This eager chap needs careful work to capture his pert nose and slim tail.
50g dark yellow merino roving
2 × size 40 triangular needles, for shaping
1–2 × size 42 triangular needles, for surface finishing
Scrap of merino roving, for the collar
2 × 3mm black glass eyes or seed beads
Thick black cotton thread
Finished size: 14–16cm long from tip to tip
1 Take a good length of dark yellow roving measuring 22 × 4cm. Tear it into shorter lengths all roughly the same size so that you have a fat slug of wool measuring approximately 15–18cm long.
2 Begin working with two size 40 needles. The wool tapers naturally to thinner ends, which should be left loose at the head end, while you shape the slender body. Make the body thicker towards one end, for a broad chest and small waist.
3 When you’re happy with your trunk, sculpt the head, pushing the wool into the right shape – thinner at the nose and broader around the ears and eyes, which will be front-facing.
4 Finish shaping the head with one needle for a nice clean line, using your fingers to pinch the wool in place for accuracy.
5 For the tail, take a small amount of dark yellow wool measuring 15 × 1cm, double it over and shape it into a tail on your mat, before joining it to the end of the body and finishing it off with one needle.
6 The tail should be thin and curved, getting thicker as it meets the body. Once the body is formed, judge whether you need extra chest wool or not, and add it if you do. (I often underestimate this area.)
7 Now for the legs. Take four small tufts of wool, each measuring roughly 15 × 1cm, and shape four legs – one end of each should be left loose. Join the legs to the body, as you did the tail. Splay the loose end out as you attach the legs, each of which should be about 2cm long. Position them in a lively, running position.
8 Shape two ears from wisps of wool on the mat, and join to the head. They should be about 1–1.5cm long.
9 Cover the entire body in thin layers of wool to unify the surface. Where possible, make sure the covering fibres follow the same direction as the body fibres.
10 Add a little collar, then finally sew in the eyes using the front-facing method and stitch a little nose with black thread (see here). Woof!