Don’t be alarmed at the amount of wool this chap uses; it’s a very simple one-piece shape – a nice and easy afternoon’s project.
50g dark blue merino roving
2 × size 40 triangular needles, for shaping
1–2 × size 42 triangular needles, for surface finishing
2 × 4mm black glass eyes or seed beads
Small amount of white merino roving
Blue embroidery floss
Finished size: 13–14cm long
1 Take a length of blue roving measuring 30 × 4cm. Gently tease the fibres out to make a flat strip. Then take another length of roving measuring 55 × 4cm and fluff it into a big loose ball. Wrap the flat length around the ball so that you have a good, bulky body with a small amount left for the tail.
2 Work with two size 40 needles to shape the whale.
3 It’s easier to use one size 42 needle to get the small, defined edges of the tail, but you may prefer to start with two of them. Hold the tail at an angle as you work, so that you get a slight twist.
4 When you have a firm body, cover it in thin layers of blue wool, ensuring the fibres lie in the same direction as the body length and carefully carving a long mouth using the sides of the needles as you jab. Don’t poke too hard, or you may snap them.
5 Sew in the eyes using the sideways method, and add a water splash on top of the head, using a small amount of white wool. Use one size 42 needle to define the edges clearly. Finish off by sewing three decorative stitches on to the tail; I’ve used lazy daisy stitch here.