Caterpillar Draught Excluder in Deramores Studio DK Acrylic - Downloadable PDF

Caterpillar Draught Excluder Knitting Pattern by Amanda Berry – Pattern Summary

This charming Caterpillar Draught Excluder is a beginner-friendly knitting pattern designed by Amanda Berry, a Berkshire-based knitwear designer and graduate of the London College of Fashion, whose work has been published in magazines including Let's Knit and Let's Get Crafting. The finished caterpillar measures 75cm long, making it perfectly sized to sit along the bottom of a door and block out cold draughts. It is a delightful and practical homeware project that also makes a wonderful handmade gift, combining bold colour with a playful, toy-like character.

What Is Being Made

The pattern produces a stuffed caterpillar draught excluder — a long, segmented soft toy designed to lie at the base of a door to prevent cold air from entering a room. The caterpillar's body is made up of multiple rounded segments knitted in a variety of colours, giving it a vibrant, eye-catching appearance. Safety eyes are added to bring the character to life, and the finished piece is stuffed with toy filling to give it a firm, draught-blocking shape.

Yarn and Materials

The pattern uses Deramores Studio DK yarn, an acrylic DK-weight yarn, worked across eight different colours to create the caterpillar's multicoloured segments. Each colour requires 1 x 100g ball, and the shades specified in the pattern are:

• Yarn A: Green Tea
• Yarn B: Paprika
• Yarn C: Gingerbread
• Yarn D: Blue Haze
• Yarn E: Storm Cloud
• Yarn F: Merlot
• Yarn G: Shiraz
• Yarn H: Butterscotch

In addition to the yarn, the following materials and notions are required:

• A pair of 3.75mm (US 5) straight knitting needles
• A darning or tapestry needle for seaming and finishing
• 1 x 250g bag of toy filling for stuffing the body segments
• 2 x 9mm safety eyes for the caterpillar's face

Tension and Sizing

The recommended tension for this pattern is 22 stitches x 28 rows over a 10cm x 10cm square worked in stockinette stitch on 3.75mm needles. Achieving the correct tension is particularly important for a stuffed project like this, as it ensures the fabric is firm enough to hold the toy filling securely without gaps showing. The completed caterpillar measures 75cm in length.

Knitting Techniques Used

All pieces in this pattern are worked flat — that is, knitted back and forth on a pair of straight needles rather than in the round. This makes the construction approachable for beginners who are not yet comfortable with circular or double-pointed needles. Once knitted, the individual pieces are seamed together using a darning needle, and the toy filling is inserted before closing each segment. The long-tail cast-on method is specified for casting on stitches.

Stitches Used

The pattern is built around a small, clearly defined set of stitches and techniques, making it an excellent project for those new to knitting:

• Knit (K): The foundational knit stitch, used throughout
• Purl (P): Used on wrong-side rows to create the stockinette fabric
• Stockinette stitch (St st): The primary stitch pattern — knit on right-side rows, purl on wrong-side rows — producing a smooth, classic fabric ideal for the rounded body segments
• K2tog (Knit two together): A simple right-leaning decrease used to shape the segments
• Kb (Knit into the front and back): An