Mr. Nubbins

Mr. Nubbins Knitted Toy by Stefanie Goodwin Ritter

What Is Being Made

Mr. Nubbins is a charming handmade knitted toy designed by Stefanie Goodwin Ritter. This stuffed character stands 11 inches tall from the bottom of the legs to the tops of the ears and measures approximately 11.5 inches around the waist, excluding the arms. The finished toy is a complete three-dimensional figure suitable for display or as a soft companion piece.

Craft and Techniques

This project is created using the knitting craft with intermediate-level difficulty. The toy is constructed using in-the-round knitting on double-pointed needles, a technique that creates seamless tubular fabric ideal for stuffed toys and amigurumi-style projects. The construction method involves knitting individual components—such as legs, body, arms, and head—that are later assembled together. Shaping is achieved through strategic increases and decreases to form the three-dimensional structure of the character.

Stitches and Shaping Techniques

The pattern employs fundamental knitting stitches and shaping methods:

• Stockinette stitch serves as the primary fabric structure, created by alternating knit and purl rows (or knit rounds when working in-the-round)
• Kf&b (knit front and back) increases are used to add stitches and create shaping for expanding sections of the toy
• K2tog (knit 2 together) decreases are used to reduce stitches and shape the toy's form, particularly for tapering limbs and defining features
• Stitch holders are used to temporarily hold stitches while working on different sections of the garment

Materials and Yarn Specifications

Mr. Nubbins is designed to use super chunky weight yarn, specifically one 150-gram skein of Malabrigo Rasta (90 yards total) in 100% Merino fiber. The pattern shown features the colorway #863 Zarzamora. Additional materials include small amounts of black worsted-weight scrap yarn for facial features and a contrasting worsted-weight yarn for the bowtie accent.

Needles and Notions

The project requires a set of US #13 double-pointed needles for the main construction in the larger yarn weight, and a set of US #6 needles (any type) for working with the finer worsted-weight accent yarns. Additional supplies include two stitch holders for managing stitches during construction, a pair of 8mm safety eyes for the character's face, poly-fil stuffing for filling the toy, and a tapestry needle for seaming and finishing. The pattern optionally suggests three small buttons in a contrasting color for added detail.

Gauge and Finished Dimensions

The gauge for this project is 11 stitches and 12 rows equaling 4 inches in stockinette stitch on the larger US #13 needles. Working at the correct gauge ensures that Mr. Nubbins achieves the intended finished measurements of 11 inches in height and 11.5 inches in circumference around the waist.