purlJam

# The Cursed Skull — A Sea of Thieves Inspired Amigurumi

*A beginner-friendly 3D stuffed skull, worked seamlessly in the round. Perfect for any pirate's mantelpiece.*

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## Finished Measurements
- Height: approximately **12 cm** (4¾ in), including jaw
- Width: approximately **7 cm** (2¾ in) at widest
- Circumference of cranium: approximately **22 cm** (8¾ in)

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## Materials
- **Yarn:** Worsted weight (Aran) yarn in **bone white / ivory** — approx. 60 g (≈110 m). A small amount of **black** for embroidering the eye sockets, nose and tooth lines.
- **Needles:** 3.5 mm (UK old size 9–10) double-pointed needles (DPNs) **or** one long circular for Magic Loop. This is 1–2 sizes smaller than the worsted label recommendation, to create a tight fabric.
- **Polyester fibrefill stuffing:** approximately **25–30 g**.
- **Tapestry needle** for seaming and embroidery.
- Optional: stitch markers, a small length of grey or off-white floss to define the teeth.

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## Tension (Gauge)
**22 sts × 30 rounds = 10 cm (4 in)** over stockinette stitch (st st) in the round, worked on 3.5 mm needles after firm stuffing settles.

> **Tension note:** Exact stitch count is less important than a **tight, even fabric**. Knit firmly so the white stuffing cannot peek through. If your fabric looks loose or gappy, drop down a needle size.

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## Abbreviations (UK)
- **k** — knit
- **p** — purl
- **kfb** — knit into front and back of stitch (1 st increased)
- **k2tog** — knit two together (1 st decreased)
- **ssk** — slip, slip, knit (1 st decreased)
- **st(s)** — stitch(es)
- **rep** — repeat
- **rnd** — round
- **st st** — stockinette stitch (knit every round in the round)

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## Construction Overview
The skull is made in **two pieces**:
1. **The Cranium** — a rounded ball, worked from the crown down, stuffed firmly.
2. **The Lower Jaw** — a small curved piece, stuffed lightly and seamed to the front-base of the cranium.

Features are **embroidered** in black, so no safety eyes are needed (this keeps it beginner-friendly and gives the menacing hollow-socket look).

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## PART 1 — The Cranium

Using bone white yarn and your preferred in-the-round method, cast on **8 sts**. Distribute evenly and join to work in the round, taking care not to twist. Place a marker at the start of the round.

**Rnd 1:** k all (8 sts)
**Rnd 2:** *kfb; rep from * to end → 16 sts
**Rnd 3:** k all (16 sts)
**Rnd 4:** *k1, kfb; rep from * to end → 24 sts
**Rnd 5:** k all (24 sts)
**Rnd 6:** *k2, kfb; rep from * to end → 32 sts
**Rnd 7:** k all (32 sts)
**Rnd 8:** *k3, kfb; rep from * to end → 40 sts
**Rnd 9:** k all (40 sts)
**Rnd 10:** *k4, kfb; rep from * to end → 48 sts

*Maths check: 8 → 16 → 24 → 32 → 40 → 48, each increase round adds 8 sts. ✓*

**Rnds 11–24:** k all (48 sts) — 14 straight rounds form the rounded cranium.

> This is the point to **mark your eye-socket positions** (see Finishing). Lay the work flat with the marker at centre-back; the front is opposite.

### Shaping the lower cranium (cheekbones)
**Rnd 25:** *k4, k2tog; rep from * to end → 40 sts
**Rnd 26:** k all (40 sts)
**Rnd 27:** *k3, k2tog; rep from * to end → 32 sts
**Rnd 28:** k all (32 sts)

*Maths check: 48 → 40 → 32, each decrease round removes 8 sts. ✓*

**Stuff the cranium firmly now**, shaping it into a round ball as you go. Keep adding stuffing as you complete the final rounds.

**Rnd 29:** *k2, k2tog; rep from * to end → 24 sts
**Rnd 30:** *k1, k2tog; rep from * to end → 16 sts
**Rnd 31:** *k2tog; rep from * to end → 8 sts

*Maths check: 32 → 24 → 16 → 8. ✓*

Top up stuffing firmly. Cut yarn leaving a 20 cm tail. Thread through the remaining 8 sts, pull tight to close, and secure. Pass the needle through the centre and out elsewhere to bury the tail.

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## PART 2 — The Lower Jaw

The jaw is a small shallow cup that sits at the front-base of the skull.

Using bone white yarn, cast on **6 sts**, join to work in the round.

**Rnd 1:** *kfb; rep from * to end → 12 sts
**Rnd 2:** k all (12 sts)
**Rnd 3:** *k1, kfb; rep from * to end → 18 sts
**Rnd 4:** k all (18 sts)
**Rnd 5:** *k2, kfb; rep from * to end → 24 sts

*Maths check: 6 → 12 → 18 → 24, increases of 6 each. ✓*

**Rnds 6–8:** k all (24 sts) — 3 straight rounds.

**Rnd 9:** *k2, k2tog; rep from * to end → 18 sts

*Maths check: 24 → 18. ✓*

Stuff **lightly** (the jaw should stay flat-ish, not bulbous). Cut yarn leaving a 25 cm tail for seaming. Thread through the remaining 18 sts but **do not pull fully closed** — leave the open edge slightly flattened so it can be seamed against the cranium as a jaw.

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## Finishing & Assembly

### 1. Embroider the eye sockets
- Using black yarn and the tapestry needle, embroider **two large hollow circles/ovals** on the front of the cranium, about Rnd 18–22, spaced symmetrically either side of centre.
- Fill each socket with **vertical satin stitches** (rows of straight stitches packed close together) to create deep, dark eye holes. Aim for sockets roughly **2 cm** across.
- **Tip:** Use a removable pin or contrast thread to mark both socket centres first, then check symmetry before stitching.

### 2. Embroider the nose
- Below and between the eyes, stitch a small **inverted triangle (▽)** in black satin stitch — the classic skull nasal cavity, about 1 cm tall.

### 3. Attach the lower jaw
- Position the jaw at the **front-base of the cranium**, directly beneath the nose.
- Using the long tail and **mattress stitch**, seam the open edge of the jaw to the cranium, working all the way around so the jaw cups forward and slightly down.
- Add a tiny pinch more stuffing through any gap before closing fully, if needed.

### 4. Define the teeth
- Using grey or off-white floss (or simply white against the bone yarn), stitch a row of short **vertical lines** along the seam where jaw meets cranium — about 5–6 evenly spaced lines — to suggest a grinning row of teeth.

### 5. Weave in ends
- Thread each remaining end onto the tapestry needle, pass it deep **inside the stuffed body**, out at a distant point, and snip flush. This hides ends securely and keeps the surface smooth.

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## Assembly Order Summary (verify before you start)
1. Knit and stuff the **cranium**, close the crown.
2. Embroider **eye sockets** and **nose** while you still have easy access to the front.
3. Knit the **jaw**, stuff lightly.
4. **Seam jaw** to the front-base.
5. Add **teeth** detailing.
6. **Weave in all ends** inside the body.

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## Care
Hand wash gently in cool water; reshape and air dry flat. Do not wring — squeeze excess water in a towel.

*May this cursed treasure bring you good fortune on the seas. ☠️*