Deramores Farmland Favourites Horse and Cow Knitting Pattern

Deramores Farmland Favourites Horse and Cow Knitting Pattern

Project Overview

Farmland Favourites: Horse & Cow is an intermediate-level knitting pattern designed by Amanda Berry. This downloadable PDF contains instructions for creating two charming toy animals—a horse and a cow—perfect for adding handmade farmyard characters to any collection. Both designs are worked as flat knitted pieces on straight needles and finished with toy filling and simple embellishments.

Horse Knitting Pattern

What is Being Made: The horse is a three-dimensional stuffed toy animal standing 11cm tall. It features a body, four legs, and two ears, all knitted separately and then sewn together to create a complete farmyard figure.

Techniques Used: This pattern employs fundamental knitting techniques suitable for intermediate crafters. The horse is worked flat (back and forth) on straight needles rather than in the round. Key shaping techniques include increases using the kfb (knit into front and back) method to expand stitches, and decreases using ssk (slip, slip, knit) and k2tog (knit two together) methods to shape the body. Mattress stitch is used to sew all the knitted pieces together seamlessly. The pattern also includes gathering stitches to close openings before stuffing.

Stitches Used: The primary stitch throughout the pattern is stockinette stitch (st.st.), created by alternating knit rows on the right side with purl rows on the wrong side. This creates a smooth, classic fabric ideal for toy making. Increases and decreases are strategically placed to shape the horse's body from a narrow cast-on edge to its widest point, then tapered to form the neck and head area.

Materials and Specifications:

• Yarn: 1 x 100g skein of Deramores Studio DK in "Smoke" (grey), a double knitting or light worsted weight yarn
• Needles: A pair of 4mm straight knitting needles (US 6)
• Notions: Toy filling for stuffing, a darning or tapestry needle for sewing pieces together, 2 x 5mm black beads for eyes, and sewing needle and thread for attaching beads
• Tension: Approximately 22 stitches x 28 rows over a 10cm x 10cm square in stockinette stitch on 4mm needles (note: tension is not critical for this toy pattern)

Pattern Construction Details: The horse body begins with a cast-on of 9 stitches using the long tail cast-on method. Increases are worked over the first several rows to reach 33 stitches at the widest point. Stockinette stitch is then worked straight for 19 rows to create the body length. Decreases are then strategically placed to shape the neck and head, reducing back down to 15 stitches before casting off. The four legs are each made by casting on 12 stitches and working 9 rows of stockinette stitch before casting off. The two ears are smaller pieces cast on with 6 stitches. All pieces are sewn together using mattress stitch, and the toy is stuffed before final closure.

General Pattern Information

Casting On: Unless otherwise specified in the pattern, the long tail cast-on method is used for all pieces, providing a neat and elastic edge suitable for toy making.

Sewing Seams: Mattress stitch is the recommended seaming technique throughout the pattern. This nearly invisible seaming method creates strong, flexible seams ideal for stuffed toys, allowing the finished pieces to be filled and shaped properly.

Abbreviations Used: The pattern employs standard knitting abbreviations including k (knit), p (purl), k2tog (knit two together decrease), kfb (knit into front and back increase), ssk (slip, slip, knit decrease), st.st. (stockinette stitch), cm (centimetre), mm (millimetre), and DK (double knitting weight yarn).

This intermediate-level pattern provides a rewarding project for knitters looking to expand beyond basic garments into three-dimensional toy construction, combining fundamental techniques with creative finishing to produce charming handmade farmyard companions.