Louise Smith designed this amazing knitted Loch Ness monster pattern for the Loch Ness Knit Fest Knitted Nessie Challenge in 2016. Knitters and crocheters helped to create an adorable army of mini monsters to line the shore at Dores Beach, Loch Ness, in celebration of the festival.
We used a self-striping yarn to get this colourful effect, but you can make your Nessie using any DK yarn from your stash.
You will need:
Approx 10g of any DK yarn (the yarn we used was West Yorkshire Spinners Signature Cocktail DK in Rum Paradise)
A pair of 4mm knitting needles
A pair of safety eyes
A small amount of stuffing
Approx 10cm of flexible wire (this is for the neck and is opptional)
Loch Ness monster pattern:
Note: Nessie is worked flat, from the tail to the head, and sewn up at the end.
Body
Cast on 4 sts.
Rows 1-12 Work in st st.
Row 13, 15, 17, 19, and 21 K1, M1, K to last st, M1, K1. [14 sts]
Row 14, 16, 18, 20, and 22 Purl.
Row 23 and 25 (K1, M1) twice, K to last 2 sts, (M1, K1) twice. [22 sts]
Row 24 and 26 Purl.
Row 27 Knit.
Row 28 Purl.
Row 29 (K1, M1) twice, K to last 2 sts, (M1, K1) twice. [26 sts]
Rows 30-32 Work in st st, starting with a purl row.
Row 33 K1, (ssk) twice, K to last 5 sts, (k2tog) twice, K1. [22 sts]
Row 34 Purl.
Row 35 K1, ssk, K6, ssk, k2tog, K6, k2tog, K1. [18 sts]
Row 36 Purl.
Row 37 K1, ssk, K4, ssk, k2tog, K4, k2tog, K1. [14 sts]
Row 38 Purl.
Row 39 K1, (ssk) twice, (k2tog) twice, k1. [10 sts]
Row 40 Purl.
Row 41 K1, ssk, K2, ssk, k2tog, K2, k2tog, K1. [6 sts]
Row 42 Purl.
Rows 43, 45 and 47 K1, M1, ssk, k2tog, M1, K1.
Rows 44, 46, and 48 Purl.
Row 49 Knit.
Row 50 Purl.
Row 51 K1, M1, K4, M1, K1. [8 sts]
Row 52 Purl.
Row 53 K1, ssk, M1, K2, M1, k2tog, K1.
Row 54-58 Work in st st, starting with a purl row.
Row 59 (Ssk) twice, k1, (k2tog) twice. [4 sts]
Row 60 Purl.
Row 61 Ssk, k2tog. [2 sts]
Row 62 Purl.
Row 63 K2tog. [1 st]
Fasten off and weave in ends.
Front Fin (Make 2)
Cast on 10 sts.
Row 1 and foll alt rows Purl.
Row 2 Ssk, K6, k2tog.
Row 4 Knit.
Row 6 Ssk, K4, k2tog.
Row 8 Ssk, K2, k2tog.
Row 10 Ssk, k2tog.
Row 12 K2tog.
Fasten off and weave in ends.
Back Fin (Make 2)
Cast on 7 sts.
Row 1 and foll alt rows Purl.
Row 2 Ssk, K3, k2tog.
Row 4 Knit.
Row 6 Ssk, K1, k2tog.
Row 8 S2kpo.
Fasten off and weave in ends.
To make up
Starting at the head, sew the body together using mattress stitch and matching thread. If you are using safety eyes, add them at this point before continuing. Stuff the head and body as you sew.
Sew the Front and Back fins, one on each either side of the base of the body, approx ½cm from each other.
If you are using a wire to shape the neck, push it in through one of the stitches on the back of the body and position it inside the neck and head. Alternatively, you can hold the wire in place whilst sewing up.
Using a colour of your choice, thread yarn several times around the centre of the two stitches just behind the eyes, creating a bump. Fasten off and weave in ends.
