I knit. Um, a lot. I also watch Doctor Who, well, about the same amount (I’ve a very hard time sitting and doing NOTHING; I like having my hands busy). So when I was looking for dishcloths and found this, well, I knew I had to make it. (That’s a Dalek, by the way, the oldest and biggest baddies in the Whoniverse.) Which led me to this pattern, which, while pretty cool, led me to musing “I could do better than that…” And so I did.
I said I knit, not practice photography
Some people thought it was pretty cool — even unblocked and with my truly atrocious iPhone photography — and asked me to write up the pattern. And so I did that, too.
I present to you:
The Most Awesomest TARDIS Dishcloth EVAR pattern
Gauge: c’mon, it’s a dishcloth. Use a worsted/8-ply/y’know, medium-ish cotton yarn and a reasonably sized needle for that yarn and you’ll be fine. Like I’m going to swatch for a dishcloth!
CO 38 (I use a variation of a long tail cast on, but whatever works for you — not too tight is better, but, um, it’s a dishcloth. The Doctor won’t hate you for having a tight bottom.) (Oi, stop snickering!)
Row 1, 3, 5: (K1 P1) 19 times
Row 2, 4: (P1 K1) 19 times
Row 6: (P1 K1) twice, P30, (P1 K1) twice
Row 7: (K1 P1) twice, K30, (K1 P1) twice
Row 8: (P1 K1) twice, P4, K22, P4, (P1 K1) twice
Row 9: (K1 P1) twice, K4, P22, K4, (K1 P1) twice
Row 10: (P1 K1) twice, P30, (P1 K1) twice
Row 11: (K1 P1) twice, K6, P18, K6, (K1 P1) twice
Row 12, 14, 16: (P1 K1) twice P8, K2, (P4, K2) twice, P8, (P1 K1) twice
Rows 13, 15: (K1 P1) twice, K6, P4, K4, P2, K4, P4, K6, (K1 P1) twice
Row 17: (K1 P1) twice, K6, P18, K6, (K1 P1) twice
Row 18: (P1 K1) twice, P8, K14, P8, (P1 K1) twice
Rows 19, 21, 23: (K1 P1) twice, K6, P4, K4, P2, K4, P4, K6, (K1 P1) twice
Rows 20, 22: (P1 K1) twice, P8, K2, (P4, K2) twice, P8, (P1 K1) twice
Row 24: (P1 K1) twice, P8, K14, P8, (P1 K1) twice
Row 25: (K1 P1) twice, K6, P18, K6, (K1 P1) twice
Rows 26, 28, 30: (P1 K1) twice, P8, K2, (P4, K2) twice, P8, (P1 K1) twice
Rows 27, 29: (K1 P1) twice, K6, P4, K4, (P2, K1) twice, P4, K6, (K1 P1) twice
Row 31: (K1 P1) twice, K6, P18, K6, (K1 P1) twice
Row 32: (P1 K1) twice, P8, K14, P8, (P1 K1) twice
Row 33: (K1 P1) twice, K6, P4, *K2, wrap yarn around needle twice, K2*, P2, rep from * to *, P4, K6, (K1 P1) twice
Rows 34: (P1 K1) twice, P8, (K2, P2, unwrap and slip wrapped yarn [with working yarn in front], P2) twice, K2, P8, (P1 K1) twice
Row 35: (K1 P1) twice, K6, (P6, sl st wyib) twice, P6, K6, (K1 P1) twice
Row 36: (P1 K1) twice, P8, (K2, P2, sl st wyif, P2) twice, K2, P8, (P1 K1) twice
Row 37: (K1 P1) twice, K6, P4, *K2, sl st wyib, K2*, P2, rep from * to *, P4, K6, (K1 P1) twice
Row 38: (P1 K1) twice, P8, K16 (including 2 previously slipped stitches), P8, (P1 K1) twice
Row 39: (K1 P1) twice, K6, P6, P2tog, P4, P2tog, P6, K6, (K1 P1) twice
Row 40: (P1 K1) twice, P30, (P1 K1) twice
Row 41: (K1 P1) twice, K5, P20, K5, (K1 P1) twice
Row 42: (P1 K1) twice, P5, K20, P5, (P1 K1) twice
Row 43: (K1 P1) twice, K6, P18, K6, (K1 P1) twice
Row 44: (P1 K1) twice, P7, K16, P7, (P1 K1) twice
Row 45: (K1 P1) twice, K9, P12, K9, (K1 P1) twice
Rows 46, 48, 50: (P1 K1) twice, P30, (P1 K1) twice
Rows 47, 49: (K1 P1) twice, K14, P2, K14, (K1 P1) twice
Row 51: (K1 P1) twice, K30, (K1 P1) twice
Rows 52, 54, 56: (P1 K1) 19 times
Rows 53, 55: (K1 P1) 19 times
Bind off, weave in ends, and off you go through time and space!
For those of you who do better with charts:
Tomorrow (or… soon!) I return to kyriarchy blame with at least one of the following posts: A new Naked Pictures of Faceless People on rape culture; Part 2 of How to Pick an Anti-Kyriarchy Preschool; a rant on “D’y'ever have to massage, y’know, gross people?”; or whatever else catches my fancy and/or ire at a time I actually have the chance to write about it.
Since I can’t knit, I expect a TARDIS dishcloth in the mail soon. ;)
Posted to my Rav group… you may be getting a few extra hits. ;)
BTW, you should put it on Rav. Seriously.
How does one go about doing that? I sort of poked around at Ravelry last night, but couldn’t see an obvious way to add a new pattern.
I suppose I could look for a help file, but that feels so… easy.
You might be interested to know that someone’s made Dalek socks. Wish I knew where to find the pattern, I’ll let you know if I do.
I can get behind anyone who expresses their fandom via knitting. Fibery fans are the best kind, I think. :)
Wow, you inspire me to find out who Dr. Who is and to knit!
Wait a minute … you don’t know who Doctor Who is?!?!?! Arwyn! Educate her!
I’m sending this to a knitting friend who mightily squee’d at the idea :)
You’d mentioned on Twitter a Dalek dishcloth as well? Do you have the pattern for that?
See if you can get her to send me a picture when she’s done. :)
EXFOLIATE! EXFOLIATE! (The Dalek pattern)
I’m working on a K-9 pattern, too, but it’s proving significantly more difficult than the TARDIS. I’ll let you know if anything comes of it.
I have a friend who will be lurking here quite soon. Is this pattern free or do you expect compensation?
Since I have no desire to be sued by the BBC, this pattern is offered free of charge or expectation of compensation (although I would love links to photos of completed pieces!).
However, completely unrelated, I do have a wish list at Amazon, at which anyone who appreciates my work at this blog can order a book for me (which, incidentally, will be reviewed here — so if there’s anything you want my opinion about…).
I’ll have my friend send you a photo ^^ I’d order a book, but I’m flat-broke.
OMG I just had a geekgasm. If I could figure out the damn perling!
Slee: Purling isn’t that hard — you can do it! And knit and purl is pretty much all you need to know for this. :)
Oh my god. You can’t see me, but I have my “very, very impressed” face on. From now on, all my dishcloths will be TARDIS themed. I don’t even usually knit between April and September, but you have inspired me to change my ways!
2nd2ndalto — Thanks! Would you have any interest in a K-9 pattern? It took me three tries to get one I liked (hey, there were at least three K-9s!), but I haven’t written up the pattern yet.
No, I don’t think I’d knit a K-9. Can’t wait to get started on the TARDIS, though!
I would like the K-9 pattern very much! I’m starting the Tardis cloth today for my husband. We both love Dr. Who!
six months later, i just had a new geekgasm.
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I admit it, this is the coolest thing since ….well….ok, it’s mega cool. However, i find myself getting my but kicked by rows 33 to 38. It’s the wrapped stitches. Anybody got advice on how exactly to do this?? (Please. Help a fellow knitter, even if I am a guy, out here!) Thank you!
Cdguyknit — so what we’re doing on rows 33-38 is making a reeeeeally long carried stitch. I’d be like reaching down in row 38 and picking up a stitch from row 33, but then it would warp the fabric and all the other stitches in row 33 (and leave a hole!), so! Instead of doing that, we create a NEW stitch — or, if you’d rather think of it this way, just a spare bit of yarn that doesn’t really get treated like a stitch at all. You COULD, in row 33, wrap the yarn around, work the next couple stitches, and then go back (or in the next row) just *drop* that yarn, and leave it in front until row 38. I prefer to carry it up, but that’s just a preference.
Does that make sense, or are you even more confused now? (And welcome! And thank you for the compliment! One day I will get my K-9 pattern up, I swear…)
Thank you for the instructions! They were fairly easy to follow, unless you are trying to knit while watching a 5 year old practice his “ninja” moves, which results in you putting the yib when it should be yif, but other than that, no worries. By the time I found my error, it was either rip out rows 33-51, or deal with it. So, I’m going to deal with it. (Creative license, people!)
OK. It took Cdguyknit’s question and your answer for me to really look at what’s happening in rows 33-38 and the finished effect. That’s brilliant!
*sigh* If one Tardis is cool, and two Tardis are “Brilliant” (yes, the plural of Tardis is indeed Tardis) I find myself wondering what I have gotten myself into, as I am turning your dishcloth into a scarf. Yep. 16 little Tardis will make a very cool scarf, albeit not as cool as a fez, but that’s just the way it is. (And for the truly OCD out there, I tracked down the paint color of the Tardis thanks to BBCAmerica and have matched it to a yarn color as close as I can afford. I’ll be glad to share either the paint code or the yarn color if you like, Arwyn. Or I can just mail you the paint sample can for Boychick’s door. =) Just kidding.)
Cdguyknit — You must, you must, you MUST send me pictures when you’re done!
Did you get the Matt-Smith TARDIS color, or the older, more beat-up Eccleston/Tennant era color? ;)
I got the beat up “classic” Tardis color. According to the BBC, all the Tardis until the new series all had the same color. The new series is the first to be shot in HD, and the poor old Tardis Blue shot a little “faded.” And rest assured, I shall have to send a picture. Heck, if I get my rear in gear, maybe I can send along a scarf for the boychick. How tall is he?
cdguyknit — Ohhhh, he would *flip* for that. In the good way! He’s… about 3.5 feet tall, I think? About to turn 4, and loooooong and lean.
I look forward to the pics! Now I’m wanting to make one for me, but also in baby-things-knitting mode. Hmm, maybe a baby sweater with a TARDIS in back…
NOT FOR PULIC: Have first 1/4 of the scarf done, and would like to show it to you, but can’t figure out how to email it, or post it here. Do you have a photo dump site I can send it to you? It’s looking pretty good!
THANK YOU! I’d finished knitting a Darlek dischcloth as a Christmas present for a friend, but felt that one was a little bit stingy. I thought a matching set of Dalek and TARDIS would be all sorts of awesome, and was about to start sketching and experimenting to try and create my own pattern but thought i’d just try and google it first. Your pattern was the first thing that came up and its EXACTLY what I was looking for! :) I’ve only cast on so far (I have an entire library to organise, a weekend away to pack for, and lessons to plan/teach), but as soon as I have it finished I will let you know! :) Thanks again – you have saved me so many hours there’s a chance my library will be organised this side of Christmas! :)