S(p)ock

Got left-over sock yarn? Looking for something to knit while watching your favorite Sci-Fi or Fantasy movies? How about your own set of pointy ears!

The ears are knit from the lobes up with short-rows shaping the front and back of the tip. Stitches are then picked up around the sides and bottom of the ear to form the “cuff.” Left and right ears are knit the same; they are simply embroidered on opposite sides.

After some research (OK, I wore the ears around the house for a while), I learned that the ears stay on well enough by themselves, but if they are to be worn for a long time, or by children, affixing the ears with a little double-sided tape may be good insurance.

SIZE
Small (older child or small adult) [Large (adult)]

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Length: 3.5 ins / 9 cm
Width: 1.75 ins / 4.5 cm

MATERIALS
[MC] Scheepjes Invicta Extra [75% wool, 25% polyamide-nylon; 218 yd/200 m per 50g skein]; color: 1415 (fawn); 1 skein - a pair of ears uses approximately 8 g/35 yd/32 m of yarn
[CC] Scheepjes Invicta Extra [75% wool, 25% polyamide-nylon; 218 yd/200 m per 50g skein];color: 1419 (chocolate); one yd/m

1 set US #1/2.25mm double-point needles
1 set US #1/2.25 mm straight needles (optional – you may also work back-and-forth on dpn’s)

darning needle

GAUGE
40 sts/56 rows = 4" in stockinette stitch

PATTERN
CO 12 sts on US #1/2.25mm straight needles using long-tail cast-on.
Next row [WS]: P across
Next row [RS]: K1, inc 1 st, k across to last st, inc 1 st, k1. Repeat increase row every other row until there are 26 sts. Work 3 rows even, ending on WS row.
Next row [RS]: K1, sl 1, k1, psso, k across to last 3 sts, ssk, k1. Repeat this decrease row every 4th row until 16 sts remain. Work 1 row even, ending on a WS row.

Begin short-row shaping:
Next row [RS]: K across to last st, w&t, p across to last st, w&t. K across to second-last st, w&t, p across to second-last st, w&t. Continue in this manner until all but two sts have been wrapped, ending on a WS row.
Next row [RS]: K to first wrap, pick up wrap and knit together with the stitch it is wrapped around, wrap next stitch (there will now be two wraps around this st) and turn work. P to the next wrapped stitch, pick up the wrap and purl it together with the stitch it is wrapped around, wrap the next stitch (which will also now have two wraps), turn work.
K across to first double-wrapped stitch, pick up and k both wraps with their stitch, w&t, p across to next double-wrapped stitch, pick up and p both wraps with their stitch, w&t. Continue in this manner until all stitches have been worked, ending with a WS row.

Pick Up Stitches for “Cuff”: If using straight needles, transfer all 16 sts to a dpn.
With RS facing and using dpn’s, beginning to the left of the leftmost live stitch, pu and k 12 sts along left side of ear between beginning point and last increase on LHS of ear; pu and k 20 sts along bottom of ear between last increase on LHS of ear and last increase on RHS of ear, and pu 12 sts along RHS of ear between last increase on RHS and rightmost live stitch. There are now a total of 60 stitches.

Size Small Only:
Working in the round, work 1 row in stockinette stitch.
Next row: K 13, k2tog around (56 sts).
Next row: Work even.
Next row: K 12, k2tog around (52 sts).
Next row: Work even.
Begin k2p2 rib and work 4 rows of ribbing.

Size Large Only:
Working in the round, work 4 rows in stockinette stitch.
Begin k2p2 rib and work 4 rows of ribbing.

All sizes: Bind off all stitches loosely, but less loosely than you would bind off a sock top. The ribbing should not flare out along the bound-off row.


FINISHING
Using darning needle and CC, backstitch ear detail as in picture.
Weave in all ends. Wash, shape and lay face-down to dry (stuff while drying if necesary)

Media - S(p)ock Ears as seen on:

Boing Boing

Rocketboom

The Daily Chum

Atlantica Magazine, Sept-Oct 2008 issue