Penguin - Chocolate Orange Cover

Penguin Chocolate Orange Cover by Needles & Pins

Project Overview

This charming knitted penguin design creates a cozy cover perfectly sized to hug a Chocolate Orange gift. Designed by Needles & Pins and published in 2019, the Penguin is an ideal beginner-friendly knitting project that works up quickly in a single piece. The design cleverly uses leftover yarn from other projects, making it an economical choice for crafters with yarn stash to utilize.

What You Will Create

The finished penguin features the classic black and white coloring of a real penguin, with a separately attached orange beak. The piece is constructed as a stretchy cover that fits snugly around a standard Chocolate Orange, making it both a functional gift wrap and a keepsake toy. The fluffy texture of the yarn creates an extra cuddly, tactile quality that appeals to both children and adults.

Knitting Techniques Used

• Intarsia color work: The pattern employs color changes across rows to create the penguin's distinctive black and white pattern, with instructions to twist yarn when changing colors to prevent holes in the finished fabric
• Stocking Stitch: The primary stitch structure used throughout most of the garment, creating a smooth, classic knit fabric
• Decreasing: Knit 2 together decreases are used to shape the penguin form and reduce stitch counts where needed
• Separate piece construction: The beak is knitted separately and attached after the main body is complete

Stitches and Stitch Counts

The pattern begins with a cast-on of 26 stitches worked on 5mm needles. The first row establishes the color pattern with 9 stitches in black fluffy yarn, 8 stitches in white fluffy yarn, and 9 stitches in black fluffy yarn using separate balls. The main body is worked in Stocking Stitch (alternating knit and purl rows) for 13 rows while maintaining the center 8 white stitches. A decrease row then reduces the white center section from 8 stitches to 4 stitches using four knit 2 together decreases, bringing the total stitch count to 22 stitches. Additional Stocking Stitch rows follow to complete the shaping.

Materials Required

This project requires two pairs of knitting needles: 5mm needles for the main body and 3.25mm needles for the beak. The primary yarn is chunky fluffy yarn in black and white, specifically King Cole Cuddles Chunky, used in small amounts. Oddments of orange DK weight yarn are needed for the beak. Finishing details include sticky wiggle eyes to bring the penguin's face to life.

Yarn Weight and Needle Specifications

The pattern accommodates both chunky and DK yarn weights. The main body uses chunky fluffy yarn on 5mm needles, which creates quick, satisfying progress and a soft, huggable texture. The finer DK yarn for the beak is worked on the smaller 3.25mm needles, allowing for more detailed shaping and a proportionate feature on the finished penguin.

Difficulty Level

Rated as a beginner project, the Penguin Chocolate Orange Cover is accessible to knitters new to the craft. The straightforward construction, simple stitch repertoire, and quick completion time make it an excellent choice for building confidence. The color work, while requiring attention to yarn management, is introduced in a manageable way with clear instructions for twisting yarn to prevent gaps in the fabric.