Happy Australia Day!

Kookaburra Tea Pot Holder/Needle case, Beehive Toys and Novelties, c. 1955

Today is Australia Day! In honor of this occasion, I present you with a crocheted Kookaburra. He’s pictured next to his real-life pal. Why they’re practically twins!

If one twin had an extremely bushy tail, and a penchant for swallowing needles.

Maybe they’re fraternal twins.

For the complete pattern (and more snark!):

Kookaburra Tea Pot Holder
OR NEEDLE CASE

Sure, you can choose not to use Kooky as a Tea Pot Holder instead of a NEEDLE CASE, but not if you know WHAT’S GOOD FOR YOU!

MATERIALS:
PATWIN 4 ply PATONIZED. Scraps of Brown, Fawn and Turquoise. One No. 2 Steel Crochet Hook (American Gauge). Two Small Pearl Buttons for eyes. Piece of flannel for Needle Case.

If used as Needle Case make flannel lining and sew inside.

Why even bother pretending I have a choice in the matter? I know if I don’t make the Needle Case, I’ll wake up in the middle of the Australian Outback in nothing but my Reg Grundies.

SIDE: Beginning at head with Fawn Ch. 3 sts. Join in ring with s.s.

1st round: Ch. 1. 11 d.c. in ring. Join with s.s. Ch. 1. Turn.

2nd round: *1.s.c. in each of the next 2 sts. 2 s.c. in next st.* Repeat from * to * once. Leave Fawn. Join Brown. Repeat from * to * twice. Join with s.s. Ch. 1. Turn.

3rd round: *1.s.c. in next st. 2 s.c. in next st.* Repeat from * to * 3 times. Break Brown and pick up Fawn. Repeat from * to * to end of round. Join with s.s. Ch. 1. Turn.

4th round: *1.s.c. in each of next 2 sts. 2 s.c. in next st.* Repeat from * to * to end of round. Join with s.s. Ch. 1. Turn. Working in rows, proceed:–

Leave Fawn, pick up Brown, break Brown and pick up Fawn... It all sounds like some terribly sordid Soap Opera!

Fun fact: Seventies era Australian soaps were incredibly risqué. Some of them even featured full-frontal nudity.

I’m sure Fawn is a lovely girl, despite the many times she breaks up with Brown. But just wait until Fawn finds out that she was switched at birth, and she’s actually Brown’s long lost sister!

1st row: 1.s.c. in each of 1st. 4 sts. 2 s.c. in next st. 1.s.c. in each of next 4 sts. 2 s.c. in next st. 1.s.c. in next st. Ch. 1. Turn. (13 s.c. in row).

2nd and 3rd rows: 1.s.c. in each s.c. of previous row.

4th row: 1.s.c. in each of 1st. 6 sts. Ch. 1. Turn. Working on these 6 sts. work 9 rows even.

14th row: 1.s.c. in 1st. st. Miss 1.st. 1.s.c. in each st. to end of row. Ch. 1. Turn.

15th row: 1.s.c. in each st. of previous row. Ch. 1. Turn. Repeat 14th and 15th rows to 3 s.c. in row. Work 1 row even. Fasten off. Proceed:–

Of course, Australia has had its share of real life drama too, going back to its very founding.

Australia Day commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet and the planting of the British flag on Australian soil on the 26th of January, 1788. So, depending on who your ancestors were back then, you may also be calling this holiday Anniversary Day, Foundation Day, or Invasion Day.

Join Brown after the 6 Fawn s.c. in 4th row. Ch. 1.

1st row: 1.s.c. in each of next 7 s.c. Ch. 1. Turn. Working on these 7 sts. work 9 rows even.

11th row: Work in s.c. to last 3 s.c. Miss 1.s.c. 1.s.c. in each of remaining 2 s.c. Ch. 1. Turn.

12th row: 1.s.c. in each st. of previous row. Ch. 1. Turn. Repeat 11th and 12th rows to 3 s.c. in row. Work 1 row even. Fasten off. Sew this section to the Fawn Section. Make another side to correspond.

Australia Day also falls on the anniversary of the very exciting Rum Rebellion of 1808 AKA “I’m sure that whole Mutiny on the Bounty thing was a fluke, so let’s put William Bligh in charge again” Day.

WINGS: Take 2 strands of wool (1 each Turquoise and Brown). Ch. 8. Leave Turquoise. With Brown Ch. 9.

1st row: With Brown work 1.s.c. in 2nd Ch. from hook and 1.s.c. in each of next 7 Ch. With Turquoise and Brown work 1.s.c. in each of remaining 8 Ch. Ch. 1. Turn.

2nd row: With Turquoise and Brown *work 1.s.c. in next st. 2 s.c. in next st.* Repeat from * to * 4 times. Break Turquoise. With Brown repeat from * to * to end of row. Ch. 4. Turn.

3rd row: 1.s.c. in 2nd Ch. from hook and 1.s.c. in each Ch. and st. to end of row. Fasten off. Darn in all ends.

Hey, our Soap Opera has a new character! Poor Turquoise, she should know better than to carry a torch for Brown. He’s just going to dump her and go running back to Fawn.

Who I’ve just learned was actually switched twice as a baby, making Fawn not Brown’s sister after all, but rather Turquoise’s long lost twin.

BEAK: With Brown Ch. 8 sts. 1.d.c. in 4th Ch. from hook. 1.h.tr. in next Ch. 1.s.c. in next Ch. 1.s.s. in each of remaining 2 Ch. Working along other side of Ch. work 1.s.s. in each of next 2 Ch. 1.s.c. in next Ch. 1.h.tr. in next Ch. 1.d.c. in each of remaining 2 Ch. Fasten off. Fold beak in half and join.

TO MAKE UP: Sew up seam along back and around head. Pad the head with wool and sew buttons in position for eyes. Sew beak and wings in position. For the tail cut strands of Fawn and Brown 8 ins. long. Place cut ends of 2 strands together, thus forming a loop. Pass this loop down through the s.c. at end of body for about 1/2 inch, then pass the cut ends of the same strands through the loop and draw up. Repeat this in each s.c. along the end using corresponding colors.

But be careful about travelling to Australia to check out their famous Soap Operas or wildlife – you might accidentally get killed!

Click here for the printable pattern.