Tiny Turkey in Spud & Chloe - Downloadable PDF

Tiny Turkey – Free Knitted Toy Pattern by Susan B. Anderson for Spud & Chloe

The Tiny Turkey is a charming, free downloadable PDF knitting pattern designed by Susan B. Anderson and published by Spud & Chloe. This adorable miniature turkey is a knitted toy or decorative accessory, perfect as a seasonal tabletop ornament, a holiday gift, or a fun beginner project for knitters looking to explore three-dimensional toy construction. The pattern is rated beginner difficulty, making it an approachable introduction to knitting in the round and simple shaping techniques.

What Is Being Made

The finished object is a small, stuffed, three-dimensional turkey figure — a knitted toy or novelty accessory. Its compact size and rounded body make it an ideal Thanksgiving decoration or a whimsical handmade gift. The turkey is worked in aran weight yarn from the Spud & Chloe yarn line, giving it a soft, squishy, and durable finish that holds its shape well when stuffed.

Construction and Techniques

The turkey is constructed using knitting in the round on double-pointed needles (DPNs), a technique that creates seamless, tubular fabric — ideal for small three-dimensional objects like toys and stuffed figures. The body is begun at the back end and worked outward using a series of increase rounds to build the rounded, plump turkey shape that the design is known for.

Key construction techniques used in this pattern include:

• Working in the round on double-pointed needles — stitches are divided across three DPNs and joined to form a continuous loop, eliminating the need for seaming on the main body
• Seamless shaping from a small cast-on — the body begins with just 9 stitches (3 per needle) and expands outward through strategic increase rounds
• Stitch marker placement — a marker is placed at a specific round to help track the body's progress and measurements, a useful habit for beginner knitters working in the round
• Stuffing and finishing — as is standard with knitted toys, the body is stuffed to create a firm, three-dimensional shape

Stitches Used

The pattern uses a small, clearly defined set of stitches and techniques, making it genuinely accessible to beginners. The stitches and methods referenced in the pattern include:

• k (knit) — the foundational stitch used throughout the body and all rounds of plain knitting
• p (purl) — referenced in the abbreviations for use in applicable sections of the pattern
• kfb (knit in the front and back) — a simple increase stitch used extensively in the early body rounds to rapidly expand the stitch count and create the turkey's round, plump silhouette
• k2tog (knit two together) — a basic right-leaning decrease used for shaping
• m1 (make one) — an increase worked by lifting the bar between stitches onto the left needle and knitting through the back loop, creating a nearly invisible added stitch
• Knitting in the round — all body rounds are worked as continuous rounds rather than flat rows, so the right side always faces the knitter

The increase pattern in the body is particularly instructive for beginners: rounds of kfb in every stitch are alternated with plain knit rounds, doubling the stitch count efficiently. For example, the cast-on of 9 stitches grows to 18 stitches, then to 36, and further increases bring the body to 45 stitches — all through straightforward, repetitive increase sequences that are easy to memorize and execute.

Materials – Yarn, Needles, and Notions

This pattern is designed specifically for Spud & Chloe yarns, the brand's own line of sweet yarns for real life. The body of the turkey is worked in the colorway Rootbeer, a warm, rich brown that perfectly evokes the look of a roasted holiday turkey. The yarn used is aran weight, which knits up quickly and gives the finished toy a satisfying, substantial feel.

• Yarn: Spud & Chl