sweaters for Tauranga penguins

have you heard about the oil spill in Tauranga, New Zealand?  yea me neither, until I heard that they needed people to knit sweaters for penguins.  it happened a week or so ago, and as of today they are still trying to clean up the mess in NZ.  this yarn store there called Skeinz is collecting sweaters to keep the little guys warm after they have been cleaned (and stripped of their natural oils).

I made some (modeled below on a Bacardi bottle), and in the process wrote up a row-by-row pattern for more newbie (also American) knitters to follow, as the pattern that's out there is very brief and metric-y.  I am sure there are much better ways to do this, but it worked for me.

Penguin Jumper

Yarn:  8 ply 100% wool yarn (must be wool because the penguins will try to eat them)

Needles: US size 3 straights, US size 5 straights, US size 3 double pointed

Using the size 3 straights, cast on 36 stitches

Row 1-7: k1, p1

Switch to size 5 needles

Row 8: k1fb, (k2, p2 to last 3 st) k2, k1fb (38 stitches) 
Row 9: k1fb, k1, p2 (k2, p2 to last 2 st) k1, k1fb (40) 
Row 10: k1fb, p2 (k2, p2 to last st) k1fb (42) 
Row 11: k1fb, p1, (k2, p2 to last 4 st) k2, p1, k1fb (44) 
Row 12: p1, (k2, p2 to last 3 st) k2, p1 
Row 13: k1, p2 (k2, p2 to last st) k1

Repeat Row 12-13 until work measures 6 inches. End on WS row. Begin to decrease:

Row 14: p1, p2tog (k2, p2 to last 5 st) k2, p2tog, p1 (42 stitches) 
Row 15: k2tog, p2 (k2, p2 to last 2 st) k2tog (40) 
Row 16: k1, k2tog, p2 (k2, p2 to last 3 st) k2tog, k1 (38) 
Row 17: p2tog, (k2, p2 to last 4 st) k2, p2tog (36) 
Row 18: repeat row 14 (34) 
Row 19: repeat row 15 (32) 
Row 20: repeat row 16 (30) 
Row 21: repeat row 17 (28) 
Row 22: k1, p2, (k2, p2 twice) k2, p2tog (k2, p2 three times) k1 (27 stitches)

Transfer stitches to one of the dpns. Break yarn, leaving a tail for sewing. Repeat steps above to make second half.

Transfer the stitches from both pieces to three dpns, 18 stitches on each needle. Work 10 rows of k1, p1 rib. Bind off.

Sew up sides from bottom edge to the point where you started decreasing.

I think they will probably get plenty of sweaters, a similar call after a spill in Tasmania netted 15,000!  If you make some and you're on Ravelry, link them to the "Penguin Jumper" pattern, which the people at Skeinz are using to keep track of how many are being made.

This link has the info on where to send them.  start knitting, the penguins need you!