Ryder (Paw Patrol) choc orange cover / toy

Ryder Chocolate Orange Cover / Toy by Andrew Lucas

What Is Being Made

This is a knitted toy or chocolate orange cover featuring Ryder from Paw Patrol. The finished piece measures approximately 14 centimeters, making it suitable as a small plush toy or as a decorative cover for a chocolate orange treat. The design captures the character's distinctive appearance through colorwork and shaping techniques.

Craft and Technique Overview

This project uses knitting as the primary construction method. The design is classified as beginner level, making it accessible to knitters who have mastered basic techniques. The pattern employs a combination of fundamental knitting skills including increases, decreases, color changes, and shaping to create a three-dimensional toy form.

Stitches Used

• Stocking stitch (st st) – alternating knit and purl rows to create the smooth, classic stockinette fabric that forms the main body sections
• Garter stitch (gs) – knit stitch throughout, used selectively in the pattern
• Increases (inc) – used to expand stitch counts, particularly for shaping the head and creating the initial body width
• Decreases (k2 tog) – knit two stitches together to reduce stitch counts and shape the shoulders and other areas
• Yarn forward (yf) – creates texture and shaping variations as needed in the design

Construction Process

The toy is constructed in sections, beginning with the body. The knitter casts on 25 stitches using 3.25mm needles, then immediately increases in every stitch to reach 50 stitches. This creates a wider base for the body. The pattern then uses stocking stitch worked over multiple rows, with strategic color changes to build Ryder's characteristic appearance. The body is worked in blue, light blue, red, yellow, and cream wool in sequence, with each color section occupying a specific number of rows to establish the character's proportions and clothing details.

The shoulders are shaped by decreasing stitches using the knit two together technique, reducing from 50 stitches back to 25 stitches. This shaping transitions the body into the head section. The head is then increased again using the increase technique (knit one, increase in next stitch, knit one pattern repeated), expanding the stitch count to 37 stitches to create a wider head shape.

Materials Required

• Needles: 3.25mm knitting needles
• Yarn: Double knitting weight wool in the following colors: blue, light blue, red, yellow, cream, white, grey, brown, beige, and black. The pattern uses oddments (small leftover pieces) of each color, making this an excellent stash-busting project
• Finishing: Small amount of polyester stuffing to fill the toy and create dimension

Skill Development

This beginner-friendly pattern teaches essential knitting fundamentals including cast-on techniques, basic stitch work, color changes within a project, and shaping through increases and decreases. The manageable 14-centimeter finished size makes it a quick project ideal for practicing these techniques without a significant time commitment.