Free Pattern – Grumpasaurus

Matt & I have a saying around our house that if one of us is grumpy then we are a Grumpasaurus. I’d been batting around the idea for awhile of knitting him up a toy version of the Grumpasaur & came up with this little guy. I thought he was cute enough to share with all of you.
Grumpasaurus
This was supposed to be a stocking stuffer for Christmas & then a Valentine’s Day gift but I actually just finished it yesterday. I had to keep starting over to get the shapes I wanted for the body & the tail.

Grumpasaurus
Of, course you don’t have to make your dinosaur grumpy, have fun embroidering any expression you want. He’s also pretty darn cute without the comb.
Grumpasaurus

Grumpasaurus

Four size 3 double pointed needles
Jo Sharp Classic DK Wool in Pistachio & Moss (less than one ball of each)
Black Yarn for embroidery
Tapestry Needle
polyfil or other stuffing

Gauge 6 stitches per inch (gauge is not super important as this doesn’t need to fit anyone. If you have a bigger or smaller gauge you’ll have a bigger or smaller Grumpasaurus. You do want the gauge to be tight though so the stuffing doesn’t show through.)

Abbreviations
Kfb – Knit into the front & back of the same stitch, increasing one stitch
Ssk – Slip the first two stitches off the left needle onto the right needle as if to knit. Insert the left needle into the front of these two stitches & knit them together (left slanted decrease)
K2tog – knit two together (right slanted decrease)

Body:


(You are knitting the Grump’s body from the bottom up.)

Using lighter green cast on 6 stitches. Divide equally on 3 needles. Join together being careful not to twist. Place a marker between your first & last stitch to mark rows.

Row 1: kfb into each stitch (12 stitches)
Row 2: knit
Row 3: kfb into each stitch (24 stitches)
Row 4: knit
Row 5: kfb into each stitch (48 stitches)
Row 6: knit
Row 7: kfb, k6, kfb k6, kfb, k12, kfb, k6, kfb, k6, kfb, k6 (54 stitches)
Row 8: knit
Row 9: kfb, k7, kfb, k7, kfb, k14, kfb k7, kfb, k7, kfb, k6 (60 stitches)
Rows 10–18: knit
Row 19: ssk, k7, ssk, k7, ssk, k14, k2tog, k7, k2tog, k7, k2tog, k6 (54 stitches)
Rows 20-22: knit
Row 23: ssk, k6, ssk, k6, ssk, k12, k2tog, k6, k2tog, k6, k2tog, k6 (48 stitches)
Rows 24-26: knit
Row 27: ssk, k5, ssk, k5, ssk, k10, k2tog, k5, k2tog, k5, k2tog, k6 (42 stitches)
Rows 28-30: knit
Row 31: ssk, k4, ssk, k4, ssk, k8, k2tog, k4, k2tog, k4, k2tog, k6 (36 stitches)
Rows 32-34: knit
Row 35: ssk, k3, ssk, k3, ssk, k6, k2tog, k3 k2tog, k3 k2tog, k6 (30 stitches)
Rows 36-37: knit
Row 38: ssk, k2, ssk, k2, ssk, k4, k2tog, k2, k2tog, k2, k2tog, k6 (24 stitches)
Rows: 39-40: knit

Pull your cast on tail inside & weave it in. Embroider the face on to the front (The front it the area between the last ssk & the first k2tog. The back is the 6 stitches that have been knit even.). Start stuffing the body, stuff it pretty tight to get the shape you want.

Row 41: ssk, k1, ssk, k1, ssk, k2, k2tog, k1, k2tog, k1, k2tog, k6 (18 stitches)
Row 42: knit
Row 43: ssk, ssk, ssk, k2tog, k2tog, k2tog, k6 (12 stitches)
Row 44: knit
Row 45: ssk, ssk, ssk, k2tog, k2tog, k2tog (6 stitches)

Add any additional stuffing you need. Cut yarn leaving about an 8-inch tail. Thread tail onto a tapestry needle & thread through the 6 stitches on the needles. Pull tight & weave in the end.

Tail:

With lighter green cast on 34 stitches leaving a 15-inch tail. Divide equally on 3 needles. Join together being careful not to twist. Place a marker between your first & last stitch to mark rows.

Rows 1-5: knit
Row 6: ssk, k7, ssk, k6, k2tog, k7, k2tog, k6 (30 stitches)
Rows 7-11: knit
Row 12: ssk, k6, ssk, k4, k2tog, k6, k2tog, k6 (26 stitches)
Rows 13-17: knit
Row 18: ssk, k5, ssk, k2, k2tog, k5, k2tog, k6 (22 stitches)
Rows 19-23: knit

At this point sew the tail on to the back of the body with the cast on tail. I lined the 6 stitches between the last ssk & first k2tog up with the 6 stitches down the back of the body. Start stuffing the tail & continue stuffing it as you knit it.
Grumpasaurus

Row 24: ssk, k4, ssk, k2tog, k4, k2tog, k6 (18 stitches)
Rows 25-29: knit
Row 30: ssk, k2, ssk, k2tog, k2 k2tog, k6 (14 stitches)
Rows 31-35: knit
Row 36: ssk, ssk, k2tog, k2tog, k6 (10 stitches)
Rows 37-41: knit
Row 42: ssk, ssk, k2tog, k2tog, k2tog (5 stitches)

Add any additional stuffing you need. Cut yarn leaving about an 8-inch tail. Thread tail onto a tapestry needle & thread through the 5 stitches on the needles. Pull tight & weave in the end.

Arms: (make 2)

Using lighter green cast on 4 stitches leaving a 6-inch tail.

Row 1: knit
Row 2: knit into each stitch 3 times, front, back & then front again (12 stitches)
Row 3: knit
Row 4: k3tog, k3tog, k3tog, k3tog (4 stitches)

Cut the yarn leaving a 6-inch tail. Thread onto a tapestry needle & thread through the 4 stitches on the needle. Put the cast on tail on a tapestry needle & weave it through the original cast on stitches. Tie the two tails together pulling tight to form a bobble. Sew on to the body using one of the tails.

Feet: (make 2)

Using lighter green cast on 6 stitches leaving a 6-inch tail.

Row 1: knit
Row 2: knit into each stitch 3 times, front, back & then front again (18 stitches)
Row 3: knit
Row 4: k3tog, k3tog, k3tog, k3tog, k3tog (6 stitches)
Row 5: knit

Cut the yarn leaving a 6-inch tail. Thread onto a tapestry needle & thread through the 6 stitches on the needle. Put the cast on tail on a tapestry needle & weave it through the original cast on stitches. Tie the two tails together pulling tight to form a bobble. Sew on to the body using one of the tails.

Comb:

The comb is created by casting on a row & then binding it off in progressively bigger picots. (Knitty has good descriptions & pictures of how to do a cable cast on & picot bind off.)

Cable cast on:
Put the right needle between the first & second stitch on the left needle, wrap the yarn around & pull through creating 1 stitch. Place the new stitch on the left needle.

With darker green cast on 30 stitches leaving a 15-inch tail.

Row 1: (cable cast on 1 stitch, bind off 3, place stitch on right needle back on to left)6 times, (cable cast on 2 stitches, bind off 4 stitches, place stitch on tight needle back on to left)7 times,
(cable cast on 3 stitches, bind off all remaining stitches)

Cut a 6-inch tail & pull through the last stitch.

Use the tail from the cast on to sew the comb along the back of the body & the top of the tail. Weave in bind off tail.

Copyright 2009 Kathy Lewinski.
Please do not sell my pattern, claim it as your own, reprint it or teach it in a store without contacting me. You may link to it from your blog or site.

If you find any problems with this pattern please let me know. Also if you make one I’d love to see it.
****Update 1/25/10 The problem with the row numbering has been fixed.
If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://justcraftyenough.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact us at justcraftyenough AT yahoo DOT COM. All patterns, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author unless otherwise noted.
© 2005 – 2011 Kathy Lewinski & Susan Cornish
16 years ago by in Knitting , Knitting Projects , Needlecraft , Projects | You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
69 Comments to Free Pattern – Grumpasaurus
    • toontz
    • I HAVE to make one of these to have on hand when one of my darlings are in a bad mood. (With the 15 year old, it seems almost everyday, *sigh*). That way, I don’t have to say a word – just hand them the Grumpasaurus. Maybe, just maybe, that would put a smile on their face…it did on mine! Adorable, Kat!

    • Mom of 5
    • I will try to crochet( or give up and have my knitting 16 yr old do it) one of these! I have 5 daughters and someone is always having an off day, I plan to have them come get the grumpasaurus to set on there bed to tell me ” I am having a bad day” so I can give them extra space and patience. this is wonderful!

    • Tish
    • Love the pattern. We also say someone is being a grumpasaurus. If they are in a particularly nasty mood, they are a Grumpasaurus Rex. After being called a grumpasaurus by several family members, my (then about 8, now 14yo) son went to the dress up box and came back with a stegasaurus costume on. Cracked everyone up.

    • Nicole
    • I’ve been using the term “grumpasaurus” on pets, friends, husbands, etc, forever! It’s so awesome that you actually made one! A perfect representation, IMO.

    • Heather
    • Thanks for posting this superb pattern – I used it to make a ‘Davidasaurus’ for my best friend for his birthday, and I’m so pleased with how it turned out. Pics of my little ‘Saurus are on my blog here

    • elishafaerie
    • Some time ago my fiance referred to himself as a Crazy Roasaurus – his abbreviated name is Ro – in reference to a particularly playful mood he was in. I am thinking of knitting him one of these with a whole different expression! Great pattern!

    • kat
    • Erin – I have no idea how long it took me to make it since I was making up the pattern as I went a long I had to stop & rip back a couple of times

    • Anonymous
    • I dont Knit :[ But i really really want a grumpasaurus! If anyone sold one on ebay or directly to me, I would definitely buy him.
      Thank you for the pattern, though.

    • Anonymous
    • Aww! Thanks for the pattern! I am thinking about giving my best friend one for christmas. She would LOVE it, and I think it would be alot of fun to knit!

    • SpaghettiStockings
    • I think this pattern is absolutely adorable and I actually just finished the body and am starting on the tail. I find it funny your sewed the tail on instead of picking up the stitches. But so far the pattern is really easy and rather enjoyable to work.

    • kat
    • SpaghettiStockings – You know I think I did it that way for a couple of reasons. 1. I was making the pattern up as a wrote it & wasn't exactly sure how the tail was going to fit so I made it was it was easier for me to do separately. 2. I attached the tail to the body with the top of it really spread out & it was easier for me to see how it would look once made rather than imagine it from picking up stitches.

      There is no reason you couldn't do it by picking up the stitches though. Just make sure you have them spaced right around the back of the body so it looks like it comes off of it gracefully.

    • Reve
    • I didn't know this was by you! I am making a crochet grumpasaurus (though it's not going to look much like yours) for my sister, because she is grumpy from severely injuring her ankle by stepping off a curb wrong (so, with good reason). I looked this up so refresh my memory of what it looks like and thought "wait, Iron Craft Kat?" The big Internet is sometimes very small. 🙂

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    • arlene
    • hi i would love to make some of your free patterns for gifts, however, when i get on the pattern page there is no icon anywhere not even in the toolbar to print. is anyone else having this problem? i am not very knowledgeable as far as the computer goes. can anyone help?

      • Kat
      • Arlene,

        Wow, I’ve never heard of there not being a print choice in your browser toolbar. I just went and tested it in Goggle Crome, Safari & Firefox with no problem. The print option was under File in the toolbar of each. Wish I could be of more help.

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    • Victor
    • Can someone make this for me? I’m willing to pay 🙂 please contact me, I would like this to be a Christmas gift for my wife 🙂 Thank you -Vic

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    • Hepcat
    • Aaaahhhh! His little fists! And his face!! I don’t knit, but I’ll have to try him in felt. So cute & thank you for sharing.

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