished.)

You will need:
• Black and white wool – 25g of each. I used Double Knit thickness (8-6 ply, “light worsted”.) Tension square: 10cm x 10cm square is 24 stitches across and 32 rows.
• Knitting needles – I used UK size 11 (3.0mm, US size 2.5)
• Tapestry needle
• Stuffing