4 needle with i-cord axons

Use 4 double-ended needles. Start at the top and work down and round the cell body like a sock, tapering down to a point where the axon joins on to the cell body. Stitch in your axon, stuff and close off the body, and add your dendrites.

Abbreviations:
DPN: double pointed needle
St: stitch
KFB: knit into front and back of the st = increase

AXON

First make your axon. Cast on 3 stitches onto a DPN. Slide the stitches to the other end and knit from the start. Do this at the end of every row and the piece will curl round on itself, looking like French knitting. Continue until you have made a length of i-cord ~10-15cm long.

CELL BODY

next row: KFB 3 times (6 st) then place 2 st on each of 2 new DPN
- continue working in the round, using 4 DPN
Round 1: KFB, K1 3 times (9 st)
Round 2: KFB, K2 3 times (12 st)
Round 3: KFB, K3 3 times (15 st)
Round 4: K1, M1 for all three needles (3 x 10st = 30st)

Rounds 5-8: K

Rounds 9 onwards: Start to stuff the cell body with toy stuffing as you go
Decrease stitches by reducing by one stitch every other needle as follows:

needle 1: K2 tog, K8 (9st); needle 2; K (10st); needle 3: K2 tog, K8 (9st)

needle 1: K9 (9st); needle 2; K2 tog, K8 (9st); needle 3: K9 (9st)

needle 1: K2 tog, K7 (8st); needle 2; K9 (9st); needle 3: K2 tog, K7 (8st)

needle 1: K8 (8st); needle 2; K2 tog, K7 (8st); needle 3: K8 (8st)

needle 1: K2 tog, K6 (7st); needle 2; K8 (8st); needle 3: K2 tog, K6 (7st)continue until

needle 1: K3 (3st); needle 2; K2 tog, K2 (3st); needle 3: K3 (3st)
needle 1: K2 tog, K1 (2st); needle 2; K2 tog, K1 (2st); needle 3: K2 tog, K1 (2st)

Congratulations – you’ve reached the top of the axon!

DENDRITES
Next round: K2 tog 3 times, leaving 3 st
Place these 3 st on a single needle
Continue knitting an i-cord as before, until you reach the desired length.
To make more than one dendrite, you can split the original 6st in half, working 3 on 1 needle and 3 on another to give 2 dendrites. Alternatively, pick up and K 3 st from anywhere on the cell body, then continue to knit as i-cords.

For the ends of the i-cords, you can sew in the loose end of yarn or, as I have done in the picture below, you could thread in a short piece of yarn and knot it over the end of the i-cord to give extra dendritic projections.

Thanks to Caroline for this new version!

Science Cafe - 2 March, Pierian Centre

Hot on the heels of the Science Cafe at the Tobacco Factory earlier this week we're having another go! Come along on 2 March, 8.00pm, to the Pierian Centre to experience the delights of combining science and yarn.

Science Cafe - the aftermath

Wow! so many people turned up tonight to knit and crochet neurons. We now have lots of lovely neurons and more to come: some people didn't quite finish theirs. We're at the Pierian centre next week and we've also been invited to Weston. I love the great variety in the neurons: different sizes, colours, and textures - each one unique - just like the real thing.

Thanks everyone for a great evening. Next time, I'll remember my hooks so I can make a neuron or two too!

More interest in woolly neurons

Hooray - it turns out we're not completely bonkers! I posted information about the Science Cafe on a couple of Ravelry groups and people have responded incredibly positively. Looking forward to receiving neurons from all over the world now.