Kuschelelefant in Schachenmayr Egypto Cotton and Catania - 4852 - Downloadable PDF

Kuschelelefant – Free Knitted Stuffed Elephant Toy Pattern by Schachenmayr (Model 4852)

This free downloadable knitting pattern from Schachenmayr (Model 4852) guides you through creating an adorable knitted stuffed elephant, known in German as a Kuschelelefant, standing approximately 23 cm tall. The finished toy makes a wonderful handmade gift for babies and children, combining classic knitting techniques with decorative embroidery to bring the elephant's character to life.

What Is Being Made

The pattern produces a three-dimensional stuffed elephant plush toy complete with a trunk, head, body, legs, ears, small tusks, a tail, and embroidered facial features. The elephant is worked in the round using a double-pointed needle set, and the head and body are knitted separately before being assembled and stuffed. Decorative embroidery stitches are used to add the eyes, ear details, feet markings, and toes, giving the finished toy a charming, handcrafted appearance.

Materials Used

Yarn

• Schachenmayr Original Catania – 100 g in Shade 173 Hellblau (Light Blue), used as the main colour for the body, head, and tail
• Schachenmayr Egypto Cotton – Shade 215 Royal (Blue), used for embroidered accents including the eyes and toe details
• Schachenmayr Original Catania – small amounts (approx. 50 g each or leftover yarn) in Shade 222 Orchidee (Orchid/Pink) for ear and foot embroidery, and Shade 106 Weiß (White) for the knitted tusks

Needles and Notions

• Regia double-pointed needle set, sizes 2.5 mm to 3.5 mm
• A blunt embroidery needle (needle without a point) for finishing and embroidery
• Toy stuffing / filling wadding (Füllwatte) for the head, body, and other three-dimensional sections

Yarn Weight and Tension

Both Schachenmayr Catania and Schachenmayr Egypto Cotton are 4-ply / sport weight yarns, making them ideal for knitting fine, detailed toy pieces with good stitch definition. The recommended tension (gauge) is 26 stitches and 36 rounds to 10 × 10 cm, worked in stocking stitch (stockinette) in the round using needle sizes 2.5–3.5 mm. Achieving the correct tension is especially important for a stuffed toy, as a tighter fabric prevents the filling from showing through the stitches.

Techniques and Construction Method

Knitting in the Round on Double-Pointed Needles

The entire toy is knitted in the round using a set of double-pointed needles (Nadelspiel), which is the standard technique for creating seamless, tubular shapes such as limbs and toy bodies. Stitches are distributed across four needles, with the working needle being the fifth. This method is well suited to small-circumference rounds, such as those needed for the trunk, legs, and tail of this elephant.

Construction Sequence

• Head: Construction begins at the trunk, where 12 stitches (3 per needle) are cast on and worked according to a knitting chart. After approximately 59 rounds (around 16 cm), stitches from needles 1 and 4 are placed on a holding needle, and stitches from needles 2 and 3 are placed on a second holding needle, shaping the head.
• Body: The body is also begun at the legs. 68 stitches (17 per needle) are cast on and worked in the round following the stitch chart. After approximately 59 rounds, the same technique of placing stitches onto holding needles is used to shape the body.