Rat Pattern Needed! Please Help!

[patriautism]

I've searched high and low and I can't find one! I tried to free style one and it came out very very crappy. I don't care if it's a little stuffed rat or a pattern that might go on a hat or a scarf. I just want to knit rats!

[starlings]

I've made a stuffed rat as a cat toy using a method similar to this one:
http://www.woolworks.org/patterns/furrbee.txt

The pattern is for a mouse, but I made it more rat like by first increasing a bit, then working decrease rows - more frequently at first, then every several rows. This gives the body a bigger bum, which seemed more rat-like. Then when I had closed up the back, I picked up a few stitches and made a garter stitch i-cord tail in a contrasting colour (like reg. i-cord, but alternating knit and purl rows). This gives the tail a ribby texture. And of course pink eyes.

It was pretty menacing, actually. But now it's under some piece of furniture, gathering dust.

[knittingfiend]

  Guess what I have sitting on my tv?

I see a brown rat joining him soon!

[ultraviolet]

I too have looked for rat patterns! There is one in the Debbie Bliss Toy Knits book (I think that is what it's called). It's a pirate rat. I've kind of wanted something more realistic though.

Knittingfiend - where did you get that pattern?

Pattern designers seem to think noone would want to knit a rat. They are wrong, so wrong....

[knittingfiend]

I knit that rat 20 years ago, and I don't have the pattern. So, today, I fiddled around and made this smaller one.  I'll be posting the pattern at my blog tomorrow or the next day!

[knittingfiend]

The baby rat pattern is posted:
http://www.thedietdiary.com/blog/index.php

[patriautism]

Wow, thank you guys so much! I knew I couldn't be the only one.

The baby rat pattern is posted:
http://www.thedietdiary.com/blog/index.php

I read over the pattern and I know I don't know how to do everything in it but I'll have to learn. I am the "superknitter" in my town, I can't lose face

Thanks again everybody!

[knittingfiend]

If you have questions, just ask.  The main problem people have with short rows is not believing you don't finish the row! Just pretend you have. (There is that pesky wrapping thing-- but I have a link on the side bar showing how to work short rows, and it shows how to do it. )

[patriautism]

Oh, I'm totally down to try! My cooler pieces have come out of experimenting and not really knowing what I'm doing. Which is why I was so disappointed at my rat I use him as a little pin cusion now. I'm going to get started on the rat as soon as I finish this scarf I started in nutrition class. My sister sent me some suprise yarn and I had to try it out asap. I'll probably be asking questions---I can't seem to find a decent site on technique on the net. I should also mention I knit lefthanded, though I'm right handed. It makes reading directions pretty sucky.

[knittingfiend]

So, do you mirror image knit? With the stitches going from right to left?  I should see if my image software permits mirror imaging of the techniques-- then it would just be a mtter of rewording, right?  That would be kind of cool!

I have a camera, so I've been trying to photograph techniques as I work them. Of course, I have to drop the yarn to take the picture, but I figure I might as well try!  (I am right handed, so  of course, you'd mirror.)