Knitted Toy Patterns

Knitted toys that get carried everywhere

A knitted toy is a peculiar kind of make: it uses very little yarn, it costs almost nothing, and it is often the thing a child keeps for twenty years. This collection covers the full spread, from tiny finger-sized mice and pocket bunnies to full-sized bears, jointed dolls with knitted wardrobes, dinosaurs, farm and jungle animals, cuddly comforters with a toy head and a soft blanket body, character dolls, and nursery-rhyme sets. Some are knitted flat in pieces and seamed, which suits knitters who prefer straight needles; others are worked in the round on double-pointed needles or with the magic loop for a seamless finish.

Easy first toys and where the difficulty really lies

Knitting a toy is rarely hard on the needles. The stitches are usually plain stocking stitch with simple increases and decreases, and the shaping is worked over small numbers of stitches. What catches people out is the assembly: stuffing evenly, attaching limbs so they sit symmetrically, and embroidering a face that has the right expression. A good first toy is a simple flat-knitted animal made from a rectangle folded and seamed, or a small mouse with a gathered nose and a cord tail. From there try an in-the-round bunny, then a jointed bear where arms and legs are attached with a button or safety joint.

Yarn, needles and tension

• DK on 3mm or 3.25mm needles is the standard combination: deliberately a size or two smaller than usual so the fabric is dense.
• Knit firmly. If you can see daylight or stuffing through the fabric, go down another needle size and start again.
• Machine-washable yarn is worth insisting on for anything a small child will own; toys get dropped in puddles.
• Cotton gives crisp definition, wool blends give softness and a little forgiveness, and a hint of mohair or brushed fibre makes a convincing animal coat.
• Most toys use 50-100g in total, so they are an excellent way to work through oddments and leftovers.

Safety, stuffing and washability

For a baby or toddler, embroider the eyes, nose and mouth in yarn rather than using safety eyes, buttons or beads, and avoid ribbons and long loops of any kind. Use British Standard washable polyester toy filling and take the time to tease it apart before you push it in; stuffing straight from the bag in lumps gives a bumpy toy. Fill the extremities first with small pinches, using the blunt end of a knitting needle or a chopstick, and work back towards the body. Stuff firmly enough that the toy holds its shape but not so hard that the stitches gape. Close the final seam with mattress stitch so nothing can be picked open.

Faces, features and getting the character right

The face makes the toy, and it is worth pinning features on before you sew anything. Cut small paper circles for the eyes and move them around: eyes set lower and wider apart read as young and friendly, higher and closer together as sly. Use a single strand of yarn or embroidery thread and satin stitch for eyes, straight stitches for a mouth, and a small padded triangle for a nose. Attach limbs with a doubled thread, going right through the body and back, pulling gently to seat them. If the arms end up wonky, unpick and redo them; it takes ten minutes and transforms the result.

Gifts, seasons and the pattern PDFs

Toys are the answer to almost every gifting problem: newborns, first birthdays, christenings, Christmas stockings and school fair stalls. A small knitted animal takes an evening and needs no sizing decisions. If you are knitting for a fair, choose one pattern and make eight of them; the second is always twice as fast as the first. Each pattern downloads as a PDF to your library with its materials list, tension and full assembly instructions, and plenty here are free. Browse more characters in the animal toy knitting patterns and the rabbit knitting patterns.

Common questions

Are there free toy knitting patterns to download as PDFs? Yes. Filter for free designs, save them to your library and download whenever you want them.

What is the easiest knitted toy for a beginner? A flat-knitted rectangle animal or a small mouse. Both are stocking stitch with minimal shaping and can be finished in a couple of evenings.

How do I wash a knitted toy? Hand wash in cool water, squeeze gently without wringing, and dry flat, reshaping the stuffing as it dries. Check the yarn and filling labels first.

Can I knit toys on straight needles? Yes. A great many patterns here are worked flat in pieces and seamed afterwards.