Blue Sky Fibers Knit Chickens

Blue Sky Fibers Knit Chickens by Susan B. Anderson – Pattern Summary

Knit Chickens is a charming and detailed knitting pattern designed by Susan B. Anderson and published by Blue Sky Fibers (formerly Blue Sky Alpacas). This intermediate-level pattern guides knitters through the construction of whimsical stuffed chicken toys, complete with dimensional shaping, colorwork stripes, and embroidered details. The finished chickens are available in multiple sizes, making them a versatile and delightful project for knitters who enjoy creating handcrafted toys and accessories.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces knitted stuffed chickens — three-dimensional toy figures that are worked in multiple pieces and seamed together. The chickens are stuffed with polyester fiberfill to give them a plump, sculptural body. Eyes are added using black embroidery floss, lending each chicken a lively, expressive character. The pattern offers three sizes — Small, Medium, and Large — allowing knitters to create a whole flock of varying proportions.

Construction and Techniques

The Knit Chickens pattern uses a bottom-up construction method, beginning with the base of the chicken and building upward through the body. The work is seamed, meaning individual components are knitted separately and then joined together to form the finished figure. Portions of the pattern are worked flat (back and forth in rows), while other sections transition to working in the round using circular or double-pointed needles.

• Bottom-up construction: The base is knitted first, and stitches are picked up around its edges to begin the body, creating a seamless transition from base to body.
• Worked flat and in the round: Flat sections are seamed, while circular knitting is used for the body to create smooth, continuous rounds.
• Seamed assembly: Finished pieces are joined using a tapestry needle, with Kitchener stitch specified for grafting edges together invisibly.
• Stripe pattern: A multi-color stripe sequence is introduced during body construction, worked in Stockinette stitch for a clean, classic fabric.
• Shaping: Increases such as M1 (make one) are used to shape the body, while decreases including K2tog (knit two together), Ssk (slip, slip, knit), and P2tog (purl two together) sculpt the rounded form of the chicken.
• Yarn over (Yo): Used selectively for decorative or structural shaping details.
• Stitch pickup: Stitches are picked up and knitted around the base edges to begin the body in the round, a technique that creates a tidy, integrated join.

Stitches Used

• Stockinette stitch (St st) — the primary fabric stitch, worked both flat and in the round
• K2tog — a right-leaning decrease
• Ssk — a left-leaning decrease for balanced shaping
• P2tog — a purl-side decrease used during flat sections
• M1 (make one) — an increase stitch used to expand the body circumference
• Yarn over (Yo) — used for specific construction details
• Kitchener stitch — a grafting technique for joining live stitches invisibly

Materials and Yarn

The pattern is designed specifically for Blue Sky Fibers cotton yarns, making these chickens a wonderfully tactile and washable toy option. Two yarn lines are called for:

• Blue Sky Worsted Cotton (100g / 150 yards per hank) — a worsted weight yarn used for the main body color (Color A). The Medium and Large sizes require 2 hanks of Color A.
• Blue Sky Dyed Cotton (100g / 150 yards per hank) — also a worsted weight cotton yarn, used for the stripe colors. 1 hank each