The Brachiosaurus was unusual in that it had longer front than back legs, hence the name ‘arm lizard’. It was a vegetarian and lived in herds. Its head was tiny, representing just one 200th of its body volume. It is unlikely that the Brachiosaurus could rear up on its back legs as depicted in Jurassic Park. A life-sized Brachiosaurus skeleton greets airline passengers at O’Hare Airport in Chicago.
The Brachiosaurus is one of the simplest dinosaurs to knit.
Length nose to tail: 62cm (24½in)
Height to top of head: 37cm (14½in)
Pair of 3¾mm (US 5) knitting needles
Double-pointed 3¾mm (US 5) knitting needles (for holding stitches)
45g (1¾oz) of Rowan Felted Tweed Aran in Stoney 742 (st)
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
65cm (25½in) of 3mm armature wire for head, body and tail
See here.
With st, cast on 12 sts.
Beg with a k row, work 2 rows st st.
Row 3: K5, k2tog, k5. (11 sts)
Row 4: Purl.
Work 14 rows st st.*
Row 19: Cast (bind) off 5 sts, k to end (hold 6 sts on spare needle for Right Side of Body).
Work as for Right Back Leg to *.
Row 19: K6, cast (bind) off 5 sts (hold 6 sts on spare needle for Left Side of Body).
Work as for Right Back Leg to *.
Work 4 rows st st.
Row 23: K1, inc, k7, inc, k1. (13 sts)
Row 24: Purl.**
Row 25: Cast (bind) off 6 sts, k to end (hold 7 sts on spare needle for Right Side of Body).
Work as for Right Front Leg to **.
Row 25: K7, cast (bind) off 6 sts (hold 7 sts on spare needle for Left Side of Body).
Legs
The front legs of the Brachiosaurus are longer than the back legs.
With st, cast on 16 sts.
Row 1: Knit.
Row 2: Inc, p14, inc. (18 sts)
Row 3: Knit.
Row 4: Inc, p16, inc, with WS facing p7 from spare needle of Right Front Leg. (27 sts)
Row 5: Knit.
Row 6: P26, inc. (28 sts)
Row 7: Inc, k27, with RS facing k6 from spare needle of Right Back Leg. (35 sts)
Row 8: Purl.
Row 9: Inc, k34, cast on 34 sts. (70 sts)
Row 10: Cast (bind) off 6 sts, p to end. (64 sts)
Row 11: Inc, k63. (65 sts)
Row 12: Cast (bind) off 12 sts, p to end. (53 sts)
Row 13: Inc, k52. (54 sts)
Row 14: Cast (bind) off 12 sts, p to end. (42 sts)
Row 15: Inc, k41. (43 sts)
Row 16: Cast (bind) off 6 sts, p to end. (37 sts)
Row 17: Inc, k36. (38 sts)
Row 18: Cast (bind) off 6 sts, p to end. (32 sts)
Row 19: Inc, k31. (33 sts)
Row 20: Cast (bind) off 10 sts, p to end. (23 sts)
Row 22: Cast (bind) off 12 sts, p to end. (12 sts)
Row 23: Inc, k11. (13 sts)
Row 24: Cast (bind) off 4 sts, p to end. (9 sts)
Row 25: Inc, k6, k2tog.
Row 26: Purl.
Row 27: Inc, k6, k2tog.
Row 28: P2tog, p7. (8 sts)
Row 29: Inc, k5, k2tog.
Row 30: Purl.
Row 31: Inc, k5, k2tog.
Row 32: Purl.
Row 33: Inc, k5, k2tog.
Row 34: P2tog, p6. (7 sts)
Row 35: Inc, k4, k2tog.
Row 36: Purl.
Row 37: Inc, k4, k2tog.
Row 38: Purl.
Row 39: Inc, k4, k2tog.
Row 40: Purl.
Row 41: Inc, k4, k2tog.
Row 42: P2tog, p5. (6 sts)
Row 43: Inc, k3, k2tog.
Row 44: Purl.
Row 45: Inc, k3, k2tog.
Row 46: Purl.
Row 47: Inc, k3, k2tog.
Row 48: Purl.
Row 49: Knit.
Row 50: Purl.
Row 51: Inc, k3, k2tog.
Work 3 rows st st.
Row 55: Inc, k3, k2tog.
Row 56: P2tog, p4. (5 sts)
Work 4 rows st st.
Row 61: Inc, k2, k2tog.
Work 3 rows st st.
Row 65: Rep row 61.
Work 3 rows st st.
Row 69: Rep row 61.
Work 3 rows st st.
Row 73: Rep row 61.
Work 4 rows st st.
Row 78: P5, cast on 5 sts. (10 sts)
Row 79: Knit.
Row 80: P2tog, p8. (9 sts)
Row 81: K7, k2tog. (8 sts)
Row 82: Purl.
Row 83: Cast (bind) off 4 sts, k to end. (4 sts)
Row 84: Purl.
Cast (bind) off 4 sts.
With st, cast on 16 sts.
Row 1: Purl.
Row 2: Inc, k14, inc. (18 sts)
Row 3: Purl.
Row 4: Inc, k16, inc, with RS facing k7 from spare needle of Left Front Leg. (27 sts)
Row 5: Purl.
Row 6: K26, inc. (28 sts)
Row 7: Inc, p27, with WS facing p6 from spare needle of Left Back Leg. (35 sts)
Row 9: Inc, p34, cast on 34 sts. (70 sts)
Row 10: Cast (bind) off 6 sts, k to end. (64 sts)
Row 11: Inc, p63. (65 sts)
Row 12: Cast (bind) off 12 sts, k to end. (53 sts)
Row 13: Inc, p52. (54 sts)
Row 14: Cast (bind) off 12 sts, k to end. (42 sts)
Row 15: Inc, p41. (43 sts)
Row 16: Cast (bind) off 6 sts, k to end. (37 sts)
Row 17: Inc, p36. (38 sts)
Row 18: Cast (bind) off 6 sts, k to end. (32 sts)
Row 19: Inc, p31. (33 sts)
Row 20: Cast (bind) off 10 sts, k to end. (23 sts)
Row 21: Inc, p22. (24 sts)
Row 22: Cast (bind) off 12 sts, k to end. (12 sts)
Row 23: Inc, p11. (13 sts)
Row 24: Cast (bind) off 4 sts, k to end. (9 sts)
Row 25: Inc, p6, p2tog. (9 sts)
Row 26: Knit.
Row 27: Inc, p6, p2tog.
Row 28: K2tog, k7. (8 sts)
Row 29: Inc, p5, p2tog.
Row 30: Knit.
Row 31: Inc, p5, p2tog.
Row 32: Knit.
Row 33: Inc, p5, p2tog.
Row 34: K2tog, k6. (7 sts)
Row 35: Inc, p4, p2tog.
Row 36: Knit.
Row 37: Inc, p4, p2tog.
Row 38: Knit.
Row 39: Inc, p4, p2tog.
Row 40: Knit.
Row 41: Inc, p4, p2tog.
Row 42: K2tog, k5. (6 sts)
Row 43: Inc, p3, p2tog.
Row 44: Knit.
Row 45: Inc, p3, p2tog.
Row 46: Knit.
Row 47: Inc, p3, p2tog.
Work 3 rows st st.
Row 51: Inc, p3, p2tog.
Work 3 rows st st.
Row 55: Inc, p3, p2tog.
Row 56: K2tog, k4. (5 sts)
Work 4 rows st st.
Row 61: Inc, p2, p2tog.
Work 3 rows st st.
Row 65: Rep row 61.
Work 3 rows st st.
Row 69: Rep row 61.
Work 3 rows st st.
Row 73: Rep row 61.
Work 4 rows st st.
Row 78: K5, cast on 5 sts. (10 sts)
Row 79: Purl.
Row 80: K2tog, k8. (9 sts)
Row 81: P7, p2tog. (8 sts)
Row 82: Knit.
Row 83: Cast (bind) off 4 sts, p to end. (4 sts)
Row 84: Knit.
Cast (bind) off.
With st, cast on 1 st.
Row 1: Inc. (2 sts)
Row 2: Purl.
Row 3: [Inc] twice. (4 sts)
Row 4: Purl.
Row 5: Inc, k2, inc. (6 sts)
Row 6: Purl.
Work 52 rows st st.
Row 59: K2tog, k2, k2tog. (4 sts)
Row 60: Purl.
Row 61: Knit.
Row 62: Purl.
Row 63: [K2tog] twice. (2 sts)
Row 64: Purl.
Row 65: K2tog and fasten off.
SEWING IN ENDS Sew in ends, leaving ends from cast on and cast (bind) off rows for sewing up.
LEGS With WS together, fold each leg in half and sew up on RS, starting at feet.
HEAD AND BODY Using pliers, bend one end of the armature wire to form a small loop for the head. With WS together, sew up the tail around the other end of the wire, then sew body together along back (over the wire spine) and around head to approx 22cm (9in) down neck and front.
TUMMY Sew cast on row of tummy to where back legs begin, and sew cast (bound) off row to 11cm (4½in) from front legs. Ease and sew tummy to fit body, leaving a 2.5cm (1in) gap between front and back legs on one side.
STUFFING Stuff very firmly. You cannot get stuffing right to the bottom of tail, but stuff the rest of Brachiosaurus very well to help him stand up, then sew up the gap. Mould body into shape.
EYES With bl, sew 2-loop French knots, 1 st down from top of head and 4 sts back from nose. Sew black beads on top of knots.
TOES With bl, sew four 5mm (¼in) vertical sts on front of feet, spaced l st apart.
