Pigs occupy a special place in our affections. As Winston Churchill said, ‘Dogs look up to us, cats look down on us, but pigs treat us as equals.’ It seems immensely unfair that the word ‘pig’ is used as an insult. One particularly heroic pig event took place in 1998 when the ‘Tamworth Two’ escaped on the way to an abattoir in Malmesbury. They went on the run for over a week, and when they were finally recaptured and threatened with a return to the abattoir, there was a national outcry and they eventually went to live happily ever after on a rarebreeds farm in Kent.
This lovely pink pig is easy to knit.
Length: 20cm (8in)
Height to top of head: 9cm (3½in)
• Pair of 3¼mm (US 3) knitting needles
• Double-pointed 3¼mm (US 3) knitting needles (for holding stitches)
• 25g (1oz) of Rowan Pure Wool DK in Dew 057 (de)
• Tiny amount of Rowan Pure Wool 4ply in Black 404 (bl) for eyes, nose and trotters
• 2 pipecleaners for legs
See here.
With de, cast on 4 sts.
Beg with a k row, work 6 rows st st.
Row 7: K1, [inc] twice, k1. (6 sts)
Row 8: Purl.
Row 9: Inc, k4, inc. (8 sts)
Row 10: Purl.**
Row 11: K1, [inc] twice, k2, [inc] twice, k1. (12 sts)
Row 12: Purl.
Row 13: K1, [inc] twice, k6, [inc] twice, k1. (16 sts)
Row 14: Purl.*
Row 15: Cast (bind) off 8 sts, k to end (hold 8 sts on spare needle for Right Side of Body).
Work as for Right Back Leg to *.
Row 15: K8, cast (bind) off 8 sts (hold 8 sts on spare needle for Left Side of Body).
Work as for Right Back Leg to **.
Row 11: K1, [inc] twice, k2, [inc] twice, k1. (12 sts)
Work 3 rows st st.***
Row 15: Cast (bind) off 6 sts, k to end (hold 6 sts on spare needle for Right Side of Body).
Work as for Right Front Leg to ***.
Row 15: K6, cast (bind) off 6 sts (hold 6 sts on spare needle for Left Side of Body).
With de, cast on 18 sts.
Row 1: Knit.
Row 2: Inc, p16, inc, with WS facing p6 from spare needle of Right Front Leg. (26 sts)
Row 3: K25, inc, with RS facing k8 from spare needle of Right Back Leg, cast on 1 st. (36 sts)
Row 4: P36, cast on 14 sts. (50 sts)
Row 5: K49, inc. (51 sts)
Row 6: Purl.
Row 7: Cast (bind) off 3 sts, k47 icos, inc. (49 sts)
Row 8: P47, p2tog. (48 sts)
Row 9: K2tog, k45, inc. (48 sts)
Row 10: P46, p2tog. (47 sts)
Row 11: K46, inc. (48 sts)
Row 12: Purl.
Row 13: K2tog, k46. (47 sts)
Row 14: Purl.
Row 15: K2tog, k45. (46 sts)
Row 16: Purl.
Row 17: Cast (bind) off 5 sts, k to end. (41 sts)
Row 18: P39, p2tog. (40 sts)
Row 19: K2tog, k36, k2tog. (38 sts) 94
Row 20: P2tog, p34, p2tog. (36 sts)
Row 21: Cast (bind) off 5 sts, k29 icos, k2tog. (30 sts)
Row 22: P2tog, p26, p2tog. (28 sts) Cast (bind) off.
Body
The pig is an animal that needs to be well stuffed.
With de, cast on 18 sts.
Row 1: Purl.
Row 2: Inc, k16, inc, with RS facing k6 from spare needle of Left Front Leg. (26 sts)
Row 3: P25, inc, with WS facing p8 from spare needle Left Back Leg, cast on 1 st. (36 sts)
Row 4: K36, cast on 14 sts. (50 sts)
Row 5: P49, inc. (51 sts)
Row 6: Knit.
Row 7: Cast (bind) off 3 sts, p47 icos, inc. (49 sts)
Row 8: K47, k2tog. (48 sts)
Row 9: P2tog, p45, inc. (48 sts)
Row 10: K46, k2tog. (47 sts)
Row 11: P46, inc. (48 sts)
Row 12: Knit.
Row 13: P2tog, p46. (47 sts)
Row 14: Knit.
Row 15: P2tog, p45. (46 sts)
Row 16: Knit.
Row 17: Cast (bind) off 5 sts, p to end. (41 sts)
Row 18: K39, k2tog. (40 sts)
Row 19: P2tog, p36, p2tog. (38 sts)
Row 20: K2tog, k34, k2tog. (36 sts)
Row 21: Cast (bind) off 5 sts, p29 icos, p2tog. (30 sts)
Row 22: K2tog, k26, k2tog. (28 sts)
Cast (bind) off.
With de, 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)
Row 4: Purl.
Row 5: Inc, k2, inc. (6 sts)
Row 6: Purl.
Row 7: Inc, k4, inc. (8 sts)
Work 41 rows st st.
Row 49: K2tog, k4, k2tog. (6 sts)
Work 7 rows st st.
Row 57: K2tog, k2, k2tog. (4 sts)
Work 3 rows st st.
Row 61: [K2tog] twice. (2 sts)
Row 62: P2tog and fasten off.
With de, cast on 20 sts.
Cast (bind) off.
Tail
The pig’s tail will curl naturally, so simply twist it around into a curl.
(make 2 the same)
With de, cast on 5 sts.
Row 1 (forms ridge on RS): Knit.
Row 2: Inc, k3, inc. (7 sts)
Row 3: Purl.
Row 4: K3, inc, k3. (8 sts)
Work 3 rows st st.
Row 8: K2tog, k4, k2tog. (6 sts)
Row 9: Purl.
Row 10: K2tog, k2, k2tog. (4 sts)
Row 11: Purl.
Row 12: [K2tog] twice. (2 sts)
Row 13: P2tog and fasten off.
SEWING IN ENDS Sew in ends, leaving ends from cast on and cast (bound) off rows for sewing up.
LEGS With WS together and whip stitch, fold each leg in half and sew up legs on RS, starting at trotters.
BODY Sew along back of pig and 5cm (2in) down bottom.
TUMMY Sew cast on row of tummy to where you have finished sewing down bottom, and sew cast (bound) off row to nose. Ease and sew tummy to fit body. Leave a 2.5cm (1in) gap between front and back legs on one side.
STUFFING Pipecleaners are used to stiffen the legs and help bend them into shape. Fold a pipecleaner into a U-shape and measure against front two legs. Cut to fit approximately, leaving an extra 2.5cm (1in) at both ends. Fold these ends over to stop the pipecleaner poking out of the trotters. Roll a little stuffing around pipecleaner and slip into body, one end down each front leg. Repeat with second pipecleaner and back legs. Starting at the head, stuff the pig firmly, then sew up the gap. Mould body into shape.
TAIL Attach tail to start of bottom. Twist tail around to curl in a pig-like way.
EARS With knit side uppermost, sew cast on row of each ear to top of head, approx level with centre of front legs and with 3 rows between ears. The ears should flop forwards.
TROTTERS With bl, sew 2 sts vertically down front of each trotter.
EYES With bl, make a tiny horizontal stitch for each eye, 4 rows below centre seam.
NOSTRILS With bl, sew tiny stitches for nostrils.
