Meaning ‘fused lizard’, the Ankylosaurus was built like an armour-plated tank, with a clubbed tail that is reputed to have been able to break a Tyrannosaurus Rex’s leg. Despite – or maybe because of – all its inbuilt weaponry (even its eyelids were armoured), it was a slow-moving vegetarian. Godzilla’s arch enemy Anguirus, also known as ‘killer of the living’ in the 1955 film Godzilla Raids Again, was based on the Ankylosaurus.
The Ankylosaurus is fairly complex to knit, due to all his spikes.
Length: 30cm (12in)
Height to centre back: 12cm (4¾in)
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 Cinnamon 175 (cn)
10g (¼oz) of Rowan Pure Wool 4ply in Porcelaine 451 (po)
20g (¾oz) of Rowan Felted Tweed in Carbon 159 (cb)
Tiny amount of Rowan Pure Wool 4ply in Black 404 (bl) for eyes and claws
2 pipecleaners for legs
See here.
See for Wrap and Turn Method.
See for I-cord Technique.
With cn, cast on 19 sts.
Row 1: K5, p2, k5, p2, k5.
Row 2: P5, k2, p5, k2, p5.
Row 3: K2tog, k3, p2, k5, p2, k3, k2tog. (17 sts)
Row 4: P4, k2, p5, k2, p4.
Row 5: K2tog, k2, p2, k2tog, k1, k2tog, p2, k2, k2tog. (13 sts)
Row 6: P3, k2, p3, k2, p3.
Row 7: K2tog, k9, k2tog. (11 sts)
Work 3 rows st st.
Row 11: K1, inc, k7, inc, k1. (13 sts)
Work 3 rows st st.
Row 15: K1, inc, k9, inc, k1. (15 sts)
Work 3 rows st st.
Row 19: K1, inc, k11, inc, k1. (17 sts)
Work 3 rows st st.
Row 23: K1, inc, k13, inc, k1. (19 sts)
Row 24: Purl.**
Row 25: K1, inc, k15, inc, k1. (21 sts)
Row 26: Purl.
Row 27: K1, inc, k17, inc, k1. (23 sts)
Row 28: Purl.*
Row 29: Cast (bind) off 11 sts, k to end (hold 12 sts on spare needle for Right Side of Body).
Work as for Right Back Leg to *.
Row 29: K12, cast (bind) off 11 sts (hold 12 sts on spare needle for Left Side of Body).
Work as for Right Back Leg to **.
Row 25: Cast (bind) off 9 sts, k to end (hold 10 sts on spare needle for Right Side of Body).
Work as for Right Back Leg to **.
Row 25: K10, cast (bind) off 9 sts (hold 10 sts on spare needle for Left Side of Body).
Shell
The Ankylosaurus wears his armour-plated shell like a lid on top of his body.
With cn, 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 k12 from spare needle of Right Back Leg. (26 sts)
Row 4: P26, with WS facing p10 from spare needle of Right Front Leg, cast on 2 sts. (38 sts)
Row 5: Knit.
Row 6: Purl.
Row 7: Inc, k37. (39 sts)
Row 8: Purl.
Row 9: Knit.
Row 10: Cast (bind) off 30 sts, p to end (hold 9 sts on spare needle for Neck and Head).
With cn, 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 p12 from spare needle of Left Back Leg. (26 sts)
Row 4: K26, with RS facing k10 from spare needle of Left Front Leg, cast on 2 sts. (38 sts)
Row 5: Purl.
Row 6: Knit.
Row 7: Inc, p37. (39 sts)
Row 8: Knit.
Row 9: Purl.
Row 10: Cast (bind) off 30 sts, k to end (hold 9 sts on spare needle for Neck and Head).
Row 1: With cn and RS facing, k9 from spare needle of Right Side of Body, then k9 from spare needle of Left Side of Body. (18 sts)
Row 2: P8, p2tog, p8. (17 sts)
Row 3: P1, p2tog, p11, p2tog, p1. (15 sts)
Row 4: K1, k2tog, k9, k2tog, k1. (13 sts)
Join in po.
Row 5: K1cn, *k3po, turn.
With double-pointed needles and po, work i-cord on 3 po sts only as folls:
Knit 5 rows.
Next row: K2tog, k1. (2 sts)
Next row: K2tog and fasten off.
With cn, pick up and k3 sts where po meets 3cn sts on row 5*, k5; rep from * to * once more, k1.
Row 6: Purl.
Row 7: K10, w&t (leave 3 sts on left-hand needle unworked).
Row 8: Working on centre 7 sts only, p7, w&t.
Row 9: K7, w&t.
Row 10: K7, p3. (13 sts in total)
Row 11: K3, p7, k3.
Row 12: P1, p2tog, p7, p2tog, p1. (11 sts)
Row 13: Knit.
Row 14: P3, p2tog, p1, p2tog, p3. (9 sts)
Row 15: Knit.
Row 16: P2, p2tog, p1, p2tog, p2. (7 sts)
Row 17: Knit.
Row 18: P1, p2tog, p1, p2tog, p1. (5 sts)
Cast (bind) off.
With cn, cast on 3 sts.
Beg with a k row, work 12 rows st st.
Row 13: K1, inc, k1. (4 sts)
Work 9 rows st st.
Row 23: K1, [inc] twice, k1. (6 sts)
Work 7 rows st st.
Row 31: K1, inc, k2, inc, k1. (8 sts)
Work 5 rows st st.
Row 37: K1, inc, k4, inc, k1. (10 sts)
Work 7 rows st st.
Row 45: K1, inc, k6, inc, k1. (12 sts)
Work 9 rows st st.
Row 55: K1, inc, k8, inc, k1. (14 sts)
Work 3 rows st st.
Row 59: K1, inc, k10, inc, k1. (16 sts)
Work 43 rows st st.
Row 103: K2tog, k12, k2tog. (14 sts)
Row 104: Purl.
Row 105: K2tog, k10, k2tog. (12 sts)
Row 106: Purl.
Row 107: K2tog, k8, k2tog. (10 sts)
Row 108: P2tog, k6, p2tog. (8 sts)
Work 4 rows st st.
Row 113: K2tog, k4, k2tog. (6 sts)
Row 114: Purl.
Row 115: K2tog, k2, k2tog. (4 sts)
Row 116: [P2tog] twice. (2 sts)
Row 117: K2tog and fasten off.
With cb, cast on 3 sts.
Beg with a k row, work 12 rows st st.
Row 13: K1, inc, k1. (4 sts)
Work 9 rows st st.
Row 23: K1, [inc] twice, k1. (6 sts)
Work 7 rows st st.
Row 31: K1, inc, k2, inc, k1. (8 sts)
Work 5 rows st st.
Row 37: K1, inc, k4, inc, k1. (10 sts)
Work 7 rows st st.
Row 45: K1, inc, k6, inc, k1. (12 sts)
Work 9 rows st st.
Row 55: K1, inc, k8, inc, k1. (14 sts)
Work 3 rows st st.
Row 59: K1, inc, k10, inc, k1. (16 sts)
Row 60: P1, inc, p12, inc, p1. (18 sts)
Row 61: K1, inc, k6, inc, k7, inc, k1. (21 sts)
Row 62: P1, inc, p17, inc, p1. (23 sts)
Row 63: Purl.
Row 64: Knit.
Row 65: [P2, k5] 3 times, p2.
Row 66: [K2, p5] 3 times, k2.
Rep rows 65–66 once more.
Join in po.
Row 69: **P2cb, k1cb, k3po, turn.
With double-pointed needles and po, work i-cord on 3 po sts only as folls:
Knit 3 rows.
Next row: K2tog, k1. (2 sts)
Next row: K2tog and fasten off.
With cb, pick up and k3 sts where you changed to po on row 69, k1**; rep from ** to ** twice more, p2.
Row 70: Rep row 66.
Row 71: Rep row 65.
Row 72: Rep row 66.
Row 73: Purl.
Row 74: Knit.
Rep rows 65–74 once more.
Rep rows 65–70 once more.
Row 91: [P2tog] twice, p15, [p2tog] twice. (19 sts)
Row 92: [K2tog] twice, k11, [k2tog] twice. (15 sts)
Row 93: K2tog, k1, p2, k5, p2, k1, k2tog. (13 sts)
Row 94: P2tog, k2, p5, k2, p2tog. (11 sts)
Row 95: K2tog, p1, k5, p1, k2tog. (9 sts)
Row 96: K2, p5, k2.
Join in po.
Row 97: P2cb, k1cb, k3po, turn.
With double-pointed needles and po, work i-cord on 3 po sts only as folls:
Knit 5 rows.
Next row: K2tog, k1. (2 sts)
Next row: K2tog and fasten off,
With cb, pick up and k3 sts where you changed to po on row 97, k1, p2.
Row 98: K2tog, p5, k2tog. (7 sts)
Row 99: P1, k5, p1.
Row 100: P2tog, p3, p2tog. (5 sts)
Row 101: Purl.
Row 102: Knit.
Cast (bind) off.
With cn, cast on 4 sts.
Row 1: Inc, k2, inc. (6 sts)
Knit 2 rows.
Row 4: Inc, k4, inc. (8 sts)
Knit 3 rows.
Row 8: K2tog, k4, k2tog. (6 sts)
Knit 2 rows.
Row 11: K2tog, k2, k2tog. (4 sts)
Cast (bind) 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.
TAIL Sew from tip of tail sections to bottom, with end of tail sewn between two (like a sandwich), approx 1cm (½in) from end of tail.
TOP OF BODY Sew top of body so that it sits on top of sides, using running stitch approx 3mm (⅛in) in from the edge. The cast (bound) off row should fit just behind horns on reverse st st row.
TUMMY Sew cast (bind) off row of tummy to nose. Ease and sew tummy to fit body along both sides, leaving 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 approximately fit, leaving an extra 2.5cm (1in) at both ends. Fold over the ends. 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 Ankylosaurus firmly, using the end of a knitting needle to ease the stuffing into tail and neck, then sew up the gap. Mould body into shape.
CLAWS With bl, sew three 4-loop French knots on front of each foot, spaced 4cm (1½in) apart.
EYES With bl, sew 3-loop French knots on reverse st st row, 2 rows in front of the horns.
