Cute Knitted Rocket

This cute little rocket is made in just one piece!

I designed this little rocket the other day, because I wanted to make a rocket in one piece to save on sewing it all together afterwards. Its perfect for a small knitting project using double pointed knitting needles.

EQUIPMENT

• Four double pointed needles, I used size 9 (3.75mm) but depending on your tension and wool other double pointed needles should work
• Sewing needle with a big eyelet to close up the end of the rocket
• Four different colours of 8 ply wool of your choosing
• Stuffing to stuff the rocket

ABBREVIATIONS

Kfb – Knit in front and behind in the same stitch

K1 – Knit 1

Knit one round – Knit each of the stitches on the three needles once in the round

Kinc – Knit two together

m1 - Make one to the left on a knit row

SET UP

Using colour 1 (the colour for the top and the base of the rocket) cast on three stitches.

Put each stitch on a different needle being careful not to twist the wool around.

Join the stitches to work in the round, I do this by taking the wool around over the first stitch. See the three labeled images.

Ensure the tail of the wool is facing away from you.

You are now ready to begin knitting.

KNITTING the TOP

• Rnd 1: Knit round once (1 stitch per needle, 3 total)
• Rnd 2: Kfb three times (2 stitches per needle, 6 total)
• Rnd 3: Knit one round
• Rnd 4: K1, Kfb repeat three times (3 stitches per needle, 9 total)
• Rnd 5: Knit one round
• Rnd 6: K1 Kfb K1 repeat three times (4 stitches per needle, 12 total)
• Rnd 7: Knit one round
• Rnd 8: K1 Kfb K1 Kfb repeat three times (6 stitches per needle, 18 total)
• Rnd 9: Knit one round
• Rnd 10: K2 Kfb K3 repeat three times (7 stitches per needle, 21 total)
• Rnd 11: Knit one round
• Rnd 12: Kfb K6 (8 stitches per needle, 24 total)
• Rnd 13: Knit one round
• Rnd 14: Kfb K6 Kfb (10 stitches per needle, 30 total)
• Rnd 15: Knit one round

Change colour by tying the new colour (colour 2) to the current colour (colour 1), ensuring that the knot will be on the inside of the rocket.

Knit 7 rounds

The window is knitted on one of the double pointed needles.

You need approximately 70 cm of the colour you wish the window to be (colour 3). See the video for instructions on how to start the window.

See the image of a table which depicts what to knit for each row of the window:

• The white rectangles are colour 1 and the green rectangles are colour 3
• Each rectangle signifies one stitch
• After completing a row of the window knit the other two needles as per usual with colour 2
• Where it says "behind" knit into the back of the stitch (see the two photos attached - one depicts knitting as per usual and one depicts knitting behind), this is so the window colours look good and not disjointed.

BODY

Knit 4 rounds

FINS

To make the fins you need three balls of the same colour wool (colour 4). To minimise tangling put each ball of wool in a separate ziplock bag and keep an eye on how the threads are twisting around each other.

• Rnd 1: K1 in colour 4, K8 in colour 2, K1 in colour 4, repeat for each needle. (10 stitches per needle, 30 total)

See video for instructions on how to complete Rnd 1.

• Rnd 2: Kfb in colour 4, K8 in colour 2, Kfb in colour 4, repeat for each needle. (12 stitches per needle, 36 total). As you go around tie off the end of the fin colour onto itself so you don’t lose your tension.

You will notice the fins start to separate from the body, to stop this happening I used a technique I will call "loop".

1. Before knitting the last stitch of the fin loop the body colour around the fin colour.
2. Before knitting the last stitch of the body loop the fin colour around the body colour.

See the four labeled images attached for a visual representation of this technique.

• Rnd 3: Loop in this row - Kfb K1 in colour 4, K8 in colour 2, K1 Kfb in colour 4, repeat for each needle. (14 stitches per needle, 42 total).
• Rnd 4: Kfb K2 in colour 4, K8 in colour 2, K2 Kfb in colour 4, repeat for each needle. (16 stitches per needle, 48 total).
• Rnd 5: Loop in this row - Kfb K3 in colour 4, K8 in colour 2, K3 Kfb in colour 4, repeat for each needle. (18 stitches per needle, 54 total).
• Rnd 6: Kfb K4 in colour 4, K8 in colour 2, K4 Kfb in colour 4, repeat for each needle. (20 stitches per needle, 60 total).
• Rnd 7: Loop in this row - Kfb K5 in colour 4, K8 in colour 2, K5 Kfb in colour 4, repeat for each needle. (22 stitches per needle, 66 total).
• Rnd 8-13: Knit around, using the colour 2 on the body sections and colour 4 on the fins. Loop row 9, 11 and 13.

Swap colour 2 to colour 1 by tying a knot, making sure the knot will be on the inside of the rocket.

• Rnd 1-6: Knit around, using colour 1 on the body sections and colour 4 on the fins. Loop row 2, 4 and 6.
• Rnd 7-8: Knit around, using colour 1 on the body sections and colour 4 on the fins. DON’T loop during these rounds as you want the fins to separate from the body at the end.
• Rnd 9: Cast off 7, m1, K8, Cast off 7, repeat for each needle (9 stitches per needle, 27 total).

All three of the fins should now be cast off and colour 4 is no longer being used.

• Rnd 10: Knit one round
• Rnd 11: Purl one round

Cut each of the thread ends so they are around 0.5-1cm long (otherwise depending on what colours you used they may be visible through the rocket). Stuff the rocket most of the way.

• Rnd 1: K4 Kinc K3, K1 Kinc K4 Kinc, K4 Kinc K3 (8,7,8 stitches on each needle, 23 total)
• Rnd 2: Knit one round
• Rnd 3: K1 Kinc K3 Kinc, K3 Kinc K2, K1 Kinc K3 Kinc (6 stitches on each needle, 18 total)
• Rnd 4: K2 Kinc K2, Kinc K2 Kinc, K2 Kinc K2 (5,4,5 stitches on each needle, 14 total)
• Rnd 5: Kinc K1 Kinc, K1 Kinc K1, Kinc K1 Kinc (3 stitches on each needle, 9 total)

Add any further stuffing as you see fit

Cut off the thread and using the needle with the big eyelet thread through the remaining stitches and secure it by tying off and weaving the thread through the stitches around the hole.

Stuff the fins and sew the edges together again using the needle with the big eyelet..