sleepy puppy

One of the most popular toys I've ever made was the Sleepy Puppy. Many people have asked for a specific pattern for this toy, but the truth is he was made from my Pupster pattern. I think it was just a combination of the yarn and his sweet face and pose, that made him seem so special. I thought it might be useful if I gave you a few more details, in case you'd like to make a sleepy puppy too.

First, simply ignore the colour changes in the pattern, and knit the toy all in one colour. The yarn I used was Pakucho Organic Cotton, in the chocolate colourway. This yarn is closer to aran weight, so the toy ends up a bit chubbier than when I use a regular worsted weight yarn. Also, you will probably need slightly more than 50 g to complete the toy. The yarn is lovely: soft with a nice texture, and you can feel really good about giving the finished toy to a baby (who will certainly chew on it). There are several brands of organic cotton available, and I think others would work just as well. I've used Estelle Cloud Cotton Eco (Ravery link), which has a different texture than the Pakucho, but is the same weight.

The face is actually very simple. You make the nose and mouth as I show in this tutorial. The eyes are just shallow V's (go here to see the photo in more detail). I used a superwash wool in black for the face of this toy, but you could also use cotton if that's what you have. Last but not least, the bellybutton! This definitely adds to the cuteness factor. It's just a small 'x' stitched onto the puppy's tummy. A satin ribbon around the neck is a nice finishing touch, if the toy will be a gift.