Valley Yarns Hot Chocolate Run Penguin Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Hot Chocolate Run Penguin

Project Overview

The Valley Yarns Hot Chocolate Run Penguin is a charming knitted toy designed by Sara Delaney. This small stuffed penguin stands approximately 5 inches tall and comes complete with its own scarf and hat, making it a delightful finished accessory. The pattern celebrates community involvement, with all proceeds from pattern sales benefiting Safe Passage. This penguin serves as a companion piece to the Hot Chocolate Run Polar Bear, another design in the Valley Yarns collection.

What Is Being Made

This project creates a small, three-dimensional penguin toy with integrated accessories. The finished penguin includes a body, two arms, a scarf, and a hat—all knitted as part of a cohesive design. The toy is constructed to be stuffed, creating a soft, squishy plush that is suitable for display or play.

Yarn and Materials

The pattern calls for Valley Yarns Valley Superwash, which is composed of 100% Extra Fine Merino wool. One 50-gram skein (97 yards) each is required in four colors:

• MC (Main Color) - Black
• CC1 (Contrast Color 1) - Natural
• CC2 (Contrast Color 2) - Soft Yellow
• CC3 (Contrast Color 3) - Crimson

Valley Superwash yarn is known for its softness and washability, making it an excellent choice for a toy that may require care and cleaning. The fine merino construction provides excellent stitch definition and a smooth finish.

Needles and Gauge

The pattern is worked on a set of five US size 5 (3.75 mm) double pointed needles (dpns), or the size needed to achieve proper gauge. The required gauge is 5 stitches and 8 rows per 1 inch when working stockinette stitch in the round. Achieving correct gauge is essential for the penguin to reach its intended finished measurements of approximately 5 inches in height.

Construction Techniques

The Valley Yarns Hot Chocolate Run Penguin employs several key knitting techniques to create its finished form:

Worked in the Round

The body of the penguin is primarily constructed using circular knitting on double pointed needles. Working in the round creates seamless fabric and allows for continuous color changes and stitch manipulations without interruption. The knitter begins by casting on 6 stitches and joining to work in the round, being careful not to twist the stitches—a critical step in circular knitting.

Increases and Shaping

The pattern uses strategic increases to shape the penguin's body. Make-one (m1) increases are employed in early rounds to expand the stitch count from the initial 6 stitches. The body grows through a series of increase rounds followed by stockinette stitch rounds, creating the rounded form characteristic of a penguin. In round 3, the stitch count increases to 9 stitches. By round 5, increases bring the count to 15 stitches. Further increases in round 14 expand the body to 21 stitches, and round 27 brings it to 27 stitches at its widest point.

Decreases and Finishing

Once the body reaches its full width, decreases are worked to taper and close the top. Knit two together (k2tog) decreases are used systematically in rounds 34 through 36 to reduce the stitch count from 24 stitches down to 6 stitches. The tail is then cut and threaded through the remaining stitches, cinched closed, and ends are woven in to complete the body.

Stripes and Color Work

The pattern incorporates stripes using the multiple contrast colors provided. A purl round in round 31 serves as a visual marker and color transition point, creating a distinct stripe in the fabric. This technique adds visual interest and helps define different sections of the penguin.

I-Cord Construction

The arms are created using an i-cord technique, which produces a thin, cord-like rope of knitting. To begin the arms, the knitter lifts bars from a marked row in the body and places markers to identify pickup points. The arm is then knitted as an i-cord by knitting the remaining rounds in this specialized technique, which creates a naturally tubular, three-dimensional cord without seaming.

Seaming and Assembly

While much of