Pancreas

This pancreas pattern is part of a series of patterns I am making of life-sized organs in the human body. The eyes are optional extras that can be added to make the organ cuter (but aren't strictly necessary)

Difficulty:

Easy - medium

You will need:

• A 2.5mm hook
• A 2mm hook
• 1 ball of anchor creativa fino cotton 4ply in lemon
• black 4ply yarn
• White sewing cotton
• A darning needle
• A regular sewing needle
• Polyester toy stuffing
• A pair of scissors

Tension:

The tension for this project isn't particularly important, as human organs are highly variable, but the tension I used was approx. 13sts and 14 rows per 5x5cm square (working in the round). 

The pancreas is part of out digestive system. It sits just off the small intestine and secretes enzymes that help break down food. It also releases hormones such as insulin and glucagon that help to regulate our blood sugar levels. You can learn more about the pancreas by watching this TED-Ed video.

For the pancreas:

Note that this section is designed such that the 'wrong side' (the one that is more bumpy) is outside
Make a magic loop with 6sc

Round 1: sc in each st
Round 2: (sc, make 2sc in the next st) 3 times (9sc)
Round 3: sc in each st
Round 4: (sc2, make 2sc in the next st) 3 times (12sc)
Round 5: sc in each st
Round 6: (sc3, make 2sc in the next st) 3 times (15sc)
Round 7: sc in each st
Round 8: (sc4, make 2sc in the next st) 3 times (18sc)
Rounds 9 - 11: (3 rounds) sc in each st
Round 12: (sc5, make 2sc in the next st) 3 times (21sc)
Rounds 13 - 15: (3 rounds) sc in each st
Round 16: (sc6, make 2sc in the  next st) 3 times (24sc)
Rounds 17 - 21: (5 rounds) sc in each st
Round 22: (sc7, make 2sc in the next st) 3 times (27sc)
Rounds 23 - 26: (4 rounds) sc in each st
Round 22: (sc8, make 2sc in the next st) 3 times (30sc)
Rounds 28 - 31: (4 rounds) sc in each st
Round 32: Sc13, (sc, make 2sc in the next st) 4 times, sc9 (34sc)
Round 33: Sc in each st
Round 34: (Sc10, make 2sc in the next st) 3 times, sc (37sc)
Rounds 35 - 36: (2 rounds) Sc in each st
Round 37: (Sc2tog, sc) 3 times, sc25, sc2tog, sc (33sc)
Round 38: Sc, sc2tog, sc2, sc2tog, sc23, sc2tog, sc (30sc)

Round 39: Sc, sc2tog, sc2, sc2tog, sc6, slip9, sc6, sc2tog (27sc)
Round 40: Sc, sc2tog, sc, sc2tog, sc7, slip6, sc6, sc2tog (24sc)
Round 41: Sc2tog 3 times, sc5, slip4, sc7, sc2tog (20sc)
Round 42: Sc2tog twice, hdc3, sc2, slip4, sc2, hdc5 (18sc)
Round 43: Hdc3, sc3, slip4, sc4, hdc4
Round 44: Hdc4, sc3, slip5, sc3, hdc3
Stuff

Round 45 (less than 1 round): hdc2tog 3 times, sc9, hdc2tog (14sts)
Round 46: Hdc3tog, hdc2tog, hdc, sc6, hdc2, (11sts)
Round 47: Hdc4, sc5, slip1, sc
Round 48: (less than 1 round) Hdc4, sc, slip4, sc
Stuff
Round 49: (less than 1 round) (Sc2tog, sc) 3 times, sc (8sc)
Round 50: Sc2tog 3 times (5sc)
Fasten off
Fold the end section back on itself and sew in place, as shown in the images below.

Fun fact 1:

The man who discovered the pancreatic duct (a small tube inside the pancreas that the digestive enzymes travel along to reach the small intestine), Johann Georg Wirsung was murdered a year after naming this structure after himself. It was through that this murder was the result of a disagreement over who had first discovered the duct.

For the eyes (make 2):

With black 4ply yarn and a 2mm hook make a magic loop with 6sc

Fasten off

Use white thread to embroider highlights onto each eye then sew them to the face. Use black yarn to embroider eyebrows and a mouth. You can also add other facial features if you wish.

Fun fact 2:
The pancreas contains 'taste buds' similar to those seen on the tongue that help it to detect the levels of glucose in the blood and release the appropriate hormones.

That's all from this pattern! I hope you have found it interesting. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me, either by leaving a comment below, or via my Ravelry page. However, if you're hoping for a speedy reply its best to contact me via email at lhodginscrochet@gmail.com. You can also follow me on  my Instagram to find out more about the patterns I'm currently working on, and be alerted when I publish anything new, You are very welcome to sell finished products but I do ask that you don't re-post this pattern, or claim it or any of its images as your own. Thank you!

References:

mentalfloss.com
healthresearchfunding.org