The first official Drew Design to be unleashed upon the world is none other than a knitted zombie! He measures about 30cm tall but don't let his size fool you...
Hopefully I've given you all the info you need to make your very own walking dead so here goes...enjoy!
Materials:
4mm straight needles for shorts
6.5mm straight needles for body
Stitch holder or spare needle
Tapestry needle
2 buttons for eyes
Yarn:
Zombie: Patrons Shadow Tweed, shade: 06910 - green blue taupe
Shorts: Any DK wool, will be fine
Black DK wool for hair
Red DK wool for bloody bits
Pattern:
Head and Body
Start at top of head:
Using Patons Tweed and 6.5mm needles cast on 5 stitches
Row 1: increase every stitch (10 stitches)
Row 2: p
Row 3: k3, inc1, k2, inc1, k3 (12)
Row 4: p
Row 5: k2, inc2, k4, inc2, k2 (16)
Row 6: p
Next 12 Rows: st st
Row 19: k2, k2tog, k2tog, k4, k2tog, k2tog, k2 (12)
Row 20: p
Row 21: k6, k2tog, k2tog, k2 (10)
Row 22: p
Row 23: k6, k2tog, k2tog (8)
Row 24: p
Creating shoulders:
Row 25: knit to end of row. Then cast on 15 stitches (23)
Row 26: p to end of row. Then cast on 15 stitches (38)
Row 27: k6, inc1, k1, inc1, k20, inc1, k1, inc1, k6 (42)
Continue in st st for 17cm from shoulder edge.
Legs:
Next Row: k20, cast off 2, k20 (40)
Next Row: p20. Put remaining 20 stitches on spare needle
*Continue with 20 stitches in st st for 12cm.
Foot:
Next Row: k2tog, k6, k2tog, k2tog, k6, k2tog (16)
Next Row: p
Next Row: k2tog, k4, k2tog, k2tog, k4, k2tog (12)
Next Row: p
Next Row: k
Next Row: p
Cast off.
To make the other leg, repeat from * with the stitches held on spare needle.
Sew up body, starting at the feet and up the back of the body. Leave a hole mid body to stuff. Sew down from the head to meet hole. Stuff body and sew remaining hole.
Tip: I didn’t stuff mine too much, so he is still a bit floppy and squidgy! Especially the neck, you want that to hang a bit!
Arms (make two)
Starting at the shoulder
Cast on 16 stitches
Continue in st st for 16cm
Next Row: p3, p2tog, p6, p2tog, p3 (14)
Next Row: k3, k2tog, k4, k2tog, k3 (12)
Next Row: p3, p2tog, p2, p2tog, p3 (10)
Cast off
Sew arms together. Start at fingers, sewing them in the opposite direction to shoulder, so that the hands sit flat. Leave a hole at shoulder and stuff. Sew horizontally from shoulder to keep arm in place once sewn onto the body.
Sew arms at an angle from the body to give it the dead zombie look. Be as creative as you like here.
Hair
Cut a piece of black DK yarn 10cm long. Thread onto a needle so the yarn is equal on both sides of the needle eye (ie, 5cm on each side). Thread the needle around a piece of yarn on the head and pull until the thread is equal on both sides and cut the yarn at the needle. Now you will have two lengths of yarn 5cm long threaded onto the head. Knot them together tightly and you have four strands of hair.
Continue this action until you have the desired amount of hair covering your zombies head.
Shorts
Make two panels the same. To add holes in shorts as you go, see pattern below.
Using DK blue yarn and 4mm needles, cast on 46 stitches
Continue in st st for 7cm
Next Row: k22, cast off 2, k22 (44)
Next Row: p22. Put remaining 22 stitches on spare needle
*Continue in st st for 6cm
Ragid edge:
Cast off 2 stitches, ** k3, turn work
- p3, turn work
- k2tog, k1, turn work
- p2, turn work
- k2tog and bind off remaining stitch (leave a long enough end to finish row)
- Using a needle, weave yarn down to begin knitting the next stitch.
-Cast off 1 stitch
-Repeat from ** until the end of the row
Repeat from * for second trouser leg
Creating holes in zombie shorts
If you want to add holes in the shorts like I have it’s pretty easy and won’t affect the pattern. Just insert the rows below wherever you want the holes to appear.
- k9, k2tog, yo twice, k2tog, k9
-p10, purl yo stitch, pull yarn to front and knit stitch, p10
Sew two panels together and put onto zombie. The shorts will be baggy at the top, so sew them on making an overlap at the front for his ‘zipper’. Sew the top rim of the shorts to the zombie, bunching up the material as appropriate.
Note: this sewing doesn’t have to be perfect. They are zombie shorts after all!
Finishing Touches
- Sew on two button eyes with needles and thread.
- Using a dark piece of the Patons Tweed, sew on an open, dead-looking mouth.
- Finally where you feel appropriate, add wounds and bits of blood using DK reddish yarn Leave some ends frayed to look like dripping blood too!
This pattern is for personal use only. If you would like to share it, send your friends to this site. Copyright 2012, Emma Drew.
