Deramores Shep the Border Collie Toy Knitting Pattern

Deramores Shep the Border Collie Knitted Toy

What is Being Made

Shep the Border Collie is an advanced knitting project that creates a finished stuffed toy measuring 21cm tall. This is a knitted amigurumi-style toy designed by Amanda Berry, a fashion graduate and professional toy designer based in Berkshire, England. The completed toy features realistic Border Collie coloring and detailing, making it a charming decorative piece or gift. Warning: Not suitable for children under 3 years due to small parts including toy safety eyes and button embellishments.

Techniques Used

This advanced knitting pattern employs several intermediate to advanced techniques that distinguish it from beginner projects. The construction involves knitting in the round and flat sections to create three-dimensional toy pieces that are subsequently seamed together using a tapestry needle. The pattern utilizes color work with multiple yarn colors (Frost, Ebony, and Raspberry) to achieve the distinctive Border Collie markings and features. Shaping is accomplished through strategic increases and decreases positioned throughout the pattern to form the dog's head, body, legs, and ears. The toy is stuffed with toy filling before final seaming, requiring careful assembly and secure finishing to ensure durability and safety.

Stitches Used

• Stockinette Stitch (St st): The primary stitch throughout the pattern, created by knitting right-side rows and purling wrong-side rows to produce a smooth, flat fabric
• Knit (K): Basic knit stitch used for most rows
• Purl (P): Used on wrong-side rows in stockinette stitch sections
• Knit Two Together (K2tog): A right-leaning decrease used to shape the toy pieces
• Slip, Slip, Knit (Ssk): A left-leaning decrease technique where stitches are slipped knitwise and purlwise before being knitted together through the front loops
• Knit Front and Back (Kfb): An increase stitch that creates an extra stitch by knitting into both the front and back of a single stitch

Materials Required

The pattern calls for Deramores Studio DK yarn in three colors: 1 x 100g in Frost (Yarn A), 1 x 100g in Ebony (Yarn B), and less than 1gm in Raspberry (Yarn C) for the collar detail. DK refers to double knitting or light worsted weight yarn, which is ideal for creating defined stitch definition in small toy projects. Knitting is worked on 3.75mm straight knitting needles (US 5). The tension is approximately 22 stitches and 28 rows over a 10cm x 10cm square in stockinette stitch on 3.75mm needles, though the pattern notes that exact tension is not critical for toy construction. Additional materials include toy filling for stuffing, two 12mm toy safety eyes for facial features, a 10mm diameter red button for the collar, and a darning or tapestry needle for seaming the knitted pieces together and weaving in yarn ends.