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Tiny November Knitalong Part 6

November 6, 2009

Hi Spud & Chloë Friends,

Get ready to shake your turkey feathers today! I am so excited to give you the last part of the Tiny November Knitalong today. We are finishing our turkey with those ever-important turkey feathers. There are a couple of things to note before you get started and here is where you can tell that this project really evolved as you watched. I decided to only make 3 tail feathers instead of 5 tail feathers. There are two reasons for this, the weight at the back of the turkey affected its ability to sit without rolling back and the wings on the side fit better with three tail feathers on the back. I used the Pollen and Firecracker (which had already been used in the turkey) and added Grass as the third feather color. You could use any fall colors you’d like!

I didn’t use the poly-pellets to weight the bottom or underside of my turkey, I only used fiberfill. This worked fine but if I were to knit another turkey I would definitely weight the bottom with either the poly-pellets or maybe even a rock. Remember not to use loose poly-pellets if you are giving the turkey to a baby or young child. A rock would be fine to weight down the underside of the turkey with fiberfill to stuff the rest. You can always sew a small muslin or cotton pouch to hold the pellets to place inside the body and then fill the rest with fiberfill. This eliminates the choking hazard for small children.

Okay, that’s my two cents on that! Now onto lots more cents, the pattern.

Tail Feather (make 3, one in each feather colorway):

With selected color (Firecracker, Pollen, or Grass) and the double-pointed needles cast on 9 stitches placing 3 stitches on each of 3 double-pointed needles. Join to work in the round being careful not to twist the stitches. Place a stitch marker on the first stitch.

Rnd 1: knit

Rnd 2: (k1, m1, k1, m1, k1) repeat on each needle (5 sts per needle, 15 sts total)

Knit every round until the wing measures 2 ½ inches from the cast on edge.

Decrease rounds:

Rnd 1: (k3, k2tog) repeat on each needle (4 sts per needle, 12 sts total remain)

Rnd 2: knit

Rnd 3: (k2, k2tog) repeat on each needle (3 sts per needle, 9 sts total remain)

Rnds 4 and 5: knit

Rnd 6: (k1, k2tog) repeat on each needle (2 sts per needle, 6 sts total remain)

Rnd 7: (k2tog) repeat to the end of the round (1 st per needle, 3 sts total remain)

Cut the yarn and place the end on a yarn needle. Pull the end through the remaining stitches. Pull up tight to close the hole. Take a couple of stitches to secure and pull the end to the inside and trim to stay inside.

Place the end from the cast on stitches on a yarn needle and whipstitch the cast on edge closed. Flatten out the tail feather and pull into the desired shape.

Pin the feathers together in a crescent shape layering the feathers slightly. Before stitching the feathers together hold them up to the back end of the turkey to make sure they are placed correctly and that they don’t get in the way of the wings. With the end from the first feather, stitch up the side of the feather, about ½ inch, to attach it to the second feather. Pull the end to the inside of the feather and trim. Place the end from the second feather on a yarn needle and stitch up the side to attach it to the third feather.

Now the feathers are stitched together. Pin the feathers to the back end of the turkey with the stitched side facing the turkey. With a length of Rootbeer placed on a yarn needle stitch across the cast on end of the feathers.

Stitch up the side of the feather grouping about ½ inch and whipstitch across the backside of the turkey attaching the feathers to the body. Stitch back down the other side. Pull the end to the inside and trim to stay inside.

He’s now a sharply dressed turkey!

Here’s a view from the back.

Well, there you have it! He’s as cute as a turkey button. I will be posting the final free pattern pdf early next week. Keep your eyes out for that.

Until then, shake those tail feathers and get those needles flying! Have fun and thank you for joining me on my first knitalong. I am definitely game for another one in the future.

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