Daisy Flower Orange Choc

Daisy Flower Orange Choc Knitted Toy by Andrew Lucas

What is Being Made

The Daisy Flower Orange Choc is a beginner-friendly knitted toy designed by Andrew Lucas, measuring approximately 15 centimeters when completed. This downloadable PDF pattern provides instructions for creating a charming stuffed toy featuring a green body and yellow head, combining simple knitting techniques to produce a finished plush toy suitable for decorative purposes or as a handmade gift.

Craft and Primary Technique

This project uses knitting as its primary craft method. The pattern is classified as beginner difficulty, making it an excellent introduction to toy knitting for those new to the craft. The construction involves fundamental knitting techniques including increasing and decreasing stitches to shape the toy's various components, combined with color changes to create visual interest and definition between different body parts.

Stitches and Techniques Used

• Stocking stitch (st st) – The primary stitch pattern used throughout the toy, created by alternating knit rows and purl rows to produce a smooth, flat fabric
• Garter stitch (gs) – A textured stitch created by knitting every row, offering a different visual and tactile quality
• Increases (inc and m1) – Used to expand the number of stitches, particularly for shaping the head section; the make one (m1) technique involves knitting into the back of the loop between two stitches
• Decreases (dec and k2 tog) – Applied to reduce stitch count and shape the toy; knit two together (k2 tog) is used to decrease multiple stitches in a single row
• Slip stitch (sl) – Used in combination with other decreases, such as the skpo (slip 1, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over) technique
• Bind and tie (B and T) – The finishing technique for securing stitches by threading the yarn end through a tapestry needle, passing it through the stitches on the knitting needle, drawing them up, and tying off securely

Materials Required

The Daisy Flower Orange Choc pattern requires 3.25mm knitting needles as the primary tool. Yarn materials consist of double knitting wool in multiple colors: green (for the body), yellow (for the head), white, red, and black (for additional details and features). The pattern specifies using oddments, meaning small leftover quantities of yarn are suitable. A small amount of stuffing is needed to fill the completed toy and give it shape and dimension. A tapestry needle is required for the bind and tie finishing technique and for weaving in yarn ends.

Pattern Structure and Construction

The pattern begins with the body section, cast on using green wool with 25 stitches. The first row involves increasing in every stitch to double the stitch count to 50 stitches, followed by 21 rows of stocking stitch to create the main body fabric. Decreasing is then performed by knitting two stitches together across the entire row to reduce back to 25 stitches, with one additional purl row. The pattern then transitions to the head section by changing to yellow wool and increasing stitches again through a series of increases and knit stitches, reaching 37 stitches, before continuing with stocking stitch to build the head height.