Deramores Bats and Pumpkins Toy Knitting Pattern

Deramores Bats and Pumpkins Knitting Pattern

What Is Being Made

This intermediate knitting pattern by Amanda Berry creates a set of charming stuffed toys featuring bats and pumpkins. The collection includes three distinct toy designs: a large pumpkin measuring 13cm tall and 14cm wide, a small pumpkin measuring 7cm tall and 9cm wide, and a bat measuring 13cm tall with a 19cm wingspan when wings are stretched out. These are finished toys designed as decorative pieces or playthings, though they are not suitable for children under 3 years due to small parts including safety eyes, buttons, and other embellishments.

Techniques Used

This pattern employs fundamental and intermediate knitting techniques suitable for crafters with some experience. The primary construction method uses stockinette stitch, which creates a smooth, classic knitted fabric. Shaping techniques include increases (knit into front and back of stitches) and decreases (knit 2 together and slip, slip, knit methods) to form the three-dimensional toy shapes. The pattern utilizes both flat knitting on straight needles and circular knitting on double-pointed needles for constructing smaller components. Toys are constructed in separate pieces and then seamed together using a tapestry needle before being stuffed with toy filling.

Stitches Used

• Knit (K) — the fundamental knit stitch
• Purl (P) — the reverse of the knit stitch
• Stockinette Stitch (St st) — alternating knit and purl rows to create the main fabric
• Knit into front and back (Kfb) — an increase technique that creates two stitches from one
• Purl into front and back (Pfb) — a purl-side increase
• Knit 2 together (K2tog) — a right-leaning decrease
• Purl 2 together (P2tog) — a decrease on the purl side
• Slip, slip, knit (Ssk) — a left-leaning decrease created by slipping stitches knitwise and purlwise, then knitting into the fronts of the slipped stitches
• Pass slipped stitch over (Psso) — a decrease technique

Materials and Tools

The pattern calls for Deramores Studio DK yarn in four distinct colorways: Paprika, Peridot, Smoke, and Ebony. One 100g ball of each color is required. 3mm straight knitting needles are used for the main flat knitting, while two 3mm double-pointed needles (DPNs) are needed for working smaller circular sections. The recommended tension is 28 stitches and 36 rows over a 10cm x 10cm swatch measured in stockinette stitch using 3mm needles.

Additional materials include 150g of toy filling for stuffing the completed toys, a tapestry or yarn needle for seaming and finishing, and embellishment components. For the pumpkins, the pattern specifies two 22mm toy safety eyes per large pumpkin. For the bats, each design requires two 6mm domed black buttons for eyes, one 9mm pink flocked toy safety nose, 0.5m of white embroidery thread or floss for embroidering the mouth, and one 25cm black chenille stick or pipe cleaner for constructing the wings. White felt fabric is recommended to back the washers of safety eyes and noses for added security and durability.

Designer Information

This pattern was created by Amanda Berry, a knitting designer based in Berkshire, England. Berry graduated from London College of Fashion with First Class Honours in 2014 and has since built a full-time career creating knitted toys. Her designs have been published in magazines and created for charitable organizations. Additional patterns by Amanda Berry are available through Deramores.