Gotta Get a Gator
Nursing Pillow, Baby Bop, Body Pillow, or Draft Stopper, this Gator does it all. He's 42 inches long, stuffed with a stocking filled with fiberfill, and his teeth unwind so you can take the stocking out and wash the outside.
Start With a Scarf Pattern
Morehouse Farms. This is the original pattern. It comes as a kit. I saved the yarn for another project.
Yarn and Needles
Follow the Instructions
Follow the scarf pattern (I added fewer bumps) but don't bind off. I did one purl row so it would fold nicely then just increased all over again to follow the width of the scarf. When I got to the first row of bumps I changed to two strands held together of a worsted weight light yellow yarn and kept going until I reached the beginning of the head and switched back to the chunky evergreen and finished off the head.
Feet and Claws
I used size 9 DPN's and 20 stitches for the back feet, 16 stitches for the front feet. After I bound them off, I picked up 2 stitches, knit a few rows, K2Tog and knit 2 more rows, then bound off. I did this 5 times on the front feet and 4 on the back because that's the way alligators are built.
Eyes
Stuff It!
Stocking stuffed with pillow stuffing. Looks like a long earthworm (just keep repeating it - earthworm, it's an earthworm).
Sew and Stuff
Sew in the eyes. Sew the Gator together up to the mouth, stuff it. Sew on the legs (stuffed with stockings so they can be washed with the outside). Make a long braided cord with 100% cotton yarn and weave it through the mouth to make teeth. For accuracy, hide the 4th big tooth in on each side inside the mouth. This is one of the ways you can tell it's not a croc. Now this cord can be undone, the stocking removed, and the whole outside washed.
Ch-ch-changes
I wanted the legs to bend, but I couldn't make a sock pattern work. Everything came out wayyyy too big using the chunky yarn, but I'm thinking it would look funny with a different yarn. Maybe the Wool-Ease worsted? I'm open to suggestions!
The Winnah!
Just too cute to leave out.