Emily & Edward Knit Elephants in Red Heart Amigurumi - LM6277 - Downloadable PDF

Emily & Edward Knit Elephants – Pattern Summary (LM6277)

Designed by Nancy Anderson and published by Red Heart, Emily & Edward Knit Elephants (pattern number LM6277) is a free, downloadable PDF knitting pattern for a pair of charming amigurumi-style stuffed elephants. Each finished elephant measures approximately 4 inches (10 cm) tall when seated, making them a delightfully compact and gift-worthy project. Rated as a beginner difficulty pattern, this design is an excellent introduction to knitting in the round and basic toy construction.

What Is Being Made

The pattern produces two knitted elephant toys, Emily and Edward, worked in the classic amigurumi tradition of knitting small three-dimensional figures in the round. The individual pieces of each elephant are knitted separately and then sewn together to create the finished figure. Because these are intended as decorative toys or collectibles, the pattern includes an important safety note: safety eyes should not be used if the toy is intended for a child 2 years of age or younger. In that case, embroidered eyes using yarn scraps or sewing thread are the recommended alternative.

Construction Techniques

The elephants are constructed using a modular, piece-by-piece approach common in amigurumi knitting. Key construction details include:

• Knitting in the round on double pointed needles (DPNs), with stitches distributed evenly across three needles
• Beginning the head from the top down, casting on a small number of stitches and increasing outward to form a rounded shape
• Use of a stitch marker to track the beginning of each round
• Seaming and assembly using yarn tails, yarn scraps, or sewing thread to join all knitted pieces
• Attachment of safety eyes before the head opening becomes too small to allow insertion — a critical timing note for a clean finish

Stitches Used

The pattern relies on a focused set of stitches well-suited to a beginner knitter exploring three-dimensional construction:

• Knit stitch – the foundational stitch used throughout
• kfb (Knit into Front and Back) – a common increase stitch where the knitter works into the front loop of a stitch without removing it from the needle, then knits into the back loop of the same stitch before removing it, resulting in a net gain of one stitch. This technique is used to shape the rounded body parts of the elephants.
• ssk (Slip, Slip, Knit) – a left-leaning decrease stitch where two stitches are slipped individually as if to knit, then the left needle tip is inserted through the front of both slipped stitches and they are knitted together through the back loop, resulting in a net decrease of one stitch. This is used to taper and close sections of the toy.
• Cast on – the pattern begins with a small cast-on (6 stitches for the head) that is then expanded through increase rounds

Example of Shaping Rounds

The head construction begins at the top with a cast-on of 6 stitches distributed over three double pointed needles. The first shaping round works a kfb increase into every stitch, bringing the total immediately to 12 stitches — a technique that creates the smooth, dome-like top of the elephant's head characteristic of amigurumi design.

Materials

This pattern is designed for use with Red Heart yarn in a 4-ply (worsted weight) yarn, consistent with the brand's widely available yarn lines. The project is worked on double pointed needles sized appropriately for the yarn weight. Additional materials include yarn scraps or sewing thread for assembly and finishing, and optionally safety eyes for the face embellishment on toys intended for older children or adults.

Who This Pattern Is For

As a free, beginner-level downloadable PDF, this pattern is ideal for