This pattern was originally published on my old blog, Smoochie, on November 12th 2010. This is the new, revised version! It is also on Ravelry: Monsterpants
Please do not copy and share this pattern to other places. If you wish to share the pattern with someone, you can refer to this page or Ravelry.
PDF-Link: Monsterpants pattern
The pattern uses three colors: Main color (MC), contrast color 1 (CC1) and contrast color 2 (CC2). I advice to use fingering weight yarn held double, but a single strand of DK or worsted weight yarn can also be used.
Gauge: 21 stitches and 32 rounds = 10×10 cm.
Sizes: 6-12 months (1-2 years) 3-4 years.
Needles: 3.5 mm (40 cm circular and DPN’s) and 4 mm (60 cm circular and DPN’s)
Notions: 3 stitch markers
Yarn: Dale Babyull (1 ball = 165 meter/50 gram)
Balls of yarn needed for each size:
MC: 2 (2) 3
CC1: 2 (2) 2
CC2: 1 (2) 2
You will also need some scraps of white and black aran weight yarn for the eyes and teeth. I use Dale Free style, but this is now discontinued.
Abbreviations:
K: Knit
P: Purl
YO: Yarn over
M1R: Make 1 right
M1L: Make 1 left
Tips:
- The mouth is knitted using short rows. To avoid holes, you can do a wrap and turn. Here are two videos that show you how to do this; knit side and purl side. You can also use German short rows instead of wrap and turn.
- If you need help with M1R and M1L, PurlSoho has a nice tutorial.
- The eyes and teeth are stitched on at the end using duplicate stitch. You can find a good tutorial for this on PurlSoho. I advise using an aran weight yarn for this! It will make the stitches fill in better, to avoid spaces where the color below shows through.
Lets start knitting!
On smaller needles, using CC1, cast on 92 (96) 100 stitches. You will be knitting in the round. Place a stitch marker at the beginning of the round.
Knit waistband in 2×2 ribbing: * K2, P2 * repeat from * to * the the end of the round.
Knit 5 rounds of CC1, switch to CC2 and knit 4 rounds.
Make holes for the waist-cord: * K2, yo, P2 together, * repeat from * to * to the end of the round.
Now continue the 2×2 ribbing. 3 more rounds with CC2, then switch to CC1 and knit 5 rounds.
You will now start with stockinette stitch. This is where you measure your work from!
Switch to larger needles. Using MC, knit one round.
Round 2: increase round. *K23 (24) 25 stitches, M1R *, repeat from * to * the the end of the round.
After the increase round, continue to knit in stockinette stitch till the work measures 9 (10) 11 cm.
If you want a stripe around the mouth in CC2, you need to change color after 8 (9) 10 cm, then knit 3 rounds with CC2.
Mouth:
Switch to CC1 and knit 3 rounds. K48 (50) 52 stitches, turn work, P48 (50) 52 stitches, turn work, K43 (45) 47 stitches, turn work, P38 (40) 42 stitches and turn work again. Continue in the same manner, by knitting 5 stitches less every time you turn, until you have less than 5 stitches on the needle and can’t make a turn. Make sure you are on the knit side of your work after the last turn!
Knit 3 rounds stockinette, picking up wraps as you come to them.
Switch to MC and knit stockinette for 3 cm.
If you are knitting a CC2 stripe around the mouth you switch to CC2 instead of MC, knit 3 rounds, switch to MC and continue to follow the pattern.
On the last round, place two more markers to mark the front and back of the work.
K24 (25) 26 stitches, place marker (back marker), K48 (50) 52 stitches, place marker (front marker), knit till end of round.
Crotch increases:
Increase round: Knit til one stitch before back marker, M1R, K2, M1L, knit til 1 stitch before front marker, M1R, K2, M1L, knit till end of round.
1. round: Increase round.
2. round: Knit all stitches.
Repeat round 1 and 2 three more times, giving you a total stitch count of 112 (116) 120. Cut yarn.
Legs:
Now you start on the legs and the stitches must be divided equally. Remove markers as you come to them.
Place 28 (29) 30 stitches on 4 mm DPN’s, then 56 (58) 60 stitches on scrap yarn. The remaining 28 (29) 30 stitches go on the DPN’s together with the first 28 (29) 30 you already placed there. Now you have divided the stitches, 56 (58) 60 on each side, for the two legs. The round starts inside of the leg. Place marker at the beginning of the round.
You will now knit stripes. There are two ways to make these:
Broad stripes: Knit 6 rounds MC, 6 rounds CC1, 6 rounds CC2. Repeat.
Alternating stripes: Knit 4 rounds MC, 2 rounds CC2, 4 rounds CC1, 2 rounds CC2. Repeat.
Knit until the leg measures approx. 22 (30) 36 cm.
Ribbing: Using the next color in line, knit one round. Next round you decrease 8 stitches evenly, by using K2 together. Continue in 2×2 ribbing for 5 cm.
Cast off and knit the other leg.
Finishing:
Weave in all loose ends and make a cord to put in the waistband. I-cord is a good option.
Make eyes and teeth by using duplicate stitches, following the chart for eyes and teeth.
If you want a heart or a square on the front, knit this separately, crochet an edging around it and sew on to the front.
Frigg Fiber Arts 