Deramores Woodland Creatures Barry the badger Knitting

Deramores Woodland Creatures Barry the Badger Knitting Pattern

What is Being Made

Barry the Badger is an advanced knitted toy designed by Amanda Berry. This woodland creature stands 23cm tall including the ears and is constructed as a three-dimensional stuffed animal using traditional knitting techniques. The finished badger features realistic colour-work with grey, white, and black yarn to create the distinctive badger markings, along with domed black button eyes for added character.

Craft and Techniques Used

This is an advanced knitting project that employs several sophisticated techniques beyond basic knitting. The pattern utilizes Kitchener stitch grafting, a seamless joining method that creates invisible seams by grafting stitches together rather than sewing them. Intarsia colour-work is used to introduce multiple colours within the design, allowing for detailed patterning and realistic badger colouring. The project also requires mattress stitch seaming to join the knitted pieces together with a neat, professional finish. Knitters will need to master increasing stitches using the kfb (knit into front and back) method and decreasing stitches using k2tog (knit two together) to shape the body and head pieces.

Stitches and Construction Methods

The pattern is worked primarily in stockinette stitch, the fundamental stitch that creates the smooth, flat fabric suitable for a toy. Key stitch abbreviations include:

• k – Knit stitch
• p – Purl stitch
• kfb – Increase by knitting into the front and back of a stitch
• k2tog – Decrease by knitting two stitches together
• ssk – Slip, slip, knit decrease
• rep – Repeat rows or sequences as directed

The badger body begins with casting on 10 stitches in grey and is worked over multiple rows with increases and decreases to create the three-dimensional form. The head is constructed separately and then attached. Stitch marking is recommended throughout the pattern to aid in seam placement and assembly.

Materials Required

The pattern calls for 3.75mm (US 5) straight knitting needles for the main construction. Yarn is Deramores Studio DK (double knitting or light worsted weight), with one 100g skein required in each of three colours: Smoke for the grey body, Pearl for white markings, and Ebony for black details. Additional notions include a darning or tapestry needle for sewing seams and securing yarn tails, and two 6mm domed black buttons for the eyes. The tension is approximately 22 stitches by 28 rows over a 10cm square in stockinette stitch, though the pattern notes that exact tension is not critical for toy making.

Skill Level and Suitability

This pattern is rated as Advanced and is best suited to experienced knitters who are comfortable with colour-work, grafting techniques, and shaping. The combination of intarsia colour-work and Kitchener stitch grafting requires strong foundational skills and attention to detail. However, the pattern reassures knitters that tension is not as critical as it would be for fitted garments, making it slightly more forgiving for those still developing their technical abilities.