Make yourself a Manta Ray - why not?

The Manta is knit in two parts - the blue top, to which the eyes are added, and the white underbelly, and then stuffed and sewn up.
Click on the thumbnails above for larger pictures.

You'll need: 3mm straight needles scrap yarn in blue and white wadding (I just used balled up kitchen roll) two googly eyes two buttons, same size or slightly smaller than your googly eyes superglue needle & thread

To make the blue top half Using the blue yarn, cast on 10 stitches Row 1 - Knit Row 2 - Purl Row 3 - K1, M1L, K to last st, M1R, K1 Row 4 - Purl Row 5 - K1, M1L, K to last 2 st, M1R, K1 Row 6 - Purl Row 7 - K1, M1L, K1, M1L, K to last 2 sts, M1R, K1, M1R, K1 Row 8 - Purl Row 9 - K1, M1L, K1, M1L, K to last 2 sts, M1R, K1, M1R, K1 Row 10 - Purl Row 11 - K1, M1L, K1, M1L, K1, M1L, K1, M1L, K to last 4 sts, M1R, K1, M1R, K1, M1R, K1, M1R, K Row 12 - Purl Row 13 - Knit Row 14 - Purl Row 15 - K1, SSK, K to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1 Row 16 - Purl Row 17 - K1, SSK, K to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1 Row 18 - Purl Row 19 - K1, SSK, K to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1 Row 20 - Purl Row 21 - K1, SSK, K to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1 Row 22 - Purl Row 23 - K1, SSK, K to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1 Row 24 - Purl Row 25 - K1, SSK, K1, SSK, K to last 6 sts, K2tog, K1, K2tog, K1 Row 26 - Purl Row 27 - K1, SSK, K1, SSK, K to last 6 sts, K2tog, K1, K2tog, K1 Row 28 - Purl Row 29 - K1, SSK, K1, SSK, K to last 6 sts, K2tog, K1, K2tog, K1 Row 30 - Purl Row 31 - K1, SSK, K to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1 Row 32 - Purl Row 33 - K1, SSK, K to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1 Row 34 - Purl Row 35 - SSK, K1, K2tog. 3 sts remain. Then continue in stockinette until the tail is as long as you require (I did about 15 lines). Remember to count your rows - you'll need it for when you knit the second part!

To make the white underbelly Using the white yarn, cast on 10 stitches. Row 1 - Knit Row 2 - Purl Row 3 - K1, M1L, K to last st, M1R, K1 Row 4 - Purl Row 5 - K1, M1L, K to last 2 st, M1R, K1 Row 6 - Purl Row 7 - K1, M1L, K1, M1L, K to last 2 sts, M1R, K1, M1R, K1 Row 8 - Purl Row 9 - K1, M1L, K1, M1L, K to last 2 sts, M1R, K1, M1R, K1 Row 10 - Purl Row 11 - K1, M1L, K1, M1L, K1, M1L, K1, M1L, K to last 4 sts, M1R, K1, M1R, K1, M1R, K1, M1R, K Row 12 - Purl Row 13 - Knit Row 14 - Purl Row 15 - K1, SSK, K to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1 Row 16 - Purl Row 17 - K1, SSK, K to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1 Row 18 - Purl Row 19 - K1, SSK, K to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1 Row 20 - Purl Row 21 - K1, SSK, K to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1 Row 22 - Purl Row 23 - K1, SSK, K to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1 Row 24 - Purl Row 25 - K1, SSK, K1, SSK, K to last 6 sts, K2tog, K1, K2tog, K1 Row 26 - Purl Row 27 - K1, SSK, K1, SSK, K to last 6 sts, K2tog, K1, K2tog, K1 Row 28 - Purl Row 29 - K1, SSK, K1, SSK, K to last 6 sts, K2tog, K1, K2tog, K1 Row 30 - Purl Row 31 - K1, SSK, K to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1 Row 32 - Purl Row 33 - K1, SSK, K to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1 Row 34 - Purl Row 35 - SSK, K1, K2tog. 3 sts remain. Row 36 - Purl Row 37 - SK2tog. 1 st remains To work out how many rows the white tail should be, just minus 3 rows from the number of rows you did for the blue tail; so, if like me you did 15 rows stockinette for the blue tail, you would keep knitting that one white stitch for 12 rows, then cast off.

The eyes Position & sew the buttons onto the blue upper section where you want the eyes to be. Superglue the eyes onto the buttons - you may find it easiest to sew the buttons on, then sew up and stuff, then glue the eyes on. Sewing up & stuffing Starting at the tail, sew up around the edges. To stuff, insert a bit of rolled up kitchen paper down the centre of the manta - you don't need to stuff the wings, you just want a bit on oomph in the body. Continue sewing round and then tie off. Glue on googly eyes. Try to make sure you don't superglue the eyes on yourself rather than the buttons.