Stitch London. Lauren O'Farrel
create an exact replica or they’ll implode, there’s a list of some of the yarns used at the back of the book (see Suppliers). However, some projects were made from shocking label-less yarn, which I either found in the depths of my stash pile or bought from a cart pulled by a haughty Indian cow in the muggy streets of the desert city of Jaisalmer. That would be a long way to go to get the right yarn.
| UK yarn weights | US yarn weights |
| 2ply | super fine weight |
| 4ply | sport weight |
| DK | worsted |
| aran | medium weight |
| chunky | bulky weight |
| super chunky | super bulky |
| Godzilla chunky* | Godzilla bulky* |
*Please note: Godzilla-sized yarn is purely fictional. Such a shame.
Little
London Landmarks
London has building bits that are dripping with history. The landmarks may have stony faces, but underneath they’re bursting with tales to tell. Tottering past them with your camera and guidebook, you can spy hundreds of years of London’s stories built into their bricks and mortar.
Make yourself some Little London Landmarks by stitching a Baby Big Ben, a Tiny Tower Bridge and a Pint-sized Parliament Telephone Box. Employ bits of the city as bookends, doorstops, letter racks or terribly fancy pincushions. Then, if you make enough bits of the city, you can stomp about them roaring in radioactive Godzilla style. RAAAAARRRGHHHH!
BABY BIG BEN
Difficulty: London Local
Size: Approx. 25cm (10in) high
Gauge: 20 sts and 30 rows = 10cm (4in) in pattern
BONG! BONG! BONG! Big Ben is the giant bell that dwells in St Stephen’s Tower. It’s as Londony as it gets when it comes to London landmarks, and you can stitch your own with the greatest of ease. It should really be called Small St Stephen’s Tower. Baby Big Ben is wrong, but lovely to say out loud.
Unlike the real clock tower, there won’t be many tourists peering up at this one snapping photos – unless you’re desperate for your Baby Big Ben to feel giant, in which case put it on a very high shelf and invite camera-toting tourists into your house.
GUBBINS
Needles
Pair of 4mm (US size 6) needles
Yarn
25g (7/8oz) light browny-yellow DK (worsted) for tower walls
15g (½oz) dark grey DK (worsted) for roof
Small amount of any colour DK (worsted) for area under Big Ben
15g (½oz) gold DK (worsted) for clock area
Other bits
Stuffing
Heavy filling to stabilize base of tower (steel shot, sand, tiny pebbles, baking beans or, if you’re really rich, gemstones)
Felt for sewing cube-shaped container for heavy filling 4 wooden clock face buttons or ordinary buttons with clock faces drawn on Thick cardboard or foam for shaping sides
PATTERN
Sides of Tower (make 4)
Cast on 11 sts in light browny-yellow yarn.
Row 1 P, k to last st, p.
Row 2 K, p to last st, k.
Rows 3–16 Rep row 1 (odd) and 2 (even).
Row 17 P across.
Row 18 K, p to last st, k.
Row 19 P across.
Rows 20–26 Beg row 2 rep row 1 (odd rows) and 2 (even rows). Row 27 P across.
Row 28 K, p to last st, k.
Row 29 P across.
Rows 30–36 Beg row 2 rep row
Beg row 2 rep row 1 (odd rows) and 2 (even rows). Row 37 P across.
Row 38 K, p to last st, k.
Row 39 P across.
Rows 40–46 Beg row 2 rep row
Beg row 2 rep row 1 (odd rows) and 2 (even rows).
Row 47 P across.
Row 48 K2, *p, k, rep three times from *, p, k2.
Row 49 P2, *k, p, rep three times from *, k, p2.
Row 50 K across.
Row 51 P2, k7, p2.
Row 52 K2, p7, k2.
Rows 53–58 Beg row 51 rep row 51 (odd rows) and 52 (even rows).
Row 59 P across.
Row 60 K2, *p, k, rep three times from *, p, k2.
Row 61 P2, *k, p rep three times from *, k, p2.
Row 62 K across.
Change colour to dark grey yarn for roof.
Row 63 P across.
Row 64 P across.
Row 65 K2tog, knit to last 2 sts, k2tog (9 sts).
Row 66 P across.
Row 67 K across.
Row 68 P2tog, p to last 2 sts, p2tog (7 sts).
Row 69 K across.
Row 70 P across.
Row 71 K2tog, k to last 2 sts, k2tog (5 sts).
Row 72 P across.
Row 73 K across.
Row 74 P across.
Row 75 K across.
Row 76 P2tog, k, p2tog (3 sts). Row 77 K3tog.
Thread yarn through st.
Polymer clay makes good clock face buttons if you can’t get your paws on buttons like the lovely carved wooden ones I used. Poke holes in where the ends of the hands should be and sew through them to show the time.
Clock Areas (make 4)
Cast on 10 sts in gold yarn. K 10 rows.
Cast off (bind off).
Area under Big Ben
Cast on 11 sts in any colour yarn. Work 10 rows st st.
Cast off (bind off).
Prepare for rude jokes. Baby Big Ben does look a bit dodgy before you sew on the gold bits.
FINISHING
Sew