Wapuu

Built for a few WordCamps, Wapuu is the WordPress mascot, now in knit form!

Works in any yarn that you can get the right colours and a good tight tension with. This one was done in Cascade Yarns Pacific, which I had spare of in that perfect Wapuu Yellow.

Items needed:

• Yarn of your choice in the following colours:
  • Gold
  • Blue
  • Orange
• Double-pointed or circular needles that give you a good tight gauge
• Child-safe eyes or black yarn
• Stitch markers
• Row counter
• Sewing needle
• Stuffing

Skills needed:

• Knitting in the round
• Knitting two together decreases
• Slip-slip-knit decreases
• Make one left increase
• Make one right increase
• Knit front-and-back increase
• Picking up stitches
• I-cord
• Sewing up projects

Knitting:

Body

Cast on 16 stitches and join in the round

Row 1: Kfb through all the stitches (32 stitches)

Row 2: Knit all the stitches

Row 3: (Kfb 1, k1) across the row (48 stitches)

Row 4: Knit all

Row 5: (Kfb 1, k2) across the row (64 stitches)

Row 6-20: Knit all

Row 21: K16, place stitch marker, K32, place stitch marker

Row 22: Knit all

Row 23: Knit to last 2 stitches before marker, SSK, slip the marker, K2TOG, knit to last 2 stitches before marker, SSK, slip the marker, K2TOG, knit until end

Row 24: Knit all

Row 25: Knit to last stitch before marker, M1R, slip marker, K1, M1L, knit to the last stitch before marker, M1R, slip marker, K1, M1L, knit until end

Row 26: Knit until first marker, K8, place another stitch marker, K16, place another stitch marker, knit until end Row 27: Knit all

Row 28: Knit to second marker, K4, P2, K4, p2, knit until end

Row 29: Knit to second marker, K3, P1, K2, P1, K2, P1, knit until end

Row 30: Knit to second marker, K2, P1, K4, P2, K4, P1, knit until end Row 31-35: Knit all

Row 36: (K6, K2TOG) across the row

Row 37: (K5, K2TOG) across the row

Row 38: (K4, K2TOG) across the row Row 39: (K3, K2TOG) across the row Row 40: (K2, K2TOG) across the row

Row 41: (K1, K2TOG) across the row

Row 42: K2TOG across the row

Cut a long tail, pull the yarn through the stitches, and leave it loose

Put in child-safe eyes five rows up from the bottom of the mouth (or stitch in black yarn)>

Pull long tail top taut and sew off

Stuff body from bottom

Sew bottom flat

Arms (Repeat on Right and Left Sides)

Pick up 5 stitches up a column next to the neck increases/decreases

Pick up 3 stitches across the row with the last picked up stitch

Pick up 5 stitched up a column above the last horizontal picked up stitch

Pick up 3 across the row with the last picked up stitch to make a full circle.

Join up to knit in the round.

Knit 20 rows

Cut a long tail, and run it through the stitches loosely

Stuff, then pull the long tail tightly

Don't trim the long tail yet

Legs (Repeat on Right and Left Sides)

Pick up 8 stitches up a column down by the bottom and slightly back from the arms

Row 1: Knit

Row 2: Pick up a stitch from the column in front of your live stitches. Purl across.

Row 3: Pick up a stitch from the column in front of your live stitches. Knit across.

Repeat Rows 2 and 3 twice

Pick up 8 stitches along the column next to the last picked up stitches, resulting in 22 stitches in total on your needles.

Join up to knit in the round.

Knit 15 rows

Cut a long tail, and run through the stitches loosely

Stuff, then pull the long tail tightly

Don't trim the long tail yet

Tail

Pick up two stitches on the back, towards the rear

Pick up the two stitches on the row beneath, putting stitches on either side of the first two

Row 1: Knit all four stitches in Orange

Row 2: Slide the stitches to the other side of the double-pointed needles and knit the row

Repeat Row 2 until the i-cord reaches close to a suitable length

Row 3: Knit front-and-back through each stitch

Row 4: Slide the stitches to the other side of the double-pointed needles and knit the row

Row 5: Repeat

Cut a long tail, pull the yarn through the stitches, and pull tightly

Ears (Repeat on Right and Left Sides)

Pick up seven stitches up on top of the head

Knit Rows 1-8 in garter stitch in Orange

Row 9: K2TOG, K3, SSK

Row 10: Knit

Row 11: K2TOG, K1, SSK

Row 12: Knit

Row 13: S1, K2TOG, PSSO

Cut the yarn, pull it through the remaining stitch

Ball

Cast on 4 in the Blue and join to knit in the round

Row 1: KFB all stitches

Row 2: (KFB, K1) until end

Row 3: (KFB, K2) until end

Row 4: (KFB, K3) until end

Row 5: (KFB, K4) until end

Row 6: (KFB, K5) until end

Row 7: (KFB, K6) until end

Row 8: (KFB, K7) until end

Row 9: (KFB, K8) until end

Rows 10-30: Knit

Row 31: (K2TOG, K8) until end

Row 32: (K2TOG, K7) until end

Row 33: (K2TOG, K6) until end

Row 34: (K2TOG, K5) until end

Row 35: (K2TOG, K4) until end

Row 36: (K2TOG, K3) until end

Row 37: (K2TOG, K2) until end

Cut long tail and pull live stitches through

Stuff ball and pull yarn tightly to close.

Finishing Up

Using long tails on arms and legs, stitch the ball to Wapuu

Sew in any loose ends

Shape stuffing as needed in limbs, body, and ball

Go play!