Thursday, December 27, 2012

Nac Mac Feegle's Figurative Fire Stopper


It's finished, and no longer a secret, so I can post about it now. I made this for a friend who said she's always "putting out fires" at work. I am quite pleased with myself; this is the first arumigumi/toy type thing I've ever made, let alone designed. I'm glad I used wool, because blocking was pretty important to make all the bits look the way they are supposed to look. If using acrylic, I recommend dipping the parts other than the canister in a very thin solution of either Elmer's glue and water or laundry starch, so they can be shaped.

Gauge = 12 stitches/inch in stockinette
I used Brown Sheep Sport on U.S. 0 (2mm) needles

Yarn: Sport/Fingering weight
Red: about  25 yards 
Light Grey: About 1 yard
Black or Dark Grey: About 1 yard

(I used Brown Sheep Naturespun Sport for the canister, Regia 4 ply Solids for the other bits, because that's what I happened to have on hand.) Embroidery floss would work well for the bits, too.)

Size: 3" high and 1" in diameter (Edit: I don't know how I originally managed to say this thing was 4" high. Sorry about that.)

With main color (red), using the magic circle cast on, cast on 6 stitches
Round 1: Knit
Round 2: kfb 6 times (12 stitches total)
Round 3: kfb, k1, repeat around (18 stitches total)
Round 4: kfb, k2, repeat around (24 stitches total)
Round 5: kfb, k3, repeat around (28 stitches total)*
Round 6: purl
Round 7: k5, s1, psso, four times (24 stitches total)**
Rounds 8- 30: knit

Stop knitting and stuff; evenly and fairly tightly, because poking stuffing down a very small hole after the following decreases is pure drudgery

Beginning with round 31:
Decrease 4 stitches every other round, until four stitches are left on the needle
Fasten off  by cutting the yarn, pulling it (loosely!) through the remaining stitches, and knotting
Tuck the yarn end down into the body of the work. Cram in some more stuffing to fill the newly created space

Handle: cast on 4 stitches. Work 8 rounds of i-cord
Rounds 9 & 11: Knit
Rounds 10 & 12: Purl
Work 8 more rounds of i-cord
Fasten off: cut yarn, pull end through the stitches

Hose:
Part 1: (Crochet)  With lighter grey, chain 20 stitches, or desired length
Part 2: (Knit) Insert needle into 3rd chain from the end. Cast on 3 stitches
Work seven rounds of i-cord around the end of the crocheted chain
Increase by one stitch on rounds 3, 5, and 7 (final row of i-cord will have 6 stitches)
Fasten off: cut yarn, pull loosely through all stitches, leaving a tail of about  6" yarn for assembling

Mount: (Crochet)
Chain 20 (or as many stitches needed to fit loosely around the canister) join to form ring
Round 1: Chain 2 (forms first stitch) hdc in each stitch around, slip stitch to close ring
Round 2: Chain 3, slip stitch in first chain from hook to form a small picot
Fasten off: Cut yarn, pull through final stitch

Assembling and Finishing:
1: Attach small end of hose to handle by pulling "tail" of yarn between the stitches at the center of the handle, knot
2: Fold the handle in half (centering on the flat area between the two i-cord portions. Attach to canister by placing on one side of the "neck. Pull the "tail of yarn from the "hose" to the outside of the center, weave it through the stitches at the base of the neck. Lash it around the handle (like sewing on a button with a post; I don't know how else to describe it) three times, between three of the four stitches at the top of the canister
3. Slide the mount over the cylinder and the hose, to desired position. (It should sit about 1/3 of the way down the canister.) Position the picot over the hose. Tack in place if desired
4. Weave in and trim ends
5. Block and shape, stiffen with glue or starch if desired
6. Give to friend
7. Enjoy the squee

*originally read "kfb, k2," which is incorrect
**the decreases are a refinement I thought of after I created this thing, to keep the cylinder more--cylindrical