Size

Each block measures approximately 7.5 x 7.5 x 7.5cm.

Materials

• 1 x 50g ball Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino in each of indigo (A), duck egg (B), lime (C), raspberry (D), silver (E) and camel (F).

• Oddments of brown yarn for embroidery.

• Pair 3mm knitting needles.

• 5 foam blocks, each 7.5 x 7.5 x 7.5cm, or toy stuffing (see note below).

Tension

26 sts and 36 rows over st st to 10cm square using 3mm needles.

Note

Each of the five blocks of the building blocks set is made from six different knitted faces. If you are using foam for the filling when making up the blocks, make sure you use non-toxic EVA (closed cell) foam available from reputable foam suppliers.

Plain face

(make 5)

  • • With 3mm needles and A, cast on 19 sts.
  • • Moss st row K1, [p1, k1] to end.
  • • Rep the moss st row 31 times more.
  • • Cast off in moss st.
  • • Make 4 more plain faces in same way, working one in each of B, C, D and E.
  • Narrow stripe face

  • (make 5)
  • • With 3mm needles and A, cast on 19 sts.
  • • Work in garter st stripe sequence as follows:
  • • * K 1 row A, 2 rows B, 2 rows C, 2 rows D, 2 rows E, 2 rows F, 1 row A; rep from * twice more, then k 1 row A, 2 rows B, 2 rows C, 1 row D.
  • • Cast off knitwise in D.
  • • Make 4 more narrow stripe faces in same way.
  • Wide stripe face

  • (make 5)
  • • With 3mm needles and A, cast on 19 sts.
  • • Beg with a k row, work 27 rows in st st in stripe sequence as follows:
  • • 3 rows A, 1 row B, 1 row A, 3 rows B, 1 row C, 1 row B, 3 rows C, 1 row D, 1 row C, 3 rows D, 1 row E, 1 row D, 3 rows E, 1 row F, 1 row E, 2 rows F.
  • • Cast off knitwise in F.
  • • Make 4 more wide stripe faces in same way.
  • Bear face

  • (make 5)
  • • With 3mm needles and E, cast on 19 sts.
  • • Beg with a k row, work 28 rows in st st from bear chart on page 140, using E for background and F for bear.
  • • Cast off purlwise.
  • • Embroider eyes, snout and mouth with brown yarn.
  • • Make 4 more bear faces in same way, using F for all the bears and A or E for background.
  • • Bird’s-eye spot face
  • (make 5)
  • • With 3mm needles and background colour of your choice, cast on 19 sts.
  • • Beg with a k row, work 28 rows in st st from bird’s-eye spot chart using spot colour of your choice.
  • • Cast off.
  • • Make 4 more bird’s-eye spot faces in same way, using a different colour combination for each one.
  • Number face

  • (make 5)
  • • With 3mm needles and background colour of your choice, cast on 19 sts.
  • • Beg with a k row, work 28 rows in st st from number chart ‘1’ using number colour of your choice.
  • • Make 4 more number faces in same way, using a different number (2, 3, 4 and 5) and a different colour combination for each one.
  • To make up

  • • For each of the five blocks, select one of each of the six different faces and sew them together as follows:
  • • Join four faces together in a strip; then join the remaining two faces to the strip as shown in the assembly diagram. Join the first face to the fourth face of the strip of four, then join the remaining three sides of one of the side faces to the four. Insert the foam block or fill with toy stuffing until firm and join the remaining three sides to the four. CL
  • Standard abbreviations

  • • alt: alternate
  • • beg: begin(ning)
  • • cont: continue
  • • dec: decrease (ing)
  • • foll: following
  • • inc: increase (ing)
  • • k: knit
  • • m1: make one stitch by picking up the loop lying between the stitch just worked and the next stitch and working into the back of it
  • • patt: pattern
  • • p: purl
  • • psso: pass slipped stitch over
  • • rem: remain (ing)
  • • rep: repeat (ing)
  • • skpo: slip 1, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over
  • • sl: slip
  • • ssk: (slip 1 knitwise) twice, insert tip of left hand needle from left to right through slipped stitch and knit together
  • • st(s): stitch(es)
  • • st st: stocking stitch
  • • tbl: through back of loop
  • • tog: together
  • • yf: yarn forward
  • • yon: yarn over needle
  • • yrn: yarn round needle