Big Ears

Big Ears Knitted Toy by Andrew Lucas

What is Being Made

Big Ears is a beginner-friendly knitted doll designed by Andrew Lucas, measuring approximately 16 centimeters in height. This downloadable PDF pattern provides instructions for creating a charming stuffed toy featuring a distinctive design with a colorful segmented body and a proportionally large head, making it an ideal first project for knitters new to toy construction.

Craft and Technique Overview

This project uses knitting as the primary construction method. The toy is worked primarily in stocking stitch, which creates a smooth, fabric-like surface ideal for stuffed toys. The pattern also incorporates garter stitch techniques for specific sections. The construction method involves strategic increases and decreases to shape the toy's body and head, with the designer using a bind-and-tie finishing technique to close off stitches securely.

Stitches and Techniques Used

• Stocking stitch (st st) – alternating knit and purl rows to create the primary fabric surface
• Garter stitch (gs) – knit rows throughout for textured sections
• Increases (inc) – used to expand stitches, particularly for shaping the head and initial body expansion
• Decreases (dec) – knit two stitches together to reduce stitch count and shape shoulders
• Bind and tie (B and T) – a finishing technique using a tapestry needle to thread yarn through remaining stitches, draw them closed, and secure with a knot
• Slip stitch (sl) – referenced in abbreviations for stitch manipulation
• Cast on – initial stitch foundation, beginning with 25 stitches for the body

Pattern Structure and Construction

The toy is constructed in distinct sections. The body begins with a cast-on of 25 stitches using 3.25mm needles, immediately followed by increases in every stitch to create 50 stitches. This doubled stitch count provides the foundation for the toy's width. The body is then worked in stocking stitch with strategic color changes in yellow, red, and white wool to create horizontal striped segments, each section worked over 2 to 4 rows depending on the desired stripe width.

The shoulders are shaped by decreasing stitches using knit-two-together techniques, reducing from 50 stitches back to 25 stitches. This narrowing creates a natural transition from the wider body to the head section. The head is constructed using increases worked in a specific pattern (knit one, increase in next stitch, repeat), which expands the stitch count to 37 stitches for the larger head proportion that gives this toy its characteristic "Big Ears" appearance.

Materials Required

• Needles: 3.25mm knitting needles
• Yarn: Double knitting weight wool in multiple colors – brown, yellow, red, white, beige, blue, and black provided as oddments (small quantities), allowing crafters to use yarn scraps from other projects
• Stuffing: Small amount of toy filling material for padding the finished knitted form
• Additional tools: Tapestry needle for the bind-and-tie finishing technique and weaving in yarn ends

Skill Level and Project Suitability

Classified as a beginner difficulty project, Big Ears is accessible to knitters new to toy making. The pattern uses fundamental knitting techniques including basic increases, decreases, color changes, and simple stitch patterns. The straightforward construction method and clear abbreviations make this an excellent introduction to three-dimensional knitted toy construction without requiring advanced shaping techniques.