The saddleback is a crossbreed of Neapolitan and Essex pigs, a combination that gives it the characteristics of hardiness and excellent mothering skills. Charles Kingsley described it as ‘a pig of self-helpful and serene spirit’. Intensive pig farming has meant that the saddleback has become quite rare – there are fewer than 500 breeding sows registered in the UK. Dick King-Smith wrote a lovely book called Saddlebottom starring a saddleback pig family.
The saddleback is no more complicated to knit than the singlecolour pig.
Length: 24cm (9½in)
Height to centre back: 12cm (4¾in)
• Pair of 3¼mm (US 3) knitting needles
• Double-pointed 3¼mm (US 3) knitting needles (for holding stitches)
• 40g (1½oz) Rowan Creative Focus Worsted in Ebony 00500 (eb)
• 15g (½oz) Rowan Pure Wool DK in Dew 057 (de)
• 2 pipecleaners for legs
• 2 tiny black beads for eyes and sewing needle and black thread for sewing on
See here.
With eb, cast on 3 sts.
Beg with a k row, work 4 rows st st.
Row 5: K1, inc, k1.** (4 sts)
Work 5 rows st st.
Row 11: Inc, k2, inc. (6 sts)
Row 12: Purl.
Row 13: Inc, k4, inc. (8 sts)
Row 14: Purl.*
Row 15: Cast (bind) off 4 sts, k to end (hold 4 sts on spare needle for Right Side of Body).
Trotters
The saddleback pig has a single stitch through each hoof to give it trotters.
Work as for Right Back Leg to *.
Row 15: K4, cast (bind) off 4 sts (hold 4 sts on spare needle for Left Side of Body).
With de, work as for Right Back Leg to **.
Work 1 row st st.
Row 7: Inc, k2, inc. (6 sts)
Work 3 rows st st.
Row 11: Inc, k4, inc. (8 sts)
Row 12: Purl.
Row 13: Inc, k6, inc. (10 sts)
Row 14: Purl.***
Row 15: Cast (bind) off 5 sts, k to end (hold 5 sts on spare needle for Right Side of Body).
Work as for Right Front Leg to ***.
Row 15: K5, cast (bind) off 5 sts (hold 5 sts on spare needle for Left Side of Body).
With eb, cast on 22 sts.
Row 1: Knit.
Row 2: Inc, p20, inc, with de and WS facing p5 from spare needle of Right Front Leg. (29 sts)
Row 3: K5de, k23eb, inceb, with RS facing k4eb from spare needle of Right Back Leg, cast on 1 st. (35 sts)
Row 4: P30eb, p5de, cast on 20 sts eb. (55 sts)
Row 5: K20eb, k5de, k29eb, inceb. (56 sts)
Row 6: P31eb, p5de, p20eb.
Row 7: Cast (bind) off 2 sts eb, k18eb icos, k6de, k29eb, inceb. (55 sts)
Row 8: P31eb, p6de, p16eb, p2togeb. (54 sts)
Row 9: K2togeb, k15eb, k6de, k30eb, inceb. (54 sts)
Row 10: P32eb, p6de, p14eb, p2togeb. (53 sts)
Row 11: K2togeb, k13eb, k6de, k31eb, inceb. (53 sts)
Row 13: K2togeb, k12eb, k6de, k33eb. (52 sts)
Row 14: P33eb, p6de, p11eb, p2togeb. (51 sts)
Row 15: K12eb, k7de, k32eb.
Row 16: P32eb, p7de, p12eb.
Row 17: Cast (bind) off 5 sts eb, k7eb icos, k7de, k32eb. (46 sts)
Row 18: P32eb, p7de, p7eb.
Row 19: K2togeb, k5eb, k7de, k32eb. (45 sts)
Row 20: P32eb, p7de, p6eb.
Row 21: Cast (bind) off 6 sts eb, k1eb icos, k6de, k30eb, k2togeb. (38 sts)
Row 22: P2togeb, p29eb, p7de. (37 sts)
Row 23: Cast (bind) off 7 sts de, k1de icos, k29eb. (30 sts)
Cont in eb.
Row 24: P2tog, p26, p2tog. (28 sts)
Row 25: K2tog, k24, k2tog. (26 sts)
Row 26: P2tog, p22, p2tog. (24 sts)
Cast (bind) off.
Body
Stuff the saddleback firmly as he’s quite a large pig.
With eb, cast on 22 sts.
Row 1: Purl.
Row 2: Inc, k20, inc, with de and RS facing k5 from spare needle of Left Front Leg. (29 sts)
Row 3: P5de, p23eb, inceb, with WS facing p4eb from spare needle of Left Back Leg, cast on 1 st. (35 sts)
Row 4: K30eb, k5de, cast on 20 sts eb. (55 sts)
Row 5: P20eb, p5de, p29eb, inceb. (56 sts)
Row 6: K31eb, k5de, k20eb.
Row 7: Cast (bind) off 2 sts eb, p18eb icos, p6de, p29eb, inceb. (55 sts)
Row 8: K31eb, k6de, k16eb, k2togeb. (54 sts)
Row 9: P2togeb, k15eb, k6de, k30eb, inceb. (54 sts)
Row 10: K32eb, k6de, k14eb, k2togeb. (53 sts)
Row 11: P2togeb, p13eb, p6de, p31eb, inceb. (53 sts)
Row 12: K33eb, k6de, k14eb.
Row 13: P2togeb, p12eb, p6de, p33eb. (52 sts)
Row 14: K33eb, k6de, k11eb, k2togeb. (51 sts)
Row 15: P12eb, p7de, p32eb.
Row 16: K32eb, k7de, k12eb.
Row 17: Cast (bind) off 5 sts eb, p7eb icos, p7de, p32eb. (46 sts)
Row 18: K32eb, k7de, k7eb.
Row 19: P2togeb, p5eb, p7de, p32eb. (45 sts)
Row 20: K32eb, k7de, k6eb.
Row 21: Cast (bind) off 6 sts eb, p1eb icos, p6de, p30eb, p2togeb. (38 sts)
Row 22: K2togeb, k29eb, k7de. (37 sts)
Row 23: Cast (bind) off 7 sts de, p1de icos, p29eb. (30 sts)
Cont in eb.
Row 24: K2tog, k26, k2tog. (28 sts)
Row 25: P2tog, p24, p2tog. (26 sts)
Row 26: K2tog, k22, k2tog. (24 sts)
Cast (bind) off.
With eb, 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 33 rows st st.
Join in de.
Work 8 rows st st in de.
Work 8 rows st st in eb.
Cont in eb.
Row 57: K2tog, k4, k2tog. (6 sts)
Row 58: Purl.
Work 4 rows st st.
Row 63: K2tog, k2, k2tog. (4 sts)
Row 64: Purl.
Row 65: [K2tog] twice. (2 sts)
Row 66: P2tog and fasten off.
With eb, cast on 20 sts.
Beg with a k row, work 1 row st st.
Cast (bind) off.
Tail
The saddleback’s tail will curl naturally, but you can twist it around to help.
(make 2 the same)
With eb, cast on 9 sts.
Beg with a k row, work 2 rows st st.
Row 3 (forms ridge on RS): Purl.
Row 4: Purl.
Row 5: K2tog, k5, k2tog. (7 sts)
Work 3 rows st st.
Row 9: K2tog, k3, k2tog. (5 sts)
Work 3 rows st st.
Row 13: K2tog, k1, k2tog. (3 sts)
Row 14: Purl.
Row 15: K2tog, k1. (2 sts)
Row 16: 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 6cm (2½in) 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, matching pink sections. 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 cast on row of 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 at a slight angle, with 2 rows between ears at front and 12 at back, and back of ears starting 3 sts in front of pink section. The ears should flop forwards.
TROTTERS With eb, sew 2 sts vertically down front of front trotters.
EYES Sew on black beads positioned as in photograph.
