(Mostly) FO and Pattern: iTARDIS (Doctor Who iPod Cozy)

I plan to attach a large bead to the top of one side and elastic to the other, letting it serve as both a button and a "light".  Sadly, I left the bag with my beads and elastic at a friend's house.  I'm also thinking about getting iron-on transfer paper and making the sign that's on the door, ironing it to a piece of ribbon, and attaching the ribbon-sign to the TARDIS.  Except that iron-on transfer paper's *expensive* and it seems like a bit of a waste to spend 10 bucks for a square inch of paper.



And it's even got a hole for the dock connector. This was pre-embroidery and end-weaving.

iTARDIS

This is designed to fit a 60 gig iPod Video, but it fits my 80 gig Video (which is the same size as the 60 gig) as well as my old 60 gig iPod Photo.

Materials

Senso Quick Finish Crochet Cotton (100% Mercerized Cotton)
MC: Color # 1011 (blue, 1 ball)
CC: Color 1001 (white, 1 ball)
CC2: Color # 1012 (black, 1 ball)

About 5 yards of white thread (I used Coats and Clark button and craft thread-- a bit thicker than machine sewing thread, but not nearly as thick as the crochet cotton).

You won't need a full ball of any of these, and there's all in all you use barely more than a yard or two each of black and white. You use about 70-75 yards of blue, which is about half a ball.

Needles: set of 5 US size 1 DPNs

Sewing needle (for lettering) and yarn needle for weaving in ends.

Gauge: 8 sts per inch, row gauge matters less but about 10 to 11 rows per inch.
A tiny bit bigger on the stitch guage is okay, but no smaller: this fits the iPod pretty snuggly-- tight enough to cling and not fall off, but not so tight as to make getting an iPod in and out difficult. Go smaller on gauge, however, and it will likely be too tight.

--

Set up and first few rows

In MC, CO 40 stitches. Divide between 4 of the 5 needles (10 stitches per needle)

Join, being careful not to twist, and work in K1P1 ribbing for 3 rounds.

Do not break yarn.

Attach CC2 and work 4 rounds in circular stockinette.

Break CC2.

Carry MC up the inside of the work and work 1 round of circular stockinette.

Windows

Attach CC and work as follows

Windows round 1: *MCp2, CCk2, MCp1, CCk2, MCp1, CCk2* repeat between *s 4 times

Windows round 2: *MCk2, CCk2, MCk1, CCk2, MCk1, CCk2* repeat between *s 4 times

Windows round 3 and 7: same as round 1

Windows round 4, 6, and 8: same as round 2

Windows round 5: In MC knit all

Break CC2.

Body panels

With MC:

Each of the three vertical sections of the body consists of 10 rounds:

Round 1: Knit 1 round even
Round 2: Purl 1 round even

Rounds 3-10:

*Knit 1 round even
(P2, K8) 4 times*

Repeat from * to * a total of 4 times.


Repeat the entire body panels section a total of three times.


Bottom

*P2, K2Tog, K4, SSK* Repeat from * to * (8 sts decreased, 32 sts on needles)


There are 2 possible bindoffs, one will leave a hole through which the dock connector will fit, the other will seal off the bottom, requiring the iPod to be removed before syncing, charging, etc.

To form a hole for the dock connector:

BO 3, k10, BO6, k10, BO3

You now have 20 sts on the needles, 10 on each side of the bound off stitches.

Arrange your stitches so you have 5 on each needle as shown:

| | | | | - - - - - - | | | | |
| | | | | - - - - - - | | | | |
seta                setb

Turn work inside out and work a purled 3-needle bindoff on the 10 stitches in set a, break yarn leaving a 1 to 1.5 yard tail, weave it over to set b and work another 3-needle bindoff in purl.

To form a flat (no hole) bottom:
Arrange stitches evenly onto 2 needles and graft together. If you hate grafting, turn work inside out, and work a 2 needle bindoff in purl.


Finishing
Weave in ends.

Embroidery: With iPod inside, use a sewing needle and white thread to form the letters "POLICE BOX" on each side of the TARDIS.

It's important that the iPod be inside because the TARDIS itself stretches so much (it is, after all, bigger on the inside than on the outside) that if you don't have it properly stretched, you run the risk of embroidering too tightly, which would mean that your iPod wouldn't fit inside.