Cable Knitted Banana ⋆ Free Pattern
My Cable Knitted Banana Pattern is a fun, quirky and quick project that takes just a few hours (depending on how much monkeying around you do!).
It is knitted using straight needles and made up in two parts, the outer part (skin) and the inner part (flesh).
The outer part of the banana has cables along it, making it one classy banana.
This pattern is made up of two pieces worked separately and then sewn together. The dark yellow section of the banana has simple cabling on the outside.
As it’s a quick project, this makes a great (and funny) last minute gift.
If you’ve never tried cabling before, then I recommend trying them with this pattern. The outer part of the banana has a simple cable on it, making it a great tester project for a new skill.
When I designed this I wanted to challenge myself to use cables in a way that was a little different from the way I had used them before in jumpers, cafetière cosies and gloves.
I first created this design for a knitting and crochet competition I took part in and I wanted to make something funny that I had never seen online before. I must have been eating a banana at the time of contemplating my design submission because there really is no other explanation!
Read on for the free pattern!
Free Pattern
The pattern is available for free in this blog post. This blog has ads so I can provide the pattern for free.
Please note: This post contains affiliate links, which means you don’t pay any extra but a small percentage goes to me if you buy through my link (thank you for supporting me!).
Ad-free PDF Version
An ad-free PDF version of the pattern is available on Ravelry and Lovecrafts.
Buying the PDF version makes it easy to follow the pattern without ads and is ideal if you want to print the pattern. As a bonus, when you buy the pattern it supports my work and enables me to continue making patterns for you!
Before you get started
I highly recommend that you read the Essential Information section before you read this pattern.
If you’ve already read them, and are returning to this page to continue crocheting, then simply jump to the patterns using the links below.
Essential Information
Difficulty
Intermediate
Skills
Stockinette stitch
Cable two forward
Materials
Yarn
James C Brett Top Value DK (8 Ply); 290 m ( 317 yards) per 100g; 100% Acrylic
Skin (Dark Yellow)
10g / 30 m / 32 yards in Gold (8462)
Flesh (Cream)
10g / 30 m / 32 yards in Cream (0844)
End (Brown)
1g / 3 m / 3 yards in Dark Brown (0841)
Needle
3 mm (US 2.5 ), straight
Other Supplies
Gauge
13 sts x 18 rows = 5 x 5 cm (2 x 2 in) over St st using 3 mm (US 2.5 ) needles or size needed to obtain stated tension
Sizing
13 cm (5 in), end to end
Abbreviations
C2f: Cable two forward. Slip next two knit stitches onto a cable needle and hold at the front of the work, knit next two stitches and then knit the two stitches on the cable needle. C2f is worked over 4 stitches.
K: Knit
K2tog: Knit two stitches together
Kfb: Knit front and back of the stitch
P: Purl
Rep: Repeat
RS: Right Side
St st: Stockinette stitch
St(s): Stitch(es)
WS: Wrong Side
Stitch Counts
The stitch count is indicated at the end of every round or row. Stitch counts are shown like this: (12 sts)
Repeats
Sections to be repeated are indicated within squared brackets [ ], with the number of repeats written after.
Use of this pattern
Pattern Content & Images © 2017-2023 Ruth Haydock – All Rights Reserved.
All content in this pattern is the copyright and design right of Ruth Haydock. You are not permitted to sell the written instructions or images in any way, amended or as they are. You may only print this pattern out for personal use. You are allowed to sell completed items that you have made using this pattern but you must credit me as the designer of the pattern (Ruth Haydock) and provide a link to my website, ruthhaydock.com.
Pattern
Part 1: Skin
Row 1: With Brown, cast on 8. Cut Brown leaving a 20 cm (8 in) tail for sewing up later. 8 sts
Row 2 (RS): With Gold, [kfb] eight times. (16 sts)
Row 3 (WS): Purl.
Row 4: [Kfb] 16 times. (32 sts)
Row 5: Purl.
Row 6: K2, [p2, k4, p2, k2] three times. (32 sts)
Row 7: P2, [k2, p4, k2, p2] three times. (32 sts)
Rows 8 and 9: Rep rows 6 and 7 once more.
Row 10: K2, [p2, c2f, p2, k2] three times. (32 sts)
Row 11: P2, [k2, p4, k2, p2] three times. (32 sts)
Row 12: K2, [p2, k4, p2, k2] three times. (32 sts)
Row 13: P2, [k2, p4, k2, p2] three times. (32 sts)
Rows 14 to 33: Rep rows 10 to 13, five times.
To check how your work should look, see image 1 .
First Peel (Skin)
Banana Split! This is where you will start to work on each peeled section of the banana. There will be three peeled sections.
Row 34: K2tog, p2, c2f, p2, k1. Turn. (10 sts)
Work backwards and forwards on these 10 sts for the first peel.
Row 35: P1, k2, p4, k2, p1. (10 sts)
Row 36: K1, p2, k4, p2, k1. (10 sts)
Row 37: P1, k2, p4, k2, p1. (10 sts)
Row 38: K1, p2, c2f, p2, k1. (10 sts)
Row 39: P1, k2, p4, k2, p1. (10 sts)
Row 40: K1, p2, k4, p2, k1. (10 sts)
Row 41: P1, k2, p4, k2, p1. (10 sts)
Rows 42 to 49: Rep rows 38 to 41, twice more.
Rows 50 to 52: Rep rows 38 to 41, once.
Row 53: P1, k2tog, p4, k2tog, p1. (8 sts)
Row 54: K1, p1, [k2tog] twice, p1, k1. (6 sts)
Row 55: P1, [p2tog] twice, p1. (4 sts)
Row 56: Cast off. Cut the yarn, fasten off and sew in the end.
To check how your work should look, see image 2 .
Second Peel (Skin)
With Gold, rejoin yarn to the stitches remaining to make the second peel. Leave a short end when rejoining the yarn for securing and sewing in later.
Row 1: K1, p2, c2f, p2, k1. Turn. (10 sts)
Work backwards and forwards on these 10 sts for the second peel.
Row 2: P1, k2, p4, k2, p1. (10 sts)
Row 3: K1, p2, k4, p2, k1. (10 sts)
Row 4: P1, k2, p4, k2, p1. (10 sts)
Rows 5 to 19: Rep rows 38 to 56 for the first peel.
To check how your work should look, see image 3 .
Third Peel (Skin)
With Gold, rejoin yarn to the stitches remaining to make the third peel. Leave a short end when rejoining the yarn for securing and sewing in later.
Row 1: K1, p2, c2f, p2, k2tog. (10 sts)
Row 2: P1, k2, p4, k2, p1. (10 sts)
Row 3: K1, p2, k4, p2, k1. (10 sts)
Row 4: P1, k2, p4, k2, p1. (10 sts)
Rows 5 to 19: Rep rows 38 to 56 for the first peel.
Congratulations you have now completed the skin of your banana with three peeled sections!
To check how your work should look, see image 4 .
Part 2: Flesh
Row 1: With Cream, cast on 3 sts. Leave a 10 cm (4 in) tail for sewing up later. (3 sts)
Row 2 (RS): [Kfb] three times. (6 sts)
Row 3 (WS): Purl.
Row 4: [Kfb] six times. (12 sts)
Row 5: Purl.
Row 6: [Kfb, k2, kfb] three times. (18 sts)
Rows 7 to 25: Starting with a purl row, work 19 rows in St st.
To check how your work should look, see image 5.
First Peel (Flesh)
Row 26: K6. Turn. (6 sts)
Work backwards and forwards on these 6 sts.
Rows 27 to 40: Starting with a purl row, work 14 rows in St st.
Row 41: P2tog, p2, p2tog. (4 sts)
Row 42: Knit.
Row 43: Purl.
Row 44: [K2tog] twice. (2 sts)
Row 45: Cast off purlwise. Cut the yarn, fasten off and sew in the end.
To check how your work should look, see image 6.
Second Peel (Flesh)
With Cream, rejoin yarn to the remaining stitches to make the second part of the flesh. Leave a short end when rejoining the yarn for securing and sewing in later.
Rows 1 to 20: Rep rows 26 – 45 for First Peel (Flesh).
To check how your work should look, see image 7.
Third Peel (Flesh)
With Cream, rejoin yarn to the remaining stitches to make the third part of the flesh. Leave a short end when rejoining the yarn for securing and sewing in later.
Rows 1 to 20: Rep rows 26 – 45 for First Peel (Flesh).
To check how your work should look, see image 8.
Making Up
Unpeeled Skin
To make up the banana, start by sewing up the cast on end of the skin. With the brown tail, sew up the cast on end. Sew in the brown ends to secure.
See images 9 and 10 .
Fold the banana over so that the RS is facing out and the WS facing each other. With Gold and using the long cast on tail to join the two edges of the Unpeeled skin together from row 2 to 33. Do not cut the yarn as you will use the leftover gold tail to join the peeled sections.
See images 11 and 12.
Unpeeled Flesh
With the Cream cast on tail, sew up the flesh of the banana starting at the cast on end up to where the peels start, ensuring that the RS is facing out. Sew in excess ends.
See images 13 and 14.
Unpeeled Flesh and Skin
Lightly stuff both unpeeled sections.
Sew together Flesh and Skin Peels
To finish up the banana, sew the two peeled sections together.
Position the flesh peel on top of the skin peel with both WS facing. With Gold, carefully start sewing the peeled sides together and work all the way around the peel edges using mattress stitch.
See images 15 and 16.
Secure all ends and your banana is complete!
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