I make Halloween costumes for my grandkids each year, and this year both boys (4yo and 7yo) want to be Perry the Platypus. After considering my options with regard to durability (these kids wear costumes more than they wear street clothes, lol), I’ve decided the best option is to make one-piece footed pajamas for the body, and knit ski masks for the head.
Can anyone recommend a simple ski mask pattern knit in one piece on circular needles? I’ve been through the patterns on Ravelry, and didn’t see quite what I needed. It needs to have eye holes and a mouth hole. I’m planning to add the platypus bill on around the mouth after completing the ski mask.
I found one here. It’s pretty ugly with all the stuff they added on to it, but the basic shape should get the job done. You can also do a google search using the terms children’s ski mask knitting pattern and children’s balaclava knitting patterns. Both terms are used interchangeably. I seriously don’t think I would go to that much trouble for a body costume that they’d only wear one day. You might be better off with a black or other solid color sweat shirt and sweat pants. You can paint it with temporary paints that wash out or temporarily tape cutouts on the suit. This jogging outfit can then be reused by your kids.
No, I wouldn’t go through so much effort just for Halloween. But, these kids live in costumes, lol. It’s like they think, why be an ordinary boy when you can be a super hero, or a pirate, or a magician, or a villain, etc.? Last year the oldest asked me to make him a Thor costume for his birthday, but he wanted the specific costume from the new movie. I told him Nana was a seamstress not a blacksmith. He settled for a penguin costume, as in The Penguin from Batman. Fortunately, I found a woman’s jacket at Goodwill I was able to cut down into a swallowtail tux.
Thank you so much for that link! It’s just what I needed. Having the eye and mouth holes and the increases and decreases hit the right spots is what worries me. But, really, all I need are very good measurements of the boys’ faces, right? Maybe I should be thinking of this as a good time to try graphing a pattern. Gulp.
I knit a batman mask a few years ago. I just found a hat pattern I like and then improvised the face part. It was hard to find Batman style ski mask because the face is left open. My friend’s son wears it all the time since Hallween 2 years ago. I knit the Kitty hat too.
Margaret, those are adorable! This is definitely going to be a learning experience for me as far as getting these sized right so they can see out of them. And, I wish Perry the Platypus wasn’t such a particular color.
I know what you mean about the color. I just bought my nephew a Perry Hat at Kohl’s. Just find a Hat pattern you are comfortable with for size. Then go from there.
Well I think this all sounds very intriguing. Nana, I hope you’ll post a photo of the finished costumes. And Margaret, the constumes are cute and very inventive but the children are the best, just adorable!
Last year the oldest asked me to make him a Thor costume for his birthday, but he wanted the specific costume from the new movie. I told him Nana was a seamstress not a blacksmith. 
He settled for a penguin costume, as in The Penguin from Batman. Fortunately, I found a woman’s jacket at Goodwill I was able to cut down into a swallowtail tux.