The Triceratops was related to the rhinoceros, but was about the size of an African elephant. With its huge skull, three horns and frill, it was pretty distinctive. The Triceratops was a herbivore but would charge its enemies if annoyed. It was one of the many dinosaurs that were prey for Tyrannosaurus Rex. There is a three-member Japanese rock band called Toraiseratoppusu, which translates as Triceratops.
The Triceratops does not need any pipecleaners or wire so can be made for small children.
Length: 41cm (16¼in)
Height to centre back: 14cm (5½in)
Pair of 2¾mm (US 2) knitting needles
Double-pointed 2¾mm (US 2) knitting needles (for i-cord and for holding stitches)
25g (1oz) of Rowan Felted Tweed in Celadon 184 (ce)
5g (⅛oz) of Rowan Fine Lace in Stoneware 943 (st) used DOUBLE throughout
5g (⅛oz) of Rowan Felted Tweed in Frozen 185 (fr)
Tiny amount of Rowan Pure Wool DK in Black 004 (bl) for eyes
2 tiny black beads for eyes and sewing needle and black thread for sewing on
See here.
See for I-cord Technique.
With ce, cast on 16 sts.
Work 2 rows k1, p1 rib.
Row 3: K2tog, rib to last 2 sts, k2tog. (14 sts)
Work 2 rows rib.
Row 6: K2tog, k10, k2tog. (12 sts)
Work 3 rows st st.
Row 10: K1, inc, k8, inc, k1. (14 sts)
Work 3 rows st st.
Row 14: K1, inc, k10, inc, k1. (16 sts)
Work 3 rows st st.
Row 18: K1, inc, k12, inc, k1. (18 sts)
Row 19: Purl.
Row 20: K1, inc, k14, inc, k1. (20 sts)
Row 21: Purl.
Row 22: K1, inc, k16, inc, k1. (22 sts)
Row 23: Purl.
Row 24: K1, inc, k18, inc, k1. (24 sts)
Row 25: Purl.
Row 26: K1, inc, k20, inc, k1. (26 sts)
Work 7 rows st st.*
Row 34: Cast (bind) off 13 sts, k to end (hold 13 sts on spare needle for Right Side of Body).
Work as for Right Back Leg to *.
Row 34: K13, cast (bind) off 13 sts (hold 13 sts on spare needle for Left Side of Body).
With ce, cast on 16 sts.
Work 2 rows k1, p1 rib.
Row 3: K2tog, rib to last 2 sts, k2tog. (14 sts)
Work 2 rows rib.
Row 6: K2tog, k10, k2tog. (12 sts)
Work 5 rows st st.
Row 12: K1, inc, k8, inc, k1. (14 sts)
Work 3 rows st st.
Row 16: K1, inc, k10, inc, k1. (16 sts)
Work 3 rows st st.
Row 20: K1, inc, k12, inc, k1. (18 sts)
Work 3 rows st st.
Row 24: K1, inc, k14, inc, k1. (20 sts)
Work 5 rows st st.**
Row 30: Cast (bind) off 10 sts, k to end (hold 10 sts on spare needle for Right Side of Body).
Work as for Right Front Leg to **.
Row 30: K10, cast (bind) off 10 sts (hold 10 sts on spare needle for Left Side of Body).
With ce, cast on 8 sts.
Row 1: K8, cast on 3 sts. (11 sts)
Row 2: P11, cast on 3 sts. (14 sts)
Row 3: K14, with RS facing k13 from spare needle of Right Back Leg. (27 sts)
Row 4: P12, k2, p13, with WS facing p10 from spare needle of Right Front Leg. (37 sts)
Row 5: K9, p2, k11, p2, k13, cast on 45 sts. (82 sts)
Row 6: Cast (bind) off 10 sts, p48 icos, k2, p11, k2, p9, cast on 5 sts. (77 sts)
Row 7: K15, p2, k10, p2, k48.
Row 8: Cast (bind) off 8 sts, p40 icos, k2, p10, k2, p15, cast on 5 sts. (74 sts)
Row 9: K21, p2, k9, p2, k40.
Row 10: Cast (bind) off 6 sts, p34 icos, k2, p9, k2, p21. (68 sts)
Row 11: K21, p2, k9, p2, k34.
Row 12: Cast (bind) off 4 sts, p30 icos, k2, p9, k2, p21. (64 sts)
Row 13: K21, p2, k10, p2, k29.
Row 14: Cast (bind) off 4 sts, p25 icos, k2, p10, k2, p21. (60 sts)
Row 15: K21, p2, k10, p2, k25.
Row 16: Cast (bind) off 4 sts, p21 icos, k2, p11, k2, p20. (56 sts)
Row 17: K20, p1, k14, p1, k20.
Row 18: Cast (bind) off 4 sts, p16 icos, k1, p14, k1, p20. (52 sts)
Row 19: Knit.
Row 20: Cast (bind) off 4 sts, p to end. (48 sts)
Row 21: Cast (bind) off 8 sts, k to end. (40 sts)
Row 22: P2tog, p to end. (39 sts)
Row 23: Cast (bind) off 3 sts, k34 icos, k2tog. (35 sts)
Row 24: P2tog, p31, p2tog. (33 sts)
Row 25: Cast (bind) off 3 sts, k28 icos, k2tog. (29 sts)
Row 26: P2tog, p25, p2tog. (27 sts)
Row 27: Cast (bind) off 5 sts, k20 icos, k2tog. (21 sts)
Row 28: P2tog, p17, p2tog. (19 sts)
Row 29: Cast (bind) off 6 sts, k to end. (13 sts)
Cast (bind) off.
With ce, cast on 8 sts.
Row 1: P8, cast on 3 sts. (11 sts)
Row 2: K11, cast on 3 sts. (14 sts)
Row 3: P14, with WS facing p13 from spare needle of Left Back Leg. (27 sts)
Row 4: K12, p2, k13, with RS facing k10 from spare needle of Left Front Leg. (37 sts)
Row 5: P9, k2, p11, k2, p13, cast on 45 sts. (82 sts)
Row 6 : Cast (bind) off 10 sts, k48 icos, p2, k11, p2, k9, cast on 5 sts. (77 sts)
Row 7: P15, k2, p10, k2, p48.
Row 8: Cast (bind) off 8 sts, k40 icos, p2, k10, p2, k15, cast on 5 sts. (74 sts)
Row 9: P21, k2, p9, k2, p40.
Row 10: Cast (bind) off 6 sts, k34 icos, p2, k9, p2, k21. (68 sts)
Row 11: P21, k2, p9, k2, p34.
Row 12: Cast (bind) off 4 sts, k30 icos, p2, k9, p2, k21. (64 sts)
Row 13: P21, k2, p10, k2, p29.
Row 14: Cast (bind) off 4 sts, k25 icos, p2, k10, p2, k21. (60 sts)
Row 15: P21, k2, p10, k2, p25.
Row 16: Cast (bind) off 4 sts, k21 icos, p2, k11, p2, k20. (56 sts)
Row 17: P20, k1, p14, k1, p20.
Row 18: Cast (bind) off 4 sts, k16 icos, p1, k14, p1, k20. (52 sts)
Row 19: Purl.
Row 20: Cast (bind) off 4 sts, k to end. (48 sts)
Row 21: Cast (bind) off 8 sts, p to end. (40 sts)
Row 22: K2tog, k to end. (39 sts)
Row 23: Cast (bind) off 3 sts, p34 icos, p2tog. (35 sts)
Row 24: K2tog, k31, k2tog. (33 sts)
Row 25: Cast (bind) off 3 sts, p28 icos, p2tog. (29 sts)
Row 26: K2tog, k25, k2tog. (27 sts)
Row 27: Cast (bind) off 5 sts, p20 icos, p2tog. (21 sts)
Row 28: K2tog, k17, k2tog. (19 sts)
Row 29: Cast (bind) off 6 sts, p to end. (13 sts)
Cast (bind) off.
With ce, cast on 1 st.
Row 1: Knit.
Row 2: Inc. (2 sts)
Row 3: Purl.
Row 4: Inc, k1. (3 sts)
Row 5: Purl.
Row 6: Inc, k1, inc. (5 sts)
Row 7: Purl.
Row 8: K1, inc, k1, inc, k1. (7 sts)
Row 9: Purl.
Row 10: K1, inc, k3, inc, k1. (9 sts)
Row 11: Purl.
Join in st.
Row 12: K3ce, incst, k1st, incst, turn.
With double-pointed needles and st, work i-cord on these 5 sts only as folls:
Knit 3 rows.
Next row: K2tog, k1, k2tog. (3 sts)
Next row: Knit.
Next row: K2tog, k1. (2 sts)
Next row: Knit.
Next row: K2tog and fasten off.
With ce, cast on 3 sts, k3. (9 sts)
Row 13: Purl.
Row 14: K1, inc, k5, inc, k1. (11 sts)
Row 15: Purl.
Row 16: K1, inc, k7, inc, k1. (13 sts)
Row 17: Purl.
Row 18: K1, inc, k9, inc, k1. (15 sts)
Row 19: Purl.
Row 20: K1, inc, k11, inc, k1. (17 sts)
Row 21: Purl.
Work 4 rows st st.
Row 26: K1, inc, k13, inc, k1. (19 sts)
Row 27: Purl.
Row 28: K1, inc, k15, inc, k1. (21 sts)
Row 29: Purl.
Join in st.
Row 30: K5ce, *incst, k1st, incst, turn.
With double-pointed needles and st, work i-cord on these 5 sts only as folls:
Knit 8 rows.
Next row: K2tog, k3. (4 sts)
Knit 4 rows.
Next row: K2tog, k2. (3 sts)
Knit 4 rows.
Next row: K2tog, k1. (2 sts)
Knit 3 rows.
Next row: K2tog and fasten off.
With ce, cast on 3 sts, k5*; rep from * to * once more.
Row 31: Purl.
Cont in fr.
Work 1 row k1, p1 rib.
Row 33: Inc, [k1, p1, inc, p1, k1, inc] to last 2 sts, k1, inc. (29 sts)
Work 3 rows rib.
Row 37: Inc, rib to last st, inc. (31 sts)
Row 38: Rep row 37. (33 sts)
Row 39: Cast (bind) off 4 sts, rib to end. (29 sts)
Row 40: Rep row 39. (25 sts)
Row 41: [Rib 1, inc, rib 1] 4 times, rib 1, [rib 1, inc, rib 1] 4 times. (33 sts)
Work 4 rows rib.
Row 46: [Inc, rib 1] to last st, inc. (50 sts)
Work 1 row rib.
Row 48: Cast (bind) off 5 sts, rib to end. (45 sts)
Row 49: Rep row 48. (40 sts)
Work 1 row rib.
Change to ce.
Work 1 row rib.
Cast (bind) off.
Head
The Triceratops has a ribbed frill and three horns, which are all knitted in as part of the head.
With ce, cast on 1 st.
Row 1: [Inc] twice. (2 sts)
Row 2: Purl.
Work 2 rows st st.
Row 5: [Inc] twice. (4 sts)
Work 3 rows st st.
Row 9: K1, [inc] twice, k1. (6 sts)
Row 10: P2, inc, p3. (7 sts)
Row 11: K3, p1, k3.
Row 12: P1, inc, p1, k1, p1, inc, p1. (9 sts)
Row 13: K4, p1, k4.
Row 14: P4, k1, p4.
Rep rows 13–14, 22 times more.
Work 6 rows st st.
Row 65: K2tog, k5, k2tog. (7 sts)
Work 2 rows moss (seed) st.
Row 75: K2tog, moss (seed) st 3, k2tog. (5 sts)
Work 12 rows moss (seed) st.
Row 88: K2tog, p1, k2tog. (3 sts)
Work 5 rows moss (seed) st.
Row 94: K3tog 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, fold each leg in half and sew up on RS, starting at feet.
BODY AND TAIL With WS together, sew along back and down tail to approx 2cm (¾in) behind back legs.
HEAD Sew head onto body where the two sides of body meet for the neck (where ce meets fr), with nose pointing forwards.
TUMMY With RS of body and WS of tummy (reverse st st side) together, sew cast on row of tummy to top of tail, and sew cast (bound) off row to end of nose. Ease and sew tummy to fit body, leaving a 2.5cm (1in) gap between front and back legs on one side.
STUFFING Stuff the Triceratops very firmly to make him stand up (the horns do not need any stuffing). Sew up the gap and mould the body into shape.
NOSE Sew tip of nose down to chin approx 5mm (¼in) as in photograph.
TOENAILS With st, sew four toenails around the front of each foot, using 3 horizontal satin stitches per toenail.
EYES With bl, sew 2-loop French knots positioned as in photograph, 3 sts in front of horns with 6 sts between eyes. Sew black beads on top of knots.
