The largest sea turtle ever known, weighing more than 4,000 pounds, the Archelon lived in North America, which was then mainly covered by sea. A slow mover, the Archelon swam near the surface of the sea and lived for up to 100 years, possibly thanks to taking long sleeps on the seabed, and only ventured onto land to lay eggs.
The Archelon’s shell is sewn on after knitting the whole body.
Length: 19cm (7½in)
Height to top of shell: 7cm (2¾in)
Pair of 3¼mm (US 3) knitting needles
35g (1⅜oz) of Rowan Alpaca Colour in Agate 137 (ag)
15g (½oz) of Rowan Alpaca Colour in Iron 135 (ir)
Tiny amount of Rowan Pure Wool 4ply in Black 404 (bl) for eyes
See here.
(make 2 the same)
With ag, cast on 4 sts.
Beg with a k row, work 2 rows st st.
Row 3: K1, [inc] twice, k1. (6 sts)
Row 4: Purl.
Row 5: K2, [inc] twice, k2. (8 sts)
Row 6: Purl.
Row 7: Inc, k2, [inc] twice, k2, inc. (12 sts)
Row 8: Purl.
Row 9: Inc, k10, inc. (14 sts)
Work 3 rows st st.
Row 13: K2tog, k10, k2tog. (12 sts)
Row 14: Purl.
Cast (bind) off.
(make 2 the same)
With ag, cast on 2 sts.
Beg with a k row, work 2 rows st st.
Row 3: [Inc] twice. (4 sts)
Row 4: Purl.
Row 5: K1, [inc] twice, k1. (6 sts)
Row 6: Purl.
Row 7: K2, [inc] twice, k2. (8 sts)
Row 8: Purl.
Row 9: Inc, k2, [inc] twice, k2, inc. (12 sts)
Row 10: Purl.
Row 11: Inc, k10, inc. (14 sts)
Row 12: Purl.
Row 13: K3, inc, k6, inc, k3. (16 sts)
Work 3 rows st st.
Row 17: K4, inc, k6, inc, k4. (18 sts)
Work 5 rows st st.
Row 23: K2tog, k14, k2tog. (16 sts)
Row 24: Purl.
Row 25: K2tog, k12, k2tog. (14 sts)
Row 26: Purl.
Row 27: K2tog, k10, k2tog. (12 sts)
Work 3 rows st st.
Cast (bind) off.
With ag, cast on 2 sts.
Beg with a k row, work 2 rows st st.
Row 3: [Inc] twice. (4 sts)
Work 5 rows st st.
Row 9: K4, cast on 6 sts. (10 sts)
Row 10: P10, cast on 6 sts. (16 sts)
Row 11: K16, cast on 3 sts. (19 sts)
Row 12: P19, cast on 3 sts. (22 sts)
Row 13: Knit.
Row 14: Purl.
Row 15: Inc, k20, inc. (24 sts)
Work 3 rows st st.
Row 19: Inc, k22, inc. (26 sts)
Work 29 rows st st.
Row 49: K2tog, k22, k2tog. (24 sts)
Work 9 rows st st.
Row 59: K2tog, k20, k2tog. (22 sts)
Row 60: Purl.
Row 61: Cast (bind) off 4 sts, k to end. (18 sts)
Row 62: Cast (bind) off 4 sts, p to end. (14 sts)
Row 63: Cast (bind) off 4 sts, k to end. (10 sts)
Row 64: Cast (bind) off 4 sts, p to end. (6 sts)
Work 8 rows st st.
Row 73: K1, [k2tog] twice, k1. (4 sts)
Row 74: Purl.
Row 75: [K2tog] twice. (2 sts)
Row 76: P2tog and fasten off.
With ag, cast on 2 sts.
Beg with a k row, work 2 rows st st.
Row 3: [Inc] twice. (4 sts)
Work 5 rows st st.
Row 9: K4, cast on 6 sts. (10 sts)
Row 10: P10, cast on 6 sts. (16 sts)
Row 11: K16, cast on 3 sts. (19 sts)
Row 12: P19, cast on 3 sts. (22 sts)
Row 13: Knit.
Row 14: Purl.
Row 15: Inc, k3, [inc] twice, k4, [inc] twice, k4, [inc] twice, k3, inc. (30 sts)
Row 19: Inc, k13, [inc] twice, k13, inc. (34 sts)
Work 3 rows st st.
Row 23: K9, inc, k6, [inc] twice, k6, inc, k9. (38 sts)
Work 3 rows st st.
Row 27: K18, [inc] twice, k18. (40 sts)
Work 3 rows st st.
Row 31: K10, inc, k8, [inc] twice, k8, inc, k10. (44 sts)
Work 5 rows st st.
Row 37: K10, k2tog, k8, [k2tog] twice, k8, k2tog, k10. (40 sts)
Work 3 rows st st.
Row 41: K2tog, k6, [k2tog] twice, k6, [k2tog] twice, k6, [k2tog] twice, k6, k2tog. (32 sts)
Work 3 rows st st.
Row 45: K6, k2tog, k6, [k2tog] twice, k6, k2tog, k6. (28 sts)
Work 3 rows st st.
Row 49: K2tog, k24, k2tog. (26 sts)
Row 50: Purl.
Row 51: K2tog, k9, [k2tog] twice, k9, k2tog. (22 sts)
Row 52: Purl.
Row 53: Cast (bind) off 4 sts, k to end. (18 sts)
Row 54: Cast (bind) off 4 sts, p to end. (14 sts)
Row 55: Cast (bind) off 4 sts, k to end. (10 sts)
Row 56: Cast (bind off) 4 sts, p to end. (6 sts)
Row 57: K1, [inc] 4 times, k1. (10 sts)
Row 58: P1, inc, p2, [inc] twice, p2, inc, p1. (14 sts)
Work 6 rows st st.
Row 65: K1, [k2tog] twice, k4, [k2tog] twice, k1. (10 sts)
Row 66: P2, p2tog, p2, p2tog, p2. (8 sts)
Row 67: K1, [k2tog] 3 times, k1. (5 sts)
Row 68: P2tog, p1, p2tog. (3 sts)
Row 69: K3tog and fasten off.
Nose
Pull the top of the nose over the bottom to create a point.
With ir, cast on 21 sts.
Row 1: Moss (seed) st 8, k2, p1, k2, moss (seed) st 8.
Row 2: Moss (seed) st 8, p2, k1, p2, moss (seed) st 8, cast on 2 sts. (23 sts)
Row 3: Moss (seed) st 10, k2, p1, k2, moss (seed) st 8, cast on 2 sts. (25 sts)
Row 4: Inc, moss (seed) st 9, p1, inc, k1, inc, p1, moss (seed) st 9, inc. (29 sts)
Row 5: Moss (seed) st 12, k2, p1, k2, moss (seed) st 12.
Row 6: Moss (seed) st 12, p2, k1, p2, moss (seed) st 12.
Row 7: Inc, moss (seed) st 11, k2, p1, k2, moss (seed) st 11, inc. (31 sts)
Row 8: Moss (seed) st 13, p2, k1, p2, moss (seed) st 13.
Row 9: Inc, moss (seed) st 5, [inc] twice, moss (seed) st 5, k2, p1, k2, moss (seed) st 5, [inc] twice, moss (seed) st 5, inc. (37 sts)
Row 10: Moss (seed) st 16, p2, k1, p2, moss (seed) st 16.
Row 11: Moss (seed) st 16, k2, p1, k2, moss (seed) st 16.
Row 12: Moss (seed) st 16, p1, inc, k1, inc, p1, moss (seed) st 16. (39 sts)Row 13: Moss (seed) st 17, k2, p1, k2, moss (seed) st 17.
Row 14: Moss (seed) st 17, p2, k1, p2, moss (seed) st 17.
Row 15: Moss (seed) st 17, k2, p1, k2, moss (seed) st 17.
Rep rows 14–15 once more.
Row 18: Inc, moss (seed) st 16, p2, k1, p2, moss (seed) st 16, inc. (41 sts)
Row 19: Moss (seed) st 18, k2, p1, k2, moss (seed) st 18.
Row 20: Moss (seed) st 18, p2, k1, p2, moss (seed) st 18.
Rep rows 19–20 twice more.
Row 25: Moss (seed) st 18, k1, inc, p1, inc, k1, moss (seed) st 18. (43 sts)
Row 26: Moss (seed) st 19, p2, k1, p2, moss (seed) st 19.
Row 27: Moss (seed) st 19, k2, p1, k2, moss (seed) st 19.
Rep rows 26–27, 4 times more.
Row 36: Moss (seed) st 18, p1, p2tog, k1, p2tog, p1, moss (seed) st 18. (41 sts)
Row 37: Moss (seed) st 18, k2, p1, k2, moss (seed) st 18.
Row 38: Moss (seed) st 18, p2, k1, p2, moss (seed) st 18.
Rep rows 37–38 twice more.
Row 43: P2tog, moss (seed) st 16, k2, p1, k2, moss (seed) st 16, p2tog. (39 sts)
Row 44: Moss (seed) st 17, p2, k1, p2, moss (seed) st 17.
Row 45: Moss (seed) st 17, k2, p1, k2, moss (seed) st 17.
Rep rows 44–45 once more.
Row 48: K2tog, moss (seed) st 14, p1, p2tog, k1, p2tog, p1, moss (seed) st 14, k2tog. (35 sts)
Row 49: Moss (seed) st 15, k2, p1, k2, moss (seed) st 15.
Row 50: Moss (seed) st 6, k2tog, p2tog, moss (seed) st 5, p2, k1, p2, moss (seed) st 5, p2tog, k2tog, moss (seed) st 6. (31 sts)
Row 51: Moss (seed) st 13, k2, p1, k2, moss (seed) st 13.
Row 52: P2tog, moss (seed) st 10, p1, p2tog, k1, p2tog, p1, moss (seed) st 10, p2tog. (27 sts)
Row 53: Moss (seed) st 11, k2, p1, k2, moss (seed) st 11.
Row 54: K2tog, moss (seed) st 9, p2, k1, p2, moss (seed) st 9, k2tog. (25 sts)
Row 55: Cast (bind) off 4 sts, moss (seed) st 6 icos, k2, p1, k2, moss (seed) st 10. (21 sts)
Row 56: Cast (bind) off 4 sts, moss (seed) st 6 icos, p2, k1, p2, moss (seed) st 6. (17 sts)
Cast (bind) off.
SEWING IN ENDS Sew in ends, leaving ends from cast on and cast (bound) off rows for sewing up.
FLIPPERS With WS together, fold each flipper in half and sew up on RS, starting at cast on edge. Stuff each flipper and sew along top, leaving an end to use for attaching to body.
BODY AND HEAD With WS together, sew around tail, body and head (make sure the nose is pointy), leaving a 2.5cm (1in) gap on one side.
STUFFING Starting at head, stuff the Archelon firmly, then sew up the gap. Mould body into shape.
ATTACHING FLIPPERS Sew the front flippers to the seam on the body, positioned 3 sts from neck. Attach the back flippers, starting 6 sts from tail.
SHELL Attach the shell to top of body, using running stitch and sewing one stitch in from the edge. The stitches can be quite big and not too tight to give the feel of the shell sitting on top of the body.
EYES With bl, sew 2-loop French knots positioned as in photograph.
