Considered by some to be the first bird on earth, an Archaeopteryx fossil was first discovered in southern Germany in the mid-19th century, and was referred to by Charles Darwin in a subsequent edition of On the Origin of Species, contributing to Darwin’s theory of evolution. Roughly the size of a crow, the Archaeopteryx is considered to be the link between dinosaurs and birds and, although still under debate, the feeling is that it could fly.
One of our favourites – it is a little more complicated to put together, but easy to knit.
Length: 24cm (9½in)
Height to top of head: 14cm (5½in)
Pair of 3¼mm (US 3) knitting needles
Small amount of Rowan Pure Wool 4ply in Black 404 (bl) for legs, claws and eyes
5g (⅛oz) of Rowan Fine Tweed in Leyburn 383 (le)
10g (¼oz) of Rowan Tweed in Muker 587 (mk)
10g (¼oz) of Rowan Felted Tweed in Clay 177 (cl)
5 pipecleaners for tail, legs and wings
See here.
See for Wrap and Turn Method.
(make 2 the same)
With bl, cast on 4 sts.
Beg with a k row, work 2 rows st st.
Cont in le.
Work 14 rows st st.
Cont in mk.
Work 6 rows st st.
Row 23: K1, [inc] twice, k1. (6 sts)
Work 3 rows st st.
Row 27: K2, [inc] twice, k2. (8 sts)
Row 28: Purl.
Row 29: K3, [inc] twice, k3. (10 sts)
Work 3 rows st st.
Row 33: K4, [inc] twice, k4. (12 sts)
Row 34: Purl.
Cast (bind) off.
Legs and wings
Shape the legs and wings after stuffing to get the characteristic ‘about to fly’ look.
With mk, cast on 4 sts.
Beg with a k row, work 24 rows st st.
Row 25: K1, [inc] twice, k1. (6 sts)
Work 3 rows st st.
Row 29: K2, [inc] twice, k2. (8 sts)
Work 3 rows st st.
Row 33: K2, inc, k2, inc, k2. (10 sts)
Row 34: Purl.
Row 35: K2, inc, k4, inc, k2. (12 sts)
Row 36: Purl.
Row 37: K3, inc, k4, inc, k3. (14 sts)
Row 38: Purl.
Row 39: K4, inc, k4, inc, k4. (16 sts)
Work 3 rows st st.
Row 43: K5, inc, k4, inc, k5. (18 sts)
Row 44: Purl.
Row 45: K5, inc, k6, inc, k5. (20 sts)
Work 7 rows st st.
Row 53: K5, k2tog, k6, k2tog, k5. (18 sts)
Row 54: Purl.
Row 55: K4, k2tog, k6, k2tog, k4. (16 sts)
Row 56: Purl.
Row 57: K4, k2tog, k4, k2tog, k4. (14 sts)
Row 58: Purl.
Row 59: K4, w&t (leave 10 sts on left-hand needle unworked).
Row 60: Working on 4 sts only, p4.
Row 61: K4, w&t.
Rep rows 60–61 once more.
Row 64: P4.
Row 65: K4, k2tog, k2, k2tog, k4. (12 sts)
Row 66: P4, w&t (leave 8 sts on left-hand needle unworked).
Row 67: Working on 4 sts only, k4.
Row 68: P4, w&t.
Rep rows 67–68 once more.
Row 71: K4.
Row 72: P3, p2tog, p2, p2tog, p3. (10 sts)
Row 73: K2, k2tog, k2, k2tog, k2. (8 sts)
Work 5 rows st st.
Cont in le.
Work 4 rows st st.
Row 83: K6, w&t (leave 2 sts on left-hand needle unworked).
Row 84: Working top of head on centre 4 sts only, p4, w&t.
Row 85: K4, w&t.
Rep rows 84–85 once more.
Row 88: P4, w&t.
Row 89: K6. (8 sts in total)
Row 90: P1, p2tog, p2, p2tog, p1. (6 sts)
Work 3 rows st st.
Row 94: P1, [p2tog] twice, p1. (4 sts)
Work 2 rows st st.
Row 97: [K2tog] twice. (2 sts)
Row 98: P2tog and fasten off.
With cl, cast on 2 sts.
Row 1: Knit.
Row 2: Purl.
Row 3: Purl.
Row 4: Knit.
Row 5: Knit.
Row 6: Purl.
Row 7: Purl.
Row 8: Inc, k1. (3 sts)
Row 9: Knit.
Row 10: Purl.
Row 11: Purl.
Row 12: Inc, k2. (4 sts)
Row 13: Knit.
Row 14: Purl.
Row 15: Purl.
Row 16: Knit.
Row 17: Knit.
Row 18: Purl.
Row 19: Purl.
Row 20: Inc, k3. (5 sts)
Row 21: Knit.
Row 22: Purl.
Row 24: Knit.
Row 25: Knit.
Rep rows 22–25 once more.
Row 30: Purl.
Row 31: Purl.
Row 32: Inc, k4. (6 sts)
Row 33: Knit.
Row 34: Purl.
Row 35: Purl.
Row 36: Knit.
Rep rows 33–36, 5 times more.
Row 57: K2tog, k4. (5 sts)
Row 58: Purl.
Row 59: Purl.
Row 60: Knit.
Row 61: Knit.
Row 62: Purl.
Row 63: Purl.
Row 64: Knit.
Row 65: K2tog, k3. (4 sts)
Row 66: Purl.
Row 67: Purl.
Row 68: Knit.
Row 69: K2tog, k2. (3 sts)
Row 70: Purl.
Row 71: Purl.
Row 72: Knit.
Row 73: Knit.
Row 74: Purl.
Row 75: Purl.
Cast (bind) off.
(make 2 the same)
With mk, cast on 6 sts.
Beg with a k row, work 4 rows st st.
Row 5: Inc, k4, inc. (8 sts)
Work 11 rows st st.
Row 17: K1, k2tog, k2, k2tog, k1. (6 sts)
Work 3 rows st st.
Row 21: K1, [k2tog] twice, k1. (4 sts)
Row 22: Purl.
Row 23: K1, [inc] twice, k1. (6 sts)
Work 3 rows st st.
Row 27: K1, inc, k2, inc, k1. (8 sts)
Work 5 rows st st.
Row 33: K1, k2tog, k2, k2tog, k1. (6 sts)
Row 34: Purl.
Cast (bind) off.
(make 2 the same)
With cl, cast on 4 sts.
Row 1: Knit.
Row 2: Purl.
Row 3: Purl.
Row 4: Knit.
Row 5: Inc, k3. (5 sts)
Row 6: Purl.
Row 7: Inc, p4. (6 sts)
Row 8: Knit.
Row 9: Knit.
Row 10: Purl.
Row 11: Purl.
Row 12: Knit.
Row 13: Inc, k5. (7 sts)
Row 14: Purl.
Row 15: Purl.
Row 16: Knit.
Row 17: Knit.
Rep rows 14–17, 4 times more.
Row 34: Purl.
Row 35: P5, p2tog. (6 sts)
Row 36: Knit.
Row 37: Knit.
Row 38: Purl.
Row 39: P2tog, p4. (5 sts)
Row 40: Knit.
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. Leave open at top of leg.
BODY AND HEAD With WS together, fold body in half and sew around head, body and tail, leaving a 2.5cm (1in) gap.
WINGS With WS together, fold each wing in half and sew together, leaving top open.
STUFFING Pipecleaners are used to stiffen the legs, wings and tail and help bend them into shape. Cut a pipecleaner to approximately fit each leg/wing, leaving an extra 2.5cm (1in) at one end. Fold the end over to stop the pipecleaner poking out of the bottom of the feet/wings. Roll a little stuffing around pipecleaner and slip down each leg/wing. Add some stuffing to top of legs. Leave top of leg/wing open, pipecleaner sticking out. Slip a pipecleaner into the tail and cut off in the body. Stuff the head and body, starting at the beak (no need to stuff the tail), then sew up the gap and mould into shape.
ATTACHING LEGS Push pipecleaner of back leg into the tummy, 4cm (1½in) from tail. Using whip stitch, sew the leg to the tummy. Bend into shape.
ATTACHING WINGS Sew wing feathers to seam of wing. Slip pipecleaner into body 6 sts from seam and above leg. Sew to body and bend into a slight arc.
TAIL FEATHERS Sew tail feathers to tail, starting at top of tail and slightly gathering at tip of tail.
EYES With bl, sew 2-loop French knots positioned as in photograph.
WING CLAWS With bl, make 3 loops at the tip of wing for claws.
