Elephant in Sirdar Touch & Hayfield Bonus DK - 2487 - Downloadable PDF

Knitted Elephant Toy in Sirdar Touch and Hayfield Bonus DK – Pattern 2487

This intermediate-level knitting pattern (2487) from Sirdar guides you through creating an adorable stuffed elephant toy standing approximately 48 cm (19 inches) tall. Combining two distinct yarn weights and textures, this project produces a tactile, huggable toy with wonderful contrast between its body and finer details. The finished elephant makes a charming handmade gift for children and is designed with safety features suitable for toy making.

What Is Being Made

The pattern produces a three-dimensional stuffed elephant toy, knitted in separate pieces and assembled. At approximately 48 cm (19 in) in height, this is a generously sized soft toy. The design uses two different yarn types to create textural contrast across the elephant's body and detail sections, giving the finished piece a professional and visually interesting appearance.

Yarns and Materials Used

• Sirdar Touch (shade 012, F049) – the main shade, used for the body of the elephant. You will need 3 x 100g balls of this yarn. Sirdar Touch is a super chunky yarn with a distinctive plush, tactile quality, giving the elephant its soft, huggable texture.
• Hayfield Bonus DK (shade 992, F059) – the contrast shade, used for finer detail sections. You will need 2 x 50g balls of this DK weight yarn. Hayfield Bonus DK is a reliable, widely used double knitting yarn known for its smooth finish and stitch definition.
• An oddment of grey yarn is required for embroidering the elephant's mouth.
• Safety eyes are included to give the toy its character.
• Washable toy filler is used to stuff the finished elephant, making it suitable as a children's toy.

Knitting Needles Required

• 6½mm needles (UK 3 / USA 10.5) – used with the Sirdar Touch main yarn for the body sections.
• 3¼mm needles (UK 10 / USA 3) – used with the Hayfield Bonus DK contrast yarn for the detail sections.

Stitches and Techniques Used

This pattern employs two core knitting stitch structures, each matched to its respective yarn and needle size:

• Garter stitch – used for the main body sections worked in Sirdar Touch on 6½mm needles. Garter stitch is created by knitting every row, producing a ridged, stretchy fabric with good body – ideal for a chunky stuffed toy. The stated tension for this section is 12 stitches and 16 rows to 10 cm.
• Stocking stitch – used for the contrast sections worked in Hayfield Bonus DK on 3¼mm needles. Stocking stitch alternates knit rows and purl rows to create a smooth, flat fabric with clear stitch definition. The stated tension here is 25 stitches and 35 rows to 10 cm.
• Embroidery – a simple embroidered mouth is added using an oddment of grey yarn, a common finishing technique in toy making to add expressive facial features without the need for additional knitted components.
• Making up and assembly – as with most knitted toy patterns, the elephant is worked in separate pieces that are seamed together and stuffed with washable toy filler, requiring basic finishing and sewing skills.

Tension and Difficulty

This pattern is rated as intermediate difficulty, reflecting the use of two different yarn weights, two needle sizes, and the construction and assembly of a three-dimensional toy. Achieving the correct tension is essential – the pattern notes that if you have fewer stitches than stated you should use a thinner needle, and if more stitches, a thicker needle. Working to the stated tension ensures the elephant reaches its intended size and that all pieces fit together correctly during assembly.

Pattern Format

This pattern is available as a