A Richer Gift To Learn: Knitting Corn, An Embarrassingly Involved Pursuit

There isn't really much to explain... it's knit corn on the cob. It took me more time than I care to think about to come up with a "corn" stitch pattern I was happy with. I'm sharing the pattern in case you too feel the overwhelming urge to take up such an immensely important task.

Ty (the) Cob

Materials

Yarn

Main Color (MC) - Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Worsted (100% Peruvian Highland Wool, 110 yds/50g ball) in Semolina, 15g

Contrasting Color (CC) - Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Worsted (100% Peruvian Highland Wool, 110 yds/50g ball) in Cloud, You will only need a miniscule amount of this color; a couple of yards should be sufficient.

Gauge

The finished fabric needs to be dense enough to hold stuffing. Finding a yarn and needle combination that produces a good, sturdy fabric is more important, in this project, than measured gauge.

Needles

1 set US 7 (4.50 mm) double point needles

Notions

yarn or tapestry needle
stuffing (fiber fill, yarn scraps, unwanted roving, cat hair, plastic bags...)
washing machine, boiling water, or some other means of fulling the finished item if desired

Legend

*- repeat pattern from * to * across the row, or as many times as directed
dbltwst- knit into the second stitch on the left needle, then into the first stitch without dropping the stitches off of the left needle. Knit into the second stitch, then the first stitch again. Allow both stitches to drop from the left needle.
k- knit
k2tog- knit two stitches together
kfb- knit into the front of the stitch (normally), and, before dropping the stitch from the left needle, knit into the back of the stitch
p- purl
p2tog- purl two together
ssk - slip two stitches as if to knit (separately), then knit those two stitches together

Directions
Cast-on 6 sts using a lighter circular cast-on using a contrasting (cob) color, or main color if using only one.

Cob/ Set-up

(If you do not intended to full the finished item, use smaller needles to knit this section.)

R1 knit as icord
R2 *kfb* onto dpns and begin working in the round (place marker or pull the yarn tail through a stitch on the first needle, shown below, to keep track of the beginning of round)
R3 *k*
R4 *k, kfb* (switch to MC before next round if using CC)
R5 *k*
R6 *k2, kfb*
R7 *k*

Corn/Body

Work in the following pattern for about 5 inches

R1 *dbltwst (k into 2nd st on left needle, then into 1st st without dropping st off of left needle, k into 2nd st, then the 1st st again, drop both sts off of the left needle); p*
R2 *ssk, k2tog, p*

Add stuffing. If you plan to full the finished item, stuff lightly, as the fabric will shrink, or use yarn or roving that will also shrink.

Decreases

dR1 * dbltwst, p2tog (x2)*
dR2 * ssk, k2tog, p2tog*

Work one repeat of corn/body pattern, and fill with stuffing, overstuffing slightly to account for the last row to be worked.

dR3 *ssk, p*

Break yarn, thread the end through the remaining stitches, and pull tight. Weave in loose ends and full (felt) slightly (or not).