Cars and Trucks CAL - Part 2 - Concrete mixer wheels and mixer

Rnd 1              Ch 1, 6 sc into the magic ring. Sl st into the first sc, ch 1 and turn. (6)

Rnd 2              2 Sc in each st around. Sl st into the first sc, ch 1 and turn. (12)

Rnd 3              [2 Sc in the first st, sc in the next st] 6 times, sl st into the first sc, ch 1 and turn. (18)

Rnd 4              [2 Sc in the first st, sc in the next 2 sts] 6 times, sl st into the first sc, ch 1 and turn. (24)

Rnd 5              [2 Sc in the first st, sc in the next 3 sts] 6 times, sl st into the first sc, ch 1 and turn. (30)

Rnd 6              Working in FLO, sc in the first st, *change to Colour B, sc in the next 7 sts, change to white, sc in the next st, change to Colour C, sc in the next 5 sts, change to white, sc in the next st* repeat between * to * once more, sc in the last sc. Sl st into the first sc, ch 1 and turn. (30)

Rnd 7              *Sc in the first 3 sts, change to Colour C, sc in the next 3 sts, change to white, sc in the next 3 sts, change to Colour B, sc in the next 5 sts, change to white*, repeat from * to * once more, sc in the last 2 sts, sl st into the first sc, ch 1 and turn. (30)

Rnd 8              Sc in the first 2 sts, *change to Colour B, sc in the next 5 sts, change to white, sc in the next 4 sts, change to Colour C, sc in the next st, change to white, sc in the next 4 sts* repeat from * to * once more, sl st into the first sc, ch 1 and turn. (30)

Rnd 9              Sc in the first 10 sts, change to Colour B, sc in the next 3 sts, change to white, sc in the next 11 sts, change to Colour B, sc in the next 3 sts, change to white, sc in the next 3 sts, sl st into the first sc in the last st, ch 1 and turn. (30)

Rnd 10            Sc in the first 3 sts, change to Colour B, sc in the next 3 sts, change to white, sc in the next 5 sts, change to Colour C, sc in the next st, change to white, sc in the next 5 sts, change to Colour B, sc in the next 3 sts, change to white, sc in the next 5 sts, change to Colour C, sc in the next st, change to white, sc in the next 4 sts, sl st into the first st, ch 1 and turn. (30)

Rnd 11            Sc in the next 3 sts, change to Colour C, sc in the next 3 sts, change to white, sc in the next 5 sts, change to Colour B, sc in the next st, change to white, sc in the next 5 sts, change to Colour C, sc  in the next 3 sts, change to white, sc in the next 5 sts, change to Colour B, sc in the next st, change to white, sc in the next 4 sts, sl st in the first st, ch 1 and turn (30).

You can fasten off the Colour B yarn at this stage as it is no longer needed for the mixer.

Rnd 12            *Sc in the first 9 sts, change to Colour C, sc in the next 5 sts, change to white,* repeat from * to * once more, sc in the last 2 sts, sl st into the first st, ch 1 and turn. (30)

Rnd 13            Sc in the first 3 sts, change to Colour C, sc in the next 3 sts, change to white, sc in the next 11 sts, change to Colour C, sc in the next 3 sts, change to white, sc in the next 10 sts, sl st into the first st, ch 1 and turn. (30)

Rnd 14            [Sc in the first 3 sts, sc2tog] x 2, sc in the next st, change to Colour C, sc in the next st, change to white, sc in the next st, sc2tog, [sc in the next 3 sts, sc2tog] x 2, change to Colour C, sc in the next st, change to white, sc  in the next 2 sts, sc2tog, sl st into the first st, ch 1 and turn. (24)

Fasten off your Colour C yarn at this point.

Rnds 15-16     Sc in each st around. Sl st into first sc, ch 1 and turn. (24)

Rnd 17            [Sc2tog, sc in the next 2 sts] 6 times, sl st into the first sc, ch 1 and turn. (18)

Rnd 18            Sc in each st around, sl st into the first sc, ch 1 and turn. (18)

Insert stuffing.

Rnd 19            *Sc2tog, sc in the next st* 6 times, sl st into the first sc, ch 1 and turn. (12)

Rnd 20            Working in FLO, sc in each st around, sl st into the first sc, ch 1 and turn. (12)

Rnd 21            Sc2tog 6 times, sl st into the first sc. (6)

Fasten off leaving a long tail. Use tail to sew any gap in the last round and to sew the mixer onto the back of the truck.

The yarn tail when you finish the mixer is right at the end so I push it through the middle and try to come out approximately where I want to start (see photo to the right). I usually try to put the start/end part of the rounds on the bottom so that you don’t see the slight lines formed from joining each round together (and that’s why there are extra white stitches at that position).

When you sew the mixer to the trailer base, the wider end of the mixer should be closest to the cab with the seam facing down on the trailer base (though you can choose to put the pattern any way around that you like). The mixer needs to be sewn it on a bit of an angle as the mixers are generally not horizontal. The photo to the right shows approximately what I aim for when I sew on the mixer. I like to have it positioned over about Rnds 10-15 of the truck with Rnds 6-11 of the mixer touching the truck.

Rnd 1              Sc 6 into the magic ring, fasten off joining to first sc with an invisible join. (6)

Rnd 2              With a sl knot of Colour C on your hook, join in any st round with a standing sc, sc in the same st. 2 Sc in every other st around. Fasten off, joining to the first sc with an invisible join. (12)

Rnd 3              With a sl knot of black yarn on your hook begin with a standing sc in any st around, sc in the same st, sc in the next st. [2 sc in the next st, sc in the next st] 5 times. Join to the first st with a sl st {do not cut your yarn}. (18)

Rnd 4              Ch 1, working in BLO, sc in every st around. Join to the first st with a sl st. (18)

The photos to the right show the wheel at the end of Rnd 4. Pause your work at this stage and weave in the ends for the Colour B, Colour C and the first end for the black but do not trim them. You can use these to stuff the wheel as shown in second photo to the right. It is easier to stuff them into the centre at this stage before you begin to do the decreases in Rnd 5.

Rnd 5              Ch 1, [Sc2tog, sc in the next st] 6 times. Fasten off joining to the first st with a sl st leaving a long tail for sewing onto the vehicle (and to add in windscreen wipers if desired using any excess yarn from sewing on the wheels).  (12)

When I add the wheels I generally begin by adding the rear wheels first and centring them on the side of the back at about Rnds 3-5 of the truck body as indicated in the photo to the right (the point of the needle is at about Rnd 5 in this photo of another vehicle I made where I added the wheels before the mixer).

You will be sewing Rnd 5 of the wheel to the truck and at the rear the truck is slightly narrower than the wheel so you will get a little that will go above and below the truck. However, the wheels are not sturdy enough to hold up the weight of the whole truck so make sure they mostly sit on the side closer to the top rather than below the truck body.

The photo to the right shows the position of the front wheel which I line up with the rear wheel. While it might sometimes look as if the wheel is covering part of the window, you actually sew Rnd 5 of the wheel just below the window and position it so that Rnd 5 of the wheel is close to the front of the cab.

If adding windscreen wipers, choose the wheel with the longest tail to add to one side of the front of your truck. Sew it on in the same way as the other wheels but do not fasten off the yarn. Instead, insert your needle through to where you want to begin adding your first windscreen wiper. 

You can see in the photo to the right where I have decided to start my windscreen wipers. You can make your windscreen wipers begin from the other direction if you like. I prefer doing them this way but I have made them the opposite direction in the past as well.

Choose the width and height of your first windscreen wiper, insert your needle there and then bring it back in line with where you began at the bottom in position to start the second windscreen wiper. When you have added the second wiper, bring your needle back out in the black part of your wheel and secure it there. If you wish you can add a single windscreen wiper on the rear window. I have not done so with this particular vehicle because the view is limited by the mixer.