I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas!

Disk Santa from “McCall’s Design Ideas, Christmas Knit & Crochet”, Vol. 4, 1981

Have you ever wondered what to do with all your left-over tuna cans? Is it no longer enough to just toss them into the recycling bin? Are you consumed with an urge to REUSE instead of just Recycle?

I have a solution!

Just make the Santa with a “tuna can tummy”. He’s not only ecological, he’s economical, too! Although I must warn you, if you choose to use Red Heart Supersaver yarn, your earth-friendly thriftiness may come across as just plain cheap.

And you don’t want a cheap green Santa, now do you?

For the complete pattern (and more snark!):

DISK SANTA

SIZE: 16’’ high.

MATERIALS: Knitting worsted weight yarn, 2 ozs. red, 1/2 oz. each white, pink and black. Crochet hooks sizes E and J. Tunafish can. Cardboard. Stuffing. Yarn needle. Masking tape.

GAUGE: 5 sc = 1’’.

SANTA: BODY: Draw around top of can on cardboard. Cut out circle. Tape to open top, cover entire can with tape. With red and E hook, ch 2.

I don’t care how much tape you put on that can, it’s still going to stink of tuna.

But that doesn’t have to be a bad thing! A traditional Santa has a belly “like a bowl full of jelly”. However, jelly is chock full of refined sugar, which is just empty carbs. It will make your Santa hyperactive and cranky, and if he eats too much he’ll end up with type two diabetes. Tuna, on the other hand, is an excellent source of both protein and omega one fatty acids. This will provide a steady release of energy over several hours, thereby keeping Santa’s blood sugar stable.

So wouldn’t you prefer your Santa to have tuna in his tummy?

Rnd 1: 7 sc in 2nds ch from hook.
Rnd 2: 2 sc in each sc around.
Rnd 3: * Sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc, repeat from * around.
Rnd 4: 2 sc in each sc around.
Rnds 5 and 6: work even – 42 sc.
Rnd 7: (Sc in next 6 sc, 2 sc in next sc) 6 times – 48 sc. End off. Piece should come almost to edge of can all around. Make another piece the same.

Piece should come almost to the edge of the can, but probably won’t. Resist the urge to scream and fling your tuna can out the window.

Remember, Santa knows when you’re being naughty. So stop pigging out on the Christmas cookies, and start over again with a different hook size.

With red and E hook, ch 10. Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. Ch 1, turn each row. Work even on 9 sc for 47 rows or until strip, when stretched, covers sides. Sew ends tog on can. Sew circles to strip, catching back lp of each sc on edge of circles.

Take a sniff of Santa’s tummy. Still smells like tuna, doesn’t it? That’s the fishy smell of Eco-Friendly Virtue.

Green Santa knows when you reuse, reduce and recycle!

ARMS AND LEGS: With J hook, work disks same as for body through rnd 2. Make 11 red disks for each arm and leg, 2 white disks for each arm and leg and 4 black disks for each leg.
Make 1 white disk for Santa’s hat and 2 for buttons.

Oh, so those shapeless white blobs on Santa’s tuna-belly are buttons! I thought he’s been hit by a few too many snowballs, flung by striking elves.

SHOE (make 2): With black and E hook, ch 12. Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. Ch 1, turn each row. Work 10 more rows of 11 sc. Fold in half, sew first and last rows tog for top of shoe. Close toe and heel ends, stuffing lightly with yarn scraps.

Hurray! It’s another opportunity to recycle! I hope you’ve been saving your yarn scraps all along. Because if you didn’t and had to resort to using polyester fiberfill instead, Santa will be very disappointed.

Trust me, it won’t matter how strongly your creation smells like tuna, he’ll still be able to sniff out your eco-crimes.

MITTEN (make 4 pieces): With black and E hook, ch 6. Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch (thumb). Ch 1, turn each row.
Row 2: Sc in 2 sc, ch 6.
Row 3: Sc in 2nd ch from hook an din 4 ch, sc in 2 sc.
Rows 4 – 7: Work even on 7 sc. At end of row 7, ch 2. Working along bottom of mitten, work 5 sc across. Ch 1, turn. Work 2 rows even. End off. Sew 2 tog for each hand, stuffing lightly.

To Join Legs and Arms: Sew center of 18’’ piece of red yarn to center of body where each arm and leg should be. String disks on double yarn. Push up disks. Sew back top corner of foot to yarn of leg and last black disk. Sew top of mitten to yarn of arm and last white disk.

HEAD: With Pink and E hook, ch 2. Work 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook.
Rnd 2: 2 sc in each sc around. Work 1 rnd even.
Rnd 4: (Sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc) 6 times. Work 1 rnd even – 18 sc.
Rnd 6: (Sc in 2 sc, 2 sc in next sc) 6 times. Work 1 rnd even – 24 sc.
Rnd 8: (Sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc) 12 times. Work 3 rnds even – 36 sc.
Rnd 12: (Sc in 8 sc, 2 sc in next sc) 4 times. Work 4 rnds even – 40 sc.
Rnd 17: * Sc in each of 2 sc, pull up a lp in each of next 2 sts, yo and through 3 lops on hook (1 dec), repeat from * around. Work 2 rnds even – 30 sc.
Rnd 20: Work 2 sc tog around. Work 2 rnds even – 15 sc. End off. Stuff head; sew to body.

While you’re stuffing Santa’s head, consider supporting small farmers by mixing in a little organic bran. That way, just like the Scarecrow of Oz, he’ll have “bran-new” brains. I’d leave out the pins and needles, though. Santa needs to be jolly, not sharp!

HAT: With white and J hook, ch 25. Sl st in first ch to form ring.
rnd 1: Sc in each ch around.
Rnds 2 – 4: Sc in each sc.
Rnd 5: (Sc in 3 sc, work 2 sc tog) 5 times. Work 4 rnds even – 20 sc.
Rnd 10: (Sc in 2 sc, work 2 sc tog) 5 times. Work 2 rnds even – 15 sc.
Rnd 13: (Sc in next sc, work 2 sc tog) 5 times. Work 5 rnds even – 10 sc.
Rnd 19: (Sc in 3 sc, work 2 sc tog) twice. Work 3 rnds even – 8 sc.
Rnd 23: (Sc in 2 sc, work 2 sc tog) twice. Work 3 rnds even – 6 sc. Work 2 sc tog around. End off.

Sew white disk too top of hat; sew hat to head.

FINISHING: Sew buttons to body. Embroider white hair in 1’’ long vertical sts around sides and back of head. Embroider black eyes outlined with blue, white straight eyebrows. Embroider red horizontal st for nose, triangular mouth. Take long sts from side to nose and back to side for mustache, form loops at side. Stitch loops around chin for beard.

Please note that “Stitch loops around chin” is the only instruction you’ll get for the beard. So, consider it carte blanche, and go wild!

Just don’t get too carried away with your embroidery, or your Santa’s beard might end up looking like this:

Tuna Can Santa wishes you a very Merry Tuna Christmas!

Click here for the printable pattern.