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Nativity KAL - first instalment - Mary and baby Jesus

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Nativity KAL - first instalment - Mary and baby Jesus
By Teresa Conway 6 years ago

The first of our special Christmas Nativity KAL is here and it is Mary and baby Jesus! 

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For £31.99 you'll get 33 skeins of Anchor Wool, all the yarn you'll need for the Nativity scene.

Buy your exclusive yarn pack here.

Download the free pattern here.

Keep scrolling for our How-To guide for knitting up and putting together Mary and baby Jesus. 

With robe shade, cast on 9 sts for base.

To cast on, wrap yarn around thumb.

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Insert knitting needle under the first strand and between your thumb and fore finger.

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Wrap working yarn (yarn attached to the skein) around the needle towards you and between your thumb and fore finger.

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Insert needle through loop around thumb and drop yarn from thumb, leaving a loop on needle.

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You'll then have 1 stitch (st) on needle.

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Continue another 8 times, casting on 9 sts.

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Purl (p) 1 row.

To purl, insert needle downwards through front of st.

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Wrap yarn around right hand needle anti-clockwise, through the needles.

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Insert right hand needle back through the stitch on left hand needle.

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Take off st on left hand needle, creating new st on right hand needle.

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Repeat the rest of the row.

First increase (inc) row: Knit (k) 1 [up1, k1] to end. 

To knit: Insert right hand needle into front of st.

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Wrap yarn around right hand needle anti-clockwise, and through needles.

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Insert right hand needle down through st on left hand needle, creating new st on right hand needle.

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Take st on left needle off.

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To up1: find the loop lying between needles.

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Put loop onto left hand needle and insert right hand needle into the back of the st.

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K the st.

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Take loop off the left hand needle, creating a new st.

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Repeat for row referring to pattern.

Continue referring to the pattern.

To k 2 sts together (k2tog), insert right needle through 2 sts on left needle. 

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K sts together, take sts off left needle, creating 1 st on right hand needle.

Continue referring to the pattern.

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Cast off purl wise for neck.

To do this, insert needle into st as if to purl.

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Slip the st without working.

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P next st.

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Pass slst over, leaving 1 st on right hand needle.

Continue for the rest of the row, until 1 st remains, cut yarn, and thread through last st.

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Head: With right side facing and using head shade, pick up and k15 sts along cast-off edge of robe. To pick up and k sts, insert needle through first st before cast off edge, starting on the right side edge. Loop yarn around needle and pull through, creating a loop on the needle.

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Continue like this making sure sts are picked up evenly across.

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Continue referring to the pattern.

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Cut yarn and thread through sts on needle. Gather sts and secure on head.

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Join row-ends of base and robe from cast-on edge to 1cm after fold line

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For a seamless looking join, use blanket stitch.

To blanket stitch: with right side facing insert darning needle in and under the loop between st. Pull needle through and pull tight, repeat on the other side pulling the edges together creating a seamless look.

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Stop seaming edges once reach 1 cm after fold line.

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Gather cast-on edge, pull up tightly and fasten off.

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Cut 6cm-diameter circle of stout card, glue inside base and leave to dry.

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Join remainder of seam, leaving an opening.

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Stuff head and body firmly and close opening.

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Arms: 2nd inc row: P4, p twice in next st, p4.

To p twice in next st, p st but do not take st off needle.

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Insert needle again into st, as if to purl putting right hand needle in front of left hand needle, finish st.

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Take both sts off needle.

Finish purling row.

Continue referring to pattern.

Hand: With wrong side facing and using attached robe shade, pick up and k11 sts along cast-off edge of arm.

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Change to head shade.

Dec row: K1, [k2tog] to end.

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Complete hand referring to pattern. Thread end through sts, pull up and secure.

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 Join row-ends edge from gathered end of hand to top of arm.

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Do not stuff the arms. 

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Place top of arms at each side of body, just below neck and secure in position.

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Headdress: Cast on 6 sts at beginning of next row for face edge. To cast on at beginning of row, insert needle between the first and second st. Knit as usual.

Put st back on left hand needle.

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You will have made a new stitch. 

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Continue to cast on another 5 sts, creating 6 new sts in total.

Use the cable cast on method for this.

To do this work the same as before but inserting needle into the st rather than between the first and second sts, put st back on left hand needle without dropping from needle.

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Continue referring to pattern.

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Thread end through sts, pull up and secure.

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Join row-ends from gathered end to cast-on sts for face edge. Use blanket st for seamless look. See before for details.

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With dark brown, embroider eyes on face by working 2 satin stitches for each eye.

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Repeat so worked two sts for each eye. 

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Thread loose ends through head out the other side to secure.

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With head shade, work a few satin sts between eyes for nose.

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Using rust, embroider mouth with 2 straight sts.

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Again secure ends threading the yarn ends through the head. 

Place headdress on top of head and secure in position. Catch down and secure lower edge of headdress to body.

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Baby Jesus

Continue referring to pattern.

Head: Break off yarn, thread through remaining sts, pull up and secure.

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Join row-ends of head from gathered end to cast-on edge.

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Stuff head firmly.

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Run a gathering thread through cast on edge, pull up tightly and secure.

Attach this end to one corner of blanket.

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Fold over this corner, so that the head lies at opposite corner.

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Fold side corners over to wrap baby in bundle.

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Secure in position with sts. 

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With robe shade, work tiny satin st on baby face for each eye.

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Both eyes should be small. 

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Using rust, embroider mouth with single st.

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Place baby bundle in Mary's arms.

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Secure in position by attaching baby Jesus to the hands. 

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Move around until happy with how Mary is holding the baby. 

Add the hemp to the robe, threading through the decrease sts. Tie at front. 

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Add hemp to headdress. Tie at back. 

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That's Mary and baby Jesus complete!

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Please share your progress and finished figures on The Knitting Network Facebook page. We'd love to see how you're getting on!

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