Amanita Muscaria (knit mushroom)

My Husbeast was telling me the other night about this mushroom and how it is linked in foldlore to the beginings of Christmas and Santa Claus. It’s quite a fascinating story and of course … I was totally inspired and had to knit some! lol. They will be adorning our Christmas Tree this year. =-) You can read “The Psychedelic Secrets of Santa Claus” at this link: http://www.cannabisculture.com/articles/3136.html

THE PATTERN:

I modified the original version (link found below) to make the mushroom pictured.  After I was finished knitting it, I sewed on the sequins and 0/6 seed beads. Or, you can use the little paper dots from a hole punch and just glue them on. Each is pictured below.

Please feel free to ask questions or contact me for any reason. =-)

Christina –

– leave a comment below

– email at splatterpunked@hotmail.com

– find me on ravelry http://www.ravelry.com/people/splatterpunked

Materials:

worsted weight yarn in red and white (I used red heart super saver solids)

DNP’s (I used size 5)

Felt, paper, or precut dots of any sort. Or use a hole punch and printer paper as I did.

Elmers Glue

Note: Yarn and needle size don’t really matter with this pattern.

Begin:

Start with white – make stem

CO 6 on one needle

Round 1: k6, distribute on 3 needles to work in round

Round 2: kfb all sts   (12 sts)

Rounds 3-12: k (10 rounds)

Stuff the stem at this point

Round 8: [k2tog, k2] repeat (9 sts)

Round 9: k

Round 10: [k2tog, k1] repeat (6 sts)

 

–    make the “gills”  (you could make this an accent color or keep it white as in the pic)

 

Round 11: kfb all sts (12 sts)

Round 12: kfb all sts (24 sts)

Round 13: [kfb, k3] repeat (30 sts)

 

change color to red – make the cap.

Stuff cap as you go.

 

Round 14: k

Round 15: p

Round 16-17: k (2 rounds)

Round 18: [k2tog, k8] repeat (27 sts)

Round 19: k

Round 20: [k2tog, K7] repeat (24 sts)

Round 21: k

I cut a 1 ¾” circle from plastic canvas and inserted it into the base of the cap. This keeps the ‘gills’ from pooching out and becoming rounded after stuffing the cap. Use whatever size circle will fit your mushroom. (it’s easy to eyeball it.)

 

Round 22: [K2tog, K2] repeat (18 sts)

Round 23: k

Round 24: [k2tog, K1] repeat (12 sts)

Round 25: k

Round 26: k2tog around (6sts)

–put additional stuffing in the cap if needed

–draw yarn through loops and tighten to close

– cut a small length of red ribbon and use tapestry needle to pass it through the top of the cap. Tie in a knot and pull the knot through the cap to hide it inside. This will give you a nice loop with no knot showing.

ENJOY!

The original and unmodified version can be found on Ravelry at this link:  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/knitted-shrooms

Mushroom ornaments with paper dots (left) or sequins and beads (right)