Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Tutorial: Despicable Me Minion: Part 3: Eye

Edited July 2015 to be more detailed (hopefully) and explicit.

If you haven't yet started your minion, see Part 1 and Part 2 to get started!

Note about eye: I decided not to make my eye detachable because I believe that as non-organic beings, minions need their glasses to be functional. Hence, the eye is connected to the glasses.

Yarn: Red Heart Super Saver Black, Brown, White, and Heather Gray
US size 7 circular needles
polyester fiber-fill

First, decide whether your minion will have one or two eyes. For two eyes, I suggest you do a quick "Find" search for "Two Eyes."


ONE EYE:

CO 4 with Disappearing Loop Cast-on with black yarn; join in round. Switch to brown.
kfb all around (8)
(kfb, k1) (12)
Switch to white.
(kfb, k2) (16)
(kfb, k3) (20)
(kfb, k4) (24)
(kfb, k5) (28)
(kfb, k6) (32)
(kfb, k7) (36) If you want your minion to have an eyelid, follow the instructions below.
(kfb, k8) (40)
(kfb, k9) (44)
(kfb, k10) (48)
(kfb, k11) (52)
(kfb, k12) (56) Now continue with "Goggles"!


One Eyelid:

(kfb, k8) 3 times, kfb, k3, switch to yellow, k5 (40)
kfb, k6, switch to white, k3, (kfb, k9) 2 times, kfb, k3, switch to yellow, k6 (44)
kfb, k7, switch to white, k3, (kfb, k10) 2 times, kfb, k3, switch to yellow, k7 (48)
kfb, k8, switch to white, k3, (kfb, k11) 2 times, kfb, k3, switch to yellow, k8 (52)
kfb, k9, switch to white, k3, (kfb, k12) 2 times, kfb, k3, switch to yellow, k9 (56)


One Goggle:
Special instructions—make bobble: kfb, turn, p2, turn, k2tog

Switch to gray.

Knit 3 rounds.
(make bobble, k6) around
Knit 1 rounds.
Purl 1 round.
Knit 1 round
k11, pm, k6, pm, k22, pm, k6, pm, k11, break yarn
With a new strand, return to a set of six stitches separated by markers and knit 5 rows in reverse stockinette. Break yarn.
With a new strand, return to the other set of six stitches and knit 5 rows in reverse stockinette.
Bind off all 56 stitches continuously.
Break yarn, leaving enough to sew the eye onto the body later.




Return to the first gray round you knit and pick up 56 sts counter-clockwise (looking at the right side of the eye). 


Note that my working yarn is on the right in the photo.


Knit four rounds. The purl bumps should face out.

Bind off.
Weave in ends.









With black yarn, pick up seven stitches from bind-off edge of one of the sets of six stitches. 

Knit stockinette flat until the black can reach all around the body to the other set of six stitches. 


Pulling stitches onto the wrong side

Using a crochet hook, slip one black stitch off the needle and pull it through the bind-off edge to the wrong side of the goggle.

Note that the inside of the eye and the right side of the strap will be facing you. 






Binding off

Once all the stitches are on the crochet hook, slip them back onto a knitting needle.

Bind off the black stitches, leaving enough yarn to sew the strap on later. 


(This bind-off is only necessary if you wish to avoid sewing as much as possible, which is the case with me. If you don't mind sewing, just bind off the black and sew it onto the glasses.)



Stuff inside of eye, then sew the eye and black strap to minion’s head.

When you're done, move on to Part 4 to continue with overalls!


The pattern is for personal use only. The finished item may not be sold for profit. Please acknowledge the author. Thank you!



TWO EYES:

Make two:

CO 4 with Disappearing Loop Cast-on with black yarn; join in round. Switch to brown.
kfb all around (8)
(kfb, k1) (12)
Switch to white.
(kfb, k2) (16)
(kfb, k3) (20)
(kfb, k4) (24)
(kfb, k5) (28)
(kfb, k6) (32) If you want your minion to have an eyelid, follow the instructions below.
(kfb, k7) (36) 
(kfb, k8) (40)
(kfb, k9) (44)
(kfb, k10) (48) Now continue with "Goggles"!


Two Eyelids:

(Edited 10/14/2015)
k3, switch to yellow, k4, kfb, k4, switch to white, k3, kfb, (k7, kfb) 2 times (36)
k2, switch to yellow, k4, kfb, k7, switch to white, k1, (kfb, k8) 2 times, kfb, k2 (40)k1, switch to yellow, k7, kfb, k7, switch to white, k2, (kfb, k9) 2 times, kfb, k1 (44)Switch to yellow, k10, kfb, k7, switch to white, k3, (kfb, k10) 2 times, kfb (48)


From here on, if something isn't clear, check the instructions for one eye to see if any of the photos help. If not, feel free to comment for clarifications!

Left-Eye Goggle:
Special instructions—make bobble: kfb, turn, p2, turn, k2tog

Switch to gray.

Knit 3 rounds.
(make bobble, k5) 3 times, k12, (make bobble, k5) 3 times
Knit 1 round.
Purl 1 round.
Knit 1 round
k40, pm, k5, pm, k3, break yarn
With a new strand, return to the 5 stitches separated by markers and knit 5 rows in reverse stockinette.
Bind off all 48 stitches continuously.
Break yarn, leaving enough to sew the eyes onto the body later.
Return to the first gray round you knit and pick up 56 sts counter-clockwise (looking at the right side of the eye). 
Knit four rounds (the purl bumps should face out).
Bind off.
Weave in ends.


Right-Eye Goggle:
Special instructions—make bobble: kfb, turn, p2, turn, k2tog

Switch to gray.

Knit 3 rounds.
k6, (make bobble, k5) 6 times, k6
Knit 1 round.
Purl 1 round.
Knit 1 round
k15, pm, k5, pm, k28, break yarn
With a new strand, return to the 5 stitches separated by markers and knit 5 rows in reverse stockinette.
Bind off all 48 stitches continuously.
Break yarn.
Return to the first gray round you knit and pick up 56 sts counter-clockwise (looking at the right side of the eye). 
Knit four rounds (the purl bumps should face out).
Bind off.

Weave in ends.

Sew the two eyes together.


With black yarn, pick up six stitches from bind-off edge of one of the sets of five stitches. 

Knit stockinette flat until the black can reach all around the body to the other set of five stitches. 
Slip one black st off at a time and use a crochet hook to pull it onto the other side of the gray. Slip the black stitches back onto the needle. 
Bind off the black stitches, leaving enough yarn to sew the strap on later. (This bind-off is only necessary if you wish to avoid sewing as much as possible, which is the case with me. If you don't mind sewing, just bind off the black and sew it onto the glasses.)

Stuff inside of eyes, then sew the eyes and black strap to minion’s head.

When you're done, move on to Part 4 to continue with overalls!


The pattern is for personal use only. The finished item may not be sold for profit. Please acknowledge the author. Thank you!

15 comments:

  1. Hi, I'm making a 2 eyed minion but I'm stuck on the eyes! I'm up to the bit which says "continue increasing four sts per round until 56 sts (I have done this bit up to 32 sts as it says but I don't know where to go from here)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello! For two eyes, increase four stitches per round until you have 48 stitches. So if you have 32 stitches right now...
      (kfb, k7) around (36)
      (kfb, k8) around (40)
      (kfb, k9) around (44)
      (kfb, k10) around (48)
      If you'd like to add eyelids, let me know if you need me to clarify for that as well.

      Delete
    2. Hi, I'm stuck on the eyelid part. I'm making the 2 eyed & got the part where 32 stitches on needles. When I get to the first row under Two Eyelids, I have 36 stitches on that round but the instructions say k4 (36). So does the k4 go into the next round (didn't work out well) or am I missing something? I've tried the eye twice & counted & still come up missing something with those 4 stitches. Can you clarify if each line of the pattern = a round on the dpns? Thank you so much for your help.

      Delete
    3. Hi Joni,
      I think I did something wacky when I was writing because it definitely seems off. Thanks so much for pointing it out--I'm so sorry you were the one! It should read something like this:
      k3, switch to yellow, k4, kfb, k4, switch to white, k3, kfb, (k7, kfb) 2 times (36)
      k2, switch to yellow, k4, kfb, k7, switch to white, k1, (kfb, k8) 2 times, kfb, k2 (40)
      k1, switch to yellow, k7, kfb, k7, switch to white, k2, (kfb, k9) 2 times, kfb, k1 (44)
      Switch to yellow, k10, kfb, k7, switch to white, k3, (kfb, k10) 2 times, kfb (48)
      I hope this helps! Let me know if anything else needs clarification!

      Delete
    4. Thank you so much for your prompt response. I shall give it another go. And I really appreciate you sharing your pattern. Thanks.

      Delete
  2. Thank you, I've sorted it now, 1 down, 1 to go!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Great! Let me know if anythign else is unclear!

      Delete
  3. Hi, my daughter is making a minion with your pattern and we have a few questions about the eye.
    1st - how many stitches did you increase when making your bobble for the eye? She is increasing to 5 and feels the bobble is too big.

    After the bobble row and the next 5 rows, I'm a little confused as to what to do next.
    It says to hold all sts on spare yarn but 6 on each side. Then knit 5 rows of rev. stock. w/ each set of 5 in rows for side detailing. Can you say this another way? I can't visualize what we are really doing here.

    Finally it says to bind off without decreasing but later to stuff the eye. Are you stuffing loosely and then using the seam from sewing the eye to the body as a way to hold the stuffing in?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi there!

      For the bobble, there are specific instructions at the top of the page after "Special instructions." I used a kfb stitch, so I only increased to two stitches.

      For the next part, you are basically lenthening a tiny section or adding a short strip on either side of the eye. It eventually becomes a detail for where the strap actually connects to the goggles. (And thank you for pointing this out; there is a typo. It should say, "Knit 5 rows of rev stock with each set of 6). So you're going to work six stitches flat in reverse stockinette (hold the rest on waste yarn). Then put those six stitches on the waste yarn and find six stitches on the opposite side of the eye and do the same thing. Now you should have the "cylinder" (goggle) with two tiny sections sticking up (they will eventually fold to be the same height as the rest of the goggle).

      For the stuffing, what you said is correct. I didn't stuff the eye until I sewed it to the body.

      I hope this helps; please comment if you have any more questions!

      Delete
    2. Thanks so much! Sorry we missed the Special Instructions part. This project has been picked up and set down for a few months and I didn't catch it.

      The clarification on the rev. stock. is great. I'm sure we'll get it right now.

      Delete
  4. what circumference round needles are required.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello! I used 80 cm circumference because that's all I have, but you could definitely use shorter ones for the eyes

      Delete
  5. so I chose to use dpn since I am very new to circular needles. I am a little confused on how you "Return to the first gray round you knit and pick up 56 sts counter-clockwise (looking at the right side of the eye). " The part I am having a hard time with is picking up 56 sts on something, I am counting more than 56 sts....very new to this my apologies for any confusion.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No worries! Basically, start at the first gray stitch you knit (when you switched from white to gray). Use your needle to pick up the right leg of the stitch, and then move on to the next V and pick up that one. By the time you make it all the way around, you should have 56 stitches on your needles. I hope this helps!

      Delete