Cherry Chirp

Original Pattern Post:

I really enjoyed knitting up this little guy. At only a half a skein of yarn or less, he knits up fast and is really super cute. His feet and the beans in his bottom allow him to sit up all on his own. This little quail has very intelligent beady eyes and you never quite know what he will be up to. I found him in red, but I have a feeling he has quite a few colorful cousins.

Enjoy this and other Craft Leftovers patterns? Get a screen and printer friendly version + support the Craft Leftovers pattern archive restoration project by purchasing the PDF on Ravelry or Etsy.

Ingredients

• 40 g tatamy tweed in cherry red
• 20 g or less of tatamy tweed in birch
• 1 cup beans
• 4 oz or less stuffing
• Set of 5 dpn size US 4

Gauge 5.5 sts = 1 inch in stockinette stitch

Notes

I highly recommend the use of dpn because of the way the pattern is written. If you do use two circulars, mark with place markers where the start of each needle would be. Use a different colored marker for the beginning of needle 1 (the beginning of the row) or it might get lost in the mix.

Abbreviations

• CO = cast on
• K = knit
• sl = slip
• pm = place marker
• ssk = slip slip knit (decrease)
• k2tog = knit two stitch together (decrease)
• kfb = knit into the front and back loop of one
• stitch (increase)
• M1 = make one stitch (increase)

Directions

Body

Use the magic loop cast on to CO 4 stitches.

Rnd 1: Work in the round, kfb every stitch.

If you have not done so already, arrange the stitches so there are 4 sts on 2 needles. Pm between the 1st and 2nd stitch at the beginning of the first needle to mark the beginning of each round.

Rnd 2: Knit all.

Rnd 3: Divide evenly among 4 needles; Kfb every 2nd st on ea needle — 4 stitches increased, 3 sts on each needle. — 12 stitches total.

Rnd 4: Knit all.

Repeat Rnds 3 and 2 two times for a total of 20 sts.

Rnd 1: k1, m1, k to last st on second needle, m1, k2, m1, k to last st on forth needle, m1, k1.

Rnd 2: Knit all.

Repeat 7 times for a total of 52 sts. 13 sts on ea needle.

K all for 3 rounds.

Work the sts on the 1st and 2nd needles in stockinette st for 14 rounds. Ending with a WS row.

Knit across needles 1 & 2; pick up 7 stitches along side of the flap just created, knit across needles 3 and 4, place marker, pick up 7 stitch — 68 stitches total.

Arrange Stitches

Slip 1st stitch of round, remove marker, transfer picked up stitches from needle 4 to needle 1; Remove marker; Break yarn; Place beginning of round marker to the beginning of needle 3. Needle 3 the new beginning of the round. Needle 3 is now 1; Needle 4 is now 2; Needle 1 is now 3; Needle 2 is now 4. Rejoin yarn at the new beginning of round.

Rnd 1: K1, ssk, knit to last 3 sts of needle 2, k2tog, knit to end of row.

Rnd 2: Knit all.

Repeat rnds 1 & 2 two times total — 4 stitches decreased; 64 stitches total.

Rnd 3: K to needle 3; k1, ssk, k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1. — 2 stitches decreased; 62 stitches total.

Rnd 4: Knit all.

(Repeat round 1 & 2 once; repeat rounds 3 & 4 once) three times — 12 stitches decreased; 50 stitches remain.

Rnd 1: Knit to 3 sts before end of needle 1, ssk, k2, k2tog, knit to end of needle 2, k1 ssk, k to last 3 sts of needle 4, k2tog, k1.

Rnd 2: K all to end of needle 2, k1, ssk, k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1.

44 stitches remain on needles.

Knit all 1 round.

Slip stitches on needle 2 to 1, place marker in the middle of needle 1 (7 stitches on each side of the marker),now working with 3 needles and knit with a 4th.

Rnd 1: K to 3 sts before the marker, ssk, k1, slip marker, k1, k2tog, k to end of needle 1; k1, ssk, knit to last 3 stitches of needle 3, k2tog, k1.

Rnd 2: Knit to end of needle 1, k1, ssk, knit to the last 3 sts of needle 3, k2tog, k1.

Repeat rnds 1 & 2 a total of 3 times — 12 sts decreased; 26 stitches total.

Knit all for 4 rnds.

Rnd 1: K1, M1, K to last st before end of needle 1, M1, K1; K to 5 sts before end of needle 2, M1, k10,

M1, k to end.

Rnd 2: k all.

Repeat rnds 1 & 2 until there are 42 sts total.

Knit all 6 rnds

Rnd 1: K1, ssk, k to last 3 sts on needle 1, k2tog, k to last 5 sts before end of needle 2, ssk, k6, k2tog, k

to end.

Rnd 2: K to last 5 sts before end of needle 2, ssk, k6, k2tog, k to end.

Repeat rnds 1 & 2 until 22 sts remain.

Rnd 1: *k1, ssk, k to 3 sts before end of needle, k2tog, k1; repeat from * to end.

Rnd 2: Knit all.

Rnd 3: k1, ssk, knit to 3 sts before end of needle, k2tog,k2, ssk, k2, ssk, k1.

Rnd 4: Knit all.

K1, k2tog until 8 sts remain.

Weave yarn through sts on needles, tighten up hole and weave in ends.

Legs and Feet

With birch colored yarn, pick up and knit 12 sts on 3 needles in the round, 4 sts on each needle as in figure 1.

K all 12 rnds.

Split for toes

K3, skip to last 3 sts and knit. k6 st in the round for 4 rnds, k2tog all for 1 rnd, cut yarn and weave through remaining 3 sts, weave in ends.

Join yarn and repeat for remaining 6 sts.

Pick up and knit 6 sts between the 2 toes, 2 sts on each side of toes, 1 st from each side of the middle.

Repeat all for the other leg and foot on the opposite side of the belly.

Beak

With birch colored yarn

Pick up and knit 13 sts as in the diagram, 5 sts needle 1, 4 sts needle 2, 4 sts needle 3 as in figure 2.

Rnd 1: k all.

Rnd 2: ssk, k1, k2tog, k 1, k2tog, k2 tog, k1.

Rnd 3: k all

Rnd 4: k2tog all to last stitch, k1.

Cut yarn, weave yarn through sts on needles, tighten up hole and weave in ends.

Embroider eyes as in figure 2.

Support the Craft Leftovers pattern archive restoration project by purchasing the PDF in the KMR Shop OR Ravelry OR Etsy.

---

Sign up for the Craft Leftovers mailing list to get a monthly update of new content and re-releases. You can also follow me on Instagram to check out the crafty projects I’m crafting.

And of course, if you make something with one of my patterns, just tag it (#craftleftovers). I love seeing what you’ve made with your unique leftovers!

Until Next Time!

Kristin M Roach