INTRODUCTION

Antoine the Aardvark

by Frances Gillespie

Antoine is a knitted and felted aardvark. He's about 23 inches/58 cm long when completed, or about half the size of an actual aardvark – a nocturnal burrowing animal from Africa that lives almost exclusively on ants and termites. Its name means "earth pig" which is a pretty accurate description!

Antoine requires familiarity with stockinette, wrap-and-turn short rows, and increasing and decreasing, and is fairly approachable. Note that you do need to keep careful track of your rows. The photos will guide you with construction. Some experience with soft toy construction is helpful.

photos: Frances Gillespie

SIZE

One

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

Antoine measures about 23 inches/58 cm from nose to tail.

MATERIALS

Yarn
Patons Classic Wool [100% wool; 210 yd/192 m per 100g skein]; one skein per aardvark
Blue sample: Duck Egg Blue (shown above)
Cream sample: Natural Mix (shown below)

Yarn Characteristics
The sample is knit in a worsted weight non-superwash 100% wool yarn. Any comparable non-superwash worsted wool yarn should work, but please knit and felt a sample first – not all yarns felt well, and not all colors of a feltable yarn felt as well as others.

Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below - every knitter's gauge is unique]
US #9/5.5mm needles for working flat; a pair of double-pointed needles is recommended for several sections worked on small numbers of stitches

Notions
stitch markers
stitch holders or short lengths of waste yarn
sewing needle and matching thread
two 9mm brown animal safety eyes
polyester fiberfill
for felting: a mesh bag, laundry detergent and top-loading washing machine
yarn needle

GAUGE

Gauge is not critical but should be loose enough to allow for shrinkage after felting. Sample gauge pre-felting was 14 sts/18 rows = 4 inches/10cm.

PATTERN NOTES

[Knitty's list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here.]

The pattern consists of an upper body, lower body, two ears and a snout. It is worked in stockinette st throughout, beginning at the tail end and finishing at the nose.

For casting on at the start of the row, the cable or knitted-on method works well. For the m1 increase, use your preferred method: backwards loop, or a lifted method.

This pattern uses short rows, with the wrap and turn method. There is no need to hide the wraps.

CDD: Slip 1 knitwise, k2tog, psso. 2 sts decreased.

DIRECTIONS

Upper Body Piece
Cast on 8 sts.
Row 1 [RS]: K
Row 2 [WS]: P
Rows 1-2 establish stockinette stitch.

Rows 3-6: Work even in stockinette for 4 rows.

Row 7: K1, m1, k to last st, m1, k1. 10 sts.
Rows 8-18: Work even in stockinette for 11 rows, starting and ending with a purl row.
Row 19: K3, m1, k4, m1, k3. 12 sts.
Rows 20-30: Work even in stockinette for 11 rows, starting and ending with a purl row.

Row 31: K4, m1, k4, m1, k4. 14 sts.
Rows 32-38: Work even in stockinette for 7 rows, starting and ending with a purl row.

Row 39: K4, m1, k6, m1, k4. 16 sts.
Rows 40-46: Work even in stockinette for 7 rows, starting and ending with a purl row.

Row 47: K2, m1, k3, m1, k6, m1, k3, m1, k2. 20 sts. Mark each of of this row with a piece of yarn, for tail point.

Row 48: P.
Row 49: K3, m1, k5, m1, k4, m1, k5, m1, k3. 24 sts.
Rows 50-56: Work even in stockinette for 7 rows, starting and ending with a purl row.

Row 57: Cast on 10 sts at the start of the row, k12, m1, (k4, m1) 5 times, k2. 40 sts.
Row 58: Cast on 10 sts, and p to end of row, placing marker at center of the row. 50 sts.

Row 59: K to 2 sts before marker m1, k4, m1, k to end. 2 sts increased.
Row 60: Purl.

Repeat Rows 59-60 5 more times. 62 sts.

Row 71: K2, wrap & turn.
Row 72: P2. This forms the first toe.
Row 73: Bind off 10, k to 2 st before marker, m1, k4, m1, k to end. 54 sts.
Row 74: P2, wrap & turn.
Row 75: K2. This forms the second toe.
Row 76: Bind off 10, p to end of row. 44 sts.
Rows 77-78: Work 2 rows even.
Row 79: Repeat Row 59. 46 sts.
Rows 80-90: Work even in stockinette for 11 rows, starting and ending with a purl row.

Row 91: K to 3 st before marker. K2tog, k2, k2tog, k to end. 2 sts decreased.
Rows 92-94: Work even in stockinette for 3 rows, starting and ending with a purl row.

Row 95: Repeat Row 91. 42 sts.
Row 96: P
Row 97: Cast on 10 sts, k to 3 st before marker, k2tog, k2, k2tog, k to end. 50 sts.
Row 98: Cast on 10 sts, p to end of row. 60 sts.

Rows 99, 101, 103: Repeat Row 91
Rows 100, 102, 104: P.
54 sts.
Row 105: K20, place these 20 st on holder or waste yarn; bind off 14 for neck opening, k to end.

Row 1 [WS]: P
Row 2 [RS]: K1, k2tog, k to end. 19 sts.
Row 3: P
Row 4: K1, k2tog, k to end. 18 sts.
Row 5: P
Row 6: K1, k2tog, k to end. 17 sts.
Row 7: P2, wrap & turn.

Row 8: K2. This forms the next toe.
Row 9: Bind off 10 st, p to end. 7 sts.
Row 10: K4, k2tog, k1. 6 sts.
Row 11: P
Row 12: K3, k2tog, k1. 5 sts.
Row 13: P2tog, p1, p2tog. 3 sts.
Row 14: CDD. 1 st.
Cut yarn, leaving a 12 inch/30 cm tail for seaming, pull through all sts.

Right Side Of Chest
Transfer the 20 sts from holder back to working needles, reattach yarn ready to work the wrong side.

Row 1 [WS]: P
Row 2 [RS]: K to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1. 19 sts.
Row 3: P
Row 4: K to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1. 18 sts.
Row 5: P
Row 6: K2, wrap & turn.

Row 7: P2 (toe)
Row 8: Bind off 10, k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1. 7 sts.
Row 9: P
Row 10: K1, k2tog, k to end. 6 sts.
Row 11: P
Row 12: K1, k2tog, k to end. 5 sts.
Row 13: P2tog, p1, p2tog. 3 sts.
Row 14: CDD. 1 st.
Cut yarn, leaving a 12 inch/30 cm tail for seaming, pull through all sts.

Head and Neck:
With the right side facing, rejoin yarn where you just finished, at row 14 of Right Side of chest. Pick up and knit 38 sts evenly spaced, proceeding up the right leg, across the 14 bound off neck st, and down the left leg, ending at row 14, left side of chest. Mark each end of this row with a piece of yarn (chest point).

Row 1 [WS]: P13, wrap & turn.
Row 2 [RS]: K
Row 3: P12, wrap & turn.
Row 4: K
Row 5: P11, wrap & turn.
Row 6: K
Row 7: P11, p2tog, p12, p2tog, p11. 36 sts.
Row 8: K13, wrap & turn.
Row 9: P
Row 10: K12, wrap & turn.
Row 11: P
Row 12: K11, wrap & turn.
Row 13: P
Row 14: K7, (k2tog, k8) twice, k2tog, k7. 33 sts.
Row 15: P11, wrap & turn.
Row 16: K

Row 17: P10, wrap & turn.
Row 18: K
Row 19: P9, wrap & turn.
Row 20: K
Row 21: P6, p2tog, p8, p2tog, p7, p2tog, p6. 30 sts.
Row 22: K11, wrap & turn.
Row 23: P

Row 24: K10, wrap & turn.
Row 25: P
Row 26: K9, wrap & turn.
Row 27: P
Row 28: K2, k2tog, k5, k2tog, k8, k2tog, k5, k2tog, k2. 26 sts.
Row 29: P18, p2tog, wrap & turn. 25 sts.
Row 30: K11, k2tog, wrap & turn. 24 sts.
Row 31: P9, wrap & turn.
Row 32: K6, wrap & turn.
Row 33: P3, wrap & turn.
Row 34: K1, wrap & turn.
Row 35-37: Work even in stockinette for 3 rows, beginning and ending with a purl row.
Row 38: K7, m1, k10, m1, k7. 26 sts.
Rows 39-40: Work even in stockinette for 2 rows.
Row 41: P2, p2tog, p4, p2tog, p6, p2tog, p4, p2tog, p2. 22 sts.
Row 42: (K6, k2tog) twice, k6. 20 sts.
Row 43: P6, p2tog, p4, p2tog, p6. 18 sts.
Rows 44-46: Work even in stockinette for 3 rows, beginning and ending with a knit row.
Row 47: P3, p2tog, p8, p2tog, p3. 16 sts.
Rows 48-49: Work even in stockinette for 2 rows.
Row 50: K3, k2tog, k6, k2tog, k3. 14 sts.
Row 51: P
Row 52: K.
Bind off all sts.

Upper Body Piece

Cast on 2 sts.

Lower Body Piece

Snout (this is a small piece that attaches to the end of the nose)
Using 2 DPNs, cast on 3 sts.
Row 1 [WS]: P
Row 2 [RS]: K1, m1, k1, m1, k1. 5 sts.
Rows 3-5: Work even in stockinette for 3 rows, starting and ending with a purl row.
Row 6: K2tog, k1, k2tog. 3 sts.
Row 7: P
Bind off all sts, leaving 12 inch/30 cm tail for seaming.

Ears
Using 2 DPNs, cast on 4 sts.
Row 1 [WS]: P
Row 2 [RS]: K1, m1, k2, m1, k1. 6 sts.
Rows 3-7: Work even in stockinette for 5 rows, starting and ending with a purl row.
Row 8: K2tog, k2, k2tog. 4 sts.
Rows 9-11: Work even in stockinette for 3 rows, starting and ending with a purl row.
Row 12: K2tog twice. 2 sts.
Rows 13-14: Work even in stockinette for 2 rows, starting with a purl row.

Cut yarn leaving 12 inch/30 cm tail for seaming, and thread it through last 2 sts. Pull through and fasten off.

You will sew all seams using the same yarn threaded onto a large needle. Beginning at the nose end of the upper body piece, seam the nose from the front down to the chest point yarn markers (leave the end of the nose open). Line up the upper body chest point and lower body chest point and seam down the front of the front legs, across the feet, and up the back of the front legs. Sew the side seams (leave a 2 inch/5 cm gap on one side seam for stuffing), then down the front of the back legs, across the feet and up the back of the back legs. Line up the upper body tail point and lower body tail point and continue seaming to this point. Now finish by seaming up the tail, leaving a 2 inch/5 cm gap for stuffing. See Figure 3 below for how body should look after seaming; for visual clarity I have highlighted the seams in orange.

At this point the nose end is still open. Insert the snout piece and stitch to the nose, and sew on the ears using Figure 4 below as a guideline.

FINISHING


Fasten off all yarn ends. You are now ready to felt your aardvark. Place him in a mesh bag in your washing machine; set on extra small load and hot water, and add a tiny pinch of laundry detergent. Start the machine. Check every five minutes or so until it reaches the desired level of felting. (Be careful not to let it go through the spin cycle or he may get creases). Remove him from the bag, loosely stuff him with newspaper and set him somewhere warm to dry. When he is dry, remove the newspaper and attach the safety eyes, using photos as a guide for placement. Stuff him firmly with polyester filling, and sew him shut with matching thread. You may also need to secure any seams with needle and thread that did not completely close during felting.

Note: the tail is quite narrow; at the tip it may felt together and close. Poke a pencil down the tail, eraser end first, to open it up if it does felt shut, so you can stuff it.

ABOUT THE DESIGNER

Frances is a longtime knitter who branched out into felting about 18 years ago. She's fascinated with the process of designing the unusual, weird, and unloved critters.

Find her here on Ravelry.

Pattern & images © 2022 Frances Gillespie