Friday, February 29, 2008

Cake Glorious Cake

I bought Molly some knitted cupcakes from ebay for her birthday last year, pre-knitting days. Oh they are so cute! So now I am feeling a bit more confident, I have been working on making some for myself. The first few attempts were a bit dodgy (too round...like a Christmas pudding!) or too big. In the end I realised I needed a different yarn (aran instead of DK) and lo and behold, here is the result! I am really pleased with them :)

Am knitting a set of six for one of Molly's friends birthday present next week.

I am so proud of them, I am going to share the pattern. I hope its readable, I have no experience in writing patterns! Feel free to make up for your own use or for charity, but please dont make them for profit. Thats a bit rude.

[This is an amended version of the pattern as of 23/3/09 which gives the same result but is (hopefully!) a bit clearer re the method of increasing for the cake part. Let me know if there are any other glitches.]

4mm needles, aran yarn (I used Patons Toddler Aran)

M1: Pick up loop between stitches and knit into the back of it to make an extra stitch.

Cake
Start with cake colour (mahogany for choccie cakes)
Cast on 7st
row 1: (K1, M1) 5 times, K1 - 11st
row 2: P
row 3: (K2, M1) 5 times, K1 - 16st
row 4: P
row 5: (K3, M1) 5 times, K1 - 21st
row 6: P
row 7-9: K
row 10: P
row 11: K4, (K1, M1, K6)x 2, K1, M1, K2 - 24st
row 12-14: stst, starting with a P row
row 15: K4 (K1, M1, K6)x 2, K1, M1, K5 - 27st
row 16: P
row 17: (K4, K1, M1) x 5, K2 - 32st
row 18: P
row 19: K6, (K1, M1, K8) x 2, K1, M1, K7 - 35st
row 20: P
Break off yarn and join icing colour
row 21-22: stst 2, starting with K
row 23: (K8, K2tog) x 3, K5 - 32st
row 24: P
row 25: (K4, K2tog) x 5, K2 - 27st
row 26: P
row 27: (K2tog) x 13, K1 - 14st
row 28: (P2tog) to end - 7st
Pass thread through stitches and pull tight. Sew up cake, leaving hole in bottom to stuff. Thread yarn through CO stitches and pull tight.

Chocolate button
CO 6st
Starting with P, stst 8 rows. Thread yarn through stitches and round edges of work. Pull tightly to make ball. Sew onto cake, passing the thread through to bottom of cake to fasten off to give a little 'dip' in the centre of the cake.

Sew straight stitches randomly on top for 'sprinkles'

Case
Using icing colour, Cast on 9st.
garter st 60 rows, Cast off.
Pick up and knit 28 stitches on row ends.
row 1: P
row 2: (K4, K2tog) x 4, K4 - 24st
row 3: P
row 4: (K2 K2tog) to end - 18st
row 5: P
row 6: K2tog to end - 9st
Thread yarn through stitches and pull up tight. Sew sides of case together.

36 comments:

Tracy Batchelder said...

These are adorable! Can't wait to try the pattern.

Bee said...

Thanks! And thanks for your message re the mistake. Hopefully all is corrected now :)

Bee

Alyssa said...

These are so adorable! Can I link to them in my blog?

Bee said...

Thanks Alyoops! Of course you can :)

Alyssa said...

Consider it did!

Pelin said...

Finaly! A good pattern for cupcakes!! I have been looking everywere! Now I just have to translate it to swedish;) Have a nice week end!

Anonymous said...

Just adore the pic so rushed out and bought a selection of colours to start getting creative with your pattern myself. Have been looking for a nice cupcake knitted pattern for ages and ages. Even though it's summer and very warm in Australia at the moment I'm mad to knit as much as I can.
Thank you for sharing this!

Mamapooki said...

I just found your blog, these are too cute. Great work!

Unknown said...

I've just excitedly sat down to try these and am stuck on the first row! If I cast on 7 and then make 5, won't I end up with 12st? I'm a fairly new knitter, so please tell me if I'm being an idiot! I'd love to write a pattern, your cakes are sooo fab, thank you for sharing!

Anonymous said...

I've made about 25 of these BeeKnits' cupcakes so far and love the ease of the pattern. Just do as the pattern says. After casting on your 7, start row 1 and increase where it says. You will have 11 to pearl on row 3.
I've actually found that one more or less stitch doesn't affect the pattern when you make it up.
Check out my blog as well for my results with this lovely pattern.
Happy cupcake knitting! They are so satisfying to make.

DesignbyErdenesuren said...

Super cute! I just found your blog. I cant wait to make some cupcakes now. Thanks a lot.

Dodie said...

help!! to make the case, you have to knit 60 rows? isnt 60 a bit much? im not sure :/
but this is the best pattern so far :D xxx

Anonymous said...

Hi Dodie-I've made about30 of these lovely cakes from bee's pattern, and 60 is right. You need the cupcake case to fit comfortably around the cupcake, especially if the cake stuffing is generous. Just experiment with your tension and see. I've also tried the pattern with 3ply wool and 3 mm needles and the proportions are still good. This IS the BEST pattern around!
I have illustrations of them on my blog as well under Wool-cupcakes, or somesuch as well as on my Ravelry project screen.
Have fun :)

Anonymous said...

Hi I wanted to know if this pattern is knitted on a straight needle or with dpn's in the round.

Anonymous said...

I find it really easy to knit these darling cupcakes with straight needles. I vary the size to make smaller or larger ones. Round needles would be fine as well. Even dpns. But I usually use straight.

Lady Muck said...

Hi!

I have now knitted several of these and after trying many patterns this is by far the best.... Would it be OK if I link this page to my blog?

R x

- said...

Hi! These look great and I was just reading through the pattern to make sure I knew how to do it first; I don't quite understand the "Pick up and knit 28 stitches on row ends" part for the case? I'm not sure what that means. If someone could explain that would be great. <: Thanks!

Thora said...

Ohh I love this :-)) i am from norway and i woud love cupcakes like this. Do you æll them? Do you want to swap in something that i make? I knit and make a lot og orker things. Sorry that ny english weiting us bot that good. I love your blog. Best regaeds Thora.

Sylvia said...

The comment by Disa is a list of links to pornography websites. You might want to delete it. Thanks for posting the free pattern!

Lili's Pixie said...

Bee I would love to try this pattern, but I only know how to crochet, do you think you will be converting it anytime soon? it would be great if you did, as not everyone knits. thanks Ki.

Annie said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Annie said...

Thanks for sharing your gorgeous pattern! I have just finished knitting my first cupcake and it is just adorable, just the pattern I have been looking for. Now I'm going to knit a batch! :)

PS Please disregard the above "deleted comment" - I hit the wrong button.

Tina said...

This recipe looks fantastic. Would it be okay if it is translated into Danish? I know someone who wants to do it.

Yours sincerely, Tina

Bee said...

Tina, thats absolutely fine. I am a big fan of Danish knitwear, so would be very happy for Danish speakers to be knitting my cupcakes :)

zoe said...

can someone tell me what it means to pick up and knit 28 sts on row ends? Thanks ever so much if you can Zoe

Bee said...

Zoe,

After you have knit your garter stitch strip for the cupcake case, you pick up stitches along the ends of the rows. Here is an article about the technique that might help you:

http://knitty.com/ISSUEwinter04/FEATwin04TT.html

ClaireM91 said...

I love this pattern! I have quite a lot of different colour wools left over from other projects so have decided to make some of these cakes! I'm still a bit of a beginner and don't really understand where I need to 'pick up and knit' 28 stitches, do you just stagger it along the length of the 60 rows?

Batya said...

Read that you amended the pattern but its still not correct. To K1,M1 5 times on the first row of the cake you have to have at least 10 sts on the needle - not 7. And if you have 10 sts on the needle you will end up with 15st not 11. Please clarify the method.

Anonymous said...

Are you using straight needles, double pointed or circular?

salem said...

Best patt

kareny said...

I found that it you only cast on 6 stitches, you can follow the pattern as written and get the exact stitch counts. Also, if you decide to use dpns to knit in the round, then change the purl rows to knit. I figured that out by accident.

wyldeflowyr said...

These are darling! Thank you!

Unknown said...

Thanks for this we run cupcakes cleaning services and these are ideal for the top of Xmas tree for client gifts .. I'll make sure I tell the clients about you

Unknown said...

you are knitting the 1st stitch so in effect there are only make 4 stitches. that is how you will have 11 stitches on your needle. I hope this helps

Unknown said...

1st row is misleading. I ended up with far too many stitches. Should be k1 then kn1,my 5 times. Had to restart

Beth said...

Is it possible to get the pattern for the ice cream cones that you have pictured?

Thanks,
Beth
bethroachrn@gmail.com