Knit your own Christmas turkey | Knitting
Knitting This article is more than 9 years oldKnit your own Christmas turkey
This article is more than 9 years oldA turkey is for life, not just for Christmas dinner. Create yours with this pattern from Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne’s Knit Your Own Farm
In pictures: super woolly animals
As well as being very odd-looking, turkeys have many unique characteristics. They can run at up to 25mph and fly at up to 55mph; their gender can be ascertained from their droppings, which are different shapes; and they blush when excited or agitated. Benjamin Franklin thought that the turkey should be the national bird of the United States instead of the bald eagle, which he considered “a bird of bad moral character”.
This dramatic bird is complicated to knit but worth the effort.
Measurements
Length: 16cm (61⁄4in) Height to top of head: 20cm (8in)
Materials
Pair of 31⁄4mm (US 3) knitting needles
Double-pointed 31⁄4mm (US 3) knitting needles (for holding stitches)
20g (3⁄4oz) of Rowan Felted Tweed DK in Treacle 145 (tr)
20g (3⁄4oz) of Rowan Felted Tweed DK in Phantom 153 (ph)
15g (1⁄2oz) of Rowan Pure Wool DK in Clay 048 (cl)
5g (1⁄8oz) of Rowan Pure Wool DK in Raspberry 028 (ra)
Tiny amount of Rowan Pure Wool DK in Cloud 058 (cd) for embroidery on head
2 pipecleaners for legs and feet
2 cocktail sticks or wooden kebab sticks to strengthen legs (if necessary)
2 tiny black beads for eyes and sewing needle and black thread for sewing on
Abbreviations
approx approximately
beg begin(ning)
cm centimetres
cont continue
g grams
in inches
inc work into front and back of next stitch to increase by one stitch
k knit
k2(3)tog knit next two (three) stitches together
oz ounces
p purl
p2(3)tog purl next two (three) stitches together
rem remain(ing)
rep repeat
RS right side
st(s) stitch(es)
st st stocking (stockinette) stitch
w&t wrap and turn. See Wrap and Turn method, below.
WS wrong side
[ ] work instructions within square brackets as directed
* work instructions after asterisk(s) as directed
Wrap and Turn method (w&t)
Knit the number of stitches in the first short row. Slip the next stitch purlwise from the left-hand to the right-hand needle. Bring the yarn forward then slip the stitch back onto the left-hand needle. Return the yarn to the back. On a purl row use the same method, taking the yarn back then forward.
Leg and Claw method
Cut a length of pipecleaner 1.5cm (1⁄2in) longer than the leg and spur and wrap the knitting around it, leaving 1.5cm (1⁄2in) of pipecleaner protruding to attach to the bird’s body. Sew up using whip stitch. Cut a length of pipecleaner to fit the outer claws and another to fit the middle claw, and sew up knitting around them as before.
Bend bottom 1.5cm (1⁄2in) of leg to form spur. Bend outer claws in the middle at a 45-degree angle and attach with whip stitch to where leg bends to form spur. Sew cast (bound) off row of middle claw to centre of bend in outer claws.
Right side of body
With tr, cast on 14 sts.
Beg with a k row, work 2 rows st st.
Row 3: Inc, k13. (15 sts)
Row 4: P14, inc. (16 sts)
Row 5: Inc, k14, inc. (18 sts)
Row 6: P17, inc. (19 sts)
Row 7: Inc, k18. (20 sts)
Row 8: P19, inc. (21 sts)
Row 9: Inc, k19, inc. (23 sts)
Row 10: P22, inc. (24 sts)
Row 11: Inc, k23. (25 sts)
Row 12: P24, inc. (26 sts)
Row 13: Inc, k24, inc. (28 sts)
Row 14: P27, inc. (29 sts) Work 6 rows st st.
Row 21: Inc, k27, inc. (31 sts)
Row 22: Purl.
Row 23: K29, k2tog. (30 sts)
Row 24: P28, p2tog. (29 sts)
Row 25: K2tog, k27. (28 sts)
Row 26: P26, p2tog. (27 sts)
Row 27: K2tog, k23, k2tog. (25 sts)
Row 28: P23, p2tog. (24 sts)
Row 29: K2tog, k22. (23 sts)
Row 30: P21, p2tog. (22 sts)
Row 31: K2tog, k6 (hold these 7 sts on spare needle for neck and head), k2tog, k12. (13 sts)
Row 32: P2tog, p9, p2tog. (11 sts)
Row 33: K2tog, k9. (10 sts)
Row 34: P8, p2tog. (9 sts)
Cast (bind) off.
Left side of body
With tr, cast on 14 sts.
Beg with a p row, work 2 rows st st.
Row 3: Inc, p13. (15 sts)
Row 4: K14, inc. (16 sts)
Row 5: Inc, p14, inc. (18 sts)
Row 6: K17, inc. (19 sts)
Row 7: Inc, p18. (20 sts)
Row 8: K19, inc. (21 sts)
Row 9: Inc, p19, inc. (23 sts)
Row 10: K22, inc. (24 sts)
Row 11: Inc, p23. (25 sts)
Row 12: K24, inc. (26 sts)
Row 13: Inc, p24, inc. (28 sts)
Row 14: K27, inc. (29 sts)
Work 6 rows st st.
Row 21: Inc, p27, inc. (31 sts)
Row 22: Knit.
Row 23: P29, p2tog. (30 sts)
Row 24: K28, k2tog. (29 sts)
Row 25: P2tog, p27. (28 sts)
Row 26: K26, k2tog. (27 sts)
Row 27: P2tog, p23, p2tog. (25 sts)
Row 28: K23, k2tog. (24 sts)
Row 29: P2tog, p22. (23 sts)
Row 30: K21, k2tog. (22 sts)
Row 31: P2tog, p6 (hold these 7 sts on spare needle for neck and head), p2tog, p12. (13 sts)
Row 32: K2tog, k9, k2tog. (11 sts)
Row 33: P2tog, p9. (10 sts)
Row 34: K8, k2tog. (9 sts)
Cast (bind) off.
Tail
With ph, cast on 10 sts.
Beg with a k row, work 2 rows st st.
Row 3: Inc, k2, inc, k2, inc, k2, inc. (14 sts)
Row 4: Purl.
Row 5: Inc, k3, inc, k4, inc, k3, inc. (18 sts)
Row 6: Purl.
Row 7: Inc, k3, inc, k2, inc, k2, inc, k2, inc, k3, inc. (24 sts)
Row 8: Purl.
Row 9: [K2, p2] to end.
Row 10: Inc, k1, [p2, k2] to last 2 sts, p1, inc. (26 sts)
Row 11: Inc, [k2, p2], to last st, inc. (28 sts)
Row 12: [P2, k2] to end.
Row 13: Inc, p1, [k2, p2] to last 2 sts, k1, inc. (30 sts)
Row 14: K1, [p2, k2] to last st, p1. Cont in cl.
Row 15: Inc, [p2, k2] to last st, inc. (32 sts)
Row 16: [K2, p2] to end. Cont in ph.
Row 17: Inc, k1, [p2, k2] to last 2 sts, p1, inc. (34 sts)
Row 18: P1, [k2, p2] to last st, k1.
Row 19: Inc, [k2, p2], to last st, inc. (36 sts)
Row 20: [P2, k2] to end. Cont in cl.
Row 21: Inc, p1, [k2, p2], to last 2 sts, k1, inc. (38 sts)
Row 22: K1, [p2, k2] to last st, p1. Cont in ph.
Row 23: Inc, [p2, k2] to last st, inc. (40 sts)
Row 24: [K2, p2] to end.
Row 25: Inc, k1, [p2, k2] to last 2 sts, p1, inc. (42 sts)
Row 26: P1, [k2, p2] to last st, k1.
Row 27: Inc, [k2, p2] to last st, inc. (44 sts)
Row 28: [P2, k2] to end.
Row 29: Inc, p1, [k2, p2] to last 2 sts, k1, inc. (46 sts)
Row 30: K1, [p2, k2] to last st, p1.
Row 31: Inc, [p2, k2] to last st, inc. (48 sts)
Row 32: [K2, p2] to end.
Row 33: Inc, k1, [p2, k2] to last 2 sts, p1, inc. (50 sts)
Row 34: P1, [k2, p2] to last st, k1. Cont in cl.
Row 35: Inc, [k2,p2] to last st, inc. (52 sts) Cont in tr.
Row 36: [P2, k2] to end.
Row 37: Inc, p1, [k2, p2] to last 2 sts, k1, inc. (54 sts)
Cast (bind) off.
Neck and head
Row 1: With tr and RS facing, k7 from spare needle of right side of body, then k7 from spare needle of left side of body. (14 sts)
Row 2: Purl.
Row 3: K2tog, k10, k2tog. (12 sts)
Row 4: Purl.
Row 5: K2tog, k3, [inc] twice, k3, k2tog. (12 sts)
Row 6: Purl.
Rep rows 5–6 twice more.
Cont in ra.
Rep rows 5–6 twice more.
Row 15: K5, k2tog, k5. (11 sts)
Row 16: Purl.
Work 2 rows st st.
Row 19: K9, w&t (leave 2 sts on left-hand needle unworked).
Row 20: Working top of head on centre 7 sts only, p7, w&t.
Row 21: K7, w&t.
Row 22: P7, w&t.
Row 23: K7, w&t.
Row 24: P7, w&t.
Row 25: K7, w&t.
Row 26: P7, w&t.
Row 27: K9. (11 sts in total)
Row 28: P2tog, p7, p2tog. (9 sts)
Row 29: K2tog, p5, k2tog. (7 sts)
Row 30: P2tog, p3, p2tog. (5 sts)
Knit 4 rows.
Row 35: K2tog, k1, k2tog. (3 sts)
Knit 4 rows,
Row 40: K2tog, k1. (2 sts)
Row 41: K2tog and fasten off.
Wing
(make 2 the same)
With ph, cast on 24 sts.
*Row 1: [K2, p2] to end.
Row 2: [K2, p2] to end.
Cont in cl.
Row 3: [K2, p2] to end.
Row 4: [K2, p2] to end.
Cont in ph.*
Rep from * to * twice more.
Row 13: With ph, k2, p2, k2, turn and work on these 6 sts only.
Row 14: P2, k2, p2. Cont in cl.
Row 15: K2, p2, k2, turn.
Row 16: P2, k2, p2. Rep rows 13–16, 3 times more. Cont in ph.
Row 29: K2tog, p2, k2tog. (4 sts)
Row 30: [K2tog] twice. (2 sts)
Row 31: P2tog and fasten off.
Row 32: Rejoin ph to rem sts, **p2, k2, p2, turn and work on these 6 sts only.
Row 33: K2, p2, k2, turn. Cont in cl.
Row 34: P2, k2, p2, turn.
Row 35: K2, p2, k2.
Cont in ph.**
Rep from ** to ** twice more
Cont in ph.
Row 44: P2tog, k2, p2tog. (4 sts)
Row 45: [P2tog] twice. (2 sts)
Row 46: K2tog and fasten off.
Row 47: Rejoin ph to rem sts and rep rows 13–16 twice more.
Rep rows 29–31 once more.
Rep rows 32–35 once more.
Cont in ph.
Rep rows 44–46 once more.
Wattle
With ra, cast on 5 sts.
Knit 5 rows.
Row 6: K2tog, k1, k2tog. (3 sts)
Knit 15 rows.
Row 22: Inc, k1, inc. (5 sts)
Knit 5 rows.
Cast (bind) off.
Leg and spur
(make 2 the same) With cl, cast on 4 sts.
Beg with a k row, work 18 rows st st.
Cast (bind) off.
Outer claws
(make 2 the same)
With cl, cast on 1 st.
Beg with a k row, cont in st st.
Row 1: Inc. (2 sts)
Row 2: Purl.
Row 3: [Inc] twice. (4 sts)
Work 23 rows st st.
Row 27: [K2tog] twice. (2 sts)
Row 28: Purl.
Row 29: K2tog and fasten off.
Middle claw
(make 2 the same) Work as for outer claws, but working 11 rows st st.
Cast (bind) off.
To make up
SEWING IN ENDS Sew in ends, leaving ends from cast on and cast (bound) off rows for sewing up.
BODY With WS together and whip stitch, sew around the body, leaving a 2.5cm (1in) gap.
HEAD AND BEAK Sew sides of head together, leaving garter stitch beak section (last 10 rows) open flat so that it dangles down.
STUFFING Stuff the turkey firmly, then sew up the gap. Mould body into shape.
LEGS AND FEET Using a 20cm (8in) length of pipecleaner and the leg and claw method (see page 173), make up legs and feet. The turkey’s legs are 3cm (11⁄4in) high. To attach the legs, push protruding ends of pipecleaners into base of body approx 10 rows apart. Strengthen by inserting wooden sticks up backs of legs and into body if necessary.
TAIL Press tail open so that it fans out and sew approx 2.5cm (1in) above bottom of turkey with purl side outwards. Sew up both sides of tail as far as first stripe in cl, then fan out.
WINGS Sew to side of body following angle of chest, approx 3cm (11⁄4in) down from top chest seam, with long feathers at bottom and short feathers at top.
WATTLE Fold wattle in half and sew centre under chin.
EYES With cd, sew 4 satin stitches on either side of head positioned as in photograph. Sew black beads on centre.
Tail
The turkey’s tail will curl outwards of its own accord as it’s knitted in rib and increased.
Eyes
You can use satin stitches or swiss darning for the eyes, with tiny black beads on top.
Wings
It can be difficult to get the turkey to stand up, so bear in mind when you sew on the wings that they need to be fairly far forward to balance the tail.
Claws
The two outer claws on each foot are knitted as a single piece, and the middle claw knitted separately.
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