West Highland Terrier in Deramores Studio DK Acrylic - Downloadable PDF

West Highland Terrier Knitted Toy Pattern by Amanda Berry – Deramores Studio DK Acrylic

This downloadable PDF knitting pattern by designer Amanda Berry guides you through creating an adorable West Highland Terrier stuffed toy, finished at approximately 20cm tall and 19cm long. Designed exclusively for Deramores, this pattern is rated intermediate in difficulty, making it a rewarding project for knitters who are comfortable with shaping techniques and working in the round or flat sections. Please note that the finished toy is not suitable for children under 3 years due to small parts.

Amanda Berry is a specialist in knitted toys, having graduated from the London College of Fashion with First Class Honours in 2014. Her signature style brings charming, lifelike animal characters to life using straightforward knitting techniques combined with careful finishing and embellishment. The West Highland Terrier is a perfect example of her craft — a compact, characterful toy stuffed with soft filling and dressed with a finishing touch of tartan ribbon for unmistakable breed personality.

What Is Being Made

The finished project is a knitted West Highland Terrier toy — a classic, beloved dog breed rendered in soft yarn with safety eyes, a safety nose, and a decorative ribbon. The toy is three-dimensional and fully stuffed, constructed from multiple knitted sections that are seamed together and filled to create a rounded, plush figure. At 20cm tall and 19cm long, it makes a charming gift, display piece, or collector's toy for adults and older children.

Yarn and Materials

• Yarn: Deramores Studio DK – 1 x 100g ball in Frost (Yarn A). This is the sole colour used, reflecting the iconic white coat of the West Highland Terrier.
• Yarn Weight: DK (double knitting), a versatile medium-light weight ideal for toy knitting as it creates a firm, stitch-defined fabric when worked on slightly smaller needles.
• Toy Filling: Approximately 150g of toy stuffing is required to achieve a well-rounded, firm finish.
• Needles: 3mm straight knitting needles.
• Extras: A tapestry or yarn needle for seaming; two 10mm toy safety eyes; one 18mm toy safety nose; white felt fabric to back the washers of the safety eyes and nose (an important finishing detail specific to this pattern); and approximately 45cm of tartan ribbon for decoration.

Tension

The pattern specifies a tension of 26 stitches x 32 rows = 10cm x 10cm measured over stockinette stitch using 3mm needles. Achieving correct tension is especially important in toy knitting, as it ensures the fabric is tight enough to contain the stuffing without gaps showing through, and that the finished toy reaches the intended dimensions.

Techniques Used

This is an intermediate-level knitting pattern, meaning knitters should be comfortable with basic knit and purl stitches before attempting it, as well as confident with increasing, decreasing, and finishing techniques. The construction method typical of knitted toys like this involves knitting individual body parts — such as the head, body, legs, ears, and tail — as separate flat or shaped pieces, then seaming them together and stuffing each section before closing.

• Flat knitting on straight needles, working back and forth in rows.
• Shaping through increases and decreases to create three-dimensional forms for the body parts.
• Seaming using a tapestry needle to join knitted sections neatly.
• Stuffing and assembly to build up the toy's final form.
• Attachment of safety eyes and nose, with the specific technique of backing the washers with white felt fabric — a detail that adds stability and a clean finish particularly suited to the Westie's white-coated face.
• Ribbon finishing — attaching approximately 45cm of tartan ribbon as a decorative collar or bow, adding a signature breed-appropriate detail.

Stitches Used