Baby Groot Knitting Pattern

-->At long last the knitted Baby Groot Pattern!!!

  

For those of you who maybe don't know what a Baby Groot is, you have 3 options.  #1.  Watch Guardians of the Galaxy; #2. Google images for Baby Groot or #3. Crawl back into the rock you live under and ignore this post completely.  

Please keep in mind a few things when knitting this: 

#1: This is the first knitted pattern I am sharing, so if there are errors that you find, feel free to let me know in the comments below.  

#2: This is a free pattern- however that does not give you permission to sell any Baby Groots that you might create from this pattern. Unless of course you would like Marvel or any of the companies that hold the copyrights/licensing to the character to come after you for selling their characters likeness on merch without a license/express written consent.  That's kind of why I'm giving the pattern away for free here. 

I created this because I wanted a baby Groot of my own and prefer to knit instead of crochet.  If you would like to crochet there is an excellent pattern here.  Don't be fooled by links on google telling you that the pattern in that link is a knitting pattern- I assure you it is not.  Yes I completely agree that the crochet version is much cuter than my version...pick your poison.  Like I said above, I wanted my own Baby Groot.         

Baby Groot Knitting Pattern

By: Amber L. Uphoff

 

Items you will need:

Yarn: Using a Lion Brand yarn (or whatever type yarn you prefer) and knitting needles suggested for your type of yarn. 

Also use a thinner Green yarn for vines and leaves and such.

For this example I am using Vanna’s Choice Lion Brand yarn in the color of Grey Marble.  Groot is more of a grey color than brown, but choose your color how you like it.

For the Green I am using Patons Classic Wool DK Superwash in Apple Green

Circular Knitting Needles: Per the suggestion on the yarn, I am using US 9 (5.5mm) circular knitting needles (long enough so that I can use the Magic Loop method)

Tapestry Needle

Double Pointed Needles (one to two sizes smaller than your circular needles)

Scissors

Stitch Marker

Polyester Fiber Fill 

Safety Eyes (9 or 10 mm)

Embroidery floss - black  

Method:

Magic Loop: Instructions on how to do Magic Loop can be found here

I-Cord: Instructions on how to do I-Cord can be found here

Terms used:

CO: Cast On                                              sts: Stitches

K: Knit                                                       M1: Make 1 stitch (either using left or right method)

K2tog: Knit 2 stitches together                  P: Purl

P2tog: Purl 2 stitches together                   BO: Bind Off

PU: Pick up stitches                                   DPN: Double Pointed Needle

Feel free to YouTube search any of the terms for directions.

Creating the base:

1. CO 6 sts, join in the round, being careful not to twist the stitches.  Place a marker at the beginning of the round.

2. knit around

3. *K1, M1, repeat from * around (12 sts)

4.  K all sts

5. *K1, M1, repeat from * around (24 sts)

6. K all sts

7. *K1, M1, repeat from * around (48 sts)

8. K all sts

9. *K1, M1, repeat from * around (96 sts)

10-14. K all rows

15. (K2 k2tog) around (72 sts)

16. K all sts

17. (K2, K2tog) around (54 sts)

18. K all sts

19. (K2, k2tog) around (end with k2) (41 sts)

20. K all sts

21. (K2, k2tog) around (end with k1) (31 sts)

22. K all sts

23. (K2, K2tog) around (end with k3) (24 sts)

24. (K1, K2tog) around (16 sts)

This is a good time to double check that ½ of your sts are sitting on one needle and the other half on the other.

Go ahead and stuff the base- don’t over stuff- you want to stuff it so the bottom is flat, and pliable in case the pot you use is smaller than the base you just created- you can "stuff" the base into the pot.

Creating the trunk:

1-16. K all rows

17. K6, K2tog, K6, K2tog

18-21. K the next 4 rows

22. K2tog, k5, k2tog, K5

23-28.  Knit the next 6 rows

Go ahead and stuff the trunk- don’t over stuff.  Play around with it so that it is standing up straight.  Or maybe you want your Baby Groot to look more like a tree in which case you can bend him however you want.

Creating the head:

29. *K1, M1, repeat from * around (24 sts)

30-38. K the next 9 rows

39. k2tog, k10; k2tog, k10

40. K all sts

41. add safety eyes (9 or 10mm) and begin to stuff the head- do not over stuff.

42. K2tog around (11 sts)

43. K2tog around (end with K1) (6 sts)

44. cut a 6” yarn tail, thread with tapestry needle and pull yarn thru the 6 sts.

Creating Arms (make 2):

I’m not nearly as creative as the motion crochet Baby Groot you can find here, at least not with this example…but I’m sure you crafty people out there can figure out how to make moveable arms if you wanted to.

Switch to Double Pointed needles for this…you will be using the I-Cord method for this part.

Switch to DPN's...using needles roughly 1-2 sizes smaller than your circular needles.

1. Pick up 3 sts, roughly 5 sts below the head, on either side of the body (you will repeat these instructions on the other side).

2-13. Knit 12 rows using the I-Cord method- which is basically you knit your stitches, slide them to the end of the needle and start knitting again.  It forms a sort of tube.

14. BO 1 st, K1 st

15. K2 sts 2 times, cut a 10” yarn tail and pull thru sts.

16. Using a tapestry needle pull the remainder of the yarn tail thru the length of the arm and then wrap it around the trunk in a spiral pattern.  Secure the yarn tail and cut.

Repeat on the other side.

 

Creating “foliage” on the head:

Using DPN’s:

1. Pick up 3 sts on top of the head.

2. K 3 rows in the round, or using I-Cord method.

3. BO 3 sts, pulling thread thru last loop.  Secure the tail end.

Repeat as much as you want or as little.  The pictures of Baby Groot online all seem to have a healthy head of “hair” though.

 

Creating leaves on arms and head:

Cut a 12” piece of green yarn.  Thread the tapestry needle.  You will be creating knots at the end of the “hands”, while threading the green yarn thru the arms so the trail is not visible.

You can also trail the green thread down the trunk in a spiral fashion to create “vines”.

Also, don’t forget about the head and the new “foliage” you just created- make sure to add knots of green up there as well.

Secure all loose ends.

Using black embroidery thread, carefully create a smile or smirk that would be fitting for a Baby Groot...clearly my example got a little carried away with the smile.  

Now you have a baby tree (Baby Groot)

With the base we created he can stand up by himself, or you can put him in an appropriate sized pot.  Feel free to go crazy with the Green at the base if you want it to look like he’s really potted.

For those that maybe don't understand the interest or realize there is a need for baby Groots in the world, I encourage you to do a google search (or whatever search engine you prefer to use).  I found this handy model while surfing the good old internet today. 

Baby Groots...they're awesome.  Now go watch Guardians of the Galaxy...especially if you haven't seen it yet.