KNITTED REINDEER TOY DOLL (FREE PATTERN)
If you love Christmas, knitting, reindeer and dear old St. Nick, 'Twas the Knits Before Christmas
is a book you'll want to put on your gift list for Santa Claus. It features knitting instructions to create everyone on the jolly bearded one's sleigh plus a sack of toys and Christmas wreath.
Here you'll find instructions to knit a reindeer, adapted from 'Twas the Knits Before Christmas,
written by Fiona Goble, and published by Barron's Books.
With their wonky eyes and quirky smiles, these reindeer have more personality than most. Without a shadow of doubt, you’ll want to whip yourself up a whole herd. For a bit of authenticity, the reindeer are knitted in a natural alpaca DK yarn, but you could just as easily use a standard double knitting yarn.
Source http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0764164597/ref=as_li_qf_sp...Step 1
Head & shoulders The head and shoulders are made first and the body is made by picking up stitches along the edge of the head and shoulders piece and knitting onto it. Make 1 -- Cast on 56 sts in gray/brown. -- 1st row: K14, mark last (14th) st with a contrasting thread, K29, mark last (29th) st with a contrasting thread, K to end. -- Work 9 rows in st st beg with a P row. -- Next row: k2tog, K to last 2 sts, k2tog. [54 sts] -- Next row: p2tog, P to last 2 sts, p2tog. [52 sts] -- Rep last 2 rows once more. [48 sts] -- Next row: Bind off 14 sts, K to end. [34 sts] -- Next row: Bind off 14 sts pwise, P to end. [20 sts] -- Work 2 rows in st st beg with a K row. -- Next row: k2tog, K to last 2 sts, ssk. [18 sts] -- Next row: P. -- Rep last 2 rows twice more. [14 sts] -- Next row: K1, (k2tog, K1) twice, K1, (ssk, K1) twice. [10 sts] -- Next row: p2tog, P to last 2 sts, p2tog. [8 sts] -- Break yarn leaving a long tail and draw yarn through rem sts.
Step 2
Body With the right side of your work facing you, pick up and knit 28 sts along the cast-on edge of the head and shoulders—from one edge to the first marker and then from the second marker to the second edge. (This will leave a loop of knitting that will be stitched together to form the back of the reindeer’s neck.) -- Next row: P. -- Next row: K4, (m1, K4) 6 times. [34 sts] -- Work 21 rows in st st beg with a P row. -- Next row: K16, sl2, K to end. -- Next row: P16, sl2, P to end. -- Bind off, taking in the loops formed by the slipped sts on the last two rows as you go.
Step 3
Front legs Make 2 -- Cast on 12 sts in gray/brown, leaving a long tail for sewing up. -- K 4 rows. -- Work 16 rows in st st beg with a K row. -- Next row: K1, m1, K to last st, m1, K1. [14 sts] -- Work 17 rows in st st beg with a P row. -- Bind off.
Step 4
Back legs Make 2 -- Cast on 12 sts in gray/brown, leaving a long tail for sewing up. -- K 4 rows. -- Work 16 rows in st st beg with a K row. -- Next row: K1, m1, K to last st, m1, K1. [14 sts] -- Work 3 rows in st st beg with a P row. -- Rep last 4 rows three times more. [20 sts] -- Work 4 rows in st st beg with a K row. -- Bind off.
Step 5
Ears Make 2 -- Cast on 5 sts in gray/brown. -- K 10 rows. -- Next row: k2tog, K1, ssk. [3 sts] -- Next row: sl1, k2tog, psso. [1 st] -- Break yarn and pull it through rem st.
Step 6
Tail Make 1 -- Cast on 14 sts in gray/brown. -- Work 4 rows in st st. -- Bind off.
Step 7
Antlers Make 2 There are four antler variations. If you are knitting all eight reindeer, we recommend that you knit two pairs of each type.
Version 1 -- Cast on 3 sts in dark brown on size 1 (2.25 mm) needles. -- Work 8 rows in st st beg with a K row. -- Next row: Cast on 4 sts, K to end. [7 sts] -- Next row: Cast on 4 sts, P to end. [1 1 sts] -- Next row: Bind off 4 sts, K to end. [7 sts] -- Next row: Bind off 4 sts, P to end. [3 sts] -- Work 6 rows in st st beg with a K row. -- Bind off.
Version 2
-- Cast on 3 sts in dark brown on size 1 (2.25 mm) needles.
-- Work 4 rows in st st beg with a K row.
-- Next row: Cast on 4 sts, K to end. [7 sts]
-- Next row: Cast on 4 sts, P to end. [1 1 sts]
-- Next row: Bind off 4 sts, K to end. [7 sts]
-- Next row: Bind off 4 sts, P to end. [3 sts]
-- Work 4 rows in st st beg with aK row.
-- Next row: Cast on 3 sts, K to end. [6 sts]
-- Next row: Cast on 3 sts, P to end. [9 sts]
-- Next row: Bind off 3 sts, K to end. [6 sts]
-- Next row: Bind off 3 sts, P to end. [3 sts]
-- Work 2 rows in st st beg with aK row.
-- Bind off.
Version 3 Cast on 3 sts in dark brown on size 1 (2.25 mm) needles. -- Work 6 rows in st st beg with aK row. -- Next row: Cast on 3 sts, K to end. [6 sts] -- Next row: P. -- Next row: Bind off 3 sts, K to end. [3 sts] -- Next row: Cast on 3 sts, P to end.[6 sts] -- Next row: K. -- Next row: Bind off 3 sts, P to end. [3 sts] -- Work 4 rows in st st beg with a K row. -- Bind off.
Version 4 -- Cast on 3 sts in dark brown on size 1 (2.25 mm) needles. -- Work 4 rows in st st beg with a K row. -- Next row: Cast on 2 sts, K to end. [5 sts] -- Next row: Cast on 2 sts, P to end. [7 sts] -- Next row: Bind off 2 sts, K to end. [5 sts] -- Next row: Bind off 2 sts, P to end. [3 sts] -- Work 2 rows in st st beg with aK row. -- Next row: Cast on 2 sts, K to end. [5 sts] -- Next row: Cast on 2 sts, P to end. [7 sts] -- Next row: Bind off 2 sts, K to end. [5 sts] -- Next row: Bind off 2 sts, P to end. [3 sts] -- Work 4 rows in st st beg with a K row. -- Bind off.
Step 8
Making up Fold the head and body piece together with the right sides out. Join the front and back neck seams and the underside seams of the body using mattress stitch. Leave the back end open for stuffing. Stuff firmly and close the opening.
With the leg pieces right sides together, oversew the foot part. Turn the legs the right side out and sew the main seams using mattress stitch. Fasten the legs to the sides of the reindeer. The seams should run along the front of the back legs and to the inside of the front legs.
Fold the tail piece in half lengthwise so that the purl side (normally the wrong side) of the knitting is on the outside. Oversew the two long sides together, then stitch the tail in position.
Step 9
To make up the antlers, with the right sides out, oversew the edges of the vertical and horizontal parts. The piece will tend to fold inward slightly at this stage, but it doesn't matter. Bend the horizontal parts of the antler up slightly and stitch in place by working a couple of stitches in and out of the antler.
To give the reindeers a quirky look, we have embroidered them with slightly different features. You can experiment to find the looks you like best or choose a selection of the following ideas to create a variety of looks.
Step 10
The basic eye is made from a French knot using black yarn, surrounded by a ring of chain stitch using cream yarn To make the eyes slightly different, some have a second ring of chain stitch worked around them in either cream or gray/brown yarn. ln other cases, the ring of chain stitch is worked in a slightly different shape. One also has an eyelid made from a small spiral of gray/brown chain stitch.
The mouths are embroidered in pink, red, or mauve yarns, using either a straight stitch or a short row of chain stitch. You can add teeth using chain stitch embroidered in white yarn. The noses are made from a small circle of chain stitch embroidered in black yarn. One reindeer also has a ring of cream yarn embroidered around the nose.
Sew the ears and antlers in position, using the photographs (in step 1) as a guide.
