Inspired by her character, Peri Reed, who also knits, “The Drafter” author Kim Harrison created a dragon to share.

Materials needed:

• 3 mm pipe cleaners
• Two markers in different colors
• Embroidery floss for eyes
• Polyester stuffing
• Large eye tapestry needle
• Tweezers or pencil for maneuvering stuffing.
• Pliers (optional) for maneuvering pipe cleaners.

From the designer’s website:

Warning: the pattern below is my own, and because this is not my day-job, the pattern won’t have the polish of professionally polished ones. You can show me and other knitters your progress at instagram, FB, and twitter at #KHDragon Clearly the gauge isn’t critical, but if your dragon is too large, you’ll have to cobble pipe cleaners together for the wings, which is awkward.

Supplies

3mm pipe cleaners the color you want your dragon’s nails to be. I like black, but white is easy to find. You’ll probably have to get these online, but I have seen them at Michaels upon occasion. 6mm pipe cleaners are much more common, but they are harder to work with, and your dragon’s fingers will be lumpy and bumpy. If you can, take the time to find them. You will be happier. Trust me.

Two skeins of Patons Grace yarn, one for the wings and breast, one for the body. You’ll need more if your gauge is coming in larger. It’s critical to have a yarn that holds its shape. Grace is a lightweight cotton yarn. Wool that has been half felted before skeined up is stiff enough, but stay away from soft yarn that will stretch or your dragon will be lumpy after all that work. I’ll be using Fiesta and Beeswax, or maybe a little white on the breast. I’d stay away from black for your first dragon simply because it’s hard to see the stitches, and I’ve got a bang-up way to sew together that doesn’t show, and it’s hard to learn if you can’t see.

Stuffing. I use polyester.

Tweezers and the back end of a pencil to help to stuff.

Stitch markers, 2 colors. One for right, one for left.

A tapestry needle whose eye is big enough to thread the pipe cleaner through. Seriously, check this. Most needles are too small.

DPN (double pointed needles) I find it useful to have two packages of these so I don’t have to keep putting my work on a stitch holder. Ten needles is good. I used U.S. size 1 to get my gauge.

Pliers are useful for pulling pipe cleaners when things get tight in the wings.