Rosco The Old English Sheepdog Cushion / pillow / toy

Size
Cushion is 10 inches x 10 inches
finished toy measures 14 inches from tail to front paws.

You Will Need;

1 Pair needles size 5½mm
1 Pair needles size 4mm
Optional crochet hook any size.

I Used;
5 x 50 gram balls of bobble yarn white (Wilkinson)
2 x 50gram balls of fancy yarn-fur grey (Wilkinson)
½ ball white Peter Pan Cupcake
An oddment of black Double Knitting any brand
Washable Polyester toy filling

Substitutions
Any fun fur yarn in the required colours can replace the fancy yarn-fur
and the bobble yarn I used. I only used the bobble for the extra softness
it gives.
Peter Pan Cupcake can be replaced by any slubby yarn such as Sidar
Snowflake

Tension / gauge Not terribly important as it is a cushion

Abreviations
.K or k = knit inc1 = work into front and back of next stitch
P or p = purl K2tog = knit 2 together as one stitch.
Sts = stitches PSSO = Pass slip stitch over as if casting off
Cast off = bind off Sl1 = Slip one stitch across without knitting it.

See Tips at the end before beginning this project

Body (front and back – one piece)
With 5½mm needles and white bobble yarn cast on 40 stitches
Continue in Stocking Stitch until work measures 10 inches
Change to grey fur yarn Stocking stitch for 5 inches
Change back to white bobble yarn for 5 inches.

Tail (make one)

With grey fur and 5½mm needles cast on 24 sts. This is base edge.
Stocking stitch 10 rows
(K2tog) to end – (you will now have 12sts)
Break yarn, leave a long end. Thread through sts on needle, draw up tightly.
Join side edges of tail from the tip to the base edge.
Stuff firmly and oversew base edge.

Front Legs (Make Two)

With 5½mm needles and white bobble, cast on 16 stitches
Stocking Stitch 20 rows.
*Change to white cupcake, stocking stitch 2 rows.
Row 23: K4, Inc1, K6, inc1, K4 - (18 sts)
Row 24: P1row
Row 25: K4, inc1, K8, inc1, K4 - (20 sts)
starting with a purl row, stocking stitch 3 rows.
Row 29: K4, K2tog, K8, K2tog, K4 - (18sts)
Row 30: P4, P2tog, P6, P2tog, K4 - (16 sts)
Row 31: (K2tog) 8 times - (8sts)
Cast off 8sts.*

Back Legs (make two)

With 5½mm needles and grey fur yarn cast on 16 sts
Stocking Stitch 15 rows
Change to white bobble yarn Stocking stitch 5 rows
Make as for front legs from * to *

Head and snout (make one)

5½mm needles and white bobble yarn cast on 30sts.
Stocking stitch 2 rows
Row 3: (K1, inc1, K1) to end – (40sts)
Row 4: K8, inc1 K1, inc1, K17, inc1, K1, inc1, K9 – (44sts)
Row 5: P 1 row
Row 6: K9, inc1, K1, inc1, K19, inc1, K1, inc1, K10 - (48sts)
Stocking stitch 7 rows
Row 14: K9, (sl1, K2tog, PSSO)twice, K18, (sl1, K2tog, PSSO)twice, K9 –
(40sts)
Row 15: P1row
Row 16: K8, K2tog, Sl1, K1, PSSO, K16, K2tog, sl1, K1 PSSO, K8. – 36sts)
Stocking stitch 3 rows.
Change to white cupcake yarn, P1 row.
Row 17: K9, K2tog, sl1, K1, PSSO, K10, sl1, K1, PSSO, K2tog, K9 – (32sts)
P1 row
Row 19: K8, K2tog, K12, k2tog, K8 – (30sts)
P1 row.
Row 21: (k1, inc1, K1) to end – (40sts)
P 1row
Row 23: K8, inc1, K1, inc1, K17, inc1, k1, inc1, K9 – (44sts)
P 1row
Row 25: K9, inc1, K1, inc1, K19, inc1, K1, inc1, K10 – (48sts)
Stocking stitch 3 rows
Row 29: K9, (sl1, K2tog, PSSO)twice, K18, (sl1, K2tog, PSSO)twice, K9 –
40sts)
P1row
Row 31: K8, K2tog, Sl1, K1, PSSO, K16, K2tog, sl1, K1, PSSO, K8 – (36sts)
Stocking stitch 3 rows.
Row 35: (K1, K2tog) to end – (24sts)
P1row
Row 37: (K2tog) to end – (12sts)
P1 row
cast off.

Nose (make one)

with 4mm needles and black DK cast on 4 sts.
Inc into every stitch – (8sts)
Inc into every stitch – (16sts)
(K1, inc1) to end – (24sts)
2 rows stocking stitch
Cast off. Sew up side seam leaving the cast off edge open for later.

Ears (make two)

With grey fur and 5½mm needles cast on 13 sts.
Stocking stitch 10 rows.
Dec1 at each end of next row
Dec1 st at each end of 3 following 4th rows. – (5sts left)
P1 row Cast off.

Making Up

Fold the body in half lengthways

and mattress stitch around the edge.
If you have better eyes than me you
can single crochet top and bottom
together working 3 singles to turn
the corners.
Leave small opening to stuff. Stuff
lightly then close seam.
Sew tail’s base edge to the grey
end of the cushion as shown in
photo.
With matching yarn, stitch the seam on each leg. This seam will run down the
centre of the underside; giving you nice fat, rounded paws. I’ve drawn a blue
line on the photo to show where the seam should be.

Stuff lightly and with the seam running down the

centre, Oversew the ends flat

Position the four paws at the

corners of the cushion, with their
seams underneath and sew in
place.

I sewed a few of stitches along

the side of the back legs too, to
make them point slightly forwards

Now it looks freaky!

Ahhh! Now for the cute bit.

You will see all that increasing and
decreasing was worth it to give him a
“Snoopy” shaped face.
With matching yarn, Sew up the head
seam from the cast off edge to the cast
on edge.
With the seam in the centre, (as with the
paws) fold nose seam (cast off edge) flat
and sew closed.

Stuff quite firmly through the opening in the back of the head.
Run a gathering stitch through all the stitches in the opening (30sts), pull tight
and fasten off (There will still be a hole so don’t worry).
Hold this hole closed horizontally (sideways across the back of the head) and
sew shut.
Position ears at sides of head, quite high up (see photo)
Eyes were embroidered with a length of black DK. Mine are a circle of 5
chain sts.
Stuff the nose piece (see tips). With the seam underneath, sew the nose to
the head in an oval shape. (as in the picture).

Sit head on top of cushion at the front

and oversew in place. I sewed it around
a few times for security.

TIPS
• When using a fun fur type yarn, you may find bits of the floss
coming off as you knit. If this happens, put your yarn in the fridge
for ½ hour and it should stop shedding.
• If sewing up with the bobble yarn. separate the two threads that
make it up first and sew only with the fun fur thread not the
bobble thread. (this will just catch on every stitch and will pull
your work)
• When sewing up, the furry floss can become caught in the seam;
making your seams look really noticeable. You can “pick out”
your seams by gently running a crochet hook upside down along
the seam after sewing and this should catch and pull out the
fibres without catching your stitches. You can also use a baby
brush to do this.
• Stuff the black nose with lengths of black yarn; otherwise the
white polyester-filling will show through your knitting.
• I made a bandana for mine from a piece of blue felt 22cmx30cm
long; folded in half on the diagonal and two pieces of Velcro
added to the corners. I then embroidered his name on in four
strands of yellow thread in chain stitch. I made it removable as
I’m not too sure of washing dark colours with this mainly white
character.
“Picking out” illustration Separating bobble yarn illustration