Rnd 41: [k2tog, k10] to end Rnd 43: [k2tog, k9] to end Rnd 45: [k2tog, k8] to end Rnd 47: [k2tog, k7] to end Rnd 49: [k2tog, k6] to end Rnd 51: [k2tog, k5] to end Rnd 53: [k2tog, k4] to end Rnd 55: [k2tog, k3] to end Rnd 57: [k2tog, k2] to end Rnd 59: [k2tog, k1] to end Rnd 60: [k2tog] to end ( 7 sts) Cut yarn and draw the tail through the remaining 7 sts.
2. Knit the chicken parts.
» Beak
With orange yarn, CO 10 sts onto 3 dpns
and join in a rnd.
Knit 4 rnds.
Next rnd: [k2tog] to end
Cut yarn and pull the tail through 5 sts.
» Wings ( 2)
With yellow yarn, CO 16 sts onto 3 dpns
and join in a rnd.
Unless noted below, knit all sts.
Rnd 2: kfb, k6, [kfb] twice, k6, kfb
Rnd 4: kfb, k8, [kfb] twice, k8, kfb
Rnd 6: kfb, k10, [kfb] twice, k10, kfb
Rnd 9: kfb, k12, [kfb] twice, k12, kfb ( 32 sts)
Rnd 12: k2tog, k12, [k2tog] twice, k12, k2tog
Rnd 14: k2tog, k10, [k2tog] twice, k10, k2tog
Rnd 16: [k2tog] twice, k4, [k2tog] 4 times, k4,
[k2tog] twice ( 16 sts)
Rnd 18: [k2tog] to end ( 8 sts)
Cut yarn and draw through sts.
» Legs ( 2)
With yellow yarn, CO 16 sts onto 3 dpns
and join in a rnd.
Unless noted below, knit all sts.
Rnd 2: [kfb, k3] to end ( 20 sts)
Rnd 5: [k2tog, k3] to end
Rnd 7: [k2tog, k2] to end
Rnd 9: [k2tog, k1] to end
Switch to orange yarn and knit 10 rnds.
Working in sections, divide your sts into 3 toes: First toe: k2tog, k1. Work these 2 sts on your right needle in 4 rows of I-cord. Cut yarn and pull through sts. Second toe: Reattach yarn to the next st, and k2.
Work these 2 sts in 4 rows of I-cord, cut yarn,
and pull through sts.
Third toe: Reattach yarn to the next st, k1, k2tog.
Work these 2 sts in 4 rows of I-cord, cut yarn,
and pull through sts.
Weave in any loose ends, and lightly felt all pieces by running them through a washer and dryer. I recommend felting everything in a lingerie bag, so you don’t lose any small pieces, and checking on the felting while it’s in the dryer to avoid over-felting.
If your pieces felt too tightly, the toy will be harder to turn inside out, and some stitch definition will be helpful when you sew everything together.
Using the photo as a guide, embroider eyes on the chicken and the egg, with either embroidery thread or black yarn. (I used embroidery thread for the eyes and black yarn for the cracked shell.) The tops of the chicken and the egg are opposite — the top of the chicken is the closed end, and the top of the egg is the open end.
Embroider the egg’s crack as a thick zigzag line (Figure B).
5. Sew on the chicken parts. Without stuffing them, sew the CO edges of the beak and the wings to the chicken using a mattress stitch. Stuff the legs and sew them on at an angle, again using a mattress stitch (Figure C).
Turn the egg inside out and stuff it inside the chicken, with the egg’s eyes lining up in roughly the same place as the chicken’s eyes. Stuff lightly between the layers with fiberfill stuffing (Figure D). The chicken shouldn’t look like a withered balloon, but you also need to leave room for turning the toy inside out.
Hold the pieces in place and sew up the open ends using a mattress stitch. Because of the nature of this stitch, you should be able to use either yellow or white yarn without it showing in the seam.
Once sewn together, you should be able to pop the chicken and egg out of one another by pushing in the closed end of each (Figure E). Doing this a few times will loosen up the stitches a little and make it gradually easier to turn inside and out.
Time to cuddle, ponder, or play with your newly hatched creation!
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