Mushroom Clock

Posted on by Anna

This is a rough prototype for a working knitted clock that I made a long time ago.

mushroomclock1

The idea was that I would fit the knitting over some kind of box that contained a running clock on the inside, with the shaft and hands poking through a hole in the box and the knitting. For this version, though, I couldn’t find the right box, so I just used a sheet of plastic canvas for the front panel and the base, then stuffed the rest of the clock, and attached the battery-powered clock to the backside of the front canvas with lots of tape.

mushroomclock2

To prevent the hands from getting caught in the knitting, my dad sanded down these beatutiful cuckoo clock hands to be very thin. The clock works, but the hands did start catching on the dial every once in a while. And changing the battery when it finally dies will be an ordeal.

mushroomclock3

I still would love to create a series of knitted clocks, maybe for display at a show someday. But I would have to find the perfect box or other structure, and the perfect way to attach the knitting to the structure and the clock to the structure, and I would also have to find a clock with a still longer shaft.

For now, this one has been collecting dust on a shelf. But it’s nice to look at!

23 thoughts on “Mushroom Clock”

  4. FYI>Michael’s craft store sells individual clock parts. That way you could use whatever structure you want to make a clock. Just thought you might like to know…Cute idea, btw!

  7. Thank you for the nice comments, everyone! It seemed like kind of a shame to have made this about a year and a half ago and have done nothing with it, so I’m glad I finally posted it on the blog.

    Thanks for the tip, Kounting Sheep. I should check out what’s available next time I’m at a Michael’s. There are probably a lot of materials that I haven’t even thought about.

  10. How about foam? Like the kind they use in those upholstered benches. Then the clock won’t look too hard, and still maintain it’s shape better than stuffing.

  11. This is quite possibly one of the best knitted items I’ve ever seen. How clever and cute! I want one for myself!

  16. This is such a neat invention! It would also be fun to see a knitted cuckoo clock like the fancy ones with pendulums, etc. made in Germany. Who would have thought of a knitted clock, other than you? :)

  17. what an awesome idea! Maybe if the clock part keep catching on the knitted face, you could

    a) leave part of the original face
    b) use thinner yarn (unless you are already using fingering!)
    c) Use some mesh plastic to stabilize.

    I would also second the clock kit that can be found at Michael’s.

    Perhaps a knitted back could have a little pajama button flap in the back for the batteries?

    Awesome work!

  18. Such an elegant and whimsical creation, congratulations! With that clock in the house, I would find any excuse to remind guests that it is “mushroom o’ clock” !

  19. love it!
    nice job on that.
    i love how wide that red mushroom’s eyes are!
    and the beautiful clock hands go perfectly with the funny mushrooms!
    i want!

  20. I think you need something that will make the clock stiff. So the knitting would be more like a knitted clock cozy (albeit a very decorative one) rather than the body of the clock itself. You could make the stiff part from cardboard, or if you want something more sturdy, the sheets of wood that they sell at craft stores.

    Though if you specifically want a soft clock (which certainly has appeal!) maybe think of different kinds of hands. There are clocks with the actual hands inside. They have a magnet at the end of each hand, and the clock face has magnetized parts that stick to the magnets on the clock hands and move with the hands. So you could actually knit a big mushroom to be the hour “hand” and a small mushroom to be the minute “hand,” put magnets in them, and voila! The only thing is that the hands inside the clock would have to be in a plastic casing so they didn’t get stuck on the knitting, either.

  21. This is a really cute project. I would make the back with button holes and button it to one of the side panels to make it easier to access the battery area.

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