Happy Easter - my just-in-time gift to you!

Easter Meerkats

I had such fun knitting these teeny weeny eggs for the meerkats that I thought you might like to have a go too! I used two different methods, one using short row shaping, the other uses K2tog to decrease. By using garter stitch, stocking stitch and reverse stocking stitch I got various different results.

***Please note - edited on 27th March, I'd typed the numbers the wrong way around in the short row pattern. Sorry *blush*



As you can see, they really are tiny, only about an inch (2.5cm) so you only need tiny scraps of yarn (I used double knitting which is apparently between sports and worsted in US, but it really doesn't matter - they haven't got to "fit" and bits and pieces of embellishments. I used UK size 10 needles (US 3 or 3.25 mm) but again - it really doesn't matter too much)



Red and purple garter stitch eggs using short row decreases.

If you haven't used short row decreasing before, there are many good video instructions available by googling. Basically, instead of knitting to the end of a row, you stop partway, turn and work back - in effect, a short row. Easy! Slipping the next stitch and passing the yarn around tightens up the work and prevents a tiny hole - but again, it doesn't matter too much for this project.

Cast on 7 stitches
1st row: knit 3 (slip next stitch across on to your right hand needle, pass yarn around, return stitch to left hand needle, turn) knit 3
2nd row: knit 4 (slip next stitch across on to your right hand needle, pass yarn around, return stitch to left hand needle, turn) knit 4
3rd row: knit 5 (slip next stitch across on to your right hand needle, pass yarn around, return stitch to left hand needle, turn) knit 5
4th row: knit 6 (slip next stitch across on to your right hand needle, pass yarn around, return stitch to left hand needle, turn) knit 6

You're halfway there - you should have a triangular shaped piece. The cast on edge is on the left of my picture:



Continue:

5th row: knit 5 (slip next stitch across on to your right hand needle, pass yarn around, return stitch to left hand needle, turn) knit 5
6th row: knit 4 (slip next stitch across on to your right hand needle, pass yarn around, return stitch to left hand needle, turn) knit 4
7th row: knit 3 (slip next stitch across on to your right hand needle, pass yarn around, return stitch to left hand needle, turn) knit 3
Cast off, cut yarn leaving a long end for sewing up.



Sew the diagonal edges together, stuff (I used toy filling but a scrap of cotton wool would be fine) and then pass your needle through the row ends on the base and draw through. If your egg is a bit carrot-shaped at this point, just make a few stitches through from top to bottom.

The green red and yellow eggs below were worked to this pattern, the pink and turquoise eggs were worked to the same pattern but in stocking stitch (right side row knit, wrong side row purl)



Striped eggs
Each of these are knitted to the same pattern. The blue and yellow egg is knit side out, the other two are purl side out.



Cast on 9 stitches in blue, work 1st row knit, 2nd row purl
Change to yellow yarn (but don't break blue)
3rd row: K3, K2tog, K4 (8 stitches)
4th row (and every even row): purl
Change back to blue yarn (but don't break yellow)
5th row: K3, K2 tog, K3 (7 stitches)
6th row: purl
Change to yellow yarn (but don't break blue)
7th row: K3, K2 tog, K2 (6 stitches)
8th row: purl
Change back to blue yarn, cut yellow
9th row K2, K2tog, K2 (5 stitches)
Purl back, cut yarn leaving a long end and pull yarn through all stitches.

You'll have a triangle - the first picture is knit side to the front



but it also gives a good effect using the purl side as the front.



Sew diagonals together, stuff lightly and draw through edges at base. As before, if your egg is rather more carrot-shaped than you'd like, pass a few stitches through top to bottom and squish it into shape.

Have fun! Please don't copy my pattern to sell, but feel free to share the link. My designs are not to be resold, either as patterns or as the finished object.

More patterns available here