Sonny & Arlo Baby Comforters - Free Toy Knitting Pattern in Paintbox Yarns Baby DK

Sonny & Arlo Baby Comforters: Free Knitting Pattern by Lynne Watterson in Paintbox Yarns Baby DK

Designed by Lynne Watterson and available as a free downloadable PDF, the Sonny & Arlo Baby Comforters pattern from Paintbox Yarns invites knitters to create a pair of charming, soft baby comforter toys. This intermediate-level knitting pattern combines a snuggly security blanket with an attached stuffed animal head — a classic baby comforter format that little ones love to hold, snuggle, and carry. The pattern covers two distinct characters: Arlo the Elephant and Sonny (the companion design). Each comforter features a square knitted blanket joined to a three-dimensional toy head, making them both tactile and visually engaging for babies and young children.

Arlo the Elephant Baby Comforter

Arlo the Elephant is one of the two featured designs in this pattern. His comforter consists of a striped, square security blanket measuring approximately 12½ in / 32 cm square, topped with a knitted elephant head complete with ears and a trunk. The finished toy is soft, washable, and perfectly sized for tiny hands to grip and cuddle.

The Blanket

The blanket section for Arlo is worked flat on US 6 (4mm) knitting needles using a combination of garter stitch borders and a striped stocking stitch body. The construction begins with a cast-on of 70 stitches and opens with two rows of garter stitch before introducing the stripe sequence. Two yarn colours alternate throughout — Mint Green (A) and Paper White (B) — with the unused colour stranded neatly up the side of the work to keep floats tidy and the fabric clean.

The main body of the blanket is worked in a four-row repeating pattern that creates a classic striped stocking stitch fabric framed by a four-stitch garter stitch border on every row. This border prevents the edges from curling — a common challenge with stocking stitch — and gives the blanket a neat, professional finish without requiring any additional edging. The four-row stripe repeat is worked a total of 21 times, followed by a final sequence of garter stripes before binding off. This structured approach to colourwork is ideal for knitters who are comfortable with basic techniques and ready to manage two colours simultaneously.

Techniques Used — Blanket

• Garter stitch — used for the opening rows, closing rows, and the four-stitch side borders throughout
• Stocking stitch — used for the main striped body of the blanket
• Two-colour stranded knitting — yarn not in use is stranded neatly up the side of the work
• Flat knitting — the blanket is worked back and forth in rows on straight needles
• Stripe sequencing — a precise four-row colour repeat creates the even, graphic stripe pattern

Arlo's Elephant Head and Features

The elephant head is knitted separately using US 3 (3.25mm) knitting needles and Stormy Grey (C) yarn, giving Arlo his characteristic soft grey colouring. The head is worked in the round or flat and then stuffed with washable toy filling to give it a plump, three-dimensional shape. Ears and a trunk are knitted as separate pieces and sewn on, adding sculptural detail and making Arlo instantly recognisable as an elephant. Eyes are embroidered or attached using an oddment of black yarn, adding personality and expression to the finished toy.

Stitches Used — Elephant Head

• Stocking stitch — used for the main body of the head and facial features
• Shaping techniques — increases and decreases are used to form the rounded head, trunk, and ear shapes
• Embroidery / Swiss darning — black yarn is used to create the eyes
• Seaming and assembly — knitted pieces are sewn together and stuffed before being attached to the blanket