The Thanks of a Grateful [Terry] Nation

[gnomi]

As I mentioned last week, mabfan found a pattern for knitting a Dalek, and I set about knitting one.

Well, it's done. So now I bring you the narrative of the knitting.

(Many photos behind cut)

Genesis of the Dalek

Yarn and Needles

I started with Lamb's Pride Worsted: one skein in Charcoal Heather and one in Onyx. I used US size 4 (3.5 mm) needles, one 16" circular and one set of 6" double pointeds.



Evolution of the Dalek

Dalek with detatched appendages

Unstuffed Dalek with appendages attached

Dalek with his stuffing

Stuffed Dalek with base partially knit

Dalek prepared for grafting

Completed Dalek

Next up? I'm going to knit a TARDIS.

(Additional Dalek process pictures can be found here.)

Comments

[celli]

whee!

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

Heee! I had a lot of fun knitting it.

[sdn.livejournal.com]

you are a rock star. you should make these for people for money.

[mabfan.livejournal.com]

The creator of the pattern actually asked that no one sell any Daleks they knit.

But if you want one, I'm sure we can arrange something. Right, Nomi? :-)

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I had a blast knitting it.

[dzmonster.livejournal.com]

How do you do the black things. I was actually planning on one of these for Joe's birthday.

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

The "Dalek bumps" are black bobbles. How to knit them is explained in the pattern.

[fizzixrat.livejournal.com]

No no no no no. The correct response would have been, "I'll explain later." :)

[introverte.livejournal.com]

Grafting! WOOT!

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

I have to keep the "how to do the kitchener stitch" instructions in front of me throughout, but it comes out so nicely when I do grafting. :-)

[introverte.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I always need the instructions too.

[sydmcginley.livejournal.com]

Beloved Joe nearly cried when he saw Extermiknit!

And he asks: could an unstuffed one work as a hat?

[csbermack.livejournal.com]

It should be readily adaptable.

[sydmcginley.livejournal.com]

Hurrah!
Then I need to improve my knitting skills and get going.
Joe says he wants one!

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

I'd think it would be usable as a hat. You might have to make the base larger, or knit it in a larger-gauge yarn, for it to fit on a an adult man's head, but that's what the tape measure is for. :-)

[sydmcginley.livejournal.com]

Huzzah!

And Joe has a big head ... oh literally, that is.
Tape measure out...

[tsuki-no-bara.livejournal.com]

kyooot! he looks so squishy! (and i love that the last instruction for making the tardis is "cuddle as desired." awww.)

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

He's very squishy; he's stuffed with Polyfill, like the penguins I knit a couple of years back.

[jenwrites.livejournal.com]

You rock!

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

Awww, thanks!

::blushes::

[jadecat.livejournal.com]

He's cute! I want one!

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

Heee! If you knit, he's not all that difficult. I had to learn how to do bobbles (which I'd never needed to do before) to make the "Dalek bumps," but other than that it was all skills I had already.

[jadecat.livejournal.com]

*heaves a big huge melodramatic sigh* I don't knit.


I crochet a bit though!

[maric23.livejournal.com]

*ponder* A knit dalek. Thats almost (but not quite) as terrifying as a plush cthulhu.

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

Paisley Dalek... hmmm...

::ponders::

[kuroshii.livejournal.com]

well done! that seemed to go quickly, at least to this non-knitter. how far along were you when you posted the link last week?

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

I cast it on on Saturday night (8 September), then knit on it during my commute and at nights on Sunday-Tuesday. Then there was Rosh Hashanah and Shabbat, during which I didn't knit, and then I knit a lot on Sunday, did a lot on my commute on Monday, and then finished last night. So, probably, all told, that's about 6-8 total hours of knitting.

I had the first row of Dalek bumps done when I posted last week, I think, so I was about 7 rows into the pattern.

[ephemera.livejournal.com]

The only possible reaction here is: dude!

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

Heee! Thanks!

[byrne.livejournal.com]

Mr. B wants me to knit a Dalek as a HAT for him.

:-|

ohhhhh tardis!!

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

It wouldn't be hard to use the pattern to make a hat. I think you'd have to do it in a larger-gauge yarn (I did this one in worsted, but I'm thinking of doing one in chunky just so I can make Giant Dalek) in order to get it to fit an adult man, however.

[cellio]

Very cool!

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

Thanks! It was a fun project.

[perpet.livejournal.com]

Awesome! I'm fairly certain there's a crochet version out there somewhere. If I ever find it, I'll have to make one up, and they can do battle!

And, oh, but the little knit TARDIS just warms my heart.

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

Battle of the Yarn Daleks! It will be epic! :-)

I'm having fun with the TARDIS so far. I figure it'll be about the right size for my Doctor Who action figures.

[kuroshii.livejournal.com]

i'd say lisatheriveter really "needs" your icon, but she's never on LJ anymore. :(

[tygerseye.livejournal.com]

OMG Beth will FLIP OUT.

LOL!

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

Heee!

Flip out in a good way or a bad way?, she asks with some trepidation.

[betra.livejournal.com]

WANT!!!!

J better learn how to do this.

[nwl.livejournal.com]

Way cool!

[vettecat.livejournal.com]

Very cool!