The cockerel, also known as a rooster, is the alarm clock of poultry. He is a magnificent bird, pugnacious and territorial, and protects his many wives ferociously. Cockfighting used to be a popular ‘sport’ in England but has fortunately been stamped out. The cockerel, which signifies vigilance, is the symbol for Chianti Classico, Tottenham Hotspur and France. Famous cartoon cockerels include Rocky, the flying rooster in Chicken Run, and Foghorn J. Leghorn from the Looney Tunes.
Splendid and elaborate, the cockerel is relatively easy to knit.
Length: 17cm (6¾in)
Height to top of head: 17cm (6¾in)
• Pair of 2¾mm (US 2) knitting needles
• Double-pointed 2¾mm (US 2) knitting needles (for holding stitches)
• 20g (¾oz) of Rowan Fine Tweed in Dent 373 (dt)
• 20g (¾oz) of Rowan Fine Tweed in Askrigg 365 (as)
• 5g (⅛oz) of Rowan Pure Wool 4ply in Kiss 436 (ks)
• 5g (⅛oz) of Rowan Pure Wool 4ply in Gerbera 454 (ga)
• 2 pipecleaners for legs, feet and tail feathers
• 2 tiny black beads for eyes and sewing needle and black thread for sewing on
• Glue stick for beak
See here.
With as, cast on 13 sts.
Beg with a k row, work 2 rows st st.
Row 3: Inc, k11, inc. (15 sts)
Row 4: Inc, p13, inc. (17 sts)
Row 5: Inc, k15, inc. (19 sts)
Row 6: Purl.
Row 7: Inc, k18. (20 sts)
Row 8: Purl.
Row 9: Inc, k18, inc. (22 sts)
Row 10: Inc, p21, cast on 2 sts. (25 sts)
Row 11: Inc, k24. (26 sts)
Row 12: Purl.
Row 13: Inc, k25. (27 sts)
Row 14: P26, inc. (28 sts)
Join in dt.
Row 15: Incas, k18as, k9dt. (29 sts)
Row 16: P12dt, p16as, incas. (30 sts)
Row 17: K15as, k15dt.
Row 18: P18dt, p12as.
Row 19: K9as, k21dt.
Row 20: P21dt, p9as.
Row 21: Rep row 19.
Row 22: Rep row 20.
Row 23: K9as, k20dt, incdt. (31 sts)
Row 24: P22dt, p9as.
Row 25: K7as, k24dt.
Row 26: P24dt, p7as.
Row 27: K7as, k24dt.
Row 28: P24dt, p7as.
Row 29: K2togas, k5as, k23dt, incdt. (31 sts)
Row 30: P25dt, p6as.
Row 31: K2togas, k4as, k24dt, incdt. (31 sts)
Row 32: P26dt, p5as.
Row 33: K5as, k8dt (hold 13 sts on spare needle for Neck and Head), cast (bind) off 4 sts dt, k14dt icos. (14 sts)
Cont in dt.
Row 34: Purl.
Row 35: Cast (bind) off 4 sts, k9 icos, inc. (11 sts)
Row 36: Purl.
Row 37: Cast (bind) off 3 sts, k to end. (8 sts)
Row 38: P6, p2tog. (7 sts)
Row 39: K2tog, k5. (6 sts)
Row 40: Purl.
Shape tail feathers
Join in as.
Row 41: K2togdt, incas, turn and work on these 2 sts only with as.
Row 42: [Inc] twice. (4 sts)
Row 43: Inc, k2, inc. (6 sts)
Working on these 6 sts, work 11 rows st st.
Row 55: K2tog, k2, k2tog. (4 sts)
Work 27 rows st st.
Row 83: [K2tog] twice. (2 sts)
Row 84: P2tog and fasten off.
Row 85: Rejoin dt to rem sts (row 41), incas, turn and work on these 2 sts only with as.
Rep rows 42–84 once more.
Row 129: Rejoin dt to rem sts (row 41), k2.
Row 130: P2tog and fasten off.
With as, cast on 13 sts.
Beg with a p row, work 2 rows st st.
Row 3: Inc, p11, inc. (15 sts)
Row 4: Inc, k13, inc. (17 sts)
Row 5: Inc, p15, inc. (19 sts)
Row 6: Knit.
Row 7: Inc, p18. (20 sts)
Row 8: Knit.
Row 9: Inc, p18, inc. (22 sts)
Row 10: Inc, k21, cast on 2 sts. (25 sts)
Row 11: Inc, p24. (26 sts)
Row 12: Knit.
Row 13: Inc, p25. (27 sts)
Row 14: K26, inc. (28 sts)
Join in dt.
Row 15: Incas, p18as, p9dt. (29 sts)
Row 16: K12dt, k16as, incas. (30 sts)
Row 17: P15as, p15dt.
Row 18: K18dt, k12as.
Row 19: P9as, p21dt.
Row 20: K21dt, k9as.
Row 21: Rep row 19.
Row 22: Rep row 20.
Row 23: P9as, p20dt, incdt. (31 sts)
Row 24: K22dt, k9as.
Row 25: P7as, p24dt.
Row 26: K24dt, k7as.
Row 27: P7as, p24dt.
Row 28: K24dt, k7as.
Row 29: P2togas, p5as, p23dt, incdt. (31 sts)
Row 30: K25dt, k6as.
Row 31: P2togas, p4as, p24dt, incdt. (31 sts)
Row 32: K26dt, k5as.
Row 33: P5as, p8dt (hold 13 sts on spare needle for Neck and Head), cast (bind) off 4 sts dt, p14dt icos. (14 sts)
Cont in dt.
Row 34: Knit.
Row 35: Cast (bind) off 4 sts, p9 icos, inc. (11 sts)
Row 36: Knit.
Row 37: Cast (bind) off 3 sts, p to end. (8 sts)
Row 38: K6, k2tog. (7 sts)
Row 39: P2tog, p5. (6 sts)
Shape tail feathers
Join in as.
Row 40: K2togdt, incas, turn and work on these 2 sts only with as.
Row 41: [Inc] twice. (4 sts)
Row 42: Inc, k2, inc. (6 sts)
Working on these 6 sts sts work 11 rows st st.
Row 56: K2tog, k2, k2tog. (4 sts)
Work 27 rows st st.
Row 82: [K2tog] twice. (2 sts)
Row 83: P2tog and fasten off.
Row 84: Rejoin dt to rem sts (row 40), incas, turn and work on these 2 sts only with as.
Rep rows 41–83 once more.
Row 128: Rejoin dt to rem sts (row 40), k2.
Row 129: P2tog and fasten off.
Head
The cockerel’s comb will stand up on its own and the wattles will dangle downwards.
Row 1: With dt, k13 from spare needle of Right Side of Body, then k13 from spare needle of Left Side of Body. (26 sts)
Row 2: Purl.
Row 3: K2tog, k6, k2tog, k6, k2tog, k6, k2tog. (22 sts)
Row 4: Purl.
Row 5: Knit.
Row 6: Purl.
Row 7: K2tog, k8, k2tog, k8, k2tog. (19 sts)
Row 8: Purl.
Row 9: Knit.
Row 10: Purl.
Row 11: K2tog, k4, k2tog, k3, k2tog, k4, k2tog. (15 sts)
Row 12: Purl.
Work 2 rows st st.
Join in ks.
Row 15: K2togks, k1ks, k9dt, k1ks, k2togks. (13 sts)
Row 16: P4ks, p5dt, p4ks.
Row 17: K3ks, k7dt, w&t (leave 3 sts on lefthand needle unworked).
Row 18: Working top of head on these 7 sts only, p7dt, w&t.
Row 19: K7dt, w&t.
Row 20: P7dt, w&t.
Row 21: K7dt, k3ks. (13 sts in total)
Row 22: P2togks, p1ks, p2togdt, p3dt, p2togdt, p1ks, p2togks. (9 sts)
Row 23: K2ks, k5dt, w&t (leave 2 sts on lefthand needle unworked).
Row 24: Working top of head on these 5 sts only, p5dt, w&t.
Row 25: K5dt, w&t.
Row 26: P5dt, w&t.
Row 27: K5dt, k2ks. (9 sts in total)
Cont in dt.
Row 28: P2tog, p5, p2tog. (7 sts)
Row 29: K2tog, k3, k2tog. (5 sts)
Cast (bind) off.
(make 2 the same)
With ks, cast on 5 sts.
Knit 3 rows.
Row 4: K2tog, k3. (4 sts)
Row 5: Knit.
Row 6: K2tog, k2. (3 sts)
Row 7: Knit.
Cast (bind) off.
With ks, cast on 5 sts.
Knit 2 rows.
Row 3: K4, inc. (6 sts)
Knit 2 rows.
Row 6: K5, inc. (7 sts)
Row 7: Cast (bind) off 3 sts, k to end. (4 sts)
Row 8: K4, cast on 2 sts. (6 sts)
Knit 2 rows.
Row 11: Cast (bind) off 2 sts, k to end. (4 sts)
Row 12: K3, inc. (6 sts)
Knit 2 rows.
Row 15: K3, k2tog. (4 sts)
Row 16: K2tog, k2. (3 sts)
Row 17: K3, cast on 2 sts. (5 sts)
Row 18: Knit.
Row 19: K3, k2tog. (4 sts)
Row 20: K2tog, k2. (3 sts)
Row 21: K1, k2tog. (2 sts)
Row 22: K2tog and fasten off.
(make 2 the same)
With ga, cast on 4 sts.
Beg with a k row, work 18 rows st st.
Cast (bind) off.
(make 2 the same)
With ga, cast on 1 st.
Beg with a k row, cont in st st.
Row 1: Inc. (2 sts)
Row 2: Purl.
Row 3: [Inc] twice. (4 sts)
Work 23 rows st st.
Row 27: [K2tog] twice. (2 sts)
Row 28: Purl.
Row 29: K2tog and fasten off.
(make 2 the same)
Work as for First Front Claw, but working 11 rows st st.
Cast (bind) off.
Tail
The cockerel’s tail feathers will need pressing. A pipecleaner inserted part of the way up each feather will help them to stand up.
SEWING IN ENDS Sew in ends, leaving ends from cast on and cast (bound) off rows for sewing up.
BODY With WS together and whip stitch, sew two halves of body together, leaving a 2.5cm (1in) gap.
STUFFING Stuff the cockerel firmly, then sew up the gap. Mould body into shape.
LEGS AND FEET Using a 20cm (8in) length of pipecleaner and the Leg and Claw Method (see here), make up legs and feet. The cockerel’s legs are 2cm (¾in) high. To attach the legs, push protruding ends of pipecleaners into base of body approx 8 rows apart.
TAIL Press tail feathers and sew up 5cm (2in) of each feather from bottom end. Insert a short length of pipecleaner into each sewn up section through bottom end; push other end of pipecleaner into cockerel’s bottom. This makes the tail feathers stand up.
WATTLES Attach cast (bound) off row of wattles to side of head, approx 2 rows down from top of head and 4 sts from beak.
COMB Sew along top of head, starting at beak end of head.
EYES Sew on black beads positioned as in photograph.
BEAK Cut approx 2cm (¾in) length of pipecleaner, bend in half and push into beak end of cockerel’s head. Smear with glue and wrap ga yarn around it, then tie and sew in ends.
