Shar Pei

The Shar Pei has wrinkly skin and you can, if you like, add more wrinkles to your dog.

Posted by Black Dog Publishing

About

Originally from China, the Shar Pei can be excessively wrinkly, or just a bit wrinkly like ours. The wrinkles are useful in a fight; if their opponent has a mouthful of their skin, it’s loose enough for them to turn around and attack back. The Shar Pei almost disappeared during the Cultural Revolution, due to a huge dog tax and ban on all breeding, and they were also considered something of a delicacy. In 1973 Matgo Law, a Hong Kong breeder, appealed in a dog magazine to save the breed and around 200 were smuggled to America. This timely intervention has ensured the breed’s survival.

Measurements
Length: 18cm (7in)
Height to top of head: 14cm (51⁄2in)

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You Will Need (7 things)

  • 3 Pipe Cleaner(s) for legs and tail
  • Tiny amount of Rowan Pure Wool 4ply in Black 404 (bl) for eyes and nose
  • Small amount of Rowan Cashsoft 4ply Yarn in Toxic 459 (tx) for collar
  • 5g (1?8oz) of Rowan Pure 4ply Wool in Mocha 417 (mo)
  • 30g (11?4oz) of Rowan Pure 4ply Wool in Toffee 453 (to)
  • Pair of 23?4mm (US 2) Knitting Needles
  • 23?4mm (US 2) Double Pointed Knitting Needles (for holding stitches)

Steps (12 steps, 240 minutes)

  1. 1

    Right Back Leg
    With to, cast on 6 sts.
    Beg with a k row, work 2 rows st st.
    Row 3: Inc, k1, k2tog, k1, inc. (7 sts)
    Row 4: Purl.
    Row 5: Inc, k2tog, k1, k2tog, inc. (7 sts) Work 9 rows st st.
    Row 15: K2tog, inc, k1, inc, k2tog. (7 sts) Row 16: Purl.
    Row 17: K1, inc, k3, inc, k1. (9 sts)
    Row 18: Purl.
    Row 19: K1, inc, k5, inc, k1. (11 sts)
    Row 20: Purl.
    Row 21: K1, inc, k7, inc, k1. (13 sts)
    Row 22: Purl.
    Row 23: K1, inc, k4, inc, k4, inc, k1. (16 sts) Row 24: Purl.
    Row 25: K1, inc, k12, inc, k1. (18 sts)
    Row 26: Purl.
    Work 5 rows st st.
    Row 32: To make a wrinkle, *pick up st from row 26, p2tog (st on needle and st picked up), p1, rep from * to end of row.**
    Row 33: Cast (bind) off 9 sts, k to end (hold 9 sts on spare needle for Right Side of Body).

  2. 2

    Left Back Leg
    Work as for Right Back Leg to **.
    Row 33: K9, cast (bind) off 9 sts (hold 9 sts on spare needle for Left Side of Body).

  3. 3

    Right Front Leg
    With to, cast on 6 sts.
    Beg with a k row, work 2 rows st st. Row 3: Inc, [k2tog] twice, inc. (6 sts) Row 4: Purl.
    Row 5: K2, [inc] twice, k2. (8 sts) Work 7 rows st st.
    Row 13: K1, inc, k4, inc, k1. (10 sts) Row 14: Purl.
    Work 2 rows st st.
    Row 17: K1, inc, k6, inc, k1. (12 sts) Row 18: Purl.
    Row 19: K1, inc, k8, inc, k1. (14 sts)
    Row 20: Purl.
    Row 21: K1, inc, k10, inc, k1. (16 sts)
    Work 4 rows st st.
    Row 26: To make a wrinkle, *pick up st from row 21, p2tog (st on needle and st picked up), p1, rep from * to end of row.***
    Row 27: Cast (bind) off 8 sts, k to end (hold 8 sts on spare needle for Right Side of Body).

  4. 4

    Left Front Leg
    Work as for Right Front Leg to ***.
    Row 27: K8, cast (bind) off 8 sts (leave 8 sts on spare needle for Left Side of Body).

  5. 5

    Right Side of Body
    Row 1: With to, cast on 1 st, with RS facing k8 from spare needle of Right Front Leg, cast on 6 sts. (15 sts)
    Row 2: Purl.
    Row 3: K15, cast on 6 sts. (21 sts)
    Row 4: Purl.
    Row 5: Inc, k20, cast on 8 sts, with RS facing k9 from spare needle of Right Back Leg. (39 sts)
    Work 5 rows st st.
    Row 11: Inc, k38. (40 sts)
    Work 4 rows st st.
    Row 16: P2tog, p37, inc. (40 sts)
    Row 17: K14, cast (bind) off 12 sts, k to end. Work on last set of 14 sts.
    Row 18: P14.
    Row 19: Cast (bind) off 9 sts, k to end (hold 5 sts on spare needle for tail).
    Row 20: With WS facing rejoin yarn to rem sts, p2tog, p12. (13 sts)
    Row 21: K11, k2tog. (12 sts)
    Row 22: P2tog, p10 (hold 11 sts on spare needle for right neck).

    Body
    For more wrinkles, add an extra six rows and pick up as for other wrinkles

  6. 6

    Left Side of Body
    Row 1: With to, cast on 1 st, with WS facing p8 from spare needle of Left Front Leg, cast on 6 sts. (15 sts)
    Row 2: Knit.
    Row 3: P15, cast on 6 sts. (21 sts)
    Row 4: Knit.
    Row 5: Inc, p20, cast on 8 sts, with WS facing p9 from spare needle of Left Back Leg. (39 sts)
    Work 5 rows st st.
    Row 11: Inc, p38. (40 sts)
    Work 4 rows st st.
    Row 16: K2tog, k37, inc. (40 sts)
    Row 17: P14, cast (bind) off 12 sts, p to end. Work on last set of 14 sts.
    Row 18: K14.
    Row 19: Cast (bind) off 9 sts, p to end (hold 5 sts on spare needle for tail).
    Row 20: With RS facing rejoin yarn to rem sts, k2tog, k12. (13 sts)
    Row 21: P11, p2tog. (12 sts)
    Row 22: K2tog, k10 (hold 11 sts on spare needle for left neck).

  7. 7

    Neck and Head
    Row 1: With to and with RS facing, k11 held for neck from spare needle of Right Side of Body, then k11 held for neck from spare needle of Left Side of Body. (22 sts)
    Row 2: Purl.
    Work 5 rows st st.
    Row 8: To make a wrinkle, *pick up st from row 2, p2tog (st on needle and st picked up), p1, rep from * to end of row.
    Row 9: Knit.
    Row 10: P1, p2tog, p16, p2tog, p1. (20 sts) Row 11: Knit.
    Row 12: P1, p2tog, p14, p2tog, p1. (18 sts) Row 13: K15, wrap and turn (leave 3 sts on left-hand needle unworked).
    Row 14: P12, w&t.
    Row 15: Working top of head on centre
    12 sts only, k12, w&t.
    Row 16: P12, w&t.
    Row 17: Knit across all sts. (18 sts in total) Row 18: Purl.
    Row 19: K14, w&t (leave 4 sts on left-hand needle unworked).
    ow 20: P10, w&t.
    Row 21: Working top of head on centre
    10 sts only, k10, w&t.
    Row 22: P10, w&t.
    Row 23: Knit across all sts. (18 sts in total) Row 24: P2, [p2tog] 3 times, p2, [p2tog]
    3 times, p2. (12 sts)
    Work 5 rows st st.
    Row 30: To make a wrinkle, *pick up st from row 24, [p2tog (st on needle and st picked up)] 4 times*, p4, rep from * to * once more. Work 2 rows st st.
    Join in mo.
    Row 33: K2to, k8mo, k2to.
    Row 34: P2to, p8mo, p2to.
    Rep rows 33–34 once more.
    Row 37: K3to, k6mo, k3to.
    Row 38: P3to, p6mo, p3to.
    Rep rows 37–38 twice more.
    Row 43: K2togto, k2to, k4mo, k2to, k2togto. (10 sts)
    Row 44: P2togto, p2to, p2mo, p2to, p2togto. (8 sts)
    Cast (bind) off 8 sts.

  8. 8

    Tail
    Row 1: With to and with RS facing, k5 held for tail from spare needle of Left Side of Body, then k5 held for tail from spare needle of Right Side of Body. (10 sts)
    Beg with a p row, work 3 rows st st. Row 5: K2tog, k6, k2tog. (8 sts) Work 3 rows st st.
    Row 9: K2tog, k4, k2tog. (6 sts) Work 7 rows st st.
    Row 17: K2tog, k2, k2tog. (4 sts) Work 3 rows st st.
    Row 21: [K2tog] twice. (2 sts) Row 22: P2tog and fasten off.

  9. 9

    Tummy
    With to, cast on 1 st. Row 1: Inc. (2 sts)
    Row 2: Purl.
    Row 3: [Inc] twice. (4 sts) Row 4: Purl.
    Row 5: Inc, k2, inc. (6 sts) Row 6: Purl.
    Row 7: Inc, k4, inc. (8 sts) Work 61 rows st st.
    Row 69: K2tog, k4, k2tog. (6 sts) Work 39 rows st st.
    Cast (bind) off.

  10. 10

    Ear
    (make 2 the same)
    With to, cast on 6 sts.
    Work 4 rows st st.
    Row 5: K2tog, k2, k2tog. (4 sts) Row 6: Purl.
    Row 7: [K2tog] twice. (2 sts) Row 8: P2tog and fasten off.

  11. 11

    Collar
    With tx, cast on 30 sts. Knit one row.
    Cast (bind) off.

  12. 12

    To Make Up

    SEWING IN ENDS Sew in ends, leaving ends from cast on and cast (bound) off rows for sewing up.
    LEGS With WS together, fold leg in half. Starting at paw, sew up leg on RS.
    BODY Sew along back of dog to tail.
    TAIL Cut a pipecleaner 2.5cm (1in) longer than tail. Roll a little stuffing around pipecleaner, wrap tail around pipecleaner and sew up tail on RS, sewing down to just below root of tail. Protruding end of pipecleaner will vanish into body stuffing. Bend tail over back.
    HEAD Fold cast (bound) off row of head in half and sew from nose to chin. Stuff head lightly. Thread tapestry needle with toffee yarn and fasten end to tip of nose. Take thread through head to emerge at top back (see diagrams on page 173), and pull up to form wrinkles. Fold nose in on itself to form jowls and sew centre of jowls to end of muzzle in middle of mo section (see photograph, right).
    TUMMY Sew cast on row of tummy to where you have finished sewing down bottom, and sew cast (bound) off row to chin. Ease and sew tummy to fit body. Leave a 2.5cm (1in) gap between front and back legs on one side. STUFFING Pipecleaners are used to stiffen the legs and help bend them into shape. Fold a pipecleaner into a ‘U’ shape and measure against front two legs. Cut to approximately fit, leaving an extra 2.5cm (1in) at both ends. Fold these ends over to stop pipecleaner poking out of paws. Roll a little stuffing around pipecleaner and slip into body, one end down each front leg. Repeat with second pipecleaner and back legs. Starting at the head, stuff the dog firmly, then sew up the gap. Sew up neck wrinkle across chest. Mould body into shape. If you want your dog to be more wrinkly, run a strand of toffee yarn from nose to bottom and back and pull up slightly for concertina effect.
    EARS Sew cast on row of each ear to side of dog’s head, following natural slope of head and with 5 sts between ears and with wrong side of ears facing downwards. Catch ears down with a stitch.
    EYES With bl, sew 2 short horizontal satin stitches in front of large head wrinkle, as
    in photograph.
    NOSE With bl, embroider nose in satin stitch. COLLAR Sew ends of collar together and pop over head.