Yi Han TAN, Ph.D. - Protocols

Protocols

Protocol for knitting rod-shaped bacteria

Bacteria are awesome! Sometimes, you just want to take your best bugs home, or take them to see the sunset at the beach. However, it’s considered rude to the existing microbiomes where you go when you do so and the microbe squad will get you. Here’s how to make your very own bacterial companions - they’ll be great company for you and that article you were supposed to write at a cafe…

Making a rod-shaped bug (02/08/2022)

Materials:

8-ply, acrylic wool (I used stallion wool, you want something with not that much stretch)

3mm diameter straight knitting needles (I used wooden kebab skewers)

Sew-on google eyes (8mm diameter)

Needle for wool, as well as smaller needles and normal thread

Stuffing for soft toys

Abbreviations: K1 = Knit 1, KFB = Knit front and back, Decrease stitch = D1

I use KFB to add stitches and cast off one stitch in order to decrease (tutorial on casting off, essentially knit two stitches, pull loop from the first stitch over the second to lose one stitch).

But you can use any increase or decrease stitches you’re comfortable with! I am completely self-taught so I'm sure more experienced knitters will know about better alternatives and everyone has their favourite decreases and increases. It should not matter with something so small as long as they are done knitwise.

Rod-shaped bacteria Pattern

First pole of bacteria

Row 1: Cast on 5 stitches, K5 (total of 5 stitches)

Row 2: K1, KFBX3, K1 (total of 8 stitches)

Row 3: K1, KFB, K1, KFB, K2, KFB, K1 (total of 11 stitches)

Row 4: K11 (total of 11 stitches)

Row 5: K1, KFB, K1, KFB, K1, KFB, K1, KFB, K1, KFB, K1 (total of 16 stitches)

Row 6: K1, KFB, K12, KFB, K1 (total of 18 stitches)

Body

Row 7-14: K18 (18 stitches on needle) *you can increase the number of rows if you would like a longer bacterium

Second pole

Row 15: K1, D1, K12, D1, K1 (16 stitches left)

Row 16, K1, D1, K1, D1, K1, D1, K1, D1, K1, D1, K1 (11 stitches left)

Row 17: K11 (11 stitches)

Row 18: K1, D1, K1, D1, K2, D1, K1 (8 stitches left)

Row 19: K1, D1X3, K1 (5 stitches left)

Row 20: Bind off all stitches knit wise, leaving a long tail for sewing

You should now have a knit oval of fabric like this.

Seam up the oval almost all the way to get a little knit bag, and reverse the bag! You now have a empty little bacterium. The eyes should be on the other side of the bug, so the seam line is hidden behind (ventral side, eyes, dorsal side, seam line). At this point you can add features such as eyes, plasmids (through embroidery), and fimbriae. I like to add a little loop from a stiffer cord with some nylon in it so you have the option to add the bug to a keychain!