Noro Seahorse Toy Knitting Pattern

Noro Seahorse Knitted Toy

What is Being Made

The Noro Seahorse is a small knitted toy designed for experienced knitters. This finished accessory measures approximately 1½ inches wide by 7 inches tall, making it a delicate, miniature decorative piece or plaything. The project combines structural knitting with embellishment techniques to create a three-dimensional seahorse figure.

Techniques Used

This knitting pattern employs several intermediate to advanced techniques to construct the seahorse. Lace knitting is incorporated through charted stitch patterns that include yarn overs and decreases to create openwork sections. The pattern uses working in the round with double-pointed needles to form cylindrical or tubular sections of the body, allowing for seamless construction in certain areas. Seaming is utilized to join separate knitted pieces together, creating the finished three-dimensional form. The pattern includes references to pick up and knit techniques, where stitches are picked up along edges to add additional sections. Selvage stitches are worked at edges to facilitate clean seaming.

Stitches Used

The Seahorse pattern is worked primarily in Stockinette stitch, which serves as the foundation fabric and is used to measure gauge at 20 stitches and 32 rounds over 4 inches. The pattern incorporates yarn overs and decreases (including slip, slip, knit techniques) to create lace elements shown on stitch charts. Slip stitches are used for edge work and pattern transitions. The pattern includes no stitch spaces on charts, indicating areas where stitches have been decreased or not yet made, requiring knitters to skip over these shaded spaces while working the active stitches. Additional abbreviations and techniques referenced include knitting and purling through various stitch manipulations to achieve the desired shaping and texture.

Materials and Tools

The Noro Seahorse requires minimal yardage, using 1 x 50g ball of Noro Silk Garden yarn in colorway #420. This luxurious blend yarn provides beautiful color variation typical of the Noro brand. Needles required include one pair of size US 4/3.5mm straight needles and one set of four size US 4/3.5mm double-pointed needles for working in the round. Notions include a 12-inch piece of contrasting scrap yarn for stitch markers, two 9mm black beads (available in plastic or glass), black thread, and a sewing needle for attaching beads and seaming. Fiberfill stuffing is used to fill the completed seahorse form, creating dimension and structure. Knitters should verify their gauge before beginning, as the pattern specifies 20 stitches and 32 rounds equal 4 inches over Stockinette stitch using size US 4/3.5mm needles.