5 min read

Free Pattern: Little Penguin

Many years ago I made some little bird ornaments for a friend. I knit them with colourful yarns, and used pretty fabric for their wings. They looked like a flock of tiny parrots. I wrote out the pattern, with a few ideas for variations, and then promptly forgot about them as I moved on to other projects.

Then earlier this year, when I was thinking about updating my Wee Woodland Wuzzie pattern, I had the idea to add a little owl to the group. I dug out that old pattern for a little bird, and modified it to make a brown owl with knitted wings. It turned out very sweet, but the shape was too different from the other toys. So I started over, eventually coming up with the final design you can now make from the new pattern.

However, that little bird design stuck with me, and eventually I realized that a few small changes in design and colours would make a perfect little penguin! These holiday ornaments knit up super quickly, with just a little yarn, and would make excellent gifts for anyone who loves cute soft things.

I hope you try out this new design, and if your little penguin needs some company on your Christmas tree, you can always knit up some Wee Wuzzies too!

a photo of two small knitted penguin toys with bow ties. Around them are small trees and red baubles. — Two little penguin ornaments

Little Penguin Holiday Ornament

Materials: 15 g of worsted weight yarn in black (B), 10 g of worsted weight yarn in white (W), 5 g of worsted weight yarn in yellow (Y), pair of 4 mm (US size 6) knitting needles, pair of 9 mm black safety eyes, stuffing, tapestry needle, 15 cm (6") of narrow ribbon

Gauge: 5.5 sts and 8 rows per 2.5 cm (1") in st st

Size: 8 cm (3") tall

Notes

Use a long-tail, or similar, cast on. Leaving a 20 cm (8") yarn end when casting on will give you a convenient length of yarn for sewing.
Use mattress stitch to sew seams, and whip stitch to attach pieces together. To secure yarn ends on the stuffed toy pieces, weave the yarn ends through the body 2–3 times, then trim off any excess yarn.
The colour changes for the intarsia sections are indicated by the yarn colour preceding the instructions. For example, B k3, W k3, B k3 - here you would work 3 sts in black (B) yarn, then change to white (W) yarn for the next 3 sts, then change to another length of B yarn for the final 3 sts. Make sure to prepare enough lengths of yarn to work the intarsia sections.
For the bobble feet and single stitch in black on the penguin's forehead, it's simpler to run the black yarn across the WS of your work, as in stranded knitting. (See photo after body instructions, which shows this method).

a photo of two small knitted penguin toys, with big eyes and tiny beaks — Little penguin friends

Penguin Body

Begin at bottom. CO 13 sts with B.

Row 1: Purl.

Row 2: K1, [m1, k1] to end. (25 sts)

Intarsia begins on next row.

Row 3: B p10, Y p1, B p3, Y p1, B p10.

Row 4: B K10, Y mb, B k3, Y mb, B k10.

Continue in B.

Row 5: Purl.

Row 6: K1, ssk, k6, m1, k7, m1, k6, k2tog, k1.

Row 7-8: Repeat Rows 5-6 once more.

Intarsia begins on next row.

Row 9: B p10, W p5, B p10.

Row 10: B k9, W k7, B k9.

Row 11: B p9, W p7, B p9.

Row 12-15: Repeat Rows 10-11 twice more.

Row 16: B k5, k2tog, k2, W k7, B k2, ssk, k5. (23 sts)

Row 17: B p8, W p7, B p8.

Row 18: B k8, W k7, B k8.

Row 19-20: Repeat Rows 17-18 once more.

Row 21: B p8, W p1, k1, p3, k1, p1, B p8.

Row 22: B k8, W k3, B k1, W k3, B k8.

Continue in B.

Row 23: Purl.

Row 24: K3, [k2tog, k3, ssk, k3] x 2. (19 sts)

Row 25: Purl.

Row 26: K1, [ssk] x 4, k1, [k2tog] x 4, k1. (11 sts)

Cut yarn, thread end through remaining sts, and pull tight to gather.

Tie the yarn ends from the yellow bobbles together with a secure knot, and trim the ends to 1 cm (⅜"). Weave in the yarn ends from white intarsia section. Attach the safety eyes at the purled stitches from Row 21. Sew together the bottom seam from back to front. Sew the back seam from the top of the head towards the bottom, leaving an opening. Stuff the toy, then sew closed. Secure yarn ends by weaving them through the stuffed body 2-3 times, then trim excess yarn.

a view of the wrong side of the penguin body, showing the yarns ends from the intarsia section. — Wrong side of penguin body, showing before and after securing yarn ends. I added a bit of white felt behind the eyes, to hide the metal washers.

the unstuffed body of the penguin toy, with yarn ends and a tapestry needle at the back seam — Sewing up the back seam of the toy's body. Make sure to sew the bottom seam from back to front.

Penguin Wings (make 2)

CO 4 sts with B.

Row 1: Purl.

Row 2: K1, m1, k2, m1, k1. (6 sts)

Row 3-7: Work 5 rows in st st.

Row 8: K1, ssk, k2tog, k1. (4 sts)

Row 9: Purl.

Row 10: K1, k2tog, k1. (3 sts)

Cut yarn, thread end through remaining sts, and pull tight to gather. Weave in this yarn end on WS.

side view of the penguin toy, with a pin showing where the decreased stitch is, so the wing can be attached — The decreased stitch on the side of the body shows where to attach the top of the wing.

Finishing

Beak: Embroider a beak between the eyes with some of the yellow yarn: a french-knot works well for this, or try a satin stitch triangle.

Wings: Place the cast-on edge of the wings in line with the shoulders, then sew them to the body with a whip stitch. Leave the lower ends of the wings free. Weave in yarn ends.

Bow-tie: Thread one end of the ribbon onto the tapestry needle, then insert it under a stitch on the upper chest of the penguin. Pull through until the ends match up, then tie into a neat bow. Trim the ends.

Hanging loop: Cut a 10 cm (4") length of yarn, then use the tapestry needle to thread one end under 2-3 stitches on the top of the head. Tie the ends in a knot and trim excess.

front view of the finished penguin toy, with a red plaid bow tie, and yellow yarn to hang it on a tree. — Finished penguin ornament. The french-knot beak is tiny and cute!

Abbreviations

[ ] x N = repeat sequence in brackets N times ("to end" means to repeat until the end of the row)

CO = cast on

K or k = knit

k2tog = decrease 1 by knitting 2 stitches together

m1 = increase 1 by picking up loop between stitch just worked and next stitch, with your left needle, from front to back, and knit into the back of this loop

mb = Make Bobble: make 4 sts into next st (knit into front, then back, front, back of st), turn. (4 sts) P4, turn. K4, turn. P4, turn. Ssk, k2tog, turn. (2 sts) P2tog. (1 st) Slip this last stitch from the right to the left-hand needle, then turn the work to continue the row.

P or p = purl

p2tog = decrease 1 by purling 2 together

RS = right side (knit in stockinette stitch)

ssk = decrease 1 by slipping 2 stitches purl-wise from left to right-hand needle, slip both stitches back to left-hand needle, then knit slipped stitches together

st or sts = stitch or stitches

st st = stockinette stitch (knit on right side, purl on wrong side)

turn = turn work around, so next set of instructions is worked on opposite side of fabric

WS = wrong side (purled in stockinette stitch)

Two penguins sit on a wooden sled, a third one is holding the rope handle. White trees are in the background. — Three little penguins, going for a sled ride!