Blanket & Toys in Stylecraft Double Knitting - 9854 - Downloadable PDF

Stylecraft Pattern 9854: Adam & Astrid Elephant Toys and Blanket in Double Knitting

Stylecraft pattern 9854 is a delightful collection of three knitted designs worked in Double Knitting weight yarn: a large decorative blanket featuring an intarsia elephant motif, and two elephant soft toys — Adam Elephant and Astrid Elephant. This intermediate-level knitting pattern is available as a downloadable PDF, making it instantly accessible for knitters who want to dive straight into these charming nursery-themed projects.

The Blanket

The blanket is a generous, one-size design measuring 74cm wide by 70cm long (approximately 29¼in x 27½in), making it a perfect size for a pram, cot, or nursery throw. It is worked flat on 4mm needles using a combination of classic knitting techniques that give it both structure and visual interest.

Techniques and Construction

• Rib border: The blanket begins with a 2x2 rib (knit 2, purl 2) border worked over 16 rows, creating a neat, elasticated edge that helps the blanket lie flat.
• Stocking stitch body: The main field of the blanket is worked in stocking stitch (knit on right side rows, purl on wrong side rows), providing a smooth, classic fabric that showcases the colourwork motif.
• Intarsia colourwork: The elephant motif is worked using the intarsia method, where separate lengths or bobbins of yarn are used for each colour area. Right-side (odd-numbered) rows are read from right to left on the chart, and wrong-side (even-numbered) rows from left to right. This technique creates a clean, single-layer fabric without floats at the back, keeping the blanket soft and suitable for babies.

Stitches Used

• 2x2 Rib (k2, p2)
• Stocking Stitch
• Intarsia colourwork from a charted motif

Materials for the Blanket

• Stylecraft Bambino DK (100g balls): 3 balls in Clotted Cream (7112) as the main colour (MC)
• Stylecraft Bambino DK: 1 ball in Grey Mist (7115) as contrast colour 1 (CC1)
• Stylecraft Bellissima DK (100g): 1 ball in Precious Posy (3975) as contrast colour 2 (CC2)
• Stylecraft Special DK (100g): an oddment of Black (1002) as contrast colour 3 (CC3), used for detail work such as eyes
• 4mm knitting needles

The use of Stylecraft Bambino DK as the primary yarn is a particularly thoughtful choice for a baby blanket — Bambino DK is specifically designed to be soft, gentle, and suitable for delicate skin, while still being easy to care for. The accent yarns from the Bellissima DK and Special DK ranges add colour variety and texture contrast to the finished piece.

Adam Elephant Toy

Adam Elephant is a knitted soft toy standing approximately 38cm (15in) tall, making him a substantial and huggable companion. Like the blanket, he is worked at an intermediate skill level and uses 4mm needles.

Materials for Adam Elephant

• Stylecraft Bambino DK (100g): 1 ball each of Grey Mist (7115), Clotted Cream (7112), and Blue Mist (3945)

Adam's construction will involve knitting individual pieces