I love the film My Neighbour Totoro.
As assignments have started piling up with the semester nearing its end, I have started stress knitting, as always. This time around there is a strict theme to what I’m knitting, it is all Totoro related. First I tried to knit this Totoro hat, but I ran out of yarn at the very end. It was a yarn from my stash, that I had bought a long time ago and couldn’t get any more of.
After that failed, I made the mistake of typing Totoro into the pattern search in Ravelry. First I contemplated knitting these Totoro mittens, because mittens are one of my absolute favourite things to knit, but then while going through the rest of the pattern designer, Brella,’s patterns I saw her Chibi Totoro pattern. I had the right yarn in my stash, and the right needles, the only logical thing to do was knit two in one day and completely neglect the big projects I should be working on.
First I made one on a set of 4mm DPNs.
Unstuffed 4mm Totoro
Then I stuffed him with polyester fluff.
4mm Totoro after stuffing
Then I gave him a face. His eyes are lopsided, but I somehow like them. He reminds me of the Totoros in the border of the opening titles of the film.
4mm Totoro with eyes
I think the reason he’s such a strange, but somehow lovely, shape is because I think I skipped the part of the pattern where rows 8-13 were supposed to be knit all stitches. I’m not sure though.
I also made one on 2.25mm needles. Here he is.
Smaller Chibi Totoro
I had never made a bobble while knitting before this pattern, and I’m quite impressed with the method. It’s a bit magic-y.
Bobble tail on the 2.25mm Totoro
Any other fans of the film who want to be mildly traumatised should look at this theory on the meaning of the film.
