Penguin

Description:  This little Penguin stands upright on his webbed feet, and features the use of soft yarn for the “feathers”.  Macramé animals do not need to be flat. They can be 3-D like this little guy.  Many of the techniques you will learn in this Macrame project can be used to make other types of animals. The person who inspired me to create this creature is Susan DeRoy.

Supplies Needed:

• 3 to 4mm Braided Cord (Black: 40 yards, and White: 20 yards)
• Black, White, and Yellow Yarn
• 1 Styrofoam Ball for the head, 3 inches in diameter
• Stuffing fiber
• 2 Animal Eyes, or black beads
• Project Board and Pins
• Glue

Knots Used:

• Square Knot (SK)
• Double Half Hitch (DHH)
• Larks Head Knot
• Alternating Square Knots (ASK)

Creating the Head

Cut 14 strands of black material, each 100 inches long
Cut 8 white cords, each 90 inches long

Prepare the ends with tape, wax, or glue.  See Cord Preparation for more details.

Step 2:  Secure the knot to the top of the Styrofoam ball with glue.  You can hold it in place with a pin while it dries. 

Step 3:  When the glue is dry, fan out the strands in groups of 4, so they are evenly spaced around the ball.  Tie a row of 4 Square Knots approximately 1 inch away from the first one that is glued.  Use 4 strands per knot. 

Step 4:  Alternate cords, and tie another row, 1 inch away and lower down on the ball.  The goal is to have a net-like design resting close to the ball, so arrange the knots so they are snug.

Step 5:  Tie 1 or 2 more rows in the same manner, until the netting reaches the bottom of the Styrofoam ball.

Step 6:  Bundle the black cords together with a rubber band or another cord, to get them out of the way.  Choose a section of the head that you want to be the face of the Penguin. 

Step 7:  Secure the eyes between the black cords in that section.  Depending on the type of eyes you have, you may need to apply glue or some type of washer.  If they have shanks, like buttons, secure them to the cords with small pieces of thread.  If you prefer, you can simply glue them to the head of the Penguin.

Step 8:  To make the beak:  Cut 2 black cords, one 20 inches long, and the other 36 inches long.  The short strand is the holding cord.  Attach the long one to it, 6 inches from one end, with a Double Half Hitch.  Curve the long end of the holding cord and tie another DHH.  Keep coiling the holding cord as you continue to tie DHH.  Stop when the Penguin's beak is around 2 to 3 inches long.

Step 9:  Attach the beak to cords on the head with a Square Knot.  It should rest slightly below and in between the eyes.  Trim the excess to 1 inch and unravel the cords so they fluff.

Designing the Front of the Body

Step 10:  Add 2 white cords at the bottom of the head, in line with the eyes of the Penguin.  Attach these strands to the sections between the SK, with Larks Head knots, folding them in half in the process. 

Step 11:  Tie one SK with 2 working cords and 2 fillers.

Step 12:  Add a new strand to each of the working cords.  The best way to do this is to center the new ones under the originals.  Use the new strands as the working cords, and tie a SK. 

Step 13:  Mentally number the strands 1 thru 8.  Tie a SK with 1 – 4 and 5 – 8.

Step 14:  Add the last 4 cords to the working cords of both SK tied in the previous step.  Add them the same way you did the others in step 12.  When finished, you will have 16 strands to work with.

Step 15:  Tie a row of SK using all the cords.  It’s OK if some of the knots rest diagonally.

Step 16:  Tie 8 to 10 rows of Alternating SK, depending on how tall you want the Penguin to be.  End with a row consisting of 4 knots.

Designing the Back of the Body

Step 17:  Turn the Penguin over, and arrange the black cords into 5 groups of 4.  Mentally number the strands 1 thru 20.  Tie the first row of ASK, passing cords 1 and 20 thru spaces along the edges of the white panel, before tying the knots.

Tie a second row of ASK.  When you tie the third row, pass strands 1 and 20 through the white panel again.  Doing this links the two halves of the body.

Step 18:  Add 2 new cords by centering them under 2 existing strands (not the ones on the edges).  When you tie the 4th row of ASK, the knots will secure them in place. You should now have 24 cords to work with, so re-number them.

Step 19:  Tie the 5th row, as you did the first and third, passing cords 1 and 24 through spaces in the front panel.

Step 20:  Add 2 more cords, as you did in step 18.  Tie the 6th row of ASK.

Step 22:  Continue tying ASK until the back of the Penguin is the same length as the front.  Be sure to link the 2 parts of the body every other row.

Step 23:  Ignore 2 cords at each edge and tie a row of ASK.  Repeat this process in the front panel as well.

Step 24:  Ignore 2 more cords at the edges, and tie another row.  Repeat in the front of the Penguin.

Step 25:  Separate the 4 black and white cords omitted in the previous step.  These will be used for the feet, so secure them out of the way for now. 

Creating the Tail

Step 27:  Tie 2 rows of ASK for the tail, as if you were working around a tube.  Some of the knots can be a combination of black and white strands.

Step 28:  Bypass 2 strands at each side of the tail, and tie the next row of ASK. It doesn't matter which color you omit, just make sure there is a total of 4.

Step 29:  Repeat the previous step 4 more times.

Step 30:  Tie 2 tight Square Knots with the remaining black and white strands. There should be 2 working cords and the rest will be fillers.

Making the Webbed Feet

Step 32:  Use the cords you separated in step 25.  Take 1 black strand and make the Linen Stitch.  The knot should be about 1 inch long.  Do the same with the second group of cords to make the other leg.

Step 33:  Cut 1 strand of black material, 60 inches long.  This is the working cord for the first foot.  Starting around 6 inches from the end, tie a Vertical DHH onto 1 black and 1 white cord (combined).  Start just below the Linen Stitch.

Tip:  It is easier to tie the Vertical DHH if you pass the working cord under the holding cords first.  It also helps to fan out the cords for the feet.

Continue on, moving left to right, tying Vertical DHH onto the other cords.

Step 34:  Make a second row of Vertical DHH, moving right to left.  Spread the holding cords apart slightly, making the foot wider.

Step 35:  Make 2 more rows in the same manner.  Trim the excess to 4 inches, and weave it through spaces in the back of the foot.  Do the same with the 6-inch tail you left in step 33. 

Step 36:  Trim the holding cords to 3 inches, and weave them into the back of the foot design, too.  Secure them with glue, if necessary.

Step 37:  Repeat steps 33 thru 36 for the second foot.

Designing the Wings

Step 40:  Separate the 4 strands into 2 groups.  Add 2 cords by centering a new strand around each group, and tying a SK (new cord = working cord).

Step 41:  Mentally number the strands 1 thru 8.  Tie a SK with cords 3 thru 6.

Step 42:  Tie rows of ASK until the design is approximately 5 inches long.

Step 43:  Make the Linen Stitch, so the knot ends up approximately ½ inch long.

Step 44:  Repeat steps 38 thru 43 for the second wing.

Covering the Penguin with Feathers

Step 46:  Cut the white Yarn into 20 inch lengths.  Attach several strands with Larks Head knots, to the netting on the lower part of the head (front). You can put some through the spaces in the “neck” area as well.  I decided to pass the ends through spaces in the front of the body near the bottom, but you don’t have to.  Brush until smooth.

Step 47:  Cut the black Yarn into 20 to 24 inch lengths, and attach them to the netting on the head. Use Larks Head Knots to secure them, and be sure to add plenty so that the Styrofoam does not show.  You can secure the ends by passing them through spaces in the body, or let them dangle loosely.

Step 48:  Cut some Yellow yarn into 12-inch sections and weave it through the netting on the head, near the beak.  You can also add some in the neck area.

Step 49:  Trim cords, brush and smooth out the yarn until the Penguin looks good and is neatly finished.