knitted paint tube pattern knitted paint brush pattern

Pencil (F2)

knitted pencil in three colours

This design can actually be a bit too realistic – you're knitting, you need to make a note, you pick up a pencil and bother! it's not a real one. Repeat process for every single pencil you've knitted that day. It gets old.

A printable version of this pattern is available.

You will need:

  • yarn scraps (black, colour and beige)
  • thin wooden dowelling (eg barbecue skewer)
  • 2 x double ended knitting needles (2.75mm)
  • tapestry needle
  • scissors

Pattern:

(A list of abbreviations is available.)

Before you begin trim one of the dowel rods to between 6 and 16 cm in length. Smooth ends and remove any splinters. This will be the core of the pencil.

  1. Cast on 5 sts in black.
  2. I-cord 8 rows
  3. Change to main pencil colour.
  4. I-cord until knitting is the same length as the wooden dowel.
  5. Insert the wooden dowel inside the i-cord.
  6. Change to beige yarn.
  7. I-cord 4 rows.
  8. k2tog, k1, k2tog (3)
  9. Thread yarn through remaining sts and pull tight.

Making Up:

Sew in any loose ends (the pencil with have less lumps and bumps in it if you leave the colour change ends on the outside of the i-cord and sew them in now). Use the coloured yarn to sew one cross stitch at the end of the pencil to be the lead.

Notes:

Needle/Yarn Size

As with most ODDknit patterns the yarn and needle sizes in the "you will need" section are just a guide. Feel free to improvise with whatever needles and yarn you have lying around - that's half the fun!