Eyes Out

Eyes Out Knitted Eyeballs by Jane Burns

What Is Being Made

Eyes Out is a downloadable knitting pattern for creating quirky, three-dimensional knitted eyeballs with stalks. These versatile decorative pieces measure approximately 15cm in circumference and are designed as novelty items perfect for multiple applications. The pattern creates realistic eyeball shapes featuring white bases, black pupils, and colored irises in violet or orange, bringing a playful, slightly spooky aesthetic to any project.

Intended Uses and Applications

The designer suggests numerous creative applications for these knitted eyeballs. They can be sewn onto deelyboppers for costume wear, hung from ceilings using elastic thread for party decorations, or attached to stalks to add whimsical fright to floral arrangements. Additional ideas include placing them in party favor bags, stuffing them with catnip to create interactive cat toys, or using them for Halloween and themed decorations. The versatility makes them suitable for gift-giving, craft projects, and imaginative play.

Knitting Techniques and Construction

Eyes Out employs fundamental knitting-in-the-round construction, making it an excellent project for knitters learning or practicing circular knitting techniques. The pattern incorporates simple shaping methods that allow the pieces to work up quickly despite their three-dimensional appearance. The design uses straightforward increases and decreases to create the spherical eyeball form and the protruding stalks, demonstrating how basic stitch manipulation can produce dimensional results.

Stitches and Abbreviations Used

• Kfb (knit into front and back)—an increase stitch that creates one new stitch from a single stitch, used to expand the piece during shaping
• K2tog (knit two together)—a decrease stitch that combines two stitches into one, used to shape and close the eyeball form

These two fundamental stitches form the core of the shaping strategy, allowing knitters to build the rounded eyeball shape and create the stalk extensions with minimal complexity.

Materials and Tools Required

Yarn: The pattern calls for DK weight yarn in four colors—white (50g), black (50g), violet (50g), and orange (50g). The white forms the eyeball base, black creates the pupil, and violet or orange serves as the iris color, allowing customization based on preference.

Needles: 3.25mm (US 3) double-pointed needles (DPNs) are required for working in the round and maintaining the necessary tension for the specified gauge.

Additional Supplies: Toy stuffing is essential for filling the eyeballs to achieve their three-dimensional form. A sewing needle and red sewing thread are needed for assembly and attaching components. Balloon holders are listed as required materials, likely used as internal structures or attachment points for the stalks.

Gauge and Sizing

The pattern specifies a gauge of 26 stitches by 36 rows over 10cm x 10cm when worked on 3.25mm needles. Maintaining this gauge is important for achieving the intended 15cm circumference size and ensuring the eyeballs have the correct proportions and firmness when stuffed.

Difficulty Level

Rated as intermediate difficulty, Eyes Out is accessible to knitters with foundational skills in circular knitting and basic stitch techniques. While the pattern does not require advanced techniques, familiarity with knitting in the round and comfort with increases and decreases is beneficial. The designer emphasizes that the simple shaping and quick construction make this an ideal learning project for those developing their circular knitting abilities.