This puzzle came about because Mrs. Cyberchaser decided to take the
word “woolly” from the theme for the Fifth Annual Vancouver
Island Hide-and-Go Cache, “Five/Alive: Wild and Woolly
Caching” and interpret it literally. So she knit a toy cougar.
(At least, it was supposed to be a cougar. You can decide from the
photos we posted below if it looks even remotely like one!) She
came up with a pattern, and spent some time here and there over the
course of the week before the Hide-and-Go actually knitting the
beast. She intended also to knit a cacher and a cachemobile, for a
complete (and very silly) Vancouver Island woolly caching adventure
playset, but ran out of time.
Here’s the pattern:
Materials
One 140 g ball Bernat Soft Boucle in Softest Straw shade for
body of cougar
One 85 g ball of Lion Suede in Ecru shade for belly, bottom of
paws, and inside of ears.
5.5 mm needles
Oddments of sport weight or similar yarn in pale pink, green and
black, for nose and eyes, and 3.5 mm needles to use knitting
them.
Washable fill
Body:
Using Bernat Soft Boucle, cast on 6 sts. Using st st , work as
follows:
Next row (wrong side): P
Next row: Inc knitwise in every stitch—12 sts
Rep these 2 rows until there are 48 sts.
Continue even in st st for 50 rows, or until body is desired
length.
Next row: K2 tog to end—24 sts
Next row: P
Repeat until there are 6 sts. Cast off.
Belly:
Using Lion Suede, cast on 2 sts.
Working in st st, work as follows:
Next row (wrong side): P
Next row: Inc knitwise in every st—A sts
Rep these 2 rows until there are 16 sts.
Work even until belly is as long as body was when you
decreased.
Next row:
K2tog to end—B sts
Next row: P
Repeat these 2 rows until 2 sts remain.
Work 2 tog, cast off.
Head:
Using Soft Boucle, cast on 8 sts.
Using st st, work as follows:
Next row (wrong side): P
Next row: Inc knitwise in every st—16 sts
Next and every alt row: P
Next k row: (Inc knitwise in next st, k2, inc knitwise in next st)
4 times—24 sts
Next k row: (Inc knitwise in next st, k4, inc knitwise in next st)
4 times—32 sts
Next k row: (Inc knitwise in next st, k6, inc knitwise in next st)
4 times—40 sts
Cont in this way until there are 56 sts.
Next row: P
Works 12 rows.
Next row: (K2 tog, k10, k2tog tbl) 4 times—48 sts
Next and every alt row: P
Next k row: (K2 tog, k8, k2tog tbl) 4 times—40 sts
Next k row: (K2 tog, k6, k2 tog tbl) 4 times--32 sts
Cont in this way until 16 sts rem.
Next row: P
Next row: K2 tog to end—8 sts
Cast off.
Muzzle (top):
Using Soft Boucle, cast on 24 sts.
Beg k row and working in st st, work 10 rows.
Next row: K2 tog to end—12 sts
Next row: P
Next row: K2 tog to end—C sts.
Cast off.
Muzzle (lower):
Using Lion Suede, cast on 12 sts.
Beg k row and working in st st, work 10 rows.
Next row: K2 tog to end—6 sts
Next row: P
Next row: K2 tog to end—D sts
Cast off.
Ears (back; make 2):
Using Soft Boucle, cast on 9 sts.
Beg k row, work 4 rows in st st—E sts.
Dec 1 st at each end of every alt row till 1 st rem. Cast off.
Repeat ear instructions again with Lion Suede for front of
ears.
Legs (make 4):
Using Lion Suede, cast on 7 sts.
Next row (wrong side): P
Next row: Inc knitwise in every st—14 sts
Work 3 rows.
Next row: K4, inc knitwise in next 6 sts, k4—20 sts
Change to Soft Boucle and work 7 rows.
Next row: K4, (k2tog) 6 times, k4—14 sts
Work 12 rows straight.
Cast off.
Tail:
Using soft boucle, cast on 24 sts.
Work even till tail is desired length.
Next row: K2 tog to end—12 sts
Next row: P
Next row: K2 tog to end—6 sts
Cast off.
Finishing:
After you stuff the body and sew the body seam together, sew the
belly on it in such a way as to cover the body seam. Stuff and sew
on the legs, the head, and the tail. Stuff the muzzle and sew it to
the head. Sew the ear fronts and backs together and attach to the
head.
Nose:
With small amount of pink yarn, cast on 9 sts. Work in st st,
decreasing 1 st each end of needle on every row to final st. Cast
off and sew on head.
Eyes (make 2):
With small amount of green yarn, cast on 9 sts.
Rows 1, 3, and 5: K3, k3 tog, k3—F sts
Rows 2 and 4: Knit into front and back of first st, k2, p1, k2,
knit into front and back of next st—9 sts
Row 6: K3, p1, k3
Row 7: k2, k3tog, k2—G sts
Row 8: k2, p1, k2
Row 9: k1, k3tog, k1—3 sts
Row 10: k1, p1, k1
Row 11: k3tog—H st
Cast off.
Pupils (make 2):
With small amount of black yarn, cast on 1 st.
Row 1: Knit into front, back, front and back of st—4 sts
Rows 2 and 4: P
Row 3: K
Row 5: (K2 tog) twice—I sts
Row 6: P2 tog. Cast off.
Sew pupils on eyes, then fold eye seam in half lengthwise to
make slitty, furtive looking feline eyes and sew on head.
You’re done (knitting, that is)! Now, for the cache:
N48 IE.GAI
W123 IH.EGB
The cache is hidden under the corner of a rock. Please try to be
as inconspicuous as possible and to cover the cache well. Its
survival here will depend on the care taken by those who find
it.
You can check your answers for this puzzle on
Geochecker.com.
Congratulations to
55Monkeys, first kid to find the cache and claim the cougar! We
hope you enjoy your new toy.
Have fun!