Dog in Schachenmayr Baby Smiles Lenja Soft - 6316

Free Knitting Pattern: Stuffed Dog Toy in Schachenmayr Baby Smiles Lenja Soft – Design 6316

This free downloadable knitting pattern (Design 6316) from Schachenmayr guides you through creating an adorable knitted stuffed dog toy approximately 35 cm (about 14 inches) long. Worked in the soft and baby-friendly Schachenmayr Baby Smiles Lenja Soft yarn, this project is ideal for crafting a cuddly companion for young children or as a charming handmade gift. The pattern is knitted in the round using a double-pointed needle set (DPN set), and the construction is thoughtfully broken into separate sections — the body and the legs — which are worked individually and then assembled.

What Is Being Made

The finished object is a three-dimensional, fully stuffed knitted dog in the round. The design captures a classic, rounded toy-dog silhouette with a distinct body, shaped head, and four separately knitted legs complete with rounded paws. At approximately 35 cm in length, the toy is a generous size — substantial enough to be a proper stuffed animal rather than a miniature ornament. Because it is made with Schachenmayr Baby Smiles Lenja Soft, a worsted weight yarn known for its exceptionally soft, skin-friendly fiber composition, the finished toy is gentle against a child's skin.

Materials Referenced

• Yarn: Schachenmayr Baby Smiles Lenja Soft — a worsted weight yarn from Schachenmayr's Baby Smiles line, chosen for its softness and suitability for baby and children's items
• Needles: A set of double-pointed needles (Nadelspiel) distributed across four needles, as the entire toy is knitted in the round
• Notions: Stitch markers are used to track the belly line, back line, and shaping points; stuffing (Füllmaterial) is implied for a three-dimensional finished toy; a tapestry needle for weaving in ends and closing seams

Construction Overview

The pattern is structured so that the body and head are knitted as one continuous piece, beginning at the tail end and working toward the nose. The four legs are then knitted separately, each starting from the paw, and attached to the body upon completion. This modular approach makes it easy to work each section at your own pace and allows for straightforward assembly.

Body and Head

The body begins at the tail end, with 48 stitches cast on and distributed evenly across four double-pointed needles — 12 stitches per needle. The fabric is worked in garter stitch in the round (kraus rechts in German), which in circular knitting means alternating one round of knit stitches with one round of purl stitches to produce the characteristic ridged garter texture. This gives the toy a pleasingly textured, firm surface that holds its stuffed shape well.

The belly line is positioned between needle 1 and needle 4, while the back line runs between needle 2 and needle 3. These reference lines are important for maintaining consistent orientation throughout the shaping process.

• At 18 cm height, decreases begin: 8 times, every 5th and 6th stitch are knitted together, reducing the stitch count to 40 stitches. This narrows the body toward the neck.
• At 23 cm height, further decreases: 20 times, 2 stitches are knitted together, bringing the count down to 20 stitches. This marked round signals the transition point between body and head.

From this marked round, the head is worked by increasing: stitches are added twice in every second round, with 10 increases per increase round, building back up to 40 stitches. This creates the rounded, ball-like head shape characteristic of a plush toy dog.

• At 8 cm of head height, decreases resume: 10 times, every 3rd and 4th stitch are knitted together, reducing