Rowan Sweet Pea Toy Knitting Pattern

Rowan Sweet Pea Knitted Toy Mobile by Georgia Farrell

What is Being Made

The Rowan Sweet Pea is an intermediate-level knitting project that creates a decorative mobile suitable for toys and accessories. This design features multiple knitted components—triangles, hexagons, and pompoms—that combine to form a finished mobile display piece. The project is designed to be assembled onto a wooden mobile frame with four arms, making it both a functional and decorative item.

Project Components

• Triangles: 16 triangles are knitted in total, each measuring approximately 9 cm (3½ inches) wide and 9 cm (3½ inches) tall. Triangles are created in pairs using different yarn colors and then sewn together to form two-colour triangle units.
• Hexagons: 8 hexagons are knitted in total, each also measuring approximately 9 cm (3½ inches) wide and 9 cm (3½ inches) tall. Like the triangles, hexagons are created in coordinating color pairs and stuffed with toy filling before being sewn closed.
• Pompoms: 8 pompoms are made, each 6 cm in diameter, adding textural variety to the finished mobile.

Knitting Techniques Used

This project employs fundamental knitting techniques suitable for intermediate crafters. The primary stitch used throughout is garter stitch, which creates a textured, reversible fabric by knitting every row. Shaping is achieved through strategic increases and decreases: yarn forward (yfwd) stitches create new stitches for expansion, while knit two together (K2tog) decreases reduce stitch counts to form the geometric shapes. The pattern also incorporates twisted stitches (K1 tbl, or knit one through the back loop), which add subtle definition to edges.

Stitches and Stitch Details

• Garter Stitch (g st): The foundation stitch worked throughout all pieces, created by knitting every row on both right-side and wrong-side rows.
• Yarn Forward (yfwd): An eyelet increase that adds stitches and creates decorative holes in the fabric.
• Knit Through Back Loop (K1 tbl): A twisted stitch variation that adds textural interest and definition.
• Knit Two Together (K2tog): A right-leaning decrease used to shape the triangular and hexagonal pieces.
• Cast On and Cast Off: Standard techniques for beginning and finishing individual pieces.

Yarn and Materials

The Sweet Pea pattern uses Rowan Cotton Wool yarn in eight distinct colors, with 50 grams of each color required. The specific yarn colors are Moon (211), Tiptoe (205), Pickles (208), Dolly (206), Piglet (207), Giggle (212), Milky (201), and Tiny (203). This yarn choice provides a soft, washable fiber suitable for a toy project.

Additional materials include one pair of 4mm (US 6) needles for all knitting, a wooden mobile frame with four arms for assembly and display, and washable toy filling for stuffing the three-dimensional pieces. Pompoms are created using yarn in a complementary color.

Tension and Sizing

The pattern specifies a tension of 20 stitches and 38 rows to 10 centimeters when measured over garter stitch using 4mm needles. Maintaining this tension ensures that all pieces reach their intended finished dimensions of approximately 9 cm square for both triangles and hexagons.

Skill Level and Construction

Rated as intermediate difficulty, this project requires competence with basic knitting techniques but does not demand advanced shaping or complex stitch patterns. The repetitive nature of creating multiple identical pieces—working the same triangle and hexagon patterns multiple times in different yarn colors—allows crafters to develop consistency and rhythm. Assembly involves careful seaming of pieces together, strategic color pairing, and precise stuffing to achieve the desired plump shapes before final closure.